The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[GangstaBoogy]

this doesn't look good 

What, 1 loss? You thought we were gunna win every game this year?...There were positives in this game too, like our young guys bringing us back in it when the game looked out of reach. Don't start the shit-talking now...PeACe

first of all, i posted that in the 3rd quarter and i was referring to the sloppy play. second, shut the fuck up. i  actually agree with you.

bonus: rashard lewis is still THAT nigga.

[Doggystylin]

rashard lewis can suck my right nut

[.SNEEKlocsta:.]

lakers lookin real good so far, to early to say anotha parade?

[wcsoldier]

First loss of the season... doesn't affect our good start of the season though.Our defense will improve with the time, I like our chances this season , especially with the deepness of the bench 

[rik]

fuck it....we can't win them all.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

this doesn't look good 

What, 1 loss? You thought we were gunna win every game this year?...There were positives in this game too, like our young guys bringing us back in it when the game looked out of reach. Don't start the shit-talking now...PeACe

first of all, i posted that in the 3rd quarter and i was referring to the sloppy play. second, shut the fuck up. i  actually agree with you.

bonus: rashard lewis is still THAT nigga.

Why shut the fuck up? I didn't diss you or anything, simply asked you a question, because it seemed like you were getting upset at the Lakers for losing...Quit getting so defensive.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I honestly believe Phil wanted us to lose...Like he's been stressing, you learn a lot more from losing than from winning...PeACe

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Lakers' first loss frustrates Odom
Off to a hot start, he voices his displeasure over seemingly fewer chances against Seattle.

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

SEATTLE – Lamar Odom spent his final minutes on the court shaking his head over and over, then staring vacantly into the stands because he didn't want to look at anyone on his team.

Once he was pulled from the Lakers' first loss of the season, Odom sat at the end of the bench, slipped the gold chain and gold cross he has taken to wearing for all non-playing times this season and briefly explained his frustrations to teammate Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers lost to the Seattle SuperSonics, 117-101, on Sunday night to drop to 3-1 this season. And it was clear that Odom, who scored 11 points and took just six shots from the field, believed it would have been 4-0 if his teammates had given him more chances to continue his 28-point-per-game roll.

"We've got to recognize what's going on offensively," said Odom, who had just three second-half points. "We've got to execute and get the ball to guys in scoring position." Odom then began to cite an example, saying, "One time ..." but stopped himself.

Instead, he continued speaking in generalities instead of direct criticisms, even though his tone remained uncharacteristically harsh with frustration: "I felt good. I'm not tired or anything like that."

There was one time, in the fourth quarter, when Odom ran across the court to get the ball from teammate Smush Parker as the shot clock wound down and Parker was trapped without his dribble.

Parker, however, moved the ball away despite Odom standing next to him, and Odom was visibly upset.

Odom had scored 28 points against Seattle just two nights before. Asked what the SuperSonics did differently this time on defense, Odom said: "They didn't do nothin.' They just came out and played really hard. I can't wait to see them again."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson offered this summary of Odom's 35 minutes of action: "Lamar came out, and he was really active and shot the ball.

"For some reason or another, he turned down almost all the shots the rest of the game. He really carried us in the first quarter and got us off to a jump."

Asked if he grew more tentative as the game went on, Odom said: "I'm never tentative. I can play. I got my shot whenever I wanted to, got to the basket, shot 50percent from three(-point range), got fouled.

"It's just one of those games, I guess. We've got to recognize. We've got to have good team recognition."

The depth of the sting Odom is feeling is a result of his vow to be a changed, consistent player this season after the death of his infant son in July. Odom has said he wants to vault himself to All-Star status, which would figure to make the Lakers extremely successful this season, too.

For three games, they were just that with Odom shooting 54percent from the field, 72.7percent from three-point range and 84.6percent from the foul line while his 21 assists more than doubled anyone else's total on the team.

Yet on this night, the Lakers appeared to lose focus on offense after a hot start that saw them make 10 of 11 shots, and Bryant record five assists before even taking a shot.

The Lakers' shoddy offensive execution carried over to the other end, where their new switching defense rotated in wobbly fashion, and Seattle's Ray Allen (32 points) and Rashard Lewis (25) took advantage.

Jackson loudly chastised Brian Cook, Vladimir Radmanovic and Ronny Turiaf, in particular, during the game about errors on defense.

"We weren't prepared," said Jackson, who before the game had previewed the matchup with a hungry Seattle team as "a real test" for his team.

BRYANT'S GAME 2

Bryant got his indoctrination to the tighter NBA behavioral regulations the hard way, drawing a technical foul with 5:18 to play for throwing the ball against the basket support in frustration.

The call left Bryant scratching his head and laughing. He said after the game he didn't even know about the crackdown, having missed the Lakers' preseason meeting with league officials while rehabilitating his right knee.

Bryant has also had to move the sweatband from his usual spot on his upper left arm because of the new NBA rule limiting uniform accessories this season. Bryant is wearing a smaller sweatband on his left wrist now.

Bryant's second game of the season included 15 points and nine assists, but he isn't close to recapturing his shooting touch from the outside or in traffic near the rim. He said his progress is coming "step by step."

"His timing's off," Jackson said.



Side note: I think it's pretty disgusting how the NBA made Kobe remove his trademark sweat-band from his arm because of their "stricter uniform rules". The technical called on him last night was almost as bad too:-X

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Radman's Time to Shine

BY BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise
11:56 PM PST on Sunday, November 5, 2006

SEATTLE - He was picked No. 12 by Seattle in the 2001 draft, and there were signs that Vladimir Radmanovic would become a standout here. Five years later he's still trying to make the kind of money he left in Seattle, but his opportunity to shine in LA might make up for it.

The Lakers signed Radmanovic to five-year, $31 million contract this summer, and the forward believes he'll be able to showcase all his skills, not just his shooting touch, in LA.

"It was time for me to move on in my career and change teams," said Radmanovic, who turned down a six-year, $42 million deal from Seattle in the summer of 2005 and was traded to the Clippers in February.

"I just wanted to go someplace else. With Rashard (Lewis) playing the post and me on the three-point line, I felt I wasn't using all my capabilities and talent."

Radmanovic still hasn't been able to display all his talents for the Lakers because of a torn ligament in his right hand. He wears a pad between his pinky and ring fingers that has affected his shooting.

However, he had a good game against his old team Sunday, scoring 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including 2 of 4 on three-pointers. He also had four rebounds and two assists.

"I'm still figuring out my rhythm," said Radmanovic, who's averaging 8.7 points and shooting 48 percent from the field. "I'm just trying to adjust to it and get used to something (the pad) that's going to be there all season."

Radmanovic considered surgery but opted to wait until after the season to have it. Coach Phil Jackson was happy with that decision.

C-Plus for Rambis

Jackson offered a C-plus grade for the job assistant coach Kurt Rambis did running the Lakers while Jackson recovered from his hip replacement.

Rambis coached all the exhibition games and was 4-4. He also coached the second game of the season in Oakland when Jackson was unable to travel, which the Lakers won by 12.

"He did a good job; a great job, actually," said Jackson, who made his first road trip of the season and said he'll also make the trip to Portland for Wednesday night's, even though it'll be the second of back-to-back games.

Jackson said he's not as uncomfortable as before his procedure.

"I'm feeling better about moving around, getting up and down," he said. "I may not have the strength to do it, but I'll be OK."

Career High for Farmar

Rookie Jordan Farmar continued his solid play Sunday with a career-high 14 points.

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Really disappointed in the way the Lakers played last night....But like everyone said, it's only 1 game...but we better not play like this again...

And i can't till Kwame come back, he should help our defense ALOT

[Teddy Roosevelt]

100 pages.

I honestly believe Phil wanted us to lose...Like he's been stressing, you learn a lot more from losing than from winning...PeACe

Your joking, right?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

100 pages.

I honestly believe Phil wanted us to lose...Like he's been stressing, you learn a lot more from losing than from winning...PeACe

Your joking, right?

No, I'm not joking...I mean, of course he wanted to win the game, but he knows that a team benefits a lot more from losing, cuz winning clowds errors, so he didn't mind a loss...This is a known philosophy of Phil's...PeACe

[Tha G In Deee]

Really disappointed in the way the Lakers played last night....But like everyone said, it's only 1 game...but we better not play like this again...

And i can't till Kwame come back, he should help our defense ALOT

^Word, 1 loss isn't that bad, they team just has to get back into rhythm...I'm sure Lakers can win on Tuesday...

I don't think it's wrong Lamar is frustrated, but I'm wondering who he's frustrated with, some are saying it's Kobe but we'll see...

[Juronimo]

We need to do a better job of taking care of the basketball. Turnovers finally got to us last game even though we got away with it the first 3 games.

I'm not worried though, it's just one loss and Phil can hammer some points home when there's a loss. I agree with Nik on that regard, Phil can use the loss to teach the team some things. The D got shaky and the passes got sloppy resulting in turnovers, which is what did us in.

Plus we went away from the inside game that we used in the first 3 games. In the first 3 games we put Bynum and Odom on the low block and they went to work. After the first quarter on Sunday, we went away from the low block for some reason and shot a ton of 3's, which rebound long and result in transition for the opponents. Bad O equals bad D.

We have a good team, a few tweaks on that end and we'll be fine.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I don't think it's wrong Lamar is frustrated, but I'm wondering who he's frustrated with, some are saying it's Kobe but we'll see...

LOL, HELL NAAH... Lamar looks up to Bryant, he personally goes to Bryant with his basketball problems/questions...Don't let faggots fuel speculation.