The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Lol here you go again. Kobe barley played defense at all last season.

Wow. I guess he was chosen to as first team defence last year because the media likes him so much, right? Your credability is sinking like the titanic.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Not in my house!

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Bynum to remain a starter
BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer
Article Last Updated:11/27/2006 10:40:10 PM PST

EL SEGUNDO - Upon further review, Lakers coach Phil Jackson will keep Andrew Bynum in the starting lineup. Jackson also made clear to his players in a film session Monday that he wants to see them get the ball to the 19-year-old center.

Bynum has had three straight lackluster games - averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds while making 3 of 12 shots - and Jackson was left considering his options after Sunday's victory over New Jersey.

Jackson wondered aloud if Bynum would benefit from playing with a group of reserves more committed to team play than the starting five.

He backtracked from that Monday, leaving Bynum in the starting five and Kwame Brown coming off the bench

"I'm only serious about it if that first unit's not going to use him, they're not going to throw the ball in to him," Jackson said. "We took a little film session with the first unit about how we have to get the ball in there."

The Nets fronted Bynum on defense with center Nenad Krstic. Jackson thought the Lakers "didn't spend enough time looking at ways to develop that," specifically to free the backside and lob passes over the top.

Bynum didn't have an answer for why his teammates have been reluctant to throw
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him the ball.

"I don't know exactly what it is," Bynum said. "Kwame and myself have been told just to run down the middle of the floor and post up low. They are looking at us. The way you have to enter the ball into the post, it just takes practice."

Brown was not at practice Monday for personal reasons but is expected to play tonight against Milwaukee.

Kid games: As he turns 20 this week, Jordan Farmar can say that he ranks a little higher than whale you-know-what, Jackson's favorite description for first-year players.

Never fond of playing rookies, Jackson did not shy away from using Farmar for 16 minutes Sunday in his first game back from a sprained ankle. Farmar finished with 11 points and hit three 3-pointers.

"A coach is a pragmatist for the most part," Jackson said. "If a kid's going to go out there in that unit and survives or plays well, they're going to stick with it. They like to win."

The most any rookie has played on a Jackson-coached Lakers team was Kareem Rush, who averaged 11.5 minutes in 76 games in 2002-03. So far this season, Farmar is averaging 5.5points in 16.1 minutes.

Jackson was especially pleased with how Farmar defended New Jersey's Marcus Williams, who had 14 points in the first half but was shut out in the second half.

"He was getting 15-foot jump shots. For an NBA player, that's a layup," Farmar said. "I just made an emphasis not to get screened and keep the pressure on the ball so he wouldn't be able to get in his rhythm."

Opening act: After ninehome games, Farmar already has a tradition. He settles into a courtside seat, rubbing shoulders with the fans, to watch the video highlights before player introductions.

"I know some people over there," said Farmar, who has a connection to the family of season-ticket holder Steve Jackson, "so I hang out with the fans, make them feel part of the game."

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

A two-for-one deal at center

It's too early to apply two-headed monster status to Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown, but the Lakers' centers are moving closer to providing a combined consistent presence down low.

Bynum is currently the starter, still discovering his game a month past his 19th birthday, while Brown, 24, has been coming off the bench, collecting rebounds, blocking shots and scoring enough points recently to fulfill Coach Phil Jackson's vision of him as a 10-point, 10-rebound player every game.

They haven't quite put together a game where they're both firing full tilt, but, as Bynum said, "One of us is playing well each game.

"It's kind of cool. It's kind of helping the team out."

Sunday's game against New Jersey was typical of the last few for the Lakers.

Bynum started slowly and had to sit after picking up his second foul midway through the first quarter, but Brown came in and provided some punch with seven points and six rebounds in the first half.

Bynum picked it up defensively in the third quarter, blocking three shots in the first 2:01 as the Lakers gradually moved from seven points down in the quarter to seven ahead of the Nets.

For the season, Bynum is averaging 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds, Brown 9.2 points and 7.7 rebounds.


A friendship between Bynum and Brown has been forged beyond the practice court, where they knock each other around in the post and then make peace by bowling together.

They each score between 150 and 170 a game, Bynum said, although they can't beat teammate Maurice Evans, who once bowled a 251 in an amateur tournament.

"Pros do that," Bynum said. "He has a job after basketball if he wants one."


http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakerep27nov27,1,4937392.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Kwame's learning curve

The center has struggled in previous seasons, but with increased playing time this year, he's proving to be a force inside.


Some say it is renewed confidence.

Others credit increased his playing time.

But Kobe Bryant says the cause of center Kwame Brown's steadily increasing effectiveness for the Lakers on the court can be explained by a more basic factor, a factor that goes well beyond basketball: love.

"What Kwame needed was a brotherhood," said Bryant after Sunday night's 99-93 Lakers victory over the New Jersey Nets, a victory in which Brown contributed 13 points, nine rebounds, two blocked shots and an intimidating defensive presence. "This is a team that will embrace him, not throw him under the bus. We will always look out for him. We care for him. He was under a lot of pressure in Washington."

That pressure goes with the territory if that territory includes being the first high school player ever selected with the first pick in the NBA draft. And if being in the national spotlight wasn't enough, Brown also found himself on a Washington Wizards roster that included Michael Jordan, whose critical stare has been known to melt the resolve of far more seasoned players.

Brown struggled for four seasons in Washington, and struggled again last season, his first in Lakers purple and gold.

But, after sitting out the first seven games of this season because of a bruised rotator cuff and bursitis in his right shoulder, the 6-11, 270-pounder has grown more and more effective, following up on his impressive play in last year's postseason. That was when it first seemed he might actually grow into the role anticipated for him so long ago.

"He's got a big body," said 7-0 New Jersey center Mikki Moore, who faced Brown Sunday night at Staples Center, "and he's worked on his game. Give him credit for that. You can see the improved confidence."

Brown acknowledges the regard his teammates have for him with a smile.

"The guys are looking for me," he said. "I'm not trying to slow them down. I'm just trying to keep up with them."

Said teammate Lamar Odom, "With his size and quickness, Kwame is close to being a special player.

How close?

"Really close."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-lakeweb28nov28,1,555348.story?coll=la-headlines-sports

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Bynum + Brown = Best center duo in NBA?

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Bynum + Brown = Best center duo in NBA?

Easily...Now, just imagine how deadly our 5 spot would be with Mihm!

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Jackson tackles subject of playing the rookies

During his days of collecting championships in Chicago, Phil Jackson once said, "You win with men."

More to the point, when asked about rookies in 1993, he said, "We tell 'em they're lower than whale [droppings] for a while. When they prove to us they can play, then they have a step."

But Jackson's stance toward first-year players has apparently softened over time, so much so that he criticized past reports that painted him as a coach who turned a cold shoulder to all rookies.

"It's just all lies," Jackson said Monday. "It's not [even] overblown. It's just total lies. When you have teams that have finished first as many times as we had in Chicago and finished first in L.A. here since the very initial year, you end up with draft picks that are basically one pick above the second round.

"I always look at that as limited information that people have. [There are] guys that I've had that I've felt really happy about since I've been a Laker, with kind of a father's pride."

Of course, that led to a Jordan Farmar discussion. The rookie from UCLA made his latest audition Sunday in front of Jackson and 18,997 fans at Staples Center. After missing two games because of a sprained ankle, he had 11 points in 16 minutes against New Jersey.

For the season, Farmar, the 26th pick in this year's draft, is averaging 5.5 points and 2.2 assists in 16.1 minutes.

"Coaches are pragmatists, for the most part," Jackson said. "If a kid's going to go out there in that unit and survives and plays well, they're going to stick with him. They like to win."

Farmar, who turns 20 on Thursday, had heard about Jackson's tendency to not play rookies but shrugged it off.

"I can't worry about that," he said. "All I can do is my job every day."

Farmar also said Jackson appeared to have at least some confidence in him.

"I think he does," Farmar said. "He puts me in at some key moments and lets me have the opportunity to show I can play and contribute at this level."


http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakerep28nov28,1,5396146.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Kwame + Bynum = Best center duo in NBA
Kobe = Best player in NBA
Farmar = Biggest steal of NBA Draft
Luke Walton = Best 3 point shooter in NBA (according to stats )

Crazy team.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Kwame + Bynum = Best center duo in NBA
Kobe = Best player in NBA
Farmar = Biggest steal of NBA Draft
Luke Walton = Best 3 point shooter in NBA (according to stats )

Crazy team.

Andrew Bynum=Most improved sophmore.
Maurice Evans=Biggest draft day trade steal.
Phil Jackson=Best coach ever.
Ronny Turiaf=Best feel-good story.
Luke Walton=Most improved player in the league.

I can go on forever...Bottom line, we have a team to fear!...PeACe

[Don Jacob]

bynum i think is most improved player over walton, walton has always had the same  talent and energy , he's just more focused, bynum on the other hand has stepped up his game in every possible way, next shaq...no, but he'll be one of those players we'll need for sure in the future

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

bynum i think is most improved player over walton, walton has always had the same  talent and energy , he's just more focused, bynum on the other hand has stepped up his game in every possible way, next shaq...no, but he'll be one of those players we'll need for sure in the future

Bynum and Luke are both MIP candidates, but Luke has refined his game. Improved his shot, passing, defense, pretty much everything. Bynum is more in a growing process than in an improving process...PeACe

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Great win. Farmar played really well tonight.

  In the 4th quarter when Kobe was in the bench Farmar made a couple of shots that gave us a 11 point lead...The other night against the clipps when kobe was on the bench Lakers lost a 9 pts lead b/c sasha was getting owned by Livinston...i want to see DNP - CD, next to sashas name for the rest of the season  ...And Farmars defense is so much better then Smush & Sashas Defense

And I didn't like how the refs were fucking with kobe again  ..just call the fucking fouls 

And a couple other things I've notice is the Lakers are shooting to many 3's..and the TO's are also down which is good....and Kobe only has 3 TO's the last 3 games.

And lol @ the clippers losing 4 games in a row...it's going to be 5 after tonight when they lose to the queens....good to see the clippers back at the bottom where they belong  ...

and also the Jazz have lost 2 straight games...they play the spurs on Wednesday (Loss) and the Lakers on Thursday (loss) ....so the Lakers should be in 2nd place in the West by Friday   

videos Lakers Vs Nets

Better Quality

Highlight Mix: Nets vs Lakers

http://www.sendspace.com/file/gktws0

Song: Nas - One Love (Remix)

[LAKERS_FAN89]

i smell 10 n 4

[LAKERS_FAN89]

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - The Los Angeles Lakers try to post a sixth victory in seven games when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

The Lakers rebounded from a 114-108 loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday with a 99-93 home triumph over the New Jersey Nets on Sunday. Los Angeles is 8-1 at home this season.

Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 21 points while Kobe Bryant added 19. Odom was 6-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-8 from the arc, and went 6-of-8 from the line.

The Bucks have been struggling, losing four of their last five games. Their latest defeat was a 111-98 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday.

Michael Redd led Milwaukee with 24 points while Andrew Bogut added 18 and Ruben Patterson chipped in 15. The Bucks shot 49 percent from the field, but only made 7-of-14 from the line.