The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Good to see them get the W tonight... Now we have to wait 'til Friday for their next game...

That's good. Both Kwame and Lamar have a chance of playing in that game. It gives them time to heal.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I can't wait til we have Odom and Brown back.....

[rik]

I can't wait til we have Odom and Brown back.....

[Juronimo]

I can't wait til we have Odom and Brown back.....

Me 3

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

[LAKERS_FAN89]

I can't wait til we have Odom and Brown back.....

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Lamar Odom Ready to return Friday
Odom appears ready for return
By: John Nadel

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- Lamar Odom flew through the air, caught Jordan Farmar's perfect lob pass and stuffed it through the basket.

The play elicited no response because it occurred during a scrimmage Tuesday. But it was a positive sign for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"He looked great, he looked really good. I didn't know what to expect," Kobe Bryant said following Odom's first practice with the Lakers since he sprained a ligament in his right knee Dec. 12.

Not only did Odom get through practice with no glitches, he said afterward he expects to play Friday night when the Lakers return to action against the Charlotte Bobcats at Staples Center.

"Right now, I have confidence in my body," he said. "I tried to push it at 100 percent. That's what you have to do in games. I tried to wait until my leg was stable and strong. It felt good to get back on the court.

"Hopefully I can practice a couple more days in a row and play Friday."

Odom was off to one of the best starts in his eight-year NBA career at the time of his injury, averaging 17.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists -- numbers that might have meant a berth in the All-Star game had the 6-foot-10 forward remained healthy.

Meanwhile, the news wasn't nearly as good regarding Kwame Brown, who was unable to get through his first practice since spraining his right ankle Dec. 31. The 6-11 Brown, averaging 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds, had said before Monday night's 108-103 victory over Golden State that he hoped to return Friday night as well. But that won't happen.

"It's a little sore," he said. "I practiced a little bit today, I couldn't really jump. It flared up on me. I have to take a few steps back. We'll see what happens with some rest, let it calm down. We've been real aggressive with it this week."

The Lakers (27-15) have performed surprisingly well despite the injuries, going 12-9 since Odom got hurt and 7-4 with Odom and Brown sidelined.

"We've missed them tremendously," Bryant said. "That's why we've been inconsistent. That being said, we've played really well."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he's optimistic concerning Odom, but added: "It's always about how it's going to be between now and tomorrow morning."

Odom didn't appear to have any problems regarding conditioning during Tuesday's scrimmage.

"It still takes some time, your timing is off," he said.

Jackson said he hopes Brown will return to action during the Lakers' eight-game road trip that begins next Tuesday night in New York.

"I would love to have him for the San Antonio (home) game on Sunday," Jackson said. "That would be a big advance for our team."

The coach said a realistic target date for Brown's return might be Feb. 2 at Indiana, meaning he'll probably miss at least four more games.

"It's pretty swollen," Brown said. "I just can't get my range of motion in it that I had before. Until I get that, I can't play."

[LAKERS_FAN89]

next game
Fri,
Jan 26  Lakers vs. Charlotte   
7:30 pm (TV: FSN, NBALP) (Radio: KLAC-AM 570/KWKW-AM 1330) 

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Speaking of injuries, L.A. Lakers forward Lamar Odom has been on the mend for the past few weeks, but he'll be back on the court soon. Besides cheering for Kobe Bryant and the rest of his team on the sidelines, L.O. has been getting his business right. The Queens, New York, native started an independent label called Rich Soil and has a couple of guys he grew up with as his flagship artists: mixtape DJ Supastar Jay and rapper Ali Vegas.

"We got it off the ground," Odom said of the label, which has a distribution deal through Asylum. "We got Veg, he's one of the brightest young stars in the game right now. He just hasn't had the opportunity to let the world hear his voice. I'm just trying to bring that to him with all my connections throughout the world and corporate world."

Odom said he was inspired to start his label a couple of years ago when he changed teams and coasts. "I'd been watching [Vegas] go through his deals," Lamar told. "He was signed to Trackmasters, Casablanca, Sony. ... When I went to the [Miami] Heat and got traded back to the Lakers, I felt it was for a bigger reason. [L.A.] is one of the biggest markets in the world. With us being from New York and having a connection down here in L.A., it's kinda strong. As soon as the trade happened, it was like, 'I think I'mma do a label myself.' ... In rap, nobody wants to give up that spot. So we trying to move some dudes out the way, because everybody knows how good he is."

Rich Soil will probably release Vegas' solo LP sometime this year, and Supastar Jay has a compilation LP on tap as well. "We just trying to get strong, get our strength up," Odom said. "We're trying to lock the streets down and all that." ...

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Sweet. With Lamar back things are going to get even better for the Lakers. Personally I think Kwame is more crucial because he plays the inside which is crucial in the NBA. Plus Bynum isn't as good a replacment for Kwame like Luke is for Odom.

[Vegasmac25]

i really think the lakers should just stick with starting Bynum or Kwame what yall think about that.I just think Kwame is just ok and i belive we have already seen the best of him and with Bynum getting expirence and will be huge come next year and he is the key for the Lakers to get that championship.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

^^Bynum still needs time to develop. Kwame's in his 6th season and he's only 24.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^Bynum still needs time to develop. Kwame's in his 6th season and he's only 24.

I agree...Kwame will put it together second half of the season, like he did last year. Bynum will get his chance to start for years to come, it's now Kwame's time to step up more than anyone else.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Wednesday report

For all that you've read about Kobe Bryant and his insane 5:30 a.m. workouts in the summer comes this revelation from Wednesday's practice: Bryant loves fast food and hasn't changed his eating habits even as he has ascended to become arguably the best player in basketball.

``My teammates tell me all the time, `You must have like some secret potion or something because it doesn’t make any sense,’'' Bryant said. ``Because I just eat junk food and run all day. I’m a bad example.’'

Bryant told a story in which Samaki Walker once chastised him for eating McDonald's or Carl's Jr. when they were teammates. To test out the Bryant theory, I went to lunch at El Pollo Loco with Lakers spokesman John Black and then straight to LA Fitness. So far, so good.

* * *

Phil Jackson got some laughs with his answer to a question about how Lamar Odom will help the Lakers when he returns Friday against Charlotte. It started out as predictable as you would expect.

``He's our best rebounder,'' Jackson said. ``We've been getting killed on the boards. That's such an important part of the game, there's such value on possession of the ball.''

Then Jackson couldn't resist a little jab: ``He'll help us turn the ball over. Lamar does that.''

Of course, Jackson came back to the positive: ``And his speed in transition is always good because the best part of his game is the defensive rebound/power out/offensive transition game.''

* * *

Bryant on Andrew Bynum and how good he can be in two or three years: ``I think it depends entirely on him and what he wants to do and the tenacity that he wants to bring every day. If he’s determined to be one of the elite players in the league, he can do that. He has the gifts to do it. It’s just a matter of if he wants it or not.’’

* * *

By Ross Siler
Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO--Until Kwame Brown returns from a sprained left ankle in another week or two, the Lakers can put off deciding whether 19-year-old center Andrew Bynum should continue starting or come off the bench.

For his part, Bynum clearly believes he is best served starting. He said as much at practice Wednesday: ``When I start, I think I’m more effective than when I come off the bench.’’

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said such a decision was too far away to consider right now. Jackson also is unlikely to give the opinion of the NBA’s youngest player much weight whenever that decision is made.

``He’s not old enough to determine it,’’ Jackson said. ``There’s a few guys in this game that do have that ability to dictate that. But it’s up to coach’s distinction as to how the team functions.

``We really want to put defense as a priority in this team and Andrew has to bring that defense along with his offensive game. We think he’s making progress all the time, so that’s good.’’

Jackson would like the Lakers to be something more than the NBA’s 26th ranked team defensively, giving up 103.1 points on average, and Brown brings size and strength inside. Jackson also believes the second team looks more for Bynum than the starters.

The Lakers are 16-9 with Bynum starting and 11-6 with him as a reserve. Bynum is averaging 9.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and playing 25 minutes as a starter compared with 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 15.4 minutes off the bench.

It’s a moot point for the time being. Brown sat out practice Wednesday as he continues to recover from the Dec. 31 ankle injury. Jackson said: ``I don’t know whether it’s a week or two weeks or whenever Kwame comes back.’’

Air Sasha: The Lakers ended Wednesday’s practice on a thunderclap of a play. Sasha Vujacic - - yes, the 200-pound Vujacic who loves to shoot 3-pointers - - drove baseline and dunked over both Bynum and Lamar Odom.

All Kobe Bryant could do was fall to the court laughing and head to the locker room joking about how cold the devil must be. Bynum pleaded his case to reporters that he actually blocked Vujacic’s dunk into the basket.

``It was the most surprising dunk I’ve ever seen,’’ Bryant said. ``We’ve been on him since he’s been here to go to the basket hard. . . . I have to remind him sometimes; I say, `Sasha, you’re taller than I am.’’’

Vegas vacation: Bynum said he would welcome the chance to play on the team of second-year players as part of the Rookie Challenge at All-Star weekend. Then again, he wasn’t overly concerned about being selected.

``It really doesn’t matter if I make it or not,’’ Bynum said. ``I’ll be an All-Star in the future.’’

The NBA will announce starters today for the Feb. 18 game in Las Vegas. Bryant is expected to be voted a starter for the ninth time.

Page turner: Special assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar presented the players and coaching staff with copies of his new book ``On the Shoulders of Giants’’ about the Harlem Renaissance.

Abdul-Jabbar will sign copies of the book Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. with Spike Lee at the Borders at 2 Penn Plaza in New York before the Lakers-Knicks game.

Also: Forward Lamar Odom reported no problems with his injured right knee and said, ``I’ll be playing on Friday.’’

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Bynum says he's better as a starter

EL SEGUNDO - Until Kwame Brown returns from a sprained left ankle in another week or two, the Lakers can put off deciding whether 19-year-old center Andrew Bynum should continue starting or come off the bench.

For his part, Bynum clearly believes he is best served starting. He said as much at practice Wednesday: "When I start, I think I'm more effective than when I come off the bench."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said such a decision was too far away to consider right now. Jackson also is unlikely to give the opinion of the NBA's youngest player much weight whenever that decision is made.

"He's not old enough to determine it," Jackson said. "There's a few guys in this game that do have that ability to dictate that. But it's up to coach's distinction as to how the team functions.

"We really want to put defense as a priority in this team, and Andrew has to bring that defense along with his offensive game. We think he's making progress all the time, so that's good."

Jackson would like the Lakers to be something more than the NBA's 26th ranked team defensively, giving up 103.1 points on average.

Air Sasha

The Lakers ended Wednesday's practice on a thunderclap of a play.

Sasha Vujacic - yes, the 200-pound Vujacic who loves to shoot 3-pointers - drove baseline and dunked over both Bynum and Lamar Odom.

All Kobe Bryant could do was fall to the court laughing and head to the locker room joking about how cold the devil must be. Bynum pleaded his case to reporters that he actually blocked Vujacic's dunk into the basket.

"It was the most surprising dunk I've ever seen," Bryant said. "... I have to remind him sometimes; I say, `Sasha, you're taller than I am."'

Also

Odom reported no problems with his injured right knee and said, "I'll be playing on Friday."