The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[GangstaBoogy]

Who the fuck does the ankle taping for this time? Half of our roster has had an ankle sprain this season.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Tuesday March 13th, 2007


 
Luke Walton
Just a day after hearing that forwards Luke Walton and Lamar Odom would return to the lineup for Thursday night’s contest the Lakers sustained another loss as Brian Cook is being listed as doubtful with a moderate sprain of his left ankle according to team spokesman John Black.

According to Walton, Cook’s injury happened at the tail end of a fast break drill after Cook landed awkwardly. “I was going for the rebound and I looked down and he was laying on the ground”, Walton said.

Walton expects to play as much as his legs will let him in the high altitude after suiting up for Sunday’s game but not seeing the floor. “I just wanted to get out there and do all the warm-ups.” Luke didn’t finish practice as trainer Gary Vitti removed him from duty for precautionary reasons, but blamed that on the constant strain that a two hour practice puts on an ankle.

The team’s confidence has been tested through all the injuries but Walton feels the team’s resolve hasn’t wavered. “We know that when we get healthy and we start playing that we can beat any team in the league.”
Listen to all of Luke's post-practice comments

Lamar Odom discusses how the tear of his labrum will affect his overall game and how hard it's been sitting out the last couple games.





Phil Jackson
Head Coach Phil Jackson called the NBA’s extra attention to guard Kobe Bryant a Witch hunt. “It shouldn’t have even been a flagrant one, that’s crazy, it’s a vendetta. They’ve got a witch hunt going on. That’s nuts.” Jackson indicated that the team hasn’t been involved in the sending of any tape to the NBA showing Kobe making the same kind of swinging arm motion in the past.

Jackson indicated that Lamar Odom should be able to play his normal allotment of minutes as his injury hasn’t prevented him from staying in shape. Shooting and moving of his arm will cause him some discomfort and limit his participation.

The same cannot be said for Luke Walton who’s ankle injury hasn’t allowed him to work out on a regular basis.

Jackson also reported that Kwame Brown would be inserted back into the starting lineup and thought there was a good chance that Mo Evans would be able to play.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Who the fuck does the ankle taping for this time? Half of our roster has had an ankle sprain this season.

We have the best trainer in the league (LOL if you don't know who he is). I don't really think these sprains can be avoided from tape...

[Antonio_]

So do you guys think Chris Mihn will have any impact when he comes back?

If he comes back this season, I believe he will have a nice impact right off the bat, especially due to our injury woes...If we re-sign him for next season, he will be an excellent back-up center, possibly the first player off the bench...

Sounds good.

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

Kwame Brown will replace Andrew Bynum at center in Thursday's starting lineup. Unhappy with Bynum's inconsistency, Jackson had been planning to make the switch for last Sunday's game against the Dallas Mavericks but decided not to reward Brown after he showed up late for the team's shoot around.

 ..I like Bynum but he's been playing like Crap for a long time now...A Changed had to be Made.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Kwame now > Bynum now. Bynum is currently way too raw.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Kobe Bryant says he can handle just about any kind of criticism. Calling him a dirty player crosses the line.

Bryant reacted angrily to such a concept Wednesday, and expressed gratitude for the support given him by Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
"It's insulting," Bryant said before the slumping Lakers flew to Denver for Thursday night's game against the Nuggets. "I don't need to be a dirty player. That's just ridiculous. I'm not a dirty player - never have been, never will be."

The 28-year-old Bryant, one of the NBA's best players for years, said he believes he's played "the right way" throughout his career, which began with the Lakers in 1996 when he went straight from high school to the professional ranks.

Regarding criticism, Bryant said it's fine for people to say, for example, that he shoots too much.

"I don't want the image of being a dirty player," he added.

Bryant spoke to the media for the first time since Jackson accused the NBA of conducting what he called a "witch hunt" against his star player a day earlier.

"He's being supportive, coming to my defense," Bryant said. "It feels good to have somebody in your corner."

Jackson isn't the only one. Teammates Lamar Odom and Luke Walton, who will both return to action Thursday night after being sidelined with injuries, were emphatic in defending Bryant.

"He plays extremely hard. I don't think he plays dirty at all," Odom said. "He plays every game to win it. The game's physical. He gets beat up and beat down."

Regarding Jackson's comments, Odom smiled and said: "That's P.J. I've got to be a little more political with what I say. I don't have a championship. He's got a right to say whatever he wants to say. After a few championships, maybe I can talk crazy a little bit."

Jackson has coached nine championship teams, tying him with former Boston coach Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history.

Walton said Bryant is an aggressive player, but that's it.

"He wants to win at all costs," Walton said. "He's not dirty at all. He's not out there trying to injure people. He hits us with elbows all the time - that's part of basketball."

Since the end of January, Bryant has served two one-game suspensions for hitting players in the face while shooting, and on Monday, the NBA assessed him a flagrant foul 1 penalty for elbowing Philadelphia's Kyle Korver in the jaw during last Friday night's game.

"It shouldn't even have been a flagrant 1," Jackson said Tuesday. "That's crazy. That's a vendetta. They have a witch hunt going on. It's nuts. Guys riding somebody. Everybody does that in this league. It's just becoming a witch hunt now."

Jackson, who was fined $25,000 by the league earlier this season for criticizing officiating, said Wednesday he had no such concerns regarding his latest comments.

"No," he replied emphatically when asked if he expected to be fined again. "That doesn't even enter the equation that that would happen."

Jackson also said Bryant doesn't play dirty.

"Anybody who's going to be aggressive, there's a lot of physical activity," he said. "There's all kinds of activities that go on that are part of the game. I think Kobe plays the game within the bounds.

"These are men playing the games - that's why they call it the NBA - no boys allowed."

The Lakers (33-31) enter Thursday night's game having lost six straight games and 12 of their last 15. No Jackson-coached team has ever lost more than six games in a row.

Odom hasn't played since tearing the labrum in his left shoulder March 2, and Walton has been sidelined since spraining his right ankle Jan. 26.

"It's cool - good enough to play," Odom said. "I can play. It's probably going to be a little sore, there's probably going to be a little pain. I can't sit back and watch anymore. These are games we really need."

There's a good possibility Odom will undergo surgery after the season. He had a similar injury two years ago that required surgery.

"I've got a good pain tolerance - let it all hang out," he said. "After the game, of course, ice, massage."

While Odom was expected to be sidelined quite a bit longer, Walton is returning much later than originally thought. That's how it goes sometimes with sprained ankles.

"It's not about 100 percent, it's about being able to be productive," Walton said. "I think I can do that now."

Jackson said it's possible Odom and Walton will both start against the Nuggets along with Kwame Brown, who missed 27 games with a sprained ankle before returning March 2. Brown will replace 19-year-old Andrew Bynum at center.

Brian Cook, who sprained his left ankle in practice Tuesday, will miss at least three games, team spokesman John Black said.

[GangstaBoogy]

Luke Walton for MVP!

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

The Pain..THE MUTHAFUCKIN PAIN   

[Halu Sination]

The Pain..THE MUTHAFUCKIN PAIN   

word 

lakers started off playing very well and then fuckin kleiza gets his fucking career high against us and sinks everything left and rite. fuckin shit its frustrating. nowadays it just seems so easy for opponents to throw the lakers' team d off rhythm.

but in all fairness, lakers really couldnt get a call for shit. kwame musta gotten hacked like five times with no calls being made.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

It's all good, we just need to stay consistant. Play the way we did in the first half. Luke and Odom obviously don't have their game legs under them...That 2nd half was just disgusting. I really hope it doesn't take too many games for everyone to get in sync.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

we just start it messin up in 3rd qtr,we was playing great to then kleiza jusy start it making all this three point shots..its was few called we should got.

[GangstaBoogy]

7 game losing streak...7th seed in the playoff race...

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Fri,
Mar 16  Lakers vs. Portland   
7:30 pm (TV: NBALP, FSN) (Radio: KLAC-AM 570/KWKW-AM 1330) 

[7even]

It's alright niggas, 7th seed (Suns) is not worse than 6th seed (Spurs) anyways... Although one should worry about having a .500 season again, after everything started much better.