The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[wcsoldier]

^^^^ that's why stats are very overrated ... Gasol is a VERY average performer in the clutch

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

^^^^ that's why stats are very overrated ... Gasol is a VERY average performer in the clutch

Yeah, but how do you judge that? Im not a HUGE stat guy really. But they are unbiased and black and white. A lot of times when people say "this guy is amazing in the clutch", they are allowing their emotions to get involved. If you took the names out of the mix and just said....Player A shoots 43% during the clutch moments of games...and Player B shoots 50%. Who do you want to take the shot? Not one person on Earth would say Player A. But because a lot of people have bought into the fact that Kobe is amazing in the clutch, that 43% means nothing now. Kobe is an amazing player. But his "clutch" image is a result of him just always taking the last shot so the fans see the gamewinners. Even though he doesnt perform any better than most of the league at that moment. Actually worse.

[wcsoldier]

^^^^ By watching the games ... Kobe had his share of misses in the clutch but he made a lot too ... these stats are based on the last shot anyways ... clutchness is more than the last shot imo ... if the game is a closed one and a player has like 15 pts in the 4th , he's clutch in my book ... another factor stats don't reflect well is the way players are defended in these situations ... I'm sure role players like Fisher and Horry who have made a living hitting open shots in the money time have better FG% than Kobe .... are they better closer thab him ? I think the answer is obvious

[.:DaYg0sTyLz:.]

^^^^ By watching the games ... Kobe had his share of misses in the clutch but he made a lot too ... these stats are based on the last shot anyways ... clutchness is more than the last shot imo ... if the game is a closed one and a player has like 15 pts in the 4th , he's clutch in my book ... another factor stats don't reflect well is the way players are defended in these situations ... I'm sure role players like Fisher and Horry who have made a living hitting open shots in the money time have better FG% than Kobe .... are they better closer thab him ? I think the answer is obvious

Actually, the stats I posted a while back were based on way more than the last shot. The stats were compiled over the course of 2 or 3 years (cant remember). They were stats from close games during the last 5 minutes (and overtime). It showed how certain players you assume to be amazing clutch performers actually performed at levels lower than MANY others. Kobe included. Players like Lebron, Carmelo, Gasol, Duncan, etc were far better clutch performers based on their efficiency. Even players you wouldnt imagine, like Jamison. Like I said, Im not saying Kobe isnt great. But the stats dont lie and sometimes our opinion gets a little twisted by the highlights.

[Javier]

You see what you want to see

[Sccit]

Any player who hits 7 game winning shots in one season is fucking clutch, son...i dont give a fuck what stats you pull out of your ass. I can pull up stats that say Amir Johnson is the best player in the NBA with bullshit ass efficiency rankings, but the old school way is to watch 'em play and judge based off what you see...Kobe definitely steps his game up a notch in clutch moments, and no jackass with a pen and paper can tell me otherwise...anyone who says Gasol is a better clutch player than Kobe and uses stats to back it up is either the definition of a hater or simply doesn't know his basketball...PeACe

[Sccit]

You see what you want to see

i want to see beyonce suckin my dick while megan fox is lickin my nuts...stfu

[LooN3y]

FISH SAVES LA ONCE AGAIN

[M Dogg™]

THANK YOU... SASHA IS GONE AND IS SAVING THE LAKERS A BUTTLOAD OF MONEY... Sasha's $5million dollar contract for 3 years is replaced by a $1.2million for only one year, and a guy who might actually PLAY!!! Mitch, you've did it again... great move... even if Joe Smith gets injured, it saves cap money. Countdown to Luke's trade now.

[7even]

LOL nigga don't get so excited. his contract was actually expiring. you could have landed a dope role player from a team who is broke and wants to save money with his expiring contract. instead you got a useless bum. and you don't save cap money, you are like 30 mio dollars into luxery tax still. all this trade does is saving buss some more millions to spend on hooker-girlfriends and gambling. it does nothing for the lakers.

[M Dogg™]

Getting paid 5.5 million this year.  As for that 30million over, now it's 24.5, add Joe Smith at 1.2, then that's 25.7 over cap, which is better. Anyways, if we can get rid of Luke's, 5.6million, then I'll truly be happy. If doesn't put us under cap, but it means the money we are paying is actually being used well.

[7even]

so you are all excited about buss paying less money? he's rich as hell anyways, it's a non-issue for the lakers. vujacic sucks, but he is still better than joe smith. sasha can at least hit the 3 when other niggas shots don't fall. joe smith won't do anything.

with that said noone is going to pick up walton's contract, because it's long-term, unlike vujacic's.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

so you are all excited about buss paying less money? he's rich as hell anyways, it's a non-issue for the lakers. vujacic sucks, but he is still better than joe smith. sasha can at least hit the 3 when other niggas shots don't fall. joe smith won't do anything.

with that said noone is going to pick up walton's contract, because it's long-term, unlike vujacic's.

Including luxury tax, Buss saves $8.24 million. Not too shabby. It could come in handy since the Lakers are probably going to spend even more money next year to resign Shannon Brown and Matt Barnes.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

The 2009-10 Lakers met with President Obama yesterday, which happened to only be a few days after Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls beat Los Angeles 88-84.

Obama you see, is a Bulls fan. So naturally, the president saw an opportunity to zing Kobe. What Obama probably wasn't ready for, was for Kobe to zing him right back. Via ESPN LA:

    Derrick Rose may have your number," President Obama lightheartedly jabbed at Kobe Bryant as the team posed for a photograph after presenting the president with an autographed replica 2009-10 championship banner, like the one that hangs at Staples Center.

    "I said, 'If he calls that number, I'll be sure to pick up after the fifth ring,'" Bryant quipped back -- referring, naturally, to the five championship rings he has.

And boom goes the dynamite.

http://nba-facts-and-rumors.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/26444782

[7even]

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant's two-year endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines has enraged some Armenian Americans who are threatening to boycott the Los Angeles Lakers star.

Turkish Airlines says Bryant will appear next year as its "global brand ambassador" in advertisements promoting the March start of nonstop flights between Istanbul and Los Angeles.

"Turkey is a country rich in natural beauty and thousands of years of cultural history, and I'm proud to partner with Turkish Airlines to bring that majesty to people around the world," Bryant said in a statement posted on the airlines' website.

The tension, though, stems from Turkey's denial that about 1.5 million Armenian deaths from 1915-19 constituted genocide. Turkey instead describes the deaths as the result of civil unrest during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.

"He should reconsider his ill-advised endorsement of Turkish Airlines, and, at the very least, go on record condemning Turkey's denial of the Armenian Genocide and calling upon our Congress to pass of the Armenian Genocide Resolution," Armenian national committee of America executive director Aram Hamparian said, when reached by ESPNLosAngeles.com.

A Lakers spokesperson stated the controversy wasn't a team issue and referred further inquiries to Bryant's representatives.

There are about 700,000 Armenian Americans in California, and Armenian National Committee of America executive director Aram Hamparian tells the Times that many of them are furious over Bryant's deal with Turkey's state carrier.