OFFICIAL LAKERS 2009/2010 (57-25) 2009-2010 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

[CP1708]

Farmar been playin with that contract in mind the last few months for sure. 

 

[frenchblue23]

Originally Posted by lilpennymagicfan

http://www.worldstarhipho...p?v=wshhDh8QhD487O34H3F6

Remember this?? 

 

[nflowshoe]

I hope kobe had full coverage on his ankle insurance.............low tops ftl

 

[menacin methods]

 

[MVP]

Originally Posted by nflowshoe

I hope kobe had full coverage on his ankle insurance.............LOw tops ftl

Fixed. The shoes are fire.

 

[darthska]

Major props to Kobe for sitting out and getting some R&R.

And MAJOR props to the team for playing like they have some freaking sense. Artest being active in the paint, Lamar getting boards, Pau passing and scoring and rebounding and blocking, Sasha finally hitting, Farmar driving, Breezy hitting shots...

I needed to see them play like this without Kobe. Phil and Kobe needed to see them play like this without Kobe.

And like CP pointed out, I like how we went down 0-9 to the Spurs and Phil was just like 'Enh, what do you guys want to do? Go down 0-12, 0-18, 0-109? Want to maybe make a couple stops, maybe put the ball through the net a couple times? Whatever you want to do. I'll be over here making out with the boss' daughter.'

My hope is honestly that Kobe sits out tomorrow night against the Jazz, the All Star Game, Tuesday the 16th against GSW, and then returns for the Thursday game against the Celtics. If that were to happen, we're already 2-0, you figure we lose to the Jazz, then come out of GSW either 3-1 without Kobe if we win or 2-2 without Kobe if we lose, with him having enjoyed a full 12 days off with Boston coming to Staples.

I really, REALLY like the sound of that.

I highly doubt he'll miss the ASG, and I also highly doubt he'll sit out the Jazz game before the ASG and the Warriors game afterwards... but I didn't think he'd sit out any games at all and get some rest, so I'm not mad at him.

 

[jbone2308]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

Major props to Kobe for sitting out and getting some R&R.

And MAJOR props to the team for playing like they have some freaking sense. Artest being active in the paint, Lamar getting boards, Pau passing and scoring and rebounding and blocking, Sasha finally hitting, Farmar driving, Breezy hitting shots...

I needed to see them play like this without Kobe. Phil and Kobe needed to see them play like this without Kobe.

And like CP pointed out, I like how we went down 0-9 to the Spurs and Phil was just like 'Enh, what do you guys want to do? Go down 0-12, 0-18, 0-109? Want to maybe make a couple stops, maybe put the ball through the net a couple times? Whatever you want to do. I'll be over here making out with the boss' daughter.'

My hope is honestly that Kobe sits out tomorrow night against the Jazz, the All Star Game, Tuesday the 16th against GSW, and then returns for the Thursday game against the Celtics. If that were to happen, we're already 2-0, you figure we lose to the Jazz, then come out of GSW either 3-1 without Kobe if we win or 2-2 without Kobe if we lose, with him having enjoyed a full 12 days off with Boston coming to Staples.

I really, REALLY like the sound of that.

I highly doubt he'll miss the ASG, and I also highly doubt he'll sit out the Jazz game before the ASG and the Warriors game afterwards... but I didn't think he'd sit out any games at all and get some rest, so I'm not mad at him.

Cue the Joker gif, I like that.

Cavs will most likely get homecourt unless they have a meltdown.  Most their tough games are out the way and for the most part they got an easy schedule here on out.  We just need to win the west, Kobe get healthy, and be ready to run to the finals.

  

 

[notorious 858]

 

[CP1708]

I agree Ska, but I dunno if I like his first game bein vs Boston, I think the G State game would be good to work back into the rotation, and THEN be ready for Boston, just in case there's a small amount of rust. 

But either way, hope he comes back close to healthy. 

 

[notorious 858]

Dope new New Era fitted:

 

[xsalvioutlawx]

Kobe has to sit out tomorrow, would be stupid to play the last game before the break.

He'll prolly play the ASG, not alot of minutes of course, he always gives the fans what they want which is what most people seem to forget. Sometimes it's bigger than just winning a regular season game, etc, same with the all-star games.

lol @ everyone not hating on Farmar or Sasha now that they've been playing better, my how things change after 2 wins, smh.

We shouldn't HAVE to trade anyone honestly. We won the title with 99% of this team last season, the only problem we consistantly have, as mentioned before, is handling the quicker PG's in the league.

Hell, handling ANY starting PG in the league. I aint mad at Fish, he's up there in age. Came into the league the same year as KB and he's older so it's not like he declined for no reason.

We do need someone who can keep up with the guards and Farmar has not done a good job of that. For example, Aaron Brooks always kills the Lakers.

Lamar Odom has been outrebounding both of our bigs combined, granted as long as SOMEONE does it, it shouldn't matter..... But when we got two, i repeat TWO, 7 foot players that should not be happening.

Phil should be ripping these guys for not rebounding the ball, don't just complain about not getting enough shots, get those damn rebounds and create your own.

I'm curious to see how KB comes out after All-Star break. We got the Celtics next week don't we?

Also I'm sure his ankle should be alot better with all the treament he'll have by then.

Like mentioned before, Laker fans are spoiled. They've been playing streaky basketball this season and they're STILL first place in the West. Like Lamar mentioned, we Nuggets think they can beat us anytime now and so do alot of teams, this is the kind of thing that the Lakers strive on when they really need to get the job done.

I personally would NOT like to see the Lakers cruise through the regular season without a problem and everyone saying they're for sure going to repeat, than lose in the playoffs or the finals.

Lakers need this kind of adversity to go through, just like last seaosn and the horrible finish they had.

 

[notorious 858]

[h1]Lakers Coach Phil Jackson is liked but not beloved[/h1]

The way this town embraces Phil Jackson is the way Pau Gasol embracedhim last week after Jackson became the winningest coach in Lakershistory.

It was like he really wanted to, but he sort of couldn't.

Does that make sense? Did you see it? Rich in symbolism, scarce in emotion, the scene was at once fascinating and unsettling.

Immediately after the Lakers' victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, Gasolwalked excitedly toward Jackson, then just stopped short. Hetentatively stuck out his hand, Jackson tentatively grabbed it, thenthe two men briefly and awkwardly and barely embraced.

That could have been you, right? You want to shower Jackson with praiseand affection, but the best you can work up is a back slap and a nod.You know he deserves it, but you're just not sure he wants it, and theresult is that he very rarely gets it.

Thus exists a bittersweet backdrop to a monumental achievement. For asmuch as this town respects and honors Jackson for his 10 seasons of 536Lakers victories, he is simply not beloved.

He may have mastered Zen, but he has not mastered Los Angeles.

There will be no statue of him outside Staples Center. There might notever be a night honoring his achievements. There will be very littlefanfare when he retires, just as there was very little outcry when heleft the team several years ago.

He is not Tom Lasorda. He is not Pete Carroll. He is not Mike Scioscia.He is not the sort of folksy personality that this town expects of itshigh-profile coaches.

More than anything else, he is not Pat Riley.

When longtime Lakers fans think of coaches, they still will think ofRiley, even though he coached one fewer season here. Riley looked likeLos Angeles. He acted like Los Angeles.

"Pat Riley is the L.A. story," admitted Jeanie Buss, Lakers executivevice president and Jackson's longtime girlfriend. "This was thebirthplace of him as a coach and a leader, we watched it all happen,it's like a mother and a child, any success that Pat has, we feel wehave part of."

And Phil?

"Before Phil came here, all I knew about him was that he was a freakydude who left his job in Chicago on a motorcycle," said Buss. "Ithought that was strange. A freaky dude."

That is still the way much of Los Angeles looks at Jackson, and that istoo bad, because that freaky dude may be the greatest sports leader inthis town's history. That we haven't completely embraced him is as muchabout the city as it is about the man.

"I think he is taken for granted sometimes," said Buss. "Every Lakeremployee who does a good job likes to get patted on the back sometimes,and Phil is no exception, but that doesn't always happen as much here."

It starts with the end of the bench. Los Angeles likes sideline fire. Jackson just sits there.

"In my generation, you didn't show any exuberance, there was nophysical display of emotion on the court, you're supposed to be outthere like a warrior, emotionless and totally self-contained," saidJackson, 64, in a recent interview. "To show emotion showed a weakness."

In Chicago, where he coached one fewer season but will always be moreappreciated, he was viewed as a rock. Here, that same demeanor isviewed as aloof.

"The way I act is very much how I coach," he said. "Poise and selfcontrol are the keynotes of what I like to practice and teach."

In other words, we want him to be strong and disciplined enough tocontrol Kobe Bryant, but crazy enough to entertain the rest of us, andit just doesn't work that way.

We want Jackson to show he likes us. But such displays, whether it bemixing with the fans or shaking hands in the community, also go againsthis nature.

"I'm shy, I'm a shy person," Jackson admitted. "I don't like to touchpeople before games, I don't high-five people before games, I get awayfrom all that."

When I asked whether he even considered himself an Angeleno, he said no.

"I really don't," he said. "I'm a guy who sits on the beach, thendrives to Staples Center for the game and looks down at that hugeexpanse of metropolitan area as you drive onto the 110 from the 105,it's unbelievable, so many millions of people."

Jackson is so un-hip, he has had surgeries on both of his hips. Jacksonis so un-L.A., he abandons the beach for the summer, preferring tospend his free time in his Montana home.

"I get claustrophobic in cities if I've been there too long," Jacksonsaid. "I still have that country bumpkin kind of thing, I need someopen spaces between me and people."

But, no, he loves it here. He knows who he is. He knows what this townis. He's fine with where he fits in. He's feeling better than everafter his two surgeries, and, even though his contract expires thisyear -- he's making $12 million -- he sounds as if he wants to comeback.

"I have no regrets, people are very respectful, I receive ovations in restaurants, people treat me very warmly," he said.

There is talk that, in this shrinking NBA economy, owner JerryBuss would not want to pay him. Buss made that mistake once. His namewas Rudy Tomjanovich. Here's guessing that if the Lakers win anotherchampionship, Buss will not make that mistake again.

Phil Jackson doesn't wow, but he wins, with a certain grace and dignitythat is stronger than any smile and warmer than any hug. It is notShowtime. But it is enough.

 

[just blazed]

Originally Posted by xsalvioutlawx

lol @ everyone not hating on Farmar or Sasha now that they've been playing better, my how things change after 2 wins, smh.

We shouldn't HAVE to trade anyone honestly. We won the title with 99% of this team last season, the only problem we consistantly have, as mentioned before, is handling the quicker PG's in the league.

1- i still want both of them gone asap. just because theyve played a couple of good games does not make up for the full season last year when they played like trash, and the majority of this season too

2- Sasha, Farmar, Morrisson, Powell did NOTHING to help us win the championship last season though, so i dont see why they should stay on the bench.
i want to see some (if not all) of them traded before the all star break

 

[CP1708]

I like Phil more then just about any coach in basketball.  I like him more then Riley, I like him more then Sloan, the only one I would even consider next to Phil is Pop, and even he does things that I don't agree with. 

Phil coaches exactly the way I want my coach to coach.  Yes, he sometimes angers me when he gives away a game or two, but he sees total pictures, and grand schemes better then any other coach this game has seen. 

I did notice that awkward exchange between Pau and Phil after the Charlotte game, but whenever dude wins a title, he's a huggin fool, so to be readin into things after a regular season win is a little strange. 

 

[darthska]

For the record, I'm with Just bLAzed.

I'm sure all it's going to take for Sasha and Farmar to suck again is Kobe returning. They'r stepping up right now because they don't want to look completely worthless with the superstar sidelined. But being worthless when the superstar has 'em laced up? Apparently they're comfortable with that.

... ... ...

*shrugs*

 

[CP1708]

Farmar been playin well for weeks though........

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by Just bLAzed

Originally Posted by xsalvioutlawx

lol @ everyone not hating on Farmar or Sasha now that they've been playing better, my how things change after 2 wins, smh.

We shouldn't HAVE to trade anyone honestly. We won the title with 99% of this team last season, the only problem we consistantly have, as mentioned before, is handling the quicker PG's in the league.

1- i still want both of them gone asap. just because theyve played a couple of good games does not make up for the full season last year when they played like trash, and the majority of this season too

2- Sasha, Farmar, Morrisson, Powell did NOTHING to help us win the championship last season though, so i dont see why they should stay on the bench.
i want to see some (if not all) of them traded before the all star break

co-sign...sasha and farmar still dont impress me especially sasha just cause he showed up for one game id still trade this idiot in a millisecond

bigmike...just cause farmars been playing ok in the last month or so...i still think hes a bum...his IQ is horrible and his shot selection is pathetic knowing you have drew and pau in the post oh and kobe in the perimeter

  

 

[wings90]

 

[goldmember]

^^

That was so random

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Wings90 wrote:

---

 i like how they went for the 1950s type of effects


btw have you guys checked out Lakers.com for that locker room tour?...pretty dope

 

[CP1708]

A partial list of impressive acts performed by Lamar Odom, in the starting lineup with Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum on the sidelines, during Monday night's 101-89 win over the Spurs:

• Grabbed a rebound at the defensive end and pushed coast to coast, finishing at the rim.
• Grabbed a rebound at the defensive end and pushed coast to coast, finishing with a dish to Pau Gasol for an easy two points.
• Grabbed a rebound, took two dribbles, then whipped a nearly sidearm pass almost the full length of the floor to Shannon Brown, hitting him perfectly in the hands.
• Used a face up game to drive and score when matched up against Matt Bonner.
• Used an effective low post game when matched up with Richard Jefferson both to score and earn a team-high seven free throws.

So do night's like those, or his 10/22/6 effort Saturday against the Blazers, help or hurt LO in the eyes of fans? Why doesn't he do that all the time?

Odom is now into his 11th season of answering far more questions about what he isn't rather than what he is. Of being too passive, too flaky, too inconsistent. No question, at one point or another over the course of his career, he's been one, two, or all three. There are things about his makeup as a basketball player seemingly unable to jibe with the incredible skill set he packs into a 6'10" frame.

He will never be a number one scorer, he'll never be a superstar.

But before burying him, how about a moment of praise? Saturday night, the guy who for many has on balance been a disappointment, became the eighth youngest player in NBA history to gather 6,000 rebounds and dish out 3,000 assists. The seven who did it faster than Odom's 716 games: Larry Bird, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor.

Pretty good company for a disappointment.

http://

In so many ways, LO is the basketball equivalent of those Team Aniston/Team Jolie debates. You're either an Odom guy, or your not. I am, and have been for a while. Basically from the moment I learned to stop worrying and enjoy Odom for what he is (call it the Dr. Strangelove approach). Strip away a decade's worth of expectations and what's left is a pretty productive player.

He arrived in L.A. miscast as a number two option behind Bryant, even more unfortunate considering his presence was a constant reminder of the breakup of the franchise's championship squads of the early decade. So much focus was placed on his scoring, the one area of Odom's game where he's always been reluctant to place consistent emphasis.

Even as it took him even further away from a consistent on-ball role and eventually moved him out of the starting lineup, the arrival of Pau Gasol liberated Odom most nights from that obligation and provided a perfect opportunity to play in the way he'd always wanted and be validated by team success. As the team has improved, it's allowed Odom to become more outspoken and protective of his philosophy. He'll speak of "making the basketball play," with a degree of reverence a priest might have for the Holy Scripture.

It's the principle, even if the principle can be difficult to practice or isn't always met.

"I knew I was going to have to adjust, and still make do," Odom said Monday night about his time after arriving in L.A. "A lot of people can't. A lot of people would have demanded trades, but I saw winning at the end of the road. Winning with a great franchise, I felt like has always been my destiny. To be known as a Laker, known as a winner now, a guy who can help a team to a championship."

An oversimplification perhaps, but given how hard it's been for Odom to reach this point, I'll forgive him for allowing present conditions to mold memories of past seasons. For the Lakers, all that matters is how Odom fits into this group, and in that regard it's monumentally important.

"I really believe Lamar gets true joy out of passing the basketball. I don't think he worries about his points. If you look at what he does on the basketball floor a lot of times it's not related to point production, but rather to assists that he gets, and rebounds, and the ability to share the ball with his teammates," says coach Jim Cleamons, who smiled wide when I floated the notion of the 6K/3K milestone being "a particularly appropriate record" for Odom since it almost flaunts any mention of points and scoring.

Cleamons says some of the "inconsistency" fans see with Odom is a reflection of what the coaching staff asks of him.

"There are nights when we do need his point production, but he walks that thin line because people know he's unselfish and they expect the ball from him," he says. "Teams have personalities, guys fit certain roles. We ask him to be one of those people to have many roles on this team. Some nights, LO, you need to score. Other nights, we need you to rebound. Other nights we need you to play defense, other nights we want you to push the basketball. So how many masters can you serve and still say, "Who am I?" So I can understand the trepidation he feels. He's doing what he needs to do on all given nights, and it's not just to score points."

No question, and that's why some nights I go home and say we don't pat him on the back enough. Why can't you do this, why can't you do that? Well, be happy for what he does give you, because he leaves it out there every night. You have to accept what he does and be happy that he does it. We should give him some more sugar."

There are certainly moments where Odom's "others out front" philosophy makes him too passive. Asked if the team requires LO to play outside his comfort zone in order to accommodate the skill sets of his teammates (and this, generally, is code for Kobe Bryant), Phil Jackson was adamant they don't. "No. The answer to that is no," he said. "A lot of times we have to tell him that he has to go ahead and play with a disregard for Kobe's plea for the ball at times because it's more important that he keeps it. It's one of our best features, is rebound-and-push."

There's an irony to how Odom performs in Kobe's absence, and not just because of how it reinforces to some the notion he somehow slacks off when Bryant is around. In many ways, the two represent opposite sides of the same coin. Bryant is furiously competitive, and is criticized for inserting too much of himself into games, often at the expense of his teammates. Odom, brought in to complement 24's skill set, is criticized for leaving too many tools unused when a little selfishness would benefit the team.

Each deals with his own double standard. That which makes Kobe a superstar when the Lakers win and he plays well can be seen as selfish and untrusting when he doesn't and they lose. A bad game for Odom isn't simply that, but an indication he's flaky, uncaring, and untrustworthy.

The numbers, however, don't lie. And while there will always be the nagging feeling Odom has left some potential to dominate on the table, the company he joined in the "Fastest to 6K/3K" club shows he must be doing something right. It's yet another opportunity to see and appreciate him for what he is. If that doesn't do the trick, Odom has one more strategy.

My time will come," he says, "with winning. When you win, then people start to notice the smaller stuff about you."

 

[freddypee]

odom has been fuego as of late.....bynum is looking more like i want him coming off the bench

 

[xsalvioutlawx]

Yea, I never wanted to trade Odom. He always comes through in the playoffs especially once he knows everyone is ripping him. He's a tough cover for any team, and just noticing his inconsistancy over the years isn't really inconsistancy, that's just how he plays.

BTW, I didn't mean I didn't want Farmar and them traded either, I just pointed the obvious how some Laker fans completely ignore Sasha and Farmars garbage play just because they played well these past two games.

Of course i'd like a trade, don't get me wrong, but the fact is benched or not the Lakers won the title with 99% of the same team last season, No bynum either. Looking like that might have to hapen AGAIN this season, Andrew bynum appears to be made out of glass.

 

[81ackmamba]

I can't say that I'm not surprised.

3-0 without Kobe. At Portland, versus San Antonio, and back at Utah.

Very impressive.

Hopefully the Lakers heal and enjoy the All Star break.
*EDIT:  

 at Pau averaging 19 and 15 and Lamar averaging 17 and 14 in Kobe's absence.

 

[ryda421]

i won 50 bux because this fellow laker follower didn't believe we could win tonight