For those who like Laker disharmony

[wdleehi]

http://www.foxsportswest.com/01/04/11/Struggling-Lakers-address-alleged-chemis/landing_witz.html?blockID=384504&feedID=3709

Struggling Lakers address alleged chemistry issues

That skin has not had to be more than wafer thin at Staples Center, where chants of M-V-P are still ritual for each trip to the free-throw line. But it has earned him some quiet criticism from his teammates, particularly the big men, Bynum and Pau Gasol.

When Bryant goes off to his own enchanted kingdom — Kobedar, it is called by Bynum — it often means that Bynum and Gasol are neglected in the read-and-react triangle system, which is supposed to run through the post.

“We all are familiar with his game and his ability to score and his ability to take over games,” Gasol said. “Sometimes it's a double-edged sword because it can keep you in the games or even sometimes win you games, but it can also lose you games. I think we're more effective and we're more successful when our offense is balanced and everybody is contributing. We all know that.”

This team needs a flash point so there can be even more fighting.

[Redz]

It would be a lot easier to laugh at them if they weren't back-to-back champs.

God I hate that fact (and them).

[Finkelskyhook]

I am much more confident that they will be primed come playoff time than the trainwreck in Miami.

Honeymoon should be over in Miami by March.

[Snakehead]

I am much more confident that they will be primed come playoff time than the trainwreck in Miami.

Honeymoon should be over in Miami by March.

That is some trainwreck. 

Maybe they will fail in the playoffs, we will have to see, but they are going to continue to do great in the regular season.

[dpaps]

I am much more confident that they will be primed come playoff time than the trainwreck in Miami.

Honeymoon should be over in Miami by March.

That is some trainwreck. 

Maybe they will fail in the playoffs, we will have to see, but they are going to continue to do great in the regular season.

I agree, Miami scares me much more than any other team in the NBA. I'm not worried at all about San Antonio, Orlando, Dallas, or Chicago. Less worried about LAL than Miami. I still like our chances, but they'll be tough to knock out.

[Fafnir]

If they keep losing and Ron Artest keeps losing playing time I'm sure something crazy will happen.

[wdleehi]

I am much more confident that they will be primed come playoff time than the trainwreck in Miami.

Honeymoon should be over in Miami by March.

Why can't there be two train-wrecks to watch?


Or better yet, can the crash together the next time they play?

[Snakehead]

Lakers' Bryant practicing, despite knee agony, to ignite teammates


http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/kobe_pain_3X1vmSkbZlQquPUGNwrPfK

"Kobe Bryant appeared to know exactly what was ailing his two-time defending team. Minutes after being manhandled by the Heat, he pronounced he was going to 'kick [butt] at practice ... and beat it into their heads. It was time to get the team focused.' Which brings us to the crux of my inquiry. How did Kobe propose to pull that off, a Lakers’ legionnaire wondered, 'when he hasn’t practiced the whole season (something no member of LA’s press has called him out on)?' Is that true, I asked Kobe? 'Yeah.' Why? 'Because I have very little cartilage under my right knee cap, it’s almost bone on bone.' Bryant has undergone three operations on that same knee, one this past offseason, after having it drained several times during last year’s playoffs. 'Until I got it drained the first time during the opening round against the Thunder I could not bend that knee at all,' he revealed. 'It was swollen as hell and it hurt like hell. Luckily things got a lot better once I had the procedure.' Kobe is 32. This is his 15th season. Including the regular season, the after-party and All-Star Games, he has played a total of 46,660 minutes. ... The Christmas Day indignity countermanded the above strategy. The Lakers’ mental and physical lethargy convinced Kobe the team craved his practice presence if it was to regain its passion in time for the playoff pit. In his opinion, some teammates had gotten far too comfortable, and it had trickled down as a group that was dangerously looking ahead to June. Pau Gasol and others need him, he submitted, in their face, chest and game the same way Scottie Pippen and other Bulls needed Michael Jordan in theirs. Kobe hasn’t missed a practice since, and has a puffy right knee to show for it."

Yikes.  A few bad spots in there.  Kobe is falling apart.  And I still will continue to laugh at the "Kobe as the blameless and brave leader" thread that seems to keep going strong in Kobe's mind and many media' members minds.  The "beat it into their heads" quote still is funny considering Kobe was clearly the main problem in all their recent struggles.

[pearljammer10]

Time to trade for Melo.

[rondohondo]

Lakers' Bryant practicing, despite knee agony, to ignite teammates


http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/kobe_pain_3X1vmSkbZlQquPUGNwrPfK

"Kobe Bryant appeared to know exactly what was ailing his two-time defending team. Minutes after being manhandled by the Heat, he pronounced he was going to 'kick [butt] at practice ... and beat it into their heads. It was time to get the team focused.' Which brings us to the crux of my inquiry. How did Kobe propose to pull that off, a Lakers’ legionnaire wondered, 'when he hasn’t practiced the whole season (something no member of LA’s press has called him out on)?' Is that true, I asked Kobe? 'Yeah.' Why? 'Because I have very little cartilage under my right knee cap, it’s almost bone on bone.' Bryant has undergone three operations on that same knee, one this past offseason, after having it drained several times during last year’s playoffs. 'Until I got it drained the first time during the opening round against the Thunder I could not bend that knee at all,' he revealed. 'It was swollen as hell and it hurt like hell. Luckily things got a lot better once I had the procedure.' Kobe is 32. This is his 15th season. Including the regular season, the after-party and All-Star Games, he has played a total of 46,660 minutes. ... The Christmas Day indignity countermanded the above strategy. The Lakers’ mental and physical lethargy convinced Kobe the team craved his practice presence if it was to regain its passion in time for the playoff pit. In his opinion, some teammates had gotten far too comfortable, and it had trickled down as a group that was dangerously looking ahead to June. Pau Gasol and others need him, he submitted, in their face, chest and game the same way Scottie Pippen and other Bulls needed Michael Jordan in theirs. Kobe hasn’t missed a practice since, and has a puffy right knee to show for it."

Yikes.  A few bad spots in there.  Kobe is falling apart.  And I still will continue to laugh at the "Kobe as the blameless and brave leader" thread that seems to keep going strong in Kobe's mind and many media' members minds.  The "beat it into their heads" quote still is funny considering Kobe was clearly the main problem in all their recent struggles.

everyone keeps bringing up how old the c's are, but if you take a second to look at the mins played kobe has played even more mins than KG because of all the playoff series he has been in

Bone on bone is a very bad thing and is what has stopped Brandon Roy from being a all-star. I give the Lakers these next 2 years as a contender and then Kobe won't be able to compete at a championship level as a starter.

[Fafnir]

Weighted by minutes played the C's are the younger team. Largely because Rondo plays so many minutes, but BBD also helps with that.

The Lakers are slightly older than us.

[CelticsWhat35]

everyone keeps bringing up how old the c's are, but if you take a second to look at the mins played kobe has played even more mins than KG because of all the playoff series he has been in

Bone on bone is a very bad thing and is what has stopped Brandon Roy from being a all-star. I give the Lakers these next 2 years as a contender and then Kobe won't be able to compete at a championship level as a starter.

The main reason people talk about it more in terms of the Celtics is that 3 of their top 4 players are all are 33, 34 and 35 yrs old.  Three of the top 4 Lakers are 30, 31 and 32.  That's a 3-year difference.  Granted, Ray Allen is a freak of nature, but I think that's why the Celtics get more of that "older team" talk.  Not to mention the veterans like Shaq and JO.

But if you're saying the Lakers are only going to be a contender for the next 2 years, I say...and???  That doesn't really help the Celtics much.  Without some clever changes in the next couple years, the Celtics are in the same boat.

[BballTim]

everyone keeps bringing up how old the c's are, but if you take a second to look at the mins played kobe has played even more mins than KG because of all the playoff series he has been in

Bone on bone is a very bad thing and is what has stopped Brandon Roy from being a all-star. I give the Lakers these next 2 years as a contender and then Kobe won't be able to compete at a championship level as a starter.

The main reason people talk about it more in terms of the Celtics is that 3 of their top 4 players are all are 33, 34 and 35 yrs old.  Three of the top 4 Lakers are 30, 31 and 32.  That's a 3-year difference.  Granted, Ray Allen is a freak of nature, but I think that's why the Celtics get more of that "older team" talk.  Not to mention the veterans like Shaq and JO.

But if you're saying the Lakers are only going to be a contender for the next 2 years, I say...and???  That doesn't really help the Celtics much.  Without some clever changes in the next couple years, the Celtics are in the same boat.

  Players younger than Kobe don't count. If he slows down the Lakers are done until they reload.

[BballTim]

Lakers' Bryant practicing, despite knee agony, to ignite teammates


http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/kobe_pain_3X1vmSkbZlQquPUGNwrPfK

"Kobe Bryant appeared to know exactly what was ailing his two-time defending team. Minutes after being manhandled by the Heat, he pronounced he was going to 'kick [butt] at practice ... and beat it into their heads. It was time to get the team focused.' Which brings us to the crux of my inquiry. How did Kobe propose to pull that off, a Lakers’ legionnaire wondered, 'when he hasn’t practiced the whole season (something no member of LA’s press has called him out on)?' Is that true, I asked Kobe? 'Yeah.' Why? 'Because I have very little cartilage under my right knee cap, it’s almost bone on bone.' Bryant has undergone three operations on that same knee, one this past offseason, after having it drained several times during last year’s playoffs. 'Until I got it drained the first time during the opening round against the Thunder I could not bend that knee at all,' he revealed. 'It was swollen as hell and it hurt like hell. Luckily things got a lot better once I had the procedure.' Kobe is 32. This is his 15th season. Including the regular season, the after-party and All-Star Games, he has played a total of 46,660 minutes. ... The Christmas Day indignity countermanded the above strategy. The Lakers’ mental and physical lethargy convinced Kobe the team craved his practice presence if it was to regain its passion in time for the playoff pit. In his opinion, some teammates had gotten far too comfortable, and it had trickled down as a group that was dangerously looking ahead to June. Pau Gasol and others need him, he submitted, in their face, chest and game the same way Scottie Pippen and other Bulls needed Michael Jordan in theirs. Kobe hasn’t missed a practice since, and has a puffy right knee to show for it."

Yikes.  A few bad spots in there.  Kobe is falling apart.  And I still will continue to laugh at the "Kobe as the blameless and brave leader" thread that seems to keep going strong in Kobe's mind and many media' members minds.  The "beat it into their heads" quote still is funny considering Kobe was clearly the main problem in all their recent struggles.

  Roughly translated, it's not Kobe's fault, and even if it is he has an excuse.

[rondohondo]

everyone keeps bringing up how old the c's are, but if you take a second to look at the mins played kobe has played even more mins than KG because of all the playoff series he has been in

Bone on bone is a very bad thing and is what has stopped Brandon Roy from being a all-star. I give the Lakers these next 2 years as a contender and then Kobe won't be able to compete at a championship level as a starter.

The main reason people talk about it more in terms of the Celtics is that 3 of their top 4 players are all are 33, 34 and 35 yrs old.  Three of the top 4 Lakers are 30, 31 and 32.  That's a 3-year difference.  Granted, Ray Allen is a freak of nature, but I think that's why the Celtics get more of that "older team" talk.  Not to mention the veterans like Shaq and JO.

But if you're saying the Lakers are only going to be a contender for the next 2 years, I say...and???  That doesn't really help the Celtics much.  Without some clever changes in the next couple years, the Celtics are in the same boat.

yea but the C's also have a TON of cap space coming in 2012 , even if we do resign Perk or BBD, we will likely have enough to offer a max contract. We also have a top 3 PG to rebuild around after 2012.

What exactly do the Lakers have to build around in 2 years? an aging PF ( Gasol will be about 33) and a gimpy Bynum . They will be well over the salary cap until at least 2014

I would say the c's will be a contender again before LA does after the 2012 season