I’m back…

Hello one and all. It is true. I have been gone missing. It’s not all my fault. In the past six months, during my absense from writing, I got a job, planned a wedding, attended a wedding as both a groomsman and a groom, honeymooned on a 7-day cruise through the Western Caribbean (which I highly recommend), moved into a new home, got my wife a new job at my place of work, oh, and made two very important purchases: 1) a new big screen to enjoy all my Lakers games, 2) and of course NBA League Pass since it’s the only way to get EVERY Lakers game when you live on the East Coast.

The saying is true. It’s much easier to fall out of a habit than it is to get back into it. Even with all that going on, that doesn’t excuse my long hiatus. But, just because I’ve been out of sight from my readers, doesn’t mean I haven’t been paying attention to our boys (reference #1 & 2 above). At night, instead of writing for your enjoyment, I have been selfish and chose to watch Lakers games instead.

But I’m back…and without further adeu…

Was it the fact the Lakers have lost two in a row (that’s right, I have the Bucks game paused right now…at all times I am at best one or two games behind, so no one spoil the last game for me), the fact my brother in law who could care less about sports told me I should start writing again, the fact that my editor in chief stopped getting on me to write and is now enjoying a week in Grenada, or the fact my uncle called me tonight starting the conversation off “Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum for Chris Bosh!?” Probably a mix of the bunch.

Regardless, I guess you could say I finally had to scratch that perpetual itch that just wouldn’t go away.

Now I’ll make this short and sweet. The trade rumor got me to thinking. Is Farmar ever going to be a starter? My uncle thinks he could (I mean he is only 23), just not in the triangle.

Is Bynum ever going to be able to truly coincide next to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol? Is he ready to be a team’s top scorer or even a number two scorer at the fragile age of 22?

More importantly, can a supremely talented Bosh fit in with Kobe and Pau? Who plays third fiddle? I believe Gasol has it in him to step back a little in scoring and let Bosh continue to get his 20 a game.

Now I’m hearing it will not happen because of financial difficulties. Bynum is a base year player, which comes into play if he gets traded. Do not worry, I ran the numbers and found a scenario that works. Throw in Adam Morrison’s expiring $5.3m and you got yourself a deal.

Bosh and Gasol are both power forwards, but to me, either could play center. Bosh is shorter than Bynum, but still lengthy and much more athletic and explosive. He is a much better rebounder (sixth in the league at 11.3/game), and plays solid D. He is versatile and has the skill set to fit into the triangle. He can pass, shoot, post up, and even has a decent handle for a big. The talent is unquestioned.

The other big factor is whether he would resign with the Lakers (his contract is up at the end of the year). The bigger question is to figure out how the Lakers roster could handle three max to near max salaries. Kobe is set to make nearly $25m next year, Pau at nearly $18m, and Bosh would likely get a starting salary near $15m. The three players’ combined salary of $58m is more than this year’s salary cap ($57.7m), with the luxury tax at $69.92.

Then again, Bynum will make nearly $14m next year and Farmar is up for an extention and you figure should comand at least $5m easy. So, maybe it will save the Lakers some money. It will also free up time for fan favorite Shannon Brown and give Sasha Vujacic a chance to prove to everyone why he’s worth an even $5m this season.

My other thought would be to look ahead. I do not like thinking about it, but at some point we all must accept the fact that Kobe will one day no longer resemble the player he is today. I will give him another three to four years of top quality basketball. But, what do the Lakers do to plan ahead for the post-Kobe era? Is it Bynum? Can the young fella wait that long or will his ego one day get the best of him?

Bosh is however only 25 (26 in March) and I think his athleticism makes him a good fit next to Gasol (who is going to be a Laker for a long time). I would be a very happy fan with those two running the show three years from now.

For the Raptors, turning a star player who is mostly out the door into a quality young point and a growing young center is not that bad. I know the rest of the league is rooting against it, but the Laker fans should certainly welcome it because Bosh is a fine young player who would make us much, much better (if that’s at all possible).

Whatever happens, I want all Lakers fans to do me a favor. Really take in this season. You know it is a good season when a single loss can shock and piss you off at the same time. Even if it’s the first loss in a 10 game span. This why you must enjoy every minute of it. Good things will continue to happen for this team because we are talented, we are hungry, and we are playing really good defense.

That’s a scary combination for a team that just won it all.

Laker pride!

6th Man of the Year?

OK, calm down. No I’m not saying Kobe is going to be the 6th man of the year (I’m not Bill Simmons), but if you take another look at the picture you’ll see who I’m talking about. It’s all those people around Kobe, yes the media. As the champs gear up for a repeat, this year produces several unique circumstances that the Lakers will have to deal with and depending on how much attention the media gives certain players or incidents, it could either strengthen our group or create dissent amongst the ranks.

Now keep in mind,  the role of the 6th man in basketball is to bring much needed energy, chemistry and help off the bench. Just as integral to the makeup of the team as the starters, the 6th man plays a key role to any successful team. Just take a look at Lamar last year, Ginnobli to the Spurs, and Terry for the Mavs. The 6th man is the glue that bridges the gap between starters and reserves. The media, in essence, will play that roll this coming year for the Lakers. With so much extra attention brought upon the Lakers after a championship and animated offseason, they are now easily amongst the most watched and scrutinized franchises in professional sports.

Let’s take a look at some of the issues that are on the table for the the media to play around with this coming season:

1) Vanessa vs Khloe– I’m saying it. I’ll try to keep this brief, but  I’m hoping that these two get along because can you imagine what a field day the media would have if they didn’t? I can see the headlines now “Vanessa and Khloe– beauty meets beast”

2) Ron-Ron — So much could be said here. He’s hands down one of the most interesting players in the league. While we’ve all enjoyed the extra information via twitter and his youtube, the question here is whether or not  his extracurricular activities will add fuel to the fire for a hungry media. Ron brings a lot of baggage and Phil’s already said that the team will “monitor his activities” as the season progresses. I love him, but essentially trading Trevor for Ron, the question is and always has been, how much is too much?

3) Lamar- He’s already known to have a bit of Jeckyl/Hyde syndrome. With his TMZ offseason let’s hope he comes into the season with the appropriate amount of focus. Here’s to hoping that Lamar’s personal life stays away from his professional.

4) Farmar- This may come as a bit of a suprise, but I think that it’s important for Farmar to find a role on this Laker team before his frustration turns to dissent. We are all aware of his ongoing struggles with the coaching staff, but with Fisher returning and Shannon Brown hungry, Farmar needs to find a way to channel his discontent into results on the floor. In the end, he’s in charge of his destiny in our dynasty.

5) Bynum- The only weight he should be carrying on his shoulders this season should be making the All-Star team.

6) Kobe- Like any great conqueror, once your flag has been raised in enemy territory the primary objective is no longer seizing power, but instead shifts to keeping power. For Kobe this year will be career defining. With Lebron and Shaq teamed up (the Laker equivalent of Kim Jong il teaming up with Osama), the Celtics geared up for perhaps their last real shot, and Dwight and the Magic reloaded… It’s Kobe against the world.

The extent to which these aforementioned issues are a blessing or a curse for the Lakers can only be determined as the season plays out. Only one thing is certain: if we want to repeat, the media must look upon our team with a kind eye. Too much to ask for? Probably, but then again, the role of the 6th man is never easy.

The Spurs Are Again the Lakers Top Competition

“I play because the 37th draft pick usually doesn’t.” — Nick Van Exel, ex-Laker point guard

The San Antonio Spurs, with their off-season transactions, have once again established themselves, at least on paper, as the favorites to take the top spot in the National Basketball Association’s Western Conference…behind the Los Angeles Lakers, of course!

What this means is that the Lakers are in no way a lock to make it back to the Finals next year. Despite the additions to the top teams in the West — Ron Artest to the Lakers, Shawn Marion to the Mavericks, Andre Miller to the Blazers — it was the moves the Spurs made that really caught my attention. Last year’s first round exit was as surprising as anything that happened in the NBA last season, which was why I was not surprised to see the usually fiscally responsible Spurs take a whatever-it-takes approach into the 2009 off-season and fill in their gaps. What was surprising, was the success they had in bringing in some exceptional talent.

The Additions

The Spurs needed to get more athletic…in comes the versatile Richard Jefferson, who came over from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas, and Fabricio Oberto — or in NBA terms, for nothing. The team will of course welcome his career averages of 17.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.0 apg and hope his improved shooting continues — he shot a career high 39.7% from three last season, something that could easily improve with low post threat Tim Duncan providing open jumpers. He will also give Tony ‘one-man-fast-break’ Parker a running mate in transition.

The Spurs needed another big man to help out versus the Lakers size…in comes Antonio McDyess. They were able to steal him away from the Detroit Pistons. McDyess will most likely start next to Duncan and instantly becomes his best big man side kick since the great David Robinson, despite the fact he’ll be 35 at the start of the season. While McDyess isn’t nearly the high-fly act he once was before all the knee problems, he will certainly provide the Spurs with some bulk to root the Lakers big guys out of the post and keep them off the boards. His 9/8 two years ago and 10/10 last year with the Pistons was very impressive considering he was only getting 30 mpg. The Spurs would be thrilled to see 10 rpg while providing an efficient 18 foot jump shot and solid defense.

The Spurs needed to get younger…in comes DaJuan Blair; the stud college bruiser, who dropped from guaranteed lottery to surprising second rounder, was snatched up by the ever aware Spurs who didn’t hesitate taking him with the 37th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. I’m not saying he will one day replace Duncan, but he will certainly be an effective player and give them someone to bang bodies with the Lakers big men. I just read that he is considering sporting the #37 to match his draft pick and all I can think of is Nick ‘the Quick’ Van Exel-lent, who too was once drafted #37 overall way back in the 1993 NBA Draft. I can still see my giant poster of Nick stapled to the ceiling over my bed in the house I grew up in and I remember going to sleep every night reading the quote “I play because the 37th draft pick usually doesn’t” over and over again. I knew that Van Exel played such inspired ball because he wanted to make every team that passed him up pay. Watch out Laker fans, because I can see Blair taking the same approach and will be the driving force behind him becoming a beast on the boards, and a major pain for the Lakers.

The Matchups

Point Guards — The speed of Parker and reserve George Hill will still cause all kinds of problems for Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown. However, I am interested to see how well Brown can utilize his size and strength to try and bully Parker.

Wings — A healthy Manu will go a long way in how successful the Spurs will be vs the Lakers. On defense, he is always active trying to disrupt things. On offense, the things he can do with the ball in his hands causes all kinds of problems defensively for the Lakers. Jefferson might not be able to get into Kobe like Bowen used to, but talk about an upgrade on the offensive end. Kobe will have to stay honest on defense, regardless of whether he’s defending Manu or RJ, and won’t be able to roam freely. They still can bring in sharp shooters Roger Mason Jr. and Michael Finley off the bench. The good news for the Lakers, with Artest and Kobe, we have two elite perimeter defenders to better match up against the new look Spurs.

Bigs — It starts with Duncan, but having McDyess to help defend Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol is a big help. The rookie Blair seems like a tough match up because of his strength as he should be able to bully the Lakers for rebounds. They also added the shot blocking of Theo Ratliff and still have Matt Bonner to space the floor. Lamar Odom becomes even more essential as his length and versatility are key. He can defend Timmy in the low post, run out to a shooter like Bonner, or to help box out and out reach a guy like Blair.

It all adds up to one thing:  The Spurs are back. The scary thing is, the four-time champs actually seem better than ever. Don’t worry Laker faithful, our addition of Artest will help us out immensely. Either way, it should be fun to watch this mighty Spurs team go up against our champion Lakers — and if we’re lucky, we’ll see a Western Conference Finals next year for the ages. May the best team win!

What Laker Should Get More PT?

Per 36 Minutes

*The idea is you take a players’ stats and average it out over 36 minutes to get an idea of what their production might be if you gave them starters minutes.

I think the rotation will go as follows:  Andrew Bynum should start again this year while Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar will go back and forth over who gets the bulk of the backup point guard minutes. I also see Brown severely limiting Sasha Vujacic’s playing time and Luke Walton should get the reserve small forward duties. That leaves Josh Powell and D.J. Mbenga as more of an insurance policy in case one of our bigs go down. Meanwhile, Adam Morrison, the former #3 overall pick a few years ago, is the wild card. We still need to surround Kobe Bryant with shooters, so let’s see if Sasha and Adam pick up the slack. The Lake Show is looking at a strong nine man rotation for the 2009-2010 season.

This could be the return of the bench mob!

Andrew Bynum

17.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.2 bpg

If Drew was able to stay out of foul trouble, you can see how effective he can be. Even though he is maybe the third or fourth option on offense, he still puts up what amounts to 18 points per night. His 10 boards and two blocks are really what you want to see him focus on next year. The offense will come through put backs and ally oops, but it’s nice to know he does have a number of good post moves in his arsenal. He will still be part of the big three (big men) and I’m sure they will all take turns on offense. I see him getting back to his pre-injury self next year and let’s pray he has a full, healthy season.

Unless he really advances, Lamar Odom still needs time, so I don’t see more than 30-32 minutes.

Jordan Farmar

12.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.7 spg, 1.5 3pg

This will be the most interesting battle in training camp. The more I look at it, the less I think that either Brown or Farmar will take Fisher’s spot in the starting lineup, even though I predicted Farmar would even before last season. But, who will be his main backup? I think Jordan is certainly the more traditional point guard, who wants to penetrate and create opportunities for others, but he just needs to build up more consistency.

This could be the year he takes over backup duties and plays 20-25 minutes a night.

Shannon Brown

15.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.6 3pg (in 18 gms w/Lakers)

To me, he stands as the one guy who should without question get more playing time next year, depending on his improvement in the off-season. The triangle offense takes years to learn, but he still managed playing time to end the season last year without much knowledge of the offense, so you can see what might happen if he actually picks it up in training camp. I think the three-headed monster that is our point guard situation might not be ideal to the three players involved (including Derek Fisher and Farmar), but if they accept it, they can focus on going all out while they are in and really cause problems for opponents. Who knows, maybe each guy will pick up full court all game long.

At the very least he will split time backing up the point and Kobe Bryant, possibly playing 12-15 minutes per game.

Luke Walton

10.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.5 apg, 1 spg

You either love him or you hate him. The classic “system” player. Well guess what, the $4.8m man is in the perfect system. The triangle calls for bright players who can pass, shoot, and play multiple positions. Say what you will about Luke (like whether he deserved a 6 year, $30m contract two season ago), but the guy can play, and fits in well when surrounded by talent. Anyone that doubts his production — and I think he has more value outside of his stats — realize his 10/5/5 in 36 minutes puts him up there with any other seventh or eighth man in any one’s rotation…and he might be our 10th guy.

20 minutes per game is more than enough.

Sasha Vujacic

12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 2.1 spg, 2.3 3pg

Me being a shooter, I can attest to how tough it is to get any kind of rhythm when you are playing limited minutes a night and Sasha only got 16 mpg last year. It is difficult to tell where The Machine goes from here. Do we chalk last season up to an off year (39% from the field, 36% from three), or did he play exceptionally well at the right time (45% from the field, 44% from three the year before, his contract year; he also hit 31 threes in 21 playoff games that year)? I think Brown might get more minutes backing up Kobe, just to make room for him, which will only put more pressure on the foreign gunner to produce in limited minutes.

8-12 minutes until he proves he just had an off year.

Josh Powell

12.8 ppg, 9 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 bpg

It’s funny how everyone passes over a guy like Powell, but goes crazy over a guy like Brandon Bass. Powell’s numbers are very comparable to Bass’ per 36 minutes (15.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg) only Powell will cost the Lakers a little under a million dollars next season, while some team will be willing to dump the full mid-level on Bass in the range of $5.8m. Powell can rebound, play serviceable defense and has a killer pick and pop game out to 20 feet.

15 minutes is his limit.

Didier Mbenga

12.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2 spg, 4.8 bpg

You can see right away that Mbenga stands out for his defense. He is not in for very long stretches, so maybe that is why he goes all out and gets steals and blocks. If he got more time, it is safe to say he would not be able to sustain the pace he plays at, plus, he gets a lot of fouls, so I doubt he would ever be able to average five blocks per game. However, in short spans, he is a great back up.

He can give you a solid 5-10 minutes per game.

Adam Morrison

8.2 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.5 apg (in only 8 gms w/Lakers)

You know there is not enough minutes to go around and Mr. Gonzaga might be the odd man out. Unless his outside shooting really improves, he picks up the triangle real quick, and he dispels the slow white guy can’t guard anyone myth, then I don’t see him getting much time.

5-8 minutes could be earned; if not just to see what he’s got.

The Lakers – Your 2009 NBA Champions

It was this time last year; I can still remember the absolute disappointment. Lakers seemed to have everything in place:  The best coach, the best player, the final piece to the puzzle in the form of a seven foot Spaniard.

But, everything came crashing down June 17th, 2008. The night the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics 131-92. The worst loss in a close out game in the Finals, ever.

Phil Jackson talked about the journey being what is truly important; and this was one hell of a journey that began when things ended last June.

It all seemed surreal; that game last night. It didn’t even seem possible. Not with two games left in LA and a Laker team lacking that killer instinct.

But, it happened Laker fans. It really happened. Now take it all in. Soak it all up.

Even with the Lakers being the favorites at the start of the season, I still can’t believe it. It’s one thing to have a goal, to talk about making it back, getting a second chance. But, to actually make it back to the Finals, and win. It seems like something put together down the street in Hollywood, not in STAPLES Center.

I can still remember that trade for Pau Gasol last year. It took maybe a week before I already had visions of a dynasty in the making.

We soared into the playoffs. We fought hard and played tough, even defeated the mighty San Antonio Spurs in five games. That brought on a clash of the titans match up between two storied franchises –the Los Angeles Lakers vs the Boston Celtics. It was the perfect backdrop for the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, it did not end well.

However, I think the painful loss — for the players, coaches, and fans — is what made this season so special. It’s also what gave us that drive, that passion, the will to win at all costs.

Not many teams are able to come back after defeat in the Finals and win; in fact, the Lakers are the first team to do so since the ‘89 Detroit Pistons.

I have enjoyed this season more than any other, and this title is as sweet as ever. We were supposed to blow through the Western Conference in the playoffs; instead, we found ourselves battling three tough, rugged teams:  The Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets.

However, I think each series brought about a new challenge and with it an opportunity to prove ourselves. I know I, like many others, doubted whether this team had the fortitude, the stones, to close a team out. Time and time again, we were all frustrated by the large leads the Lakers gave up during the regular season, and then continued in to the playoffs. But, with each challenge, a lesson was learned. We grew stronger, we grew closer, and more importantly, we began to believe. We took on Kobe Bryant’s demeanor. No matter the situation, we knew how to come back. We knew how to overcome.

We were pushed to the limit. Then again, if it wasn’t for the struggles we had — the games we narrowly escaped with a victory — who knows where we would be. If it wasn’t for the Yao-less Rockets pushing us to a Game 7, if it wasn’t for the Nuggets playing well enough to easily be up 3-0, and it if wasn’t for the Orlando Magic playing superb basketball in Games 2-4 of the Finals, we may not be where we are today — World Champions.

Phil Jackson’s words ring true. “There is something about sticktuitiveness, team camaraderie, guys that are willing to stay with it, be disciplined, and be coachable and here we are.” Where is that you ask? Try Kobe’s fourth, Phil’s 10th, and the Lakers 15th.

I want to say thank you to the Orlando Magic for playing as well as they did. That was not your typical five game series. We did not dominate them; we simply outlasted them. Two overtimes, two missed lay ups, two missed free throws. It was a series of missed opportunities for the Magic, but I give the Lakers all the credit in the world for taking advantage of every Magic mistake.

It was simple:  I believe, if it wasn’t for Dwight Howard and companies’ solid play in Games 2, 3, and 4, I do not think we would have won Game 5. We overcame an early deficit, thanks to our focus, and let’s face it, our hunger. We had learned to fear and respect the Orlando Magic. The last thing we wanted was to let the Magic get hot and shoot themselves into a Game 7, where anything can happen. As a result, we seized the day. Our guys really proved themselves and showed they are champions.

Who would have thought we would win a championship with our defense? Let me tell you, we did just that:

• Rafer Alston hit 38% of his threes vs the Cavs on his way to 12.5 ppg; we held him to 3-19 from downtown (16%) and 10.6 ppg.
• Hedo Turkoglu averaged 6.7 apg vs the Cavs and other than the Game 3 loss when he had seven assists, we held him to four assists or less in each game.
• Outside of Game 2, we held Rashard Lewis in check. In Games 1, 4, & 5 we held him to 2-10, 2-10, & 6-19 from the field, 40% shooting overall. The biggest factor was holding him to only 13 free throw attempts after shooting over 30 in each of the first three series.
• Best of all, we surrounded Dwight with double teams and intense pressure throughout the series that confounded the big man and forced him into four turnovers per game (only 2.6 tpg coming in). We held him to only 8.6 shots per game and 49% from the field (he shot 68%, 55%, and 65% in the first three rounds respectively). He also had as many turnovers as blocks (20).
• Pau did most of the defending on Dwight and did a wonderful job keeping him away from the basket and utilized his long arms to disrupt him all series long. Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom were active and used their length to their advantage as well, creating deflections and getting steals.
• Lakers defense got better as the playoffs went on. Their on the ball pressure, contesting of shots, and finishing off possessions with rebounds won them a championship.
• 91.2 ppg — that is what we held the juggernaut that was the Orlando Magic offense to in the Finals (they averaged 101 ppg during the regular season).

I think I enjoyed this season more than any other. I know I can appreciate this ring more than any other.

Maybe it is because you tend to appreciate things more as you get older (I did just turn 27 earlier in the month). Or maybe it is because it has been seven years since the last championship. Since then, we got embarrassed in the Finals by an underdog, traded away a franchise player, missed the playoffs entirely, got knocked out of the first round twice by the same team, and lost in the Finals again, this time to our bitter rival, all while having to endure two and some change seasons of Kwame Brown.

It all seems worth it now, now that we sit at the top. The fact that we got to do what many never get an opportunity to do — get a second chance, a chance for redemption.

Enjoy it Laker fans. Get your t-shirts and hats. Go have a drink with your friends. Skip work to pile in with the thousands of other Laker fans outside of STAPLES Center for the parade.

Take it all in. Soak it all up.

We earned every bit of this one.

Derek Fisher Does it Again!

I found myself scrambling from one title for my article to another throughout the entire game. At first, it seemed destined to be “The Refs BLEW it Again” (mind you, I was a little bitter in the first half). After the third quarter, I was ready for “Trevor Ariza’s Explosion in the Third Makes All the Difference.” Once I saw Kobe Bryant hit the first two shots of overtime I was ready to put his stamp on it with “The Black Mamba Comes Through When it Matters Most.”

I was about to flip it with “When 20 Rebounds and 9 Blocks Just Isn’t Enough,” or simply “Thank You Dwight.”

But, let’s be real, our boy Derek Fisher is the hero of the day.

I’ve been on the guy’s side all along. I swear. You can even ask my Uncle; I never lost faith in Fish.

Right before Game 1, my Uncle wrote me, “If Fish continues his playoff ways, lets hope for foul trouble, or Phil (Jackson) actually getting tired of waiting, and playing Shannon (Brown) more minutes.”

I responded with, “I know Fisher is struggling, but, he still has been to the Finals more than anyone not named Kobe and would you really trust major minutes to a guy who has 919 career minutes (Brown) or to a guy who has 24,684 minutes (Fisher)? I know Fisher has slowed…but for now, he will still start and should get most of the minutes. At least he knows the offense as well as anyone, puts himself in the right spots, and is a threat and does space the floor, even if he is shooting only 36% from the field and 24% from the 3-pt line (he still is a career 41% from behind the arc in the playoffs & I think he can hit a big shot at the end of a game, even if he’s 1-9).”

My Uncle watched the first game and wrote back, “…you were spot on with the comments on…Fishers experience. Just goes to show you that being a devoted Laker fan for over 30 years does not give me more insights than someone who knows how to read stats, how to scout teams and players, and can look at trends to provide logical evaluations.”

Sounds like my words could not have been more true. So the 64 year old wasn’t 1-9 from the field, but he was 0-5 from the three point line before he hit the two biggest shots of his career — and that’s saying something!

The last three games have been insanely entertaining and each one could have easily gone either way, but none more than Game 4.

There were so many layers to that game.

• Questionable calls that led to our bigs getting in major foul trouble.
• The Lakers poor shooting to start the game (33% in the first half).
• Our huge third quarter on both ends of the floor (outscoring them 30-14).
• The Magic had foul trouble of their own with Hedo Turkoglu picking up his fourth in the third quarter.
• Rashard Lewis had a poor shooting night (another 2-10 from the field).
• Dwight Howard had incredible energy to start the game that got EVERYONE in foul trouble and led to to 20 rebounds and a record nine blocks. However, he also had seven turnovers and eight missed free throws (the Magic missed 15 overall and a number of them in the fourth quarter).
• Oh, and how bad were the calls? The Magic shot their 15th free throw in the fourth quarter before picking up their first team foul, which did not come until the 1:14 mark in the fourth.
• Random stat, the Lakers are now 10-3 in the playoffs when Ariza gets at least one steal and hits one three in the same game (he had two steals and three threes in Game 4).

The first half was dominated by the Lakers bigs picking up one foul after another. The horrible calls completely threw off our rhythm on offense, and forced Phil Jackson to use all 12 guys in the first half. With so many whistles on both ends of the floor, there really was no flow to the game at all.

Luckily, my father and I were able to get a phone call in at halftime and did the usual:  Complain about the refs, the Lakers energy, the fact that as bad as we were playing, the least we could do is be more aggressive than the Magic. I reassured him that shooting is all about ups and downs. If Orlando shot 75% in the first half of Game 3, and only 38% in the second half, then logic would dictate that our 33% in the first half would jump to 70% in the second half…or something like that. With more shots going in and a little bit more hustle, we might even be able to put ourselves in position to steal the game.

In steps Trevor Ariza with an amazing third quarter performance. Credit our defense as well as the Magic only managed 14 points in the quarter. If it wasn’t for Ariza igniting the comeback, there would be no heroics by Fisher in the end.

The fourth quarter was as difficult as any to watch. First, Hedo went on a 5-0 run, and had me worried. Then, Dwight went to the line for two, and I figured he was good for one. That did not stop me from repeating in my head, ‘just miss two, just miss two, and make this game interesting.’ He did, and that’s all we needed.

When Fisher rose up and knocked down that three, I was unsure whether I was more excited to tie it up, or that it was Fish who came through. However, was anyone really surprised it went in? And when he sealed the deal with 30 seconds left in overtime, I was even less surprised.

Fisher gave us another moment to remember. One that will be forever remembered in the annals of Laker lore. What an amazing feeling, an amazing game, and an amazing player.

Long live Derek Fisher.

Lakers Fail to Make All the Right Plays

How often do we see it in sports where one play can make a difference. You hear coaches say it all the time, “a play in the first quarter is just as important as late in the game.”

The Lakers did plenty of things well last night in Orlando that easily could have won them the game, despite the record setting shooting night by the Magic.

• They shot 51% from the field.
• Saw Kobe Bryant go for 17 first quarter points in a myriad of difficult shots — he was 7-10 from the field with six of those shots coming from the perimeter with a hand in his face.
• We grabbed six more offensive rebounds than the Magic.
• Outscored them by nine points from the three point line.
• Got 31 points and 8 assists from Kobe; 23 points from Pau Gasol; 13 points and 7 rebounds from Trevor Ariza; and 11 points from both Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar, who I thought hit some key baskets to keep us within reach.

That still doesn’t answer what happened. How did we lose that game? If Game 2 was Orlando’s to win or lose, Game 3 was certainly within the Lakers grasp up until the end.

After the first quarter, I thought my prediction was coming true. If you remember, I said the Magic would shoot well (they hit literally everything) and win a close game, unless Kobe went off (17 first quarter points). By halftime it was clear, who ever cooled off in the second half — Kobe or Orlando — would lose the game. Sure enough, Kobe went ice cold, while the Magic stayed white hot, and the Lakers lost a  close one.

Last night was clearly all about Orlando’s shooters, just as I predicted. I said we would continue to double Dwight — we did, but this time forced him into only one turnover and although he only had six shot attempts, he got to the line 16 times converting 11 of them, and is now shooting 68% for the series on nearly 14 attempts per game — and as a result, the Magic would shoot lights out (they did, although most of the damage was done inside the arc, as they were only 5-14 from three).

So, what did the Orlando Magic do well? 

• They shot an NBA Finals record for a half, 75% from the field in the first half (24-32); an NBA Finals record for a game, 62.5% from the field (40-64).
• They had 23 made field goals in Game 1; 24 missed field goals in Game 3.
• Rafer Alston got them off to a hot start by pushing, penetrating, and scorching the net early and often. He was Jameer-esque.
• Talk about balance, not only did the Magic have five guys score 18 or more, they also got solid performances from Hedo Turkoglu ( 18/6/7) and Rashard Lewis (21/5/5) who was also 3-6 from distance.
• Mickael Pietrus provided the Magic with another solid game off the bench posting 18 points on 7-11 from the field and three big steals.
• After scoring under 25 points in seven of the first eight quarters, they scored 27 or more in all but the third quarter of Game 3.

Go figure that it was the Lakers who failed to convert the big plays in the end when we needed it most. We did everything we could to start the fourth quarter, hitting all eight of our field goals until Ariza had his dunk blocked by Superman when we were down only four with 4:30 remaining. We then came up with three big stops — including two key steals — and tied it up at 99 (we could have had a good lead if Kobe didn’t blow an easy off balanced runner and if Pau finished an and one from five feet over Hedo).

In the last 2:11, after Pietrus’ tip-dunk, the final possessions were as follows:

• Kobe misses a contested three early in the shot clock.
• Fisher gets called for a ghost foul as Rafer drove the lane and blew a lay up — he hit one of two free throws.
• Kobe let himself get trapped on the perimeter, only to get bailed out by Pietrus who got called for a reach-in foul. We then took the ball out and Kobe dished to an open Gasol before getting trapped again, who then drove the lane, made the basket despite contact from Rashard who left his feet, bodied up Gasol in mid air, and hit him up high (mind you this is the play RIGHT after Fish got called for a foul just for playing good defense on Rafer). If you are going to call it close, be consistent.
• A simple pick and pop for Rafer and Rashard, was assisted by Lamar Odom who showed hard on Rafer trying to push him away, but he was still able to make a nice pass to Rashard, who of course hit the shot (luckily his toe was on the line).
• Kobe drives and gets a make up call, I guess, as Dwight moved his feet and appeared to tie him up, but got called for the foul anyway (did I mention the refs have been awful this playoffs?) — Kobe only hit one of two.
• Great defense from Odom and Gasol, blocking Rashard’s drive to the basket, who then batted it out of bounds trying to get his own miss.
• Lakers ball down only two with 37.6 seconds. Want a game changing play, well here it was. Kobe tries to split the Pietrus and Dwight double, only the  defensive player of the year made the biggest defensive play of his life, reaching down low and getting his fingers on Kobe’s cross over. Gasol still manages to dive on the ball, but instead of calling timeout, he tries to get it to Kobe quickly, only Pietrus was there waiting and came up with the biggest steal of the series. Kobe immediately had to foul — he converts both free throws.
• Down four with 28.7 to go. Lakers draw up a great play and get Kobe an excellent look at three, clank. Lamar makes a great save as he dives out of bounds, and the Lakers call timeout. With 16 seconds remaining and no timeouts, down two possessions, the Lakers decide to go for three and get an open look for Ariza who rims it, a 30-footer from Kobe who hits the heel, a 24-foot fade away from Fish who nearly banks it in, and a lay in by Kobe with essentially no time on the clock. Magic get their first victory in the Finals in seven tries and make it a series, two games to one.

If things didn’t go the Magic’s way in Game 2, it was the Lakers who simply could not make the plays needed to down the stretch to earn a victory in Game 3.

I am proud of our guys. Despite the poor defense and unconscious shooting by the Magic (even I didn’t think they’d shoot that well), we still had a chance there at the end.

I can’t imagine the Magic shooting over 60% again in the series, and if it wasn’t for Kobe shooting 3-14 in the second half and the Lakers missing 10 free throws — Kobe only hit 5-10 from the foul line (mind you this is the same guy who was 153-171, 89.4%, going into last night’s game and earlier in the year hit all 20 free throws when he dropped 61 on the Knicks) — the Lakers would be on the verge of a sweep. Then again, Magic fans will point to a couple of missed lay ups by Courtney Lee in Game 2 and claim they should be the ones up 2-1. It’s tough to play the ‘what if’ game when it comes to the playoffs. Instead, you have to deal with the right now, and right now the Magic believe they can win this series, which is why the next game is so critical.

Both teams are confident going into Game 4, and it is difficult to say who the pressure is on. Normally, you would say the home team down 2-1 has all the pressure. However, it is the Lakers who would consider this season a complete failure if they don’t win it all, while the Magic would have to be satisfied just to have made the Finals, seeing that their franchise player is only 23 years of age.

Having said that, this Laker team has come a long way since last season’s crushing defeat and I think we will find a way to defend Dwight and the shooters, as well as contain the Hedo and Dwight pick and roll. Defense won the first two games and I see no reason to think we can’t play well in Game 4.

Look for us to get after it on defense as we try to force the Magic into more turnovers. Kobe and Phil Jackson will not allow this team to lose another close game. There are far too many veterans on this team to allow that to happen again.

The Lakers will be victorious in Game 4 and Kobe will have to introduce Dwight to yet another poster.

Quick Prediction for Game 3

My prediction for Game 3 is that the Orlando Magic will come out firing on all cylinders tonight and take a big lead early on. The Lakers will claw their way back in a gutsy second half performance, but come up just short in the end.

We could pull out a victory if we 1) make the comeback early enough, or 2) don’t let the first half lead get to big. I see it finishing close either way.

We will continue to double hard on Dwight Howard, but the Magic’s shooters will be on tonight. That means Rafer Alston, JJ Redick, Mickael Pietrus, Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis, Courtney Lee, and Jameer Nelson will all be hitting their threes, because we will give them good looks all night in an effort to keep Superman contained.

The measuring stick will be 13 threes. If the Magic go over = Magic win. They fall under = Lakers win.

Not to worry though. As much as we all want tonight’s game, this Magic team is too resilient to fold and get swept. Plus, I said it was going 7, so…

(One last thing. If Kobe goes off, which we all know he can, then everything gets thrown out the window. If he goes for 40 on a decent shooting percentage, Lakers win by eight and end the series, for all intensive purposes.)

NBA Finals: Purple and Gold Nuggets

Defense

• We have held the Magic under 25 points in seven of eight quarters, including a stretch where we held them under 20 points in four straight quarters (the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters of Game 1, and the 1st quarter of Game 2).
• We have held our opponent to only two fast break points. I knew that this would be a key to the Lakers having any chance of beating the Magic. If you remember, I warned the Lakers about the Magic’s use of transition threes. We are doing a  great job getting back on defense and when we turn the ball over, we are finding guys and matching up immediately.
• The Magic are shooting only 56-156 (36%) from the field through two games and are only 18-53 (34%) from three.
• Dwight Howard is only 6-16 from the field (38%) in the first two games; he was shooting 62% in the playoffs prior to the Finals. We have also forced him into nine turnovers so far.

Offense

• Effiecient offense beats the Magic and we have now shot 46% from the field as a team in each of the first two games. We also have a team assist to turnover ratio of 38-20 (nine turnovers in Game 1 and 12 turnovers in Game 2).
• As a team, we have hit 39 of our first 46 free throws — 85%.
• Kobe Bryant is averaging 34.5 ppg and 8 apg, while hitting 26 of 56 (46%) from the field; Pau Gasol is averaging 20 ppg and 3 apg on 54% shooting; Lamar Odom is averaging 15 ppg and has hit 13 of 20 from the field.

Could be trouble

• A troubling sight was Lamar Odom, who missed a number of defensive assignments in the second quarter of Game 2, simply leaving Rashard Lewis alone at least three or four times for wide open threes — the quarter in which he went off for 18 points. The effort was much better in the second half, although he still managed 14 points, but at least most of those shots were contested. Hopefully this was a fluke and Lamar will be able to stay focused on D the rest of the way.
• Orlando had 10 assists in Game 1, lost by 25; in Game 2 they had 22 assists and only lost by five in overtime. They moved the ball around much better and it resulted in better looks. Our defense is predicated on overloading one side, and focusing on Dwight Howard. Really, the only reason the Magic did not win Game 2 is because they also turned it over 20 times (only eight in Game 1). If they can find a way to move the ball without turning it over, they will get our guys chasing and rotating, making it much more likely they will find guys wide open on the perimiter, something Orlando is begging for with all of their shooters.
• Orlando seems to have found a way to exploit our defense. Rashard and Hedo Turkoglu had an excellent Game 2 as the Lakers swarmed Dwight with constant double teams. If the rest of the Magic’s shooters (Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson) can find their shots at home, it will be tough to defeat them at Amway Arena. The good news, Hedo plays much better on the road, Rafer could not be more dejected by his lack of playing time, Lee is still a rookie, Pietrus and J.J. are inconsistent, and who really knows what to expect from Jameer. Regardless, Lakers defense will be put to the test like it never has before in this postseason for three games in Orlando.

Lakers Defense Will Win a Championship

If I told you Orlando’s big three outplayed the Lakers big three in STAPLES Center in Game 2, 1) you probably wouldn’t believe me, and 2) you probably figured the Magic pulled out a ‘W’. Right?

Not exactly. 99 percent of the time you would be right. Yet, the Lakers escaped. We all saw it. We all know it. More importantly, we are all okay with it.

Everyone is talking about how the game was there for the taking for the Magic, and I agree, it was. However, give the Lakers credit for taking the win by force. Give the Lakers credit for playing great defense in seven out of eight quarters, so far. Give the Lakers credit for making their own breaks (forcing 20 turnovers in a pivotal Game 2 victory) and making more plays, which helped win a game we probably should have lost.

How did we survive a game in which we were out-rebounded by nine, gave up 10 offensive rebounds to our four, and were outscored at the 3-point line by 15?

Not to mention Dwight Howard did something only Hakeem Olajuwon has ever done in the playoffs — got at least 15 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, and 3 blk in a single game (17/16/4, and 4 stl, 4 blk to be exact).

Oh yea, and Rashard Lewis lived up to his $119M contract with a career playoff high, seven assists, to go along with 34 pts (including 18 of the teams 20 in the second quarter), 11 reb, and 6 threes.

Hedo Turkoglu finally found his form going for 22 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 threes, and surprisingly good defense on Kobe Bryant to end the game, forcing him into a number of tough shots and turnovers (Kobe had seven for the game).

It seemed like everything was going against us.

The Magic’s big three gave it their all, accounting for 83 pts, 33 reb, 15 ast, 5 stl, and 5 blk. They were 25-48 from the field, and 9-18 from the 3-pt line. The Lakers big three, in comparison, amassed 72 pts, 22 reb, 13 ast, 5 stl, and 4 blk. They shot 25-45 from the field and were only 1-4 from the 3-pt line.

Something that may have gone unnoticed, however, was the Lakers trio got more help from their role players. The help came in the form of Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza who both contributed two threes and three steals a piece, while the Magic got six fouls from Mickael Pietrus and a 1-6 from three shooting night from J.J. Redick, who played a surprising 27 minutes, most of which were in crunch time.

The rookie Courtney Lee then decided to pitch in and help out a Lakers victory with a couple plays that I know Magic fans, and Lee, will be replaying over and over again.

However, the final 10 seconds is not what determined the game. Would you like to know where the game was really won? The damage was done way before that. I give you the most telling stat of all:  28-11. That is the number of points the Lakers scored off of Magic turnovers compared to what the Magic did. The only way to do that is to make things happen, as I said before. This is done with aggressive defense, and the Lakers did just that getting 12 steals that helped keep the Magic back on their heels all night long and ended up being the difference in a close game.

Not only did the Magic fail to convert the big plays (Lee’s missed runner with 10 seconds to go and then obviously the alley-oop with 0.6 seconds on the clock), but they also gave up the ball way too many times (20-12 turnovers, including seven by Superman). That cannot happen on the road, especially in the Finals.

Now, they did prove to the Lakers, the media, and the fans of both squads, that they can compete and will certainly not go down without a fight. The Magic are a better team at home and you would imagine they will rush fewer shots and hit a greater percentage of them.

If the Lakers are going to win any games in Orlando, they need to sustain their energy on defense (meaning continue to force turnovers), keep the Magic on their toes (we got Dwight in early foul trouble in Game 1 and fouled Pietrus out of Game 2, which directly affected Stan Van Gundy’s rotation, to the point he did not even play any of his three quality point guards for most of the end of that game), and hope Lamar Odom continues his stealer play (15 ppg, 11 rpg, 2 spg, 1 bpg, on 65% from the field).

In order to win a ring, sometimes you need a few breaks. An important loose ball rolls your way; an opponents’ shot rattles in and out; a guy on the other team blows a couple lay ups to end the game (sorry Courtney). In the case of the Orlando Magic, sometimes these things happen to you all at once, like in Game 2.

Just remember, it’s not how you win the games, but how many. Win by 25, or squeak out a five point victory in OT. It does not matter. The only thing that matters is that if the Lakers win two more games, no one will care whether we escaped a game or not.

Enjoy these times while you can Laker fans. There is nothing like watching your team round into a champion.

I do not want you to think that I am saying the job is already done (Kobe in his post-game interview certainly didn’t think so), I’m just saying we are on the verge of doing something great!

Laker Pride!