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!

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!

Fear Not, Lamar Odom Will Remain a Laker

Part II of the five part series, Busy Off-Season. I will now delve into the obstacles teams will have in trying to sign Lamar Odom away from the Lakers.

Lamar Odom might be the most unique player in the league. Certainly one of the most versatile players — known as the Human Swiss Army Knife.  Standing 6′10, long arms, great handle, strong, smooth, and athletic. Able to rebound, lead the fast break and either finish or dish with the best of them. He can also step out and knock down a three. He can defend everyone on the floor, from Dwight Howard to switching out on little Aaron Brooks.

He also has his flaws. With so much talent, it is well documented that he rarely uses everything at his disposal and is wildly inconsistent. He has always been an enigma. The guy could average 25/10/5 every night and still defend the opponents best low post player. He showed his versatility in the Finals by keeping up with Rashard Lewis. Instead, he is closer to a 13/10/3 guy, which is still good, but no where near his potential.

At nearly 30 years of age, he is in the prime of his career. He proved that he is a guy that thrives when the pressure is off his shoulders. He is at the point where he can accept a lessor role — even sixth man — and be a major part of a championship team. However, I think it is clearly time to throw out the term ‘potential’ and realize he is what he is.

Is it a coincidence that it all came together during his last year of his contract? Perhaps. He still averaged 18/11 versus the Jazz who clearly had no answer for him and came through with another solid performance versus the Magic in the Finals, posting 13/8 to go along with one steal and one block per game. He also held Rashard in check for all but one game. He really made a difference in Game 2 (19 pts on eight of nine from the field, 3 blk and 1 stl) and in the series clincher (17 pts, 10 reb, including three huge threes where he finished the playoffs 18-35 overall from the three point line, 51%).

So, the question becomes, what will he command in the off-season, or is he sincere when he says he is willing to accept less to stay with his favorite team?

I think it is much more simpler than that; I just don’t think there is anyone out there who can off him a contract he can’t refuse.

The only teams with significant cap space this summer are Detroit (approximately $24m), Memphis ($24m), and Oklahoma City ($16m). Atlanta has $17m, but will most likely use it on restricted free agent Marvin Williams, and they still have to figure out what to do with Mike Bibby. Toronto would have $14m, but it sounds like they want to keep Shawn Marion. Then there are about four teams who will all have around $7-$8m in cap space (Portland, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Jersey), but I think teams will need at least need to offer $10m/yr to have a chance at Lamar. Besides, most teams are looking to shed money, not take on big contracts.

Detroit is probably the biggest threat and Lamar could replace the inside/outside presence that Rasheed Wallace gave them. But to me, if they are willing to throw $10m or more at him, they may as well go after All Star Carlos Boozer.

You also have to factor in that there are other big time free agents (other than Boozer) who will eat up most of the open cap space teams have. The list includes Hedo Turkoglu, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Marion, Rasheed, Jason Kidd, Ben Gordon, Andre Miller, and Mike Bibby.

Then you have to consider every team is obviously saving up for the 2010 free agent market, which will include LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Amare Stoudemire.

A sign and trade for Lamar would have it’s problems. Do the Lakers really want to give him to a team, so that he can become a match up nightmare for us? And, if we are willing to sign him and take back another contract, is there anyone out there that would give us more value than Lamar? Maybe a Shane Battier (excellent defender and spot up shooter) or Mike Miller (shooter and creator) would have their fit, but who knows. This team, with Lamar, won it all.

If the Lakers are going to sign him, what would be a reasonable contract? In order to answer that question, I compiled a list of players who got contracts at a similar age (28-32) in the past seven years to see where Lamar might fall.

• Tim Thomas — 4 yrs $24m, signed in ‘06 at age 29 (16.7 PER in 20 playoff games in ‘06)
• Antonio Daniels — 5 yrs $30m, signed in ‘05 at age 30 (18 PER in ‘05)
• James Posey – 4 yrs $25m, signed in ‘08 at age 31 (14.2 PER in 26 playoff games in ‘08)
• Mark Blount — 6 yrs $38.5m, signed in ‘04 at age 28 (16 PER in ‘04)
• Marcus Camby — 6 yrs $57m, signed in ‘04 at age 30 (17.8 PER in ‘04)
• Corey Maggette — 5 yrs $50m, signed in ‘08 at age 28 (19.3 PER ‘08)
• Steve Nash — 6 yrs $66m, signed in ‘04 at age 30 (20.5 PER in ‘04)
• Antawn Jamison — 4 yrs $50m, signed in ‘08 at age 32 (20.3 PER in ‘08)
• Peja Stojakovic — 5 yrs $64m, signed in ‘06 at age 29 (16.7 PER in ‘06)
• Baron Davis — 5 yrs $65m, signed in ‘08 at age 29 (19.8 PER in ‘08)
• Ben Wallace — 4 yrs $60m, signed in ‘06 at age 31 (17.5 PER in ‘06)
• Vince Carter — 5 yrs $78m, signed in ‘07 at age 30 (21.8 PER in ‘07)
• Elton Brand — 5 yrs $79.8m, signed in ‘08 at age 29 (17.8 PER in 8 games in ‘08)
• Tim Duncan — 2 yrs $40m, signed in ‘07 at age 31 (26.1 PER in ‘07)

As you can see, it is not that uncommon for players around the age of 30 to get lengthy contracts. Factors are of course the economy, the amount of cap space teams have, and how willing those teams are to outbid one another. Only three or four guys get paid the big bucks each year, and I see only one or two getting it this off-season.

As for Lamar, I look to see an increase in production from the regular season to the playoffs and he has been one of the few to actually increase his production in two of the past four playoff appearances he’s had with the Lakers. He  increased his regular season PER from 16.1 to 20.7 in the 2007 playoffs. This year, he had a 16.6 PER during the regular season and 18 PER in 23 playoff games.

Based off of Lamar’s production and age, I would have to say he probably falls somewhere between Peja and and Camby. Does that mean he gets a 4 year $45m contract? No. Times have changed and even NBA owners are feeling the heat of the economy. As such, Lamar won’t see that much green.

My best guess is that the Lakers can get him for somewhere in the range of $7-$8m per year and hopefully keep it to a shorter contract, maybe three to four years. I envision the two sides settling on a four year, $29m contract, with maybe a player option in the fourth year.

A team would have to be willing to offer him $10m+ to have a chance at prying him away, and at that price, teams will then have to decide whether Lamar is a clear cut number two option. While he showed more consistency this year, but that was off the bench and he had the luxury of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol carrying the brunt of the work, and the responsibility. Clearly, he is the perfect number three man where you do not need to rely on his scoring every night, but a number two scoring option? I don’t think so.

I believe, when it is all said and done, there won’t be anyone out there willing to overpay for a guy who might become your third option…which is a victory for the Lakers. They will end up re-signing Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom to reasonable contracts and will be huge favorites to repeat going into next season.

Stay tuned for my next article as I discuss the importance of re-signing Shannon Brown, who finished strong and showed enough potential to really be an asset for this team in the years to come.

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.

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.

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!

Master of Zen vs Master of Panic

Phil Jackson is known for his calm, under control during pressure style, while Stan Van Gundy has been highly criticized for his crazy outbursts and overreactions to just about everything the team does, big or small.

The match ups will be huge in this series. You knew I was going to comment on them at some point in time.

• Andrew Bynum has the size to stay with Dwight Howard and keep him as far away from the rim as possible. If he stays out of foul trouble, he also has the talent to keep Superman preoccupied and maybe use up some of his energy trying to defend our young big. More important, keeping him occupied should stop him from roaming and creating havoc. Fouls will certainly be a problem for both big men.

• Pau Gasol will find it tough defending Rashard Lewis’ potent inside/outside game. Lamar Odom is a much better match up — he has the quickness to stay with him on the outside and the size to keep him off the block. Odom can also post Lewis up, take him off the dribble, and should be a beast on the offensive boards since Rashard isn’t a strong rebounder (6.1 rpg in the playoffs). The same can be said of Gasol on the offensive end.

• Hedo Turkoglu will probably be responsible to help off of Trevor Ariza on defense, which means the same open looks he’s been getting will still be there for him and he better continue to take advantage — he has hit 30 of his 60 three point attempts, so far. The key to Orlando’s offense, especially in the fourth quarter, is Hedo. They have made it this far without him shooting very well (he’s only hit 41% of his shots from the field in the playoffs). He is much more than just a stand still shooter; he is vital to their cause as he sets the table for everyone and is their only creator, ever since Jameer Nelson got injured. However, he is no Carmelo Anthony and I see Ariza’s size, athleticism, and length causing him lots of problems. He will continue to get steals (Hedo is turning it over 2.6 times a game, while Ariza is averaging 1.5 spg) and should be long enough to challenge  the 6′10 Hedo’s every shot.

• Kobe Bryant will be the roamer on D again. He will force the rookie, Courtney Lee, to make shots, hoping the bright lights and playing versus Kobe will be too much for the young guy to handle, although he has performed very well so far (8.8 ppg on 45% shooting). I have seen a lot of Lee this year and I really like his game. He can do a multitude of things well like stroke the three, work his mid-range game, get inside the paint, and plays solid defense. Still, he is a rookie and it is Kobe. Now, helping off of Mickael Pietrus might be a bad idea, especially the corners (he is shooting 39% from three, including 17-36 threes vs Cleveland). He has scored in double figures off the bench in eight straight games, 12 of the 19 games so far, and Orlando has an 8-4 record when he does. He single handedly outscored the entire Cleveland bench last series, so watch out. He did well against LeBron (don’t let the 40 a night he was dropping on him fool you, it could have just as easily been 50 a night), but I think Kobe is a much touger guard and Pietrus has always been foul prone (3.67 fpg vs LeBron). That means Kobe needs to be very aggressive challenging both the rookie and Pietrus.

• Thank goodness Jameer Nelson is out! He killed us during the regular season — 27.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5 rpg on 59% from the field and hit 7-12 from three — and is the type of small, quick, penetrate and dish kind of point guard who kills us year in and year out. While Rafer Alston was a great pick up when Nelson went down and has played solid during the postseason so far, he is far too eratic to be relied upon (38% shooting overall in the playoffs; 39% from three vs Phili, 28% vs Boston, and 38% vs Cleveland). Speaking of unreliable, I know I’m not the only one who is still waiting for Derek Fisher to turn things around. He has been to the Finals and is a career 41% three point shooter during the playoffs. Before everyone calls for Shannon Brown to start over him, ask yourself:  Would you rather start a guy who has played 24,684 minutes or 919 career minutes? While Fish might not be the opening day starter next year, he will start and should continue to get most of the point guard 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. Brown is effective, but only because he plays in spurts. I trust the Zen Master to be doing everything he can to pull as much as he can out of his three-headed PG monster. They all bring something different and it’s got us this far. I figure the Magic will be helping off of Fish all series long and he needs to punish them for it. Pau Gasol and Kobe will get him tons of open jumpers every game and he can’t keep shooting as poor as he has (when he hits a game winner, you will all be marvelling at my genius).

• The benches will be important. Orlando uses an eight-man rotation with Anthony Johnson, Pietrus, and Marcin Gortat coming off the bench. Gortat brings size, energy, and toughness and does a great job in only 11.4 mpg. After last series, everyone knows about their best kept secret, Pietrus. Johnson is a solid vet who ocassionally hits threes, does nothing fancy, but is still effective. Our bench is all flash…and hopefully some substance. I always say I care less about them hitting shots (although it does help when Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic can actually hit a shot and stretch the court like they are supposed to, which will in turn increase their intensity on defense), but better to just play aggressive and up tempo because there is no way old man Johnson can stay with Jordan. Also, when the second unit gets the ball in to Gasol, who usually plays heavy minutes with the second unit, their life becomes so much easier. Not to mention, Lamar, the X-factor, who paces the bench with his all around play.

I feel the guys will come out focused tonight and set the ton for the series. Both teams provide match up problems, it will be the coach who makes the best adjustments that will come out on top. I like our chances with PJ at the helm.

Time to Step Up, Lamar Odom

I know this term gets thrown around a lot, but I figured what the heck.

Lamar Odom is the X-Factor.

Role players are so vital to the cause. As such, I wanted to rank the importance of our role players, the guys that will have the largest impact on the outcome of the Finals.

1. Lamar Odom – Mr. Versatile.
2. Trevor Ariza – Creates havoc on D.
3. Andrew Bynum – Can’t teach size, something we will need versus Dwight Howard.
4. Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar/Shannon Brown – The 3-headed monster, with each guy bringing something different:  Heart, speed, and hunger.
5. Sasha Vujacic/Luke Walton – One solid game from each could be the difference in any one game.

Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain had Happy Hairston; Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had Michael Cooper; Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had Robert Horry; Kobe and Pau Gasol…well, I think most of us are hoping that 10 years from now, we can look back on this season and say those two were able to win it all because of Lamar Odom.

His performance in Games 5 and 6 versus Denver last series was insipring. The numbers might suggest that we do not need him to win (averaged only 8/9 vs the Rockets), but I would argue his good play goes beyond simply making things easier for us; he is what will push us over the top versus the Magic.

Everyone will focus on the points he scored (19 and 20), but it was his high activity level that resulted in those points and led him to be a force on defense (four blocks in Game 5). I think he also took it personal, the rebounding pounding we took in Game 4. He grabbed 14 and eight rebounds in Games 5 and 6 off the bench, helping us cut the rebounding difference from -18 in Game 4 to -1 in Game 5 and +11 in Game 6.

I thought Phil Jackson said it best in an interview during Game 5 when he said that Lamar is so versatile and can affect the game in so many ways that he needs to be active and stay out of foul trouble, so that he can have a positive effect on games, like he did to end the series. We all know, if he plays like he can, we are unstoppable. He is a nightmare match up for anyone, but can be especially tough for Rashard Lewis. LO can defend him out to the 3-point line and will not get beat by him in the post. Plus, Odom has a huge rebounding advantage and if he stays aggressive on offense, maybe he can tire Rashard out a little, so those threes in the fourth quarter will be tougher to knock down.

I know he struggled in the two games versus the Magic during the regular season (the game in Orlando he was awful as he went 1-7 from the field with four points and six fouls; the game in LA was better as he put up 17/9/3 and only had two fouls), but, to me, if there ever was a series for him to take over, this was it. The nice thing about him coming off the bench, is that you do not need him to dominate every single game. If he can pull out two or three top performances, which we all know he can easily do – say 15/10 with great defense — we won’t lose.

Lamar Odom

1st Rd 17.8 ppg 11.0 rpg

2nd Rd 8.3 ppg 8.9 rpg

3rd Rd 11.5 ppg 9.0 rpg

• In the first four games vs the Nuggets, he only averaged 7.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg; in the last two wins, he averaged 19.5 ppg and 11 rpg.
• We are 4-1 in the playoffs when he has a double-double.
• We are 8-2 when he scores in double figures.
• This league is about making shots:  In wins, he is shooting 55% from the field, 57% from three, and 65% from the foul line; in losses, he is only shooting 45% from the field, 33% from three, and 44% from the foul line.
• The biggest factor for Lamar:  He is averaging only 2.3 fouls in wins; 4.3 fouls in losses. He needs to be on the floor to be effective.
• As a side note, he played very well versus the Celtics in the Finals last year, averaging 13.5 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg, 1 bpg, on 52% from the field.

I expect big things from The Candy Man (and I don’t mean Michael Olowokandi).

Is There Something Magic in the Air

People have been doubting the Orlando Magic all season long. Believe me, I’m currently living out here and have heard it all.

Quite the opposite with the Lakers who have been favorites ever since they got blown out at the end of last year.

My fiance, Noelle, came to me before Game 1 of the Orlando/Cleveland series and told me she was sick of LeBron James. It’s LeBron this and LeBron that. All you ever hear these days is how great LeBron is. The media and the league have taken promoting LeBron way too far. ESPN finally got in line with what I have been feeling the past few days, which is it’s one thing to debate Kobe Bryant and LeBron; it’s a whole other thing to start talking him up as the best ever.

Sure he won MVP (something that was handed to him before the season started), and he took a horrible team to the Finals only to get swept by the Spurs. He is currently on the verge of not even making it to the Finals this year. I think we need to hold off on the G.O.A.T. accolades before he actually does something. Let him win a championship first. Better yet, let him finish his career before we start ranking him on the all-time list. Remember Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway got off to amazing starts as well, only to see their careers derailed by injury. You just never know.

But, I digress.

So, not only was my fiance sick of LeBron, she was also excited to see a Lakers/Magic Finals. Now, I knew Orlando would give the Cavs a lot more trouble than anyone — with the exception of Noelle and Charles Barkley — was giving them credit for, but to say that I saw them going up 3-1 or even moving on, I cannot admit that much.

Now that we are on our way to the Finals, I think it’s time to do two things: 1) Acknowledge my fiance’s foresight, and 2) warn the Lakers.

The Magic are a scary bunch and match up very well with our Lakers, even better than the Cavs. You hear it all the time that this league is all about match ups, which is why the Lakers were desperate for a tough power forward during the Shaquille O’Neal days to match up with the Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki’s of the West; the same reason Pau Gasol was brought in; and the reason why I worry a little about the Orlando Magic.

All year long, my “Best in the NBA” series has chronicled the strength of the top five teams in the league and the Magic held up surprisingly well, especially versus the other top teams in the league, often leading the way in a number of categories.

They have the best inside/outside game thanks to the Beast, Dwight Howard, and can surround him with four shooters at all times. Strangely enough, they are a very good defensive team as well, and it starts on the inside with the Defensive Player of the Year.

They have the size to match our bigs, although I think if Andrew Bynum can stay out of foul trouble that would put Rashard Lewis on Pau who can then go to work. I also realize that Lewis can then turn it around on Pau, just like he has been doing against Anderson Varejao and like he did versus Glenn “Big Baby” Davis.

I did want to acknowledge the Orlando Magic fans, who I have been very impressed with. They actually came to work with jerseys and people were talking about their team in the hallways. The local media — both TV and papers — have been all over the action. They even had a “Support the Magic” day at work and of course you know I wore my Lakers shirt. A guy stopped me in the hall and asked ‘why you wearing that shirt.’ I just smiled and told him I bleed purple and gold. Then I cut him off in the parking lot! Still, who knew Orlando could get into sports like this.

Keys to Beating the Magic

Efficient Offense — Run the offense, keep turnovers low, knock down shots. When the offense is running smooth, we can get back on defense. Against Orlando, misses and turnovers will lead to wide open threes in transition.

Focus on Defense – We know who we are, and a strong defensive team we are not. That does not mean that we cannot win games with our defense. The last two wins versus the Nuggets, we managed to play active, aggressive defense and force the Nuggets through stretches of poor shooting, which allowed us to go on big runs. However, playing great defense for 23 seconds and missing an assignment will lead to open threes for Orlando. Consistent D all game long is necessary or you will fall pray to their 3-point barrages.

3-Point Shooting – While we lost our best shooter, Vladimir Radmanovic, early on, the rest of our shooters have been struggling. Sasha Vujacic is in a huge slump and is only a fraction of The Machine we saw light it up last post-season, Derek Fisher’s shot has fallen off the deep end, and I am still not sure if Trevor Ariza’s hot shooting will continue. Meanwhile, the Magic have four shooters in the starting lineup to go along with a number of guys coming off the bench. They were the second best 3-point shooting team during the regular season, hitting 9.7 per game, while we were middle of the pack (14th) during the regular season with 6.8 makes per game. We still continually get beat by the 3-ball and ranked 20th in the league (7 per game) and the Magic only gave up 5.5 per game (second). While we won’t outscore them from the 3-point line, we can certainly keep a hand in their face and make things difficult.

I still cannot imagine the Magic winning a championship and although they swept us during the regular season, I think we have the advantage in three areas: 1) Phil Jackson and Kobe, 2) Jameer Nelson, the Laker Killer, is out, and 3) offensive rebounding. Dwight might be the best rebounder, but Pau and Lamar Odom can go to work on the offensive glass and abuse Rashard.

It will be a fun game tonight and Laker fans will be scouting out the next opponent.