Archive for December, 2009

Averaging 34.5 points per game and going 4-0 on the road makes for a good week.  It comes as no surprise that Bryant was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.  Some highlights: 51% shooting percentage for the week 28 points / 5 steals / 4 assists  against Detroit on on 12/20 29 points / 10 rebounds / 5 assists against the Nets on 12/19 39 points / 7 rebounds / 4 assists against the Bucks on 12/16 42 points on 58% shooting against the Bulls on 12/15 Buzzer beater vs. the Bucks in OT on 12/16

“The Lakers have had an easy schedule.”  “The Lakers haven’t been tested.”  “The Lakers played 17 of their first 21 at home and they’ll falter when they finally hit the road.” If you read Lakers blogs (and you do- you are right now), you’ve probably seen some or all of the above comments.  During the regular season, things like power rankings are all we have to subjectively rank the best teams against one another.  Without a 7-game series to really measure teams with each other, everything else is merely speculation.  That said, I think the quotes above warrant at least [...]

Let’s be honest. Kobe Bryant is on another level. Someplace that gives most people nosebleeds due to the height alone. Wednesday night in Milwaukee he showed exactly why you can’t leave the door open when the best closer on the planet…maybe ever…is in the building. On the third stop on the road, the second of a back-to-back, when you want you get a good night of sleep before the next flight, Lake Show had to make a late run just to force OT. Fast forward to a four point game with just over a minute to play in overtime, 106-102 Bucks. Let’s [...]

After kicking the road trip off with a poor showing in Utah, the Lakers were already missing their home cooking. Chicago is only the second stop on the first major road swing of the year and it started off like a must-win. Kobe sent an MJ-esque message to everyone in the United Center by hanging 20 of his game high 42 in the first 12. KB24 took one step closer to Jordan in the record books, albeit Bryant still has some ground to cover in order to catch Jumpman23 in career 40-point games. Don’t let the 96-87 final score fool you. [...]

NBA.com writer Vince Thomas took some time to deliberate the “Team of the Decade” as the 2000-2009 span comes to a close. And what do you know, it’s the Lake Show! (not rhymed on purpose, I swear) In his analysis, Vince correctly notes that the Lakers owned San Antonio during the decade when it comes to playoff games (Lakers were 20-6 against the Spurs in the 2000s).  The Lakers also took the advantage when it came to “Marquee Players,” “Fascination Factor,” and “Best Team” (Vince says the 2001 Laker team with Kobe and Shaq was the team of the decade [...]

This is one Laker fan who believes that Phil Jackson’s resume is still incomplete. Until PJ beats the C’s in the finals, he’ll remain number two in my book behind Pat Riley as greatest coach to ever helm the Laker ship. The rivalry between Boston and Los Angeles was re-born in 2008 when the Celtics took the hearts from the Lakers with a 39-point massacre as a punctuation point. Before that moment, the rivalry had been as dead as Elvis. Have the Celtic faithful forgotten how bad their team was prior to the arrival of KG and Jesus Shuttlesworth? Has it escaped [...]

Not one to disappoint a national audience, Kobe Bryant made sure to book end the ESPN coverage of the Lakers on Friday night. KB24 ended the first half with an off-balance, between two defenders, falling away jumper that banked off the glass and found the bottom of the net. Black Mamba’s improbable shot gave the Lake Show a three point lead over the Miami Heat. D-Wyade dropped two nasty dunks to get on the score sheet before the 15-minute break. But it would be Kobe who’d have the last laugh. After a rarely seen Lamar Odom ejection via shoving match [...]

Last night, the Lakers absolutely crushed the New Orleans Hornets.  The game wasn’t nearly as close as the final score of 110-99 shows.  Realistically, the game was a 20+ blowout when the lengthy “garbage-time” 4th quarter started. When a team with a big lead pulls their starters in the fourth quarter, most teams accept that the game’s outcome has been determined and insert some bench guys to get some playing time.  Last night’s game was no different- both teams inserted some bench players to close out the game.  The difference, however, came in the closing few minutes. The fans understand [...]