Archive for June, 2011

Let’s not kid ourselves. We could be looking at the end of professional basketball as we know it. With mere hours remaining until the current CBA expires the 2011-12 NBA season hangs in the balance. Much like the NFL the owners are seeking to get a bigger piece of the pie at the expense of the players. Unlike the NFL there are serious solvency issues that must be addressed. The NBA has become a cash cow for players skilled enough to make a living out of playing hoops. That’s not to say that every NBA player is making bank. Most [...]

Vitals Age: 23 NBA Experience: 5 years Contract Status: Signed thru 2011-12 (Team option for 2012-13) 2010-11 Averages: 11.3ppg, 9.4rpg, 1.9bpg, 57% FG, 66% FT There might not be a bigger conundrum in all of basketball than Andrew Bynum. When you look at the NBA landscape you’ll notice that true centers are a dying breed. True centers that are more than just big stiffs are even rarer. Thus Bynum sits atop the list of most untradeable Lakers not named Kobe. His health is always a concern. His maturity might be an even larger issue. His salary seems outrageous for a [...]

If you stop by LSL often enough you already know I’m no fan of the Mike Brown hire. Nothing personal, I just don’t think he’s the right man for the task at hand. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw in his introductory press conference. Then came word that he and Kobe are actually on good terms despite Bryant’s prolonged silence. Just as I was starting to warm up to the idea of the LeBron enabler calling shots in Los Angeles news breaks that he’s brought John Kuester on board as one of his assistants. That [...]

Vitals Age: 31 NBA Experience: 11 years Contract Status: Signed thru 2011-12 (Team option for 2012-13) 2010-11 Averages: 14.3ppg, 8.6rpg, 3.0apg, 53% FG, 38% 3PT, 67% FT For Lamar Odom it was the best of times and it was the worst of times during the 2010-11 season. Known for his wildly inconsistent nature Odom was far and away the most consistent contributor for the Lakers. His efforts earned him the first individual recognition of his professional career as LO was named the NBA’s Best Sixth Man. Off the court Odom saw his star rise thanks in large part to the [...]

If there is a lockout chances are we won’t be hurting for topics to discuss so long as Ron…err…Metta World Peace is around. Another day and yet another rumor that could only be attached to Artest or World Peace…whatever! If you believe everything you read on European hoops blogs then you might assume it was a done deal that Ron Ron…damn…I mean Metta Metta was going to be playing pro ball in Finland come September. Yeah…there a couple of things very wrong with that rumor. For one, if there isn’t a lockout how exactly is that going to fly with [...]

Vitals Age: 30 NBA Experience: 9 years Contract Status: Signed thru 2013-14 2010-11 Averages: 18.7ppg, 10.2rpg, 3.3apg, 1.5bpg, 52% FG, 82% FT Welcome to superstardom, Pau Gasol! A lot comes with winning titles for the Lakers. Sure, all that fame, glory and instant celebrity are nice. But never forget with all of the Hollywood adulation come Los Angeles sized expectations. This was the year Gasol got his first real taste of what it’s like to be buried under the weight of lofty expectations. One second you’re an international celebrity, the next you’re rumored to be trade bait for Kevin Love. [...]

Barring a miraculous occurrence it seems all but certain that disaster will strike this week. Unlike the NFL there is no billion dollar pie to argue over. The NBA pie is more like a burnt pizza that has small market owners fighting over charred crumbs. Thus a lockout is the only tool owners have at their disposal to reassert themselves as beneficiaries of the business of basketball. There is no way of knowing what kind of a summer we’re in for. Given the fact that there doesn’t appear to be much urgency to try and avoid a work stoppage I’m [...]

Vitals Age: 32 NBA Experience: 14 years Contract Status: Signed thru 2013-14 2010-11 Averages: 25.3ppg, 5.1rpg, 4.7apg, 45% FG, 32% 3PT, 82% FT By Kobe standards the 2010-11 season was a failure. You won’t find any real statistical evidence to support that statement. Aside from his minutes per game dipping to the lowest they’ve been since he was a 6th man, Bryant’s stats were consistent with what we’ve come to expect from Mamba. However when it comes to Kobe anything short of winning an NBA title is considered failure. This might have been the most difficult season for Bryant to [...]

While Thursday night’s draft wasn’t much to write home about for the Lakers it does reflect the uncertain future of the backcourt. The Lakers used their first two picks in the draft to grab a couple of guards both of whom Mitch Kupchak expects to compete for roster spots. But you might be wondering, just what rosters spots are available in the backcourt? With the CBA set to expire in a week and a lockout ominously looming on the horizon, Shannon Brown has yet to exercise the player option in his contract for next season. When asked about Brown’s status [...]

After desperately trying to find ways to move into the first round of the 2011 draft the Lakers were stuck with the four second rounders they began with. Generally, second round picks are either bodies for camp or future projects. However the first two picks the Lakers made are expected to compete for roster spots. Mitch Kupchak and company kept it local by drafting a couple guys with SoCal connections but also spanned the globe for some unknown talent. Here is a breakdown of the four selections made last night in New Jersey. Darius Morris, G, Michigan (Round 2, Pick [...]