Archive for July, 2011

If the lockout threatens the regular season then you can count Ron Artest as another stateside baller looking to play professionally in Europe. In fact, if it comes to that juncture and Ron Ron makes the trip across the pond then he won’t be playing as Artest he’ll officially be Metta World Peace. David Bauman, Ron’s agent, has been busy debunking myths of where exactly his client plans on playing. First it was an internet rumor reporting Artest would be playing in Finland of all places. Most recently he had to do a little damage control as his client expressed [...]

Vitals Age: 26 NBA Experience: 2 years Contract Status: Free Agent 2010-11 Averages: 4.2ppg, 1.3apg, 36% FG, 33% 3PT, 90% FT Umm…yeah…so the Lakers lost Devin Ebanks to injury, they needed a new body to fill a roster spot so…bam! Heeeeerrrrrrrrresssssss’s Trey Johnson. The only thing more shocking than the Lakers’ exit from the playoffs was Johnson’s entrance in said playoffs. Trey was one of the first men off the bench for Phil Jackson in the opening game of the 2011 playoffs. Otherwise there wasn’t too much to talk about with regards to Johnson’s brief stint as a Laker.

The game of basketball can be a cruel sport. Three years ago Kurt Rambis was in cruise control. He was a valued assistant on a championship caliber club and was assumed by many to be the heir apparent to Phil Jackson. Not one to sit and wait for his ship to come in, Rambis left the Lakers to become a head coach in Minnesota. At the time, Rambis’ departure seemed premature. As it turns out he had seen the writing on the wall. Kurt must have known there was no way he’d ever inherit PJ’s throne. Jim Buss has made [...]

On the surface it might seem like a mistake to pass up a $2.37-million check on the eve of the lockout. That’s not exactly what Shannon Brown did but by opting out of his contract he added unemployment concerns on top of labor issues. Despite the reality of the situation Brown made the best decision possible. From a personal standpoint Shannon had to do what is best for him. The Lakers absolutely need Brown going forward. His athletic ability is unquestioned and his game has progressed nicely while in Los Angeles. The problem is that with a new coaching staff [...]

Vitals Age: 35 NBA Experience: 16 years Contract Status: Free Agent 2010-11 Averages: .5ppg, 1.3rpg, 18% FG While Joe Smith didn’t add much to the Lakers this season he was a big part of addition by subtraction. Smith came over in the much celebrated trade of Sasha Vujacic to the Nets. Mitch Kupchak was able to unload a contract for which he saw no return on. But that is an entirely different subject. Smith was practically invisible as a Laker. The former number one pick in the ’95 draft appeared in just 12 games for Los Angeles. Hoping to add [...]

The baller formerly known as Ron Artest continues to make headlines. That is never going to change. Whether it’s a name change or a comedy tour Ron Ron is constantly finding ways to remain relevant. Bill Plaschke took in Ron’s comedic debut and penned a piece in today’s times where he questioned the commitment of basketball’s most unique personality. As usual Plaschke’s article is well written and very insightful, definitely a must-read for all Laker fans. Of all the things Ron had to say the most interesting was his take on why Brian Shaw didn’t inherit Phil Jackson’s throne. “I [...]

Age: 23 NBA Experience: 1 year Contract Status: Signed thru 2011-12 2010-11 Averages: 1.9ppg, 1.0rpg, 48% FG, 73% FT Once one of basketball’s most promising prodigies, Derrick Caracter has experienced plenty of bumps in the road yet somehow has still reached the NBA.  There are those moments of brilliance when his natural abilities make him seem like a steal as a late second round pick. Moments like the time he owned highly touted rookie DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings. Then are those moments that make you realize why he never reached his full potential and was all but asked [...]

The NBA lockout is still in its early stages but even Clayton Bigsby can see this one is going to be much different than the NFL’s version. Pro football players have limited options as football is a limited game from a global perspective. North America is pretty much the lone section of the globe where one can make a living playing the sport. With basketball, however, that is not at all the case. The world is quietly falling in love with hoops and there is no shortage of countries that have their own professional leagues. From here in The States [...]

Vitals Age: 21 NBA Experience: 1 year Contract Status: Signed thru 2011-12 2010-11 Averages: 3.1ppg, 1.3rpg, .2spg, 41% FG, 40% 3PT, 78% FT Life as an NBA rookie is never easy. Life as an NBA rookie under Phil Jackson is usually miserable. PJ is known for his disdain of hoops youth. Naturally Devin Ebanks had few opportunities to show his stuff during his first season of pro hoops, appearing in just 20 games. Many have compared Ebanks to former Laker Trevor Ariza. Aside from the similar body types and the fact they both donned #3 for the Purple and Gold [...]

Not exactly breaking news as this was reported some time go but the Lakers made it official today by announcing Ettore Messina will be joining the team as a consultant. Most likely Messina will be advising Mike Brown on the offensive end of the floor. While Messina has no NBA experience he brings an extensive resume over from Europe. The Catania native has coached some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Real Madrid and CSKA Moscow where he won two Euroleague titles. Messina has a previous relationship with Coach Brown as the two became acquainted some years ago when Brown would [...]