Did the Lakers Make a Mistake on Letting Trevor Ariza Go?

Hindsight is 20-20 and what my hindsight is telling me is that the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on Trevor Ariza.

As of writing, Ariza has been flourishing with the Houston Rockets. His numbers? Oh, he's been averaging over 23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, hitting 3 three-balls and getting almost 2 steals a game. By getting 14 extra minutes per game, Ariza as triples his scoring output and the three pointers he's hitting (and taking). At the rate he's going he could be an All-Star in a couple of years.

The Lakers on the other hand have found little success with Ron Artest.His numbers suggest he has yet to fins his stroke on the field (32% shooting) and on the stripe (a dismal 36%!). I think Artest is still surprised he's wearing purple and gold.

By looking at the numbers objectively, the virtual swap between the Artest and Ariza looks like a lemon for the Los Angeles Lakers.


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My Off-Season Begins

Ahhh... It feels good to be a Laker fan these days.

After losing in the NBA Finals in 2008, the Los Angeles Lakers won their franchise's 15th championship over the Orlando Magic in five games this year. (Trivia: I correctly predicted that the Lakers will win in five games) Kobe Bryant won his fourth championship ring and Nike should be updating the puppet commercials to reflect the new championship ring. Bryant also won his first NBA Finals MVP.

A few days later, the team had a cost-saving 2009 draft to facilitate the signing of Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, two players instrumental in the Lakers' 2009 championship run.

A few months from now, players would have rested and injuries to Andrew Bynum would have healed and Bryant would be getting a rejuvenating break from basketball and be ready for a back-to-back championship.

This also means that my off-season from blogging here at Big Lakers Fan has started and I'll be back for the 2009-2010 NBA regular season in a few months. (Of course, I'll be blogging about major stuff sporadically in the coming days and months).

It was a great time to be a Laker last season. Here's to a great Laker run next season! Go Lakers! :D


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Lakers Clutch in OT Game 4 Win

What a game!

If you're a Los Angeles Lakers fan, you would've had two cardiac arrests by the time the final buzzer sounded. Add Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals to the library of clutch Lakers playoff performances.

The game started with the Magic dominating both ends of the court-- Dwight Howard was feasting on weak inside play from the Lakers bigs, and the Magic was executing the offense crisply. The Lakers didn't do themselves a favor by getting into foul trouble early on and scoring a paltry total of 14 points in the second quarter.

But things started to look up after the halftime break.

Trevor Ariza, known more for his defensive lock-down skills, exploded for 13 points in the third quarter and scored 9 straight in a 2-minute stretch that sliced the Orlando lead to one point. The tide turned like an upheaval for the Lakers as they outscored the Magic 30-14 in the third and came into the fourth quarter leading by a slim margin.

The fourth quarter was like a boxing match between two heavy weights slugging it out-- I was waiting for that big uppercut that will put the other one away. It looked like the Magic was able to deliver the killer blows with a three-ball and a short from Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic were up by 5 with a minute and a half left and the Lakers looked like their 2-1 lead would be evened after the game.

But fate, like the Los Angeles Lakers, had a different idea: Kobe Bryant passed to Pau Gasol a minute later to cut the lead to three points. The Magic had a chance to seal the door shut when their superstar Dwight Howard was fouled had two free throws. On both occasions, he missed. (I can feel the collective memories of the Orlando Magic fans hark back 14 years ago when Nick Anderson missed four free throws that could have won them the game. Howard's misses are truly made of those heartbreaking things.)

The Lakers inbounded and Kobe passed to Trevor Ariza, who then shuttled the ball to Derek Fisher. Fisher took a couple of dribbles and shot over the outstretched arm of Jameer Nelson. Swish. Game tied. Heart attack-inducing Moment #1.

The Magic's inexperience showed when instead of drawing a foul (the Lakers were in the penalty), an ill-advised jump shot was taken in the final four seconds of the game. The game went into overtime and it seems the momentum has shifted again to the Lakers' side.

A quick three by the Magic's Rashard Lewis kicked the extra period off, but that would be the the teams only field goal in overtime. Kobe Bryant kept it close with two jumpers, and a Dwight Howard free throw tied the game with a minute left. Thirty seconds would be the time when both teams would remain to be tied as Derek Fisher hit a huge three-pointer at the top of the arc. The Magic fans went silent. Heart attack-inducing Moment #2.

Gasol would hit two slam dunks and a free throw to set the final score but the game practically ended with that Fisher 3.

The Lakers are now one win away from the NBA championship.


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Team Play Lifts Lakers in Game Five

With the 103-94 win over the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers reminded us that they can play five-on-five basketball.

In the previous four games, it was the Kobe Bryant Show instead of the Lake Show-- Bryant dominated the offense and the results have been two close wins and a blow-out loss in Game Four. But for the pivotal fifth game, Kobe became the decoy at offense and his team mates responded early on.

In the first quarter, Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher made most of the Lakers' baskets. In the second, it was the inside attack of Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum that kept the Lakers afloat. During that time, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were facilitating the offense, but Denver kept close. The scores after the first and second quarters were all tied.

After the halftime break, the Nuggets were the first ones to show signs of distancing themselves from the opponent: the led by seven points by the middle of the third. But that was the time the Lakers started a run that the Nuggets wouldn't recover from. Starting with Pau Gasol's dunk, the Lakers outscored the Nuggets 23-5 until the 7:52 mark in the fourth. The 7-point deficit became an 11-point lead thanks to that run. Reserve Shannon Brown made six baskets in that stretch, including a dunk over Chris "Birdman" Andersen and an improbable fade-away jumper as the shot clock expired.

Many experts will point to that run as a turning point for the game. The Lakers played great team defense and executed the offense sharply (the Lakers only made two turnovers and had eight assists in that 11 minute stretch). The Nuggets were able to cut it to four with three minutes left, but two consecutive three-point plays sealed the Nuggets' fate.

The Lakers pounded the ball inside, played excellent team offense, and held the Nuggets down when it mattered. Let's see if they can sustain the effort in Game Six and earn a ticket to the 2009 NBA Finals.


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Kobe Leads Lakers Rally to Take Game 3

What a game!

The Western Conference Finals match-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets have been producing exciting games and Game Three was no exception: down by eight points entering the fourth quarter, the Lakers mounted a rally and, like Game Two, it came down the last 30 seconds.

Kobe Bryant played the role of Captain Clutch for the Lakers, scoring 41 points in the game and eight points in the final minute, but it was the Trevor Ariza's steal on the Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony with 36 seconds left that turned the tide completely in the Lakers' favor. (In Game One, Ariza stole an inbound pass late in the game to seal the Lakers' win.) Prior to Ariza's key play, Kobe hit a dagger three-ball to have the Lakers up by one point.

The Nuggets seemed to be poised for a big run of their own after Chauncey Billups hit a four-point play with four minutes to go, but Pau Gasol successfully made a couple of post-up baskets to counter. Nuggets guard J.R. Smith hit a jumper over Derek Fisher and that set-up Kobe's clutch three-pointer over Smith.

Apart from the late-game key plays, the Lakers played adequate defense on the Nuggets on the final quarter. The Nuggets scored 79 points after three quarters, but were held to only 18 in the fourth, and they did not score on a basket until Kenyon Martin's dunk with six minutes to go. Good thing the Lakers kept their composure, as they survived brutally bad production from started Andrew Bynum and Fisher. (Both of them combined for 4-for-12 shooting and 3-for-8 FT shooting.)

The Los Angeles Lakers have home-court advantage again, thanks to Kobe Bryant's clutch performance.


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Lakers Eliminate Jazz in 5 Games

After three quarters, the Los Angeles Lakers looked like it was going to waltz in to the second round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

But the Lakers hung tough and managed to eliminate the pesky Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their first round match-up, 107-96.

The Lakers were dominating for most part of the game, but as if wanting more excitement in the game, the Lakers gave the Jazz an opening in the fourth quarter and saw their 19-point lead trimmed to six with three minutes to go. The Lakers closed the game out by outscoring the Jazz 12-7 in closing minutes of the game.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 31 points, but I think was Lamar Odom who played a more efficient and effective game, with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Pau Gasol had another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had another strong home game, with 12 points and 50% shooting from downtown.

While the Lakers did win the series, I observed that they still have yet to show the "killer instinct" that basketball pundits wanted to see from them from the start. The Lakers lost leads and did not play consistent defense in the five games of the series. It did expose that the Jazz still have a lot of work to do to improve, but I think the Lakers did not get a test of "nastiness." On the plus side, the Lakers showed that they can dictate the pace of the game and dominate the game with offense. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom proved to be the Lakers' core in the post season, with Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown giving good support.

The Lakers are now awaiting the winner of the Houston Rockets-Portland Trailblazer, with the Rockets leading 3-1 as of this writing.


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Trevor Ariza & Luke Walton Injured

The Los Angeles Lakers' pair of small forwards are hobbling in the playoffs.

Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton, key players in the Lakers' rotation in the playoffs, have suffered injuries that may limit their effectiveness in the post-season. Ariza is struggling with an ankle injury, while Walton has been confirmed to be out at least a week with a torn deltoid ligament.

What the Lakers could do is play Lamar Odom more on the small forward position or give more playing time to Adam Morrison, the third player in the Lakers' small forward depth chart.

In any case, the Lakers' goal of closing the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their first-round NBA Playoff series got a little tougher.


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Lakers Lose Game 3

As the series moved to Utah for Game 3 of the Los Angeles Lakers-Utah Jazz match-up, I knew the complexion of the game would change.

Boy, was I right.

It was a big turnaround for the Lakers: There was no big first quarter explosion, no blistering shooting display, and no victory.

The Lakers lost 88-86 on a jumper by Deron Williams with 2 seconds left in the game. Kobe Bryant clanged a potential game-winning three ball and the Lakers lost the right to talk "sweep" in this series.

Like I said, Game 3 was played in way the Jazz wanted it-- defense-oriented, low-scoring, and, well, nasty. The Lakers struggled in the first quarter and mustered only 17 points. In the previous two games, the Lakers scored 30 and 41 points respectively. The Jazz made sure the Lakers never get into an offensive groove and they they were able to slow down Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown, offensive sparks in the games in Los Angeles.

There were also other issues the Lakers faced: Kobe tried to shoot himself out of the Jazz defense and the result was 24 shots, 5 less than the whole Laker bench. The Jazz are probably pleased with themselves by stifling Kobe and making him shoot 21% from the field. Andrew Bynum never really got a chance to play with the foul trouble again. This is the second time in three games that Bynum had 5 fouls. Perhaps, his playoff inexperience is starting to show.

Last year, the Lakers lost Game 4 of their second round match-up against the Jazz. If the Lakers doesn't start to shoot well and defend better, the series will be 2-2 when they go back to Los Angeles.


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Trevor Ariza: The Lakers' X-Factor

Coach Phil Jackson talked about Trevor Ariza's play in the Los Angeles Lakers 107-100 win against the Dallas Mavericks and what the forward has done since being inserted into the starting lineup. Jackson complimented Ariza's contributions and said that that it is Ariza's defense that "changes the game" for the Lakers.

With what Jackson said about Ariza, I can't help but think that Ariza is the Lakers X-Factor, similar to what Scottie Pippen was to the 1990's Chicago Bulls teams-- playing defense and providing the occasional spark on offense.


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Lakers Humiliated in Portland

I knew the Los Angeles Lakers would have a struggle in the next few games, but not THIS bad.

The Lakers were humiliated by the Portland Trailblazers to the tune of 111-94. Ugh! This loss is the Lakers' worst of the season and the seventh straight in Portland.

I have to be honest here: The Portland Trailblazers is one of my hated teams this season. Why? Because I read some bozo's blog post that lambasted the Lakers and ever since, I've derived joy whenever the Blazers encounter setbacks. (Yeah, it's schadenfreude).

The Lakers' loss was just simply vexing. The team stumbled out of the gate, shot poorly throughout the game, and in frustration, injured Rudy Fernandez in a hard play by Trevor Ariza. (Ariza has maintained that he wasn't intending anything malicious).

This game is definitely forgettable and the Lakers should look to shrug this loss in their next games against the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.


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Trevor Ariza Status Remains Unclear

It seems the Los Angeles Lakers' loss to the Charlotte Bobcats has dealt more than a dent in the win-loss card.

Lakers forward Trevor Ariza was injured in the game with a concussion and team doctors have not yet given him a clear bill of health. Ariza has been an instrumental part of the Lakers' perimeter defense and is playing solid off the bench prior to the injury. The Lakers will be going on a 6-game road trip and Ariza is not yet certain if he will join.

This is really a bummer because Ariza has been on of the Lakers' lockdown defenders who can guard three positions. He has been spotting up for threes with good accuracy that opens up the court during offense. A bummer indeed.


Tags: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Start 2009 with Win over Jazz

2009's first game played like a recap of the Los Angeles Lakers' season so far.

The Lakers slammed the Utah Jazz, 113-100, but not after letting the Jazz make the game out of the blowout in the third quarter. The Lakers led 57-43 at half time, but poor defense and uninspired play enabled the Jazz to close the gap 65-62.  The Lakers upped the lead to 16 in the fourth until the Jazz roared back in the fourth. Thanks to key plays by Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza, the Lakers ended up with the W and a winning streak of five games.

The box score will tell us that the Jazz played the boards better and moved the ball around better, but turnovers from the Jazz and 42 free throw attempts gave the Lakers the edge.

The highlight of the game? Pau Gasol does a Magic Johnson and ran a fast break, dribbled between the legs and shot a no-look scoop pass to a cutting Ariza for the jam:


Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 40 points. The Jazz were without All-Star foward Carlos Boozer. The Lakers will also have a busy week ahead with four games slated.


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December 25: Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers

December 25 is no doubt a very special day all over the world-- it's the day we celebrate Christmas.

But for the Los Angeles Lakers and Lakers fans all over the world, it's a day that gets circled on everyone's calendar. It's the day the Lakers' long-time nemesis and recent tormentor, the Boston Celtics, will be paying a visit to the Staples Center.

At this point, the Lakers still need to face the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic, the Memphis Grizzlies and the New Orleans Hornets before they actually play the Celtics. Fine, that's still four games with two major opponents (the Magic and the Hornets), but can't we just skip that and go straight to December 25?

The match-up is much anticipated because the changes both the teams had after the 2008 NBA Finals.The Celtics lost James Posey while the Lakers got Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza back into their lineup. The Celtics starters of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo (called the Fantastic Four as of late) have been stellar, whereas the Lakers have been beating teams on their depth. (If you can afford to put Vladimir Radmanovic as your third-stringer forward, then you gotta be deep, right?)

Finally, it may well be a game of defense versus offense: the Lakers have been defeating teams by outscoring them, the Celtics the opposite. But we all know which way wins championships.

One final note: the game will be played on LA's home turf, and I think will be the X-factor.


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Tale of Two Lakers Games

The Los Angeles Lakers got played two contrasting games in their back-to-back against the Dallas Mavericks and the New Orleans Hornets.

In the game at Dallas, the Lakers were down for three quarters and a half then rallied in the fourth to win against the Mavericks, 106-99. Defense in the second half was key-- The Lakers held the Mavs to only 39 points after letting them score 60 in the first, then Trevor Ariza's block on Jerry Stackhouse sealed the comeback in the waning seconds of the game.

At New Orleans, the Lakers didn't seem to be affected by fatigue until the fourth quarter. The Hornets rallied in the final quarter to cut a 21-point lead build in the first half into 3 points in the last minute. But thanks to a dagger three-ball from Kobe Bryant over James Posey,  the furious rally was stymied and the Lakers won, 93-86.

Seven seems to be the number here. While the two games ended up in 7-point wins against opponents, the Lakers now find themselves in a seven game winning streak, with a 7-0 win loss record.


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Lakers Looking Strong in Opening Week

It has only been one week and three games for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA's 2008-2009 season, but the Lakers are making the experts look like sages so far.

Three games for the team translated into three wins: A big blow-out against the Oden-less Portland Trailblazers in the season opener, another serving of Los Angeles Clipper domination in the next game, and a come-from behind win over Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets. The average winning margin for those three games is 21 points.

It seems the Lakers are hell-bent on forgetting the last game of their 2007-2008 season game (an embarrassing 35-point loss to the hated Boston Celtics) and are showing how the can lock down teams and come from behind to win a game. Coach Phil Jackson must be happy that in those three games, reigning MVP Kobe Bryant only logged an average of 32 minutes and forward Pau Gasol an average of 36 minutes. This rest is crucial to keep the top players fresh as the season goes on.

More bright spots: Trevor Ariza is giving the perimeter defense a much needed boost. I think his defense can hold on its own against the top small forwards and shooting guards in the West, like Ron Artest, Tracy McGrady, Rudy Gay and Carmelo Anthony. Lamar Odom has also been quiet about his sixth man role, which is a good thing off the court.

However there are things of concern:

• Speaking of Lamar Odom, his play off the bench has yielded mixed results. He's a good floor leader for the second unit, but his play has not been producing top sixth man numbers.
• Andrew Bynum has played poorly, despite the resolution of his contract extension situation.
• Sasha Vujacic is shooting poorly: 35% from the field, 33% from deep. (To think I vouched for this guy!)

The Lakers are going to have plenty of rest the next week. I do think the game against the Houston Rockets on November 9 is a must watch.

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