Time to Shelve Kobe?

As of this writing, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has missed the team's last six games to rest his injured shin. During that stretch, the Lakers have won four, with those games coming from a winning streak.

Now the big question: Should the Lakers shelve Kobe for the rest of the season? I say "YES," with a blaring megaphone.

Apart from the obvious rest Kobe gets with this move (Kobe is averaging 38.4 minutes per game), it gives the rest of the Lakers to step up and gather confidence going into the playoffs. Metta World Peace, Matt Barnes, and Pau Gasol have notably stepped up their games in Kobe's absence and it even gave long-time bench regular Devin Ebanks some burn.

However, coach Mike Brown must keep in mind the risk of resting Kobe for too long-- it may create an imbalance where the team members need to figure out their roles again once Kobe takes 30% of the team's shots and 38 minutes of PT.

Another factor is playoff positioning. The Lakers are just a half-game ahead of their Staples Center co-tenants and getting third seed in the NBA's Western Conference would be major, since it avoids the dangerous Memphis Grizzlies and Los Angeles Clippers in the first round.

That said, I still think Kobe should hang up till the last day of the regular season. His fresh legs would be more important in propelling the Lakers in the playoffs.


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Dwight Howard to The Lakers, Part 2

A week into the 2011-2012 NBA season and the Los Angeles Lakers are a .500 team. While that seems pretty forgivable in the post-lockout context, it's quite unacceptable given the team's talent and history.

The Lakers are considered contenders, but not favorites to win the NBA crown. I feel they need a legitimate presence on both ends to improve their chances to a title. Enter Dwight Howard.

I outlined in a previous post how the Lakers could get Dwight Howard in a three-team trade with the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets. But we all know how the Lakers were screwed by the NBA in the botched Chris Paul trade. Things are also a little more complicated with a key trade piece in Lamar Odom actually getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks before the season started.

I've come up with a few other scenarios where the Lakers could get Howard using ESPN's Trade Machine.

Scenario 1:

• Los Angeles Lakers get Dwight Howard and Chris Duhon
• Orlando Magic get Andrew Bynum, Derrick Caracter and Matt Barnes

In this trade scenario, the Lakers would be offering the emerging Bynum and expiring contracts to the Magic. Also, the Lakers would be absorbing Duhon's 3-year contract.

Secnario 2:

• Lakers get Dwight Howard and Hedo Turkoglu
• Magic get Bynum, Metta World Peace, and Matt Barnes

This is not too different from the first scenario, except the Lakers would be taking in a bigger contract in Hedo Turkoglu and giving up better talent in World Peace. This seems to make more sense, but any trade involving World Peace is a reach.

Scenario 3:

• Lakers get Dwight Howard and Luis Scola
• Magic get Andrew Bynum, Kevin Martin, and Jordan Hill
• Houston Rockets get Pau Gasol and Hedo Turkoglu

This is a little more complicated and it involves the Houston Rockets, one of the principals of the failed Chris Paul trade. It's been said that the Rockets have their eye on Pau Gasol and this trade gets it done. The Lakers get to replace their starting frontline with new pieces completely.

Scenario 4:

• Lakers get Dwight Howard and Mehmet Okur
• Magic get Andrew Bynum, Anthony Morrow, and Jordan Farmar
• New Jersey Nets get Pau Gasol, Hedo Turkoglu, and Chris Duhon

This now involves teams that are in Howard's wish list and solves a lot of the teams' needs. The Nets get a better supporting cast with Deron Williams after losing out on the Dwight Howard Sweepstakes and the Magic get to shed their unwanted contracts. The Lakers get the best center in the league.

The scenarios are just,well, scenarios and this could change as the trade deadline in March.


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Lakers Notch Season's First Win

Finally.

It took three games before the Los Angeles Lakers got their first win of the season and avoided a 0-3 hole in the standings. They beat the Utah Jazz in convincing fashion, 96-71.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol led the way for the Lakers, combining for 48 of the team's 96 points. The Jazz played their first game of the season and looked very rusty. Thirty-two percent from the field and 7% form three-point range paint an ugly picture for the Jazz's game.

The Lakers also got key contributions from Metta World Peace (14 points and 5 rebounds) and their two new power forwards, Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts (combining for 17 rebounds). World Peace dialed the time machine a few years and showed a flash of the young Ron Artest when he drove the lane and flushed the ball through the hoop strong.

As an added bonus, the Staples Center crowd chanted "We Want Barnes,"a reference to coach Mike Brown's refusal to play the volatile Matt Barnes.


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L.A. Lakers Second Quarter Report

It seems I'm creating the habit of making analyses of the Los Angeles Lakers 2010-2011 season a few games late, but it's better late than never, right?

Anyways, the Lakers are sporting a 32-13 winning record (.711 winning percentage), and are second at teh suddenly tough Western Conference. Since my last report, the Lakers have gotten a 15-6 record. They follow their conference nemesis San Antonio Spurs by five and a half games, but lead the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder by three games.

Following my good-bad format in the first quarter season analysis, here's how the second quarter of the season looked for the team:

The Good

• Ron Artest - In the first twenty games of the season, Ron Artest looked like a slow-footed version of himself. He was able to turn around this January, with better long-range shooting and improved tough guy defense on opposing team's wing players.
• Lamar Odom - This guy should be an All-Star period.
• Andrew Bynum - The team has worked Andrew Bynum into the rotation gradually, and it has been paying dividends for the team. Bynum, while foul-prone, is able to alter opponent shots inside and get blocks himself. This month, Bynum has improved his numbers significantly across the board.
• Interior Play -  Even thoough Pau Gasol has slid a bit, the trio of Gasol, Bynum and Odom has been giving opposing team fits by sharp passing and good rebounding.

The Bad

• The Bench - What the heck happened to the Killer B's? After raving about them at the start of the season, the bench players have faded away. The trade to acquire Joe Smith has yet to bolster the bench effort, especially with Matt Barnes out with an injury.
• Lack of Quality Wins - In the acid tests in the last twenty-something games, the Lakers have failed. The team lost to the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, and Dallas Mavericks.
• Defense - The Lakers have struggled mightily with quick teams because their transition defense is spotty. This 2010-2011 still can't shake the reputation of getting abused by quick players and teams.
• Shot Selection - The team is turning it around in the last ten games, but when the Lakers were losing, they were settling for outside jump shots. This affected the Lakers' offense and disrupted the play of the bigs.

Over-all, the Los Angeles Lakers look far from winning their third straight championship in the season's second quarter. From my perspective,the team has yet to display quality play against quality teams.


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L.A. Lakers First Quarter Report

After a quarter of the 2010-2011 season gone, how's the Los Angeles Lakers' chase for its historic three-peat?

If you ask me, it's not looking good.

A quarter into the season, the Lakers showed that its dream season will not go without the bumps and kinks.Yes, they are one of the top teams in the NBA in terms of offense, but over-all, their play is far from championship caliber.

But let's look at the bright spots first:

• The Killer B's - The Lakers have found a good consistent bench rotation in the Killer B's (Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, and Shannon Brown). Brown has been the offensive sparkplug off the bench, thanks to his much improved outside shooting. Barnes and Blake have done what is expected of them-- play good defense, make outside shots, and don't do too many mistakes. This group makes people forget about the Bench Mob of the past.
• Kobe's Minutes - Did you know that Kobe Bryant is playing five minutes less this season per game compared to the previous season? As of now, Kobe is playing 33.4 minutes per game, his lowest since the 1997-1998 season. Coach Phil Jackson knows that at age 32, Kobe Bryant needs close monitoring of minutes played. And it seems to have worked in the past: 32 is the age when Michael Jordan's minutes of the Chicago Bulls were reduced by Jackson.
• Lamar Odom - His tour of duty for the USA team at the World Championships may have improved Odom's offensive efficiency. Odom's scoring average is up by 50 percent and he is shooting less three balls for the season. Odom has emerged as a reliable third option for the Lakers for sure.
• Pau Gasol -  Not to take away anything from Kobe Bryant, but Pau Gasol has been the Lakers' MVP so far. In the absence of Andrew Bynum, Gasol has held the fort in the paint for the Lake Show, upping his rebounds and blocks numbers. There was a stretch at the start of the season where Gasol was a constant 20-10-5 threat. It's surprise that the Lakers went on an eight-game winning streak then.

Now for the bad:

• Big Man Woes - Outside of Gasol and Odom, the Lakers are thin in the middle. Andrew Bynum is still out, with Theo Ratliff joining him in sick bay. Derrick Caracter has been doing his best Ronny Turiaf impersonation as an undersized big, with no results.
• Team Defense - No doubt that the Lakers can out-shoot their opponents, but the team has shown little interest in the defensive end on a regular basis. The team did a pretty decent job in the first couple of weeks into the season, but struggled as of late.
• The Four Game Losing Streak- A first since the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol, the Lakers went from a unstoppable juggernaut to middle-of-the-pack contender during this swing. Yes, there were pretty bad breaks, but the team lost games it should have dominated over weaker opponents.
• Ron Artest - Can someone look for Artest's shrink? Ron-Ron has been an offensive disaster this season, with his shooting taking a huge dip. 36 percent shooting from the field and seven points for a starter are unacceptable numbers.
• Weak Schedule - Interesting thing about the Lakers's past 24 games: You will not find the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks, the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics, and the Miami Heat. If you ask me, the 17-7 record is a little inflated.

It's still early and the Lakers have shown they are capable of making a complete 180 when it matters. What I don't want to see is this becoming a trend going to the All-Star break.



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The Killer B's

Phil Jackson collectively called Matt Barnes, Steve Blake, and Shannon Brown as the "The Renegades" of the Los Angeles Lakers because of their gritty play off the bench.


But one nickname that has caught the Lakers faithful's fancy is "Killer B's." (Get it? Barnes, Blake, and Brown, all starting with B).


In the last three games against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors, and the Chicago Bulls, the Killer B's averaged almost 36 points per game and a handful of them were made in the clutch. The trio can be considered as the Lakers' out as they have made a total of 23 three point baskets in the same period.

Most notable of the three is Shannon Brown, who has been huge in the game against the Bulls. He scored 18 point in the first half, just enough to keep the pressure off starters Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. It's also no coincidence that the Lakers have been winning in the games that the bench played very well.

The nickname "Killer B's" is great because of the dagger three's the trio have been making, as well as the same gritty play. I hope the nickname sticks.


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Lakers Look Good in Stomping Grizzlies

There were a lot of positives in the Los Angeles Lakers' dominating 124-105 win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

• First is another strong game from Pau Gasol. The reigning NBA Western Conference Player of the Week continued his string of 20-10-5, with 21 points, 13 boards, and 5 dimes. This performance came against his brother Marc in a tough battle in the paint.
• The next good point is Lamar Odom's all-around game. Although he missed another double-double, Odom was solid with 17 points, 8 rebounds, as well as 6 assists. For the game, Odom led the Lakers in minutes played.
• Speaking of minutes, Kobe Bryant was well-rested, needing only 25 minutes.Kobe was monster in the first half, scoring more than 20 points. If the game was a close game, we would have seen Kobe scoring at least 40 for the first time this season.
• And finally, the bench play was great. The 3-B's (Matt Barnes, Shannon Brown, and Steve Blake) combined for 39 points, and 5-8 from the three-point line. Also worth noting is that Barnes led the game in rebounds with 14.

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Los Angeles Lakers 2010-2011 Season Preview

The 2010-2011 NBA season is here and I'm also out of my off-season blogging break! :)

The Los Angeles Lakers are fresh off their second championship but they're far from fresh with the slew of issues they are facing this season. Here are the key factors that I think will be facing the Lakers in this new season, with the theme "Don't underestimate..."

• Don't underestimate Matt Barnes' short fuse - Is it me or Matt Barnes presents a bigger threat to derail the Lakers' chemistry this season compared to Ron Artest last year? Barnes is cut from the Rick Fox cloth of the 2000's but I think he could take the enforcer role a bit too far as the season wears on. I see him leading the league in technical fouls.
• Don't underestimate Kobe Bryant's knee rehab - One of the reasons most people think Kobe Bryant won't win this year's MVP plum is his bum right knee. We've seen how it can affect his play, especially in the moments he struggled against the Celtics in the 2010 Finals. I see him bouncing back, but don't hold your breath. I see him averaging 24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal per game.
• Don't underestimate Steve Blake - New acquisition Steve Blake is the designated first point guard off the bench but I see him eating up a few starter moments from Derek Fisher in the games before the All-Star break. I think Phil Jackson will rest Fisher and keep him fresh for the late season and the deep playoff run.
• Don't underestimate the Western Conference - A lot of folks see the Lakers trampling over the Western Conference, but there are still some threats. Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder is the current up and coming team, while the Utah Jazz is a rejuvenated squad with Al Jefferson manning the middle and Deron Williams running the show. The dark horse is the aging San Antonio Spurs, who are banking on a healthier and more experienced team.
• Don't underestimate the heart of the champion - Las Vegas oddsmakers are tabbing the new look Miami Heat to win it all this season. With LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, this team is a virtual All-Star squad. This is the type of lineup you make up in NBA 2K11. But the Lakers have the rings and the resolve to get it done. Let's see if heart will trump pure talent.

On a final note, I do see the Lakers winning the Western Conference, with the following seedings:

1. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Utah Jazz
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Oklahoma City Thunder
5. San Antonio Spurs
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Houston Rockets
8. Memphis Grizzlies

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