Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol Make West All-Star Team at First Ballot

Big 2011 NBA All-Star Game news!

Two members of the Los Angeles Lakers have made it to the Western Conference Team as the results of the first round of counting was done: Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.

This is big because this is the first time two Lakers have made it to the first count since Kobe and Shaquille O'neal were declared front-runners for the 2002 NBA All-Star game. What makes it equally exciting for Lakers fans is that Pau Gasol has made the Top 2 in the forwards division, a space usually reserved for Tim Duncan or Carmelo Anthony.

Gasol got 390,808 votes in the first set of results, edging Anthony's 369,768. By All-Star voting standards, that lead is not safe and it would take a simple pitch from Anthony to swing back the lead in his favor. But this should encourage Lakers fans to keep on voting for Pau.

Hypothetically, the Lakers have a good chance of fielding three starters. This is because Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets announced that he aggravated an injury and will be out for the season. This open things up fir Andrew Bynum, who just needs to show up, if you ask me.

So vote for the members of the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2011 NBA All-Star Game now at NBA.com!


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Top 10 Best Lakers of the Last Decade

I've followed Ball Don't Lie's series on the Top 10 players in the different positions in the NBA of the last decade and I was inspired to come up with my own list of the Top 10 Best Lakers of the Last Decade:

#1: Kobe Bryant - I guess there will be few arguments for this selection. Kobe was part of all the Lakers' 4 championships in the first decade of the 2000's and has won individual accolades as well. He scored 81 points in a game once and held the scoring title for a couple of years. His best season? Personally, I think it was the 2008-2009, when he led the Lakers to the championship.

#2: Shaquille O'Neal - The Big Aristotle was a monster even before the decade started but he won his lone MVP award as a Laker in 2000. He butted heads with almost everyone in the Lakers organization, but maintained his clown-like demeanor in public. But I still think Shaq's reached his peak wearing purple and gold, winning all the Finals MVP's in the Lakers' Dynasty run early in the decade.

#3: Derek Fisher - Derek Fisher's stats won't wow anyone, but he was the Lakers' locker room leader and silent #3 option in the Dynasty years.  Fish also provided some of the most clutch performances in the last decade. Who can forget the ".04" shot he made against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004 and the clutch three's he made against the Orlando Magic last year?

#4: Pau Gasol - Pau Gasol's career Laker is still young but he has been a great #2 option for the last couple of years. After getting slammed by the critics for his weak performance against the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, Gasol toughened up and stood his ground against the towering Dwight Howard. Gasol's skill in the post and basketball IQ also supports his case as #4 in this list.

#5: Lamar Odom - Lamar Odom has made fans crazy with his inconsistency-- in one moment he's a versatile forward who can score, rebound, and facilitate the Triangle Offense with ease, in another, he's a lackadaisical player who disappears in the game. Whatever mode he's in, Odom is good for the top half of this list by his talent and solid numbers. Remember, he was one of the players who was traded for Shaquille O'Neal.

#6: Robert Horry - Like our #3 guy, "Big Shot Rob" gets in because of his intangibles. He lost a great deal of athleticism when the decade set it, so he relied on his wile and shooting to earn his place in the roster. Sacramento Kings fans will never forgive Horry for draining the 3 that sealed the Kings' fate in 2002.

#7: Andrew Bynum - Shaq's replacement? Hardly. But Andrew Bynum is still brimming with potential, despite his early injuries. He has shown flashes of becoming a dominant big man, but he's still enamored with scoring in the low blocks instead of patrolling the middle and letting the offense come to him. Thanks to his mentor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bynum is slowly getting more polished by the day as he is just about to turn 22.

#8: Rick Fox - Rick Fox may be plying his trade in Hollywood right now, but his role during his Lakers days was the team's resident enforcer. His best statline of the decade was during the 2000-2001where he averaged 9.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, but his tough play and defense were things that never showed in the scoreboard.

#9: Luke Walton - "Luuuuuuke" chants will always be a fan favorite but fans seems to have forgotten Walton was a solid #3 option when the Lakers' starting lineup consisted of Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, and Walton. If you ask me, if Luke Walton played in a different system, his lack of athleticism would make him an NBDL candidate. But thanks to his crafty passing and mastery of the Triangle, Walton's career is still going strong.

#10: Caron Butler - Butler only wore the Lakers jersey for only one season but he came up with above average stats that season (15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals). The only problem then was that the Lakers missed the playoffs and the Bryant-Butler combo was deemed a failure. Butler was shipped to Washington for Kwame Brown, who was in turn, traded to Memphis for Pau Gasol.

So that's my list, the Top 10 Best Lakers of the Last Decade. Did I miss anyone? Feel free to chime in.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Shaq & Suns Stomp Lakers

Shaquille O'Neal had a bit of a payback for a previous loss against his former team when he led the Phoenix Suns to a 118-111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Big Cactus scored 33 points in a game where Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire sat out because of injuries. Matt Barnes, Leandro Barbosa, and Grant Hill stepped up big time to upset the Lakers.

Speaking of the Lakers, it was a very imbalanced game for the squad-- Kobe Bryant scored 49 points, Pau Gasol scored 30, but the rest of the eight players who played only scored 32 points together! The team continued their shooting slump that started in their game in Denver, but it was their defense that did them in. The Suns shot mostly uncontested shots (as evidenced by Shaq's high FG% for the game), and only Jason Richardson was the only Sun starter that shot less than 50%.

Energy-wise, the Lakers are flat. If they meet the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs with this level of energy, we're looking at Dallas Mavericks-Golden State Warriors 2007 Part 2.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Crush Suns

132-106.

Yeah, that qualifies as a crushing.

The Los Angeles Lakers crushed a Phoenix Suns team without its two top players. Suns Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire sat out the game due to various injuries and the result was not surprising.

The Lakers played a great offensive game that the team scored at least 30 points in each of the four quarters and Adam Morrison scored his first official three-ball as a Laker. Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom led the team with efficient scoring: Kobe shot 10 for 13, while Odom missed only once in his 12 shot attempts.

This game was also the first meeting between Kobe and Shaquille O'Neal, the MVP's of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe & Shaq Reunite in 2009 NBA All-Star Game Win

Five years after their rocky break-up, the tandem of Kobe-Shaq (or Shaq-Kobe) reunited at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game and steered the Western Conference All-Stars to a 146-119 win in the annual classic.

The history of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal is a storied one-- the two won three straight championships in the early 2000's at the peak of Shaq's prime, they engaged in one of the heated teammate feuds in professional sports, and flamed out in their Finals match-up against the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Shaq was traded soon after to the Miami Heat. Wikipedia has an accurate take on what transpired :

After the Lakers' loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was angered by comments made by Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak regarding O'Neal's future with the club, as well as by the departure of Lakers coach Phil Jackson at the request of Dr. Buss. O'Neal made comments indicating that he felt the team's decisions were centered on a desire to appease Bryant to the exclusion of all other concerns, and O'Neal promptly demanded a trade. The Dallas Mavericks and their team owner Mark Cuban were extremely interested in O'Neal and were willing to make a trade with the Lakers, but Kupchak wanted Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs' superstar, in return. Cuban refused to let go of Nowitzki and the Lakers ended trade talks with Dallas. However, Miami showed interest and gradually a trade agreement was made.

With the Batman and Robin tandem dissolved, Kobe got what he wished for. He became the focal point of the Lakers offense, where he became one of the top 3 scorers in the league. But it came at a price: the Lakers missed the playoffs in their first season without Shaq. The Lakers picked up the pieces from there and they are now one of the best teams in the NBA. (Need proof? Check out the odds in Lakers games: sports betting and sportsbook websites give the Lakers the edge most of the time). And the person leading the way for the Lakers this season? Kobe Bryant.

The Co-MVP award in the All-Star Game could be the storybook ending to the Kobe-Shaq saga. But who knows? They may still end up together for one final run after Shaq's contract with the Suns expire a couple of years from now.


Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers


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2009 NBA All-Stars Named: What's with the East?

The NBA has released the complete roster for the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix. Here's the lineups (starters are in bold):


East

• Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
  
• Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons
  
• Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
  
• LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
  
• Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
  
• Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
  
• Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors
  
• Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
  
• Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
  
• Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets
  
• Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
  
• Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic
  

West

• Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
  
• Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
  
• Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
  
• Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns
  
• Yao Ming, Houston Rockets
  
• Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
  
• Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
  
• Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
  
• Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
  
• Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers
  
• Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix Suns
  
• David West, New Orleans Hornets
  

I've made my All-Star predictions before on the lineups and I was able to predict 5 out of the 7 for the West Team (71%) and 4 out of 7 for the East (57%). I'm pretty much OK with the coaches' selection in the West, as I realized Carmelo Anthony was injured and Shaquille O'neal  had a better over-all first half than Andrew Bynum (although Bynum is playing much better lately). My only beef is the number of games Shaq has missed this season-- perhaps its a move to bring drama into the games with Phil Jackson coaching Shaq again.

On the East, it's a totally different matter: I don't think Rashard Lewis is an All-Star. I also question the coaches' selection of Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors and Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers-- they are putting up good numbers on very bad teams, and their numbers are play are inflated because of the lack of talent surrounding them.

Oh well, you gotta love the controversy the All-Star selections stir up every year.


Tags: NBA

Andrew Bynum Making a Case for the All-Star Team

For the second straight game, Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum had a strong game in a Lakers win. Bynum dropped 23 points and 14 rebounds on the hapless Washington Wizards that featured Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee (not exactly the most imposing pair in the league).

Despite facing weaker centers, Bynum has displayed more aggressiveness in the offensive end and picked up his rebounding in the past couple of games. Perhaps Drew is making a case for the Western Conferences to chew on when the seven players to complete the West All-Stars.

It has been announced that Kobe Bryant has been voted to start in the 2009 All-Star Game in Phoenix. Most likely, Pau Gasol will be selected by the coaches in to the team, as a power forward. Bynum will be going up against former Laker Shaquille O'Neal as the back-up center to Yao Ming.

Based on my assessment, I predict the reserve West All-Stars will be:

1. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers
   
2. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
3. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
4. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets
   
5. Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets
6. Brandon Roy, Portland Trailblazers
7. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

I predict he East coaches will be selecting these reserves:

1. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
2. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
3. Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic
4. Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
5. Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia 76ers
   
6. Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets
7. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers

Tags: Los Angeles Lakers

Shaq: Phil Jackson "Orchestrated" Feud with Kobe

If the Shaq-Kobe fued of the early 2000's were a soap opera, would this be the Big Reveal?

Shaquille O'Neal recently talked to Scott Howard-Cooper of the Sacramento Bee for an interview and his big dynamite was that he said that the feud between him and Kobe Bryant was designed by coach Phil Jackson during his playing days with the Los Angeles Lakers. Here's what he said:

...I think it was all designed by Phil (Jackson). Because if you think about it, Phil never called us into the office and said, ''Both of you all, shut the (heck) up.'' Never did that in four years. He knew that when I read something, I was going to get upset. And he knew Kobe was going to always come out and play hard. So I think it was all done by design.

Shaq also said he never had a problem with Kobe Bryant and he even said that they are the best 1-2 punch the Los Angeles Lakers ever had.

What's next? Five years from now, Shaq will say "Pat Riley designed my physical regimen that why I broke down in 2007."


Tags: Lakers