Lakers Pride

Kobes on Fire - Flameout coming?

2012-01-14T09:55:00.000-08:00

EDITORIAL
by LakersPride

The Lakers are on a roll with Kobe lighting up the scoreboard. He hasn't been this hot since 2007 and it looks like he is getting stronger. He is back to getting whatever shot he wants and opposing teams are noticing and worrying.

His current play and knee surgery success shows that he must have been pretty banged up last season without whining and using it as an excuse when the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks. I think Kobe deserves the respect for not complaining or using excuses ever. One of the most competitive players the league has seen, only rivaled by MJ, you would think losing would bring out excuses. Kobe loses with grace and never walks off without congratulating the other team, ala King "Lames". His mindset must be that he knows he gives all he has in any competition and that if you beat him he accepts you must have deserved it.

This competitive drive in Kobe also has a downside. He is on a terror showing everyone that he is healthier than he has been in a long time and wants to make sure there is no mistake he is the best player in the league. Lakers fans know what he brings to the table and they also know what can happen. When he scoring like this he is praised for carrying the team, but there is going to come a game where he is 7 for 25 and everybody will say he shoots too much. It's always been that way for him, he can't win, he is either a ballhog or proving a point by passing too much.

This week is going to show the progress of the Lakers in their new system and if they have the ability to adjust their game against the best teams in the league. Clippers tonight, Dallas Monday, Heat Thursday, Orlando Friday. If Kobe shoots the same amount against these teams the Lakers will not win all of those games.

Bynum has touched the ball much less once he started getting doubled. This has been the reason Kobe has been shooting a lot more. The Lakers will need that post option to beat the best in the league. The Lakers size is their biggest advantage and if they don't use the post then the court will close up for Kobe. Pau has become a mid range shooter to allow Bynum to sit on the block. The Lakers can't afford not to use the post because the point guard position is not used to penetrate and dish. Fisher has never been the quick ball handling drive and kick point. The Lakers get the ball in the paint via the pass to the post, Bynum isn't the passer that Pau is so it has been a challenge for him to make decisions when the double team comes. With
Pau standing around the outside it makes it hard to for the interior passing to happen like the Lakers have had success using the triangle in the passed.

Kobe needs to get at least Pau and Bynum going in order for him to operate on the outside. The Lakers have the garbage players to make up for the loss of Lamar so that is no longer an excuse. Murphy, McRoberts, Barnes, Kapono cancel out the Odom numbers.

If the Lakers are going to make another run for the Ring than it solely falls on Kobe's play and in game execution. The elite teams will double and triple him to get the ball out of his hands, his competitiveness will either force a bad shot or he can find the open teammates for easy buckets. Mike Brown knows this and is hoping his defensive system keeps them in the game long enough for Kobe to make the right decisions.

As usual the Lakers success rests on the drive, passion, and decisions of the "Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant, is there any other player you would rather give that responsibility? Not until someone else can show they are the best player in this league...Kobe is still the one.

Lakers vs Clippers Preview

2012-01-14T09:23:00.000-08:00

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From CBS sports a look at tonight's match-up in LA.

Both teams are still searching for their identity. Who will ultimately come together with marked improvements?

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Barnes Storming Starter

2012-01-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

Looks like the starting small forward spot is going to be for Matt Barnes. The way he played against the Warriors is exactly what the coaches want from him. Easy buckets in transition and hard nosed defense. They can do without some of the idiotic technicals but they do like his toughness....

As noted by OC Register....

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One Ugly Game

2012-01-06T22:12:00.000-08:00

Mike Brown is breathing a sigh of relief.
Tonights game vs the Warriors was hard to watch. This is what the it looks like when you have a short training camp, and a new system with a new coach. Kobe scored a lot and needed to because Bynum was held under 10 even though he was being checked by Kwame Brown. Kwame even said before the game that he would have no problem defending Bynum. Kwame?

How does Pau Gasol only go to the free throw line 1 time. This is the 7 foot power forward. He even had the height advantage on David Lee yet he didn't take him to the post at all. Luckily for him his mid range game was working.

The best part of this game for the Lakers was the play of Matt Barnes. He was fast in transition from defense to offense filling the lanes with easy baskets. Now if only he can learn when to keep his cool and when to be the antagonist.

A win is a win but this one needs to be forgotten soon.
Where is Josh McRoberts?

Healthy Bynum Better than a Healthy Howard?

2012-01-06T17:23:00.000-08:00

Editorial
by LakersPride

Have you seen enough of Andrew Bynum to make a judgement on whether to trade him for Howard. I have to say that Andrew is making it harder for the Lakers to trade him away. Until he gets hurt again.

Lakers fans have been here before where Andrew looks like the best center in the league only to have an injury that kills the season. Of course that is always the argument when discussing the trade for Howard.

If Bynum is able to stay healthy I would tell Orlando that they should find the next best deal they can. It's obvious to see that if Kobe passes the ball to Bynum he can put points up with ease. The first half against Portland 7 for 7 for 14 points. Bynum's offensive game is far better than Howards. Bynum has an array of post moves going both ways using either hand. Offense has been Dwight's weakness, he can dunk on either side of the rim though.

Some say that the Lakers don't need scoring because they have enough in Kobe and Pau. I disagree, the problem for the Lakers is that nobody else on the perimeter can create a shot for themselves off the dribble besides Kobe. That is a problem because Kobe usually ends up taking the shot leaving everyone else a spectator. The only consistent option is going to the post with Andrew. Pau doesn't control the post the same way that Bynum does. I think people have a hard time realizing just how big Bynum is, when you think he is taller than Dwight and Heavier yet he can move his feet and has extremely soft hands for a big man of his size.

Dwight is the multi year defensive player of the year, but Andrew changes shots just from being there because of his size. His presence defensively is as effective as Howards without all the fancy blocks. The wingspan of Andrew is emmense and that allows him to block shots without extensive jumping ability.

In the back of Lakers fans minds is the thought of "when will Andrew get injured?"
He has to have an opportunity to show he can stay on the court a full season and dominate. That is the only question that surrounds him, his game has him already as the best center in the West. As long as he can avoid injury he will be an all-star for years to come.

That's a big if, but if Im deciding I'd wait as long as I can to see if Bynum can stay on the court. With every game he dominates it puts pressure on the Orlando Magic
to decide if they should make a move before it's too late, the Lakers may be better off without Howard. There is no shortage of stories to watch this season in the NBA, but the future of arguably the best Centers in the game will be most telling.

The Lakers Kryptonite - The Rose Garden

2012-01-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

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Portland does not welcome the Lakers

It has happened too many times to ignore the obvious. The Lakers don't play well in The Rose Garden. It will be an opportunity for new coach Mike Brown to break the curse and turn the numbers around on our horrible road record there.
Noted by Mike Breshnahan - LA Times

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Has Kobe said "Lean on Me" too many times?

2012-01-04T22:11:00.000-08:00

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Lean on ME - Kobe

As noted by ESPN LA Kobe Bryant has some telling numbers as far as his usage during games. The numbers are interesting and may surprise you. He may not be the ball hogging me me me shooter you might expect, or at least not as much as its pinned on him.

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Could Mike Brown Prove All of Us Wrong

2011-12-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that when the Lakers announced Mike Brown as their new Head Coach I was disappointed. I thought he was just the guy that had LeBron and didn't really have to coach.

Replacing arguably the best coach in NBA history is not an easy transition to make with the most popular and storied franchise in the league.

Throw in the lockout, shortened camp, trade fiasco and a lot of new players and it was not looking too good in Lakerland.
The Clippers are the new exciting team in the league and the Lakers seemed like the has-beens.

After a horrible pre-season and a couple of opening losses, the Lakers are starting to show what Mike Brown has brought to the table. You can see the defense has changed, there is much more activity and passion on that end of the floor. You can see the effort. Could it be that this philosophy is a perfect fit for the talent we have on the team. Who thought Josh McRambis would be this effective? Is he contributing less than Lamar? Troy Murphy? Ebanks? There are less mental errors and more responsible play in general, except when Luke gets on the floor in garbage time and effectively turns the ball over.

They say that the Lakers showtime is not gonna be a part of this system, that this is a defensive system that is seen on the East Coast. I think the Laker faithful is smart enough to know that all that matters is the win column. This is playoff basketball, when everything slows down and it becomes a battle. This is not taking it easy and hoping to peak at the right time.

Everyone wondered if Mike Brown could handle a veteran team that has been in the finals 3 out of the last 4 years. Mike Brown has Kobe believing and that makes everyone fall in line.

It is too early to say but Mike Brown could turn out to be exactly what the Lakers needed.

VIDEO - Kobe Interview after Game 1 "We're Gonna Be Fine"

2011-12-26T10:34:00.000-08:00

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Kobe's looks encouraged by what he saw in game 1 and thinks they are gonna be fine. He thinks the new defensive minded schemes are going to be a great help for this Lakers team and also feels that they are a "grind it out" type of team as opposed to the "finesse" label they have carried in the triangle era.

See Video
http://www.nba.com/lakers/video/2011/12/25/111225bullsbryant-1945448

Game 1 - Lakers vs Bulls

2011-12-26T10:18:00.000-08:00

Game Anaylsis
by Lakers Pride

This one hurt! The opening game of the shortened NBA season saw the Lakers taking on the MVP Rose and his Bulls. The Lakers are in question as to whether they can still contend for a Championship with their aging roster, loss of Odom, the new Coach and system.

The defense was definitely stronger than their offense. You could see the hustle and the passion as they were playing hard getting their hands up and forcing turnovers. They even held Rose to no points in the 1st quarter. Given the fact the Bulls expect to contend for the Eastern Conference with the Miami Heat the Lakers held their own througout the game.

The fourth quarter saw the Lakers holding a 10 point lead late and it looked like all they had to do was hold on for the win. The Bulls needed luck and everything to fall apart for the Lakers if they wanted to pull this one out. Unfortunately for the Lakers that's exactly what they gave the Bulls. Untimely turnovers, fouls, and missed free throws were the reason the Lakers couldn't finish this game with a win.

You could argue there were questionable calls on Kobe near the end, but that's not in the Lakers control and are you really gonna blame the officials for this one. What was in the Lakers control was Pau not going to Kobe to help when he was double teamed to give him a better passing lane, instead led to a turnover for the Bulls. The Lakers also could have a play drawn up to be sure to get a good look when there are 4.8 seconds left down by a point. They have the best closer in the game and all they came up with was a drive into 3 Bulls for a blocked shot? Kobe was guilty for not passing that ball off to Pau standing alone in the paint, but I suspect there was no play except give Kobe the ball and let him drive. Coach Mike Brown has to have a better play to execute when the game is on the line.

The biggest reason the Lakers lost this game was their inability to make 4 crucial free throws down the stretch. This baffles me, I could have missed four free throws and I am not paid millions to do so. Forget all the other excuses, the Lakers make 50% of those free throws and nothing else matters. They had the game within their control and did not execute. Let's hope this is not an indication of how the season will go.....Somewhere in a TNT studio Shaquille Oneal was smiling.....

Video - Kobes 10 Best Christmas Day Plays

2011-12-22T23:03:00.000-08:00

Here is a little teaser for the first ever Christmas opening day for an NBA season. Unlike any other team in the league it has become a tradition to see the Lakers on Christmas Day. Lakers fans are spoiled and just expect that they will see the Lakers on Christmas not understanding what it must be like to be a fan of another team. So in the spirit of Christmas here is a compilation of Kobe's 10 best plays on Christmas day. Which one is your favorite? Enjoy!

Phil Stop By Practice - Kobe to play Season with Injury

2011-12-22T19:57:00.000-08:00

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As reported by Mike Bresnahan

Kobe will have to play the season with a torn ligament in his wrist. If he had surgery to fix it he would miss four months. Of course there is no way he will miss that much of this shortened season. The Zen Master showed up at Practice and Mike Brown talks about World Peaces problems in the post.

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The Season of the Unknowns - ***

2011-12-21T23:58:00.000-08:00

EDITORIAL
by LakersPride

With 66 games to play this is a shortened season, to the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans it is going to be a very very long season. It has already started out in a mess in the first 2 weeks.

I thought Kobe would have to be long gone before the Lakers would seem like underdogs to the red headed step child Harpo, I mean Blake Griffin and the Cilppers. I have never felt the stress of a Lakers/Clippers game like it has been the last 2 pre-season games. NBATV is reporting the first game was an all-time viewer record ever! EVER! That's counting regular season games and playoffs. I have to believe that the Clippers new team is a part of the reason but I think a bigger reason is everyone tuning in to see the Lakers demise. You can feel the pressure from the fans hoping that the Lakers fail.

Of course they are in a bit of transition with a new coach. The problem is that the identity of the Lakers lies with Kobe Bryant. As long as he is there they are going to be expected to win, nobody wants to understand that they are in a new system for the first time since Phil arrived in 2000. All of the Kobe haters are elated at the possibility of seeing Kobe fail miserably and tumble down the mountain he has reigned upon for so long.

There are a few things that are very clear for this season. That is Andrew Bynum will need to be a monster like he was tonight every night for the Lakers to even have a chance. Pau Gasol will have to remember who he is and what he has accomplished and return to his crafty play, although it may be too late and time to get something in return for him. Im sure the front office knows this since they already tried to trade him. The problem they face now is that nobody will play with the Lakers. Nobody wants to help them remain on top. There are no deals that would bring in a better player for Pau besides Dwight Howard, and the Magic want Bynum too. If the Magic dont trade Dwight, the Lakers have no other moves to make. They will have to play this season as is and hope for the best.

The Lakers will not contend for a championship with the current line-up unless Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant play like they did in 2009. That is a lot to ask, especially while they are having to adjust to a new system in a shortened year. This may just have to be a season the team waits patiently, and hope something happens. There are too many questions to answer and the season could go either way. David Stern is going to do everything he can to keep them down to satisfy the small market owners, but that is the mistake as pointed out here before. When the Lakers are good, the NBA is good. As Phil would say this season should also have an asterisk next to it and not count since it was changed entirely by the lockout.

Merry Xmas Lakers fans the mystery ride begins on Sunday...stay proud....

Kobe Out Day to Day

2011-12-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

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Well there goes the re-match and any hope the Lakers can ease their minds. With Kobe not playing tonight it will leave the Lakers without any answers and without a chance to redeem themselves for the game on Monday against the Clippers. Lakers fans had hope there would be an answer, a show of pride, a fight. With their most competitive player and leader not playing it will not be a rematch at all. Let's hope the new system gets some good practice tonight.

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LAKERS - IT'S NERVOUS TIME (Chick Hearn)

2011-12-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

EDITORIAL
by LakersPride

The time has come. There are a lot of reasons that this NBA season will be different than others. The lockout, the Chris Paul trade fiasco, the bad trades, the shortened season, the shortened camps, playing back to back to backs, the Lakers not able to execute their off season as usual.

Normally the Lakers make moves and nobody learns of the action until it is already done. This is the Lakers way. This is the Lakers mystique and this is the reason the naysayers and the 29 other teams hate the Lakers. They look like they aren't doing anything and yet they pull off the best deals for the best players as they need them. It all looked that was the case again when the Chris Paul trade was announced with Dwight Howard to follow. It was shaping up to be an epic year for the Lakers, which in turn would mean an epic year for the NBA. As much as the other 29 teams don't like it, if the Lakers are good the League is good. There is a reason that the Lakers are the most "liked" US team on Facebook, not the Big Headed 3 in Miami. There is a reason that when they play in your arena the opposing team is concerned if the fans are going to root for them or the visiting Lakers.

The Laker mystique has taken a big hit this year and the smoke and mirrors have been exposed. There are 29 General Managers and 29 Owners that are secretly smiling and giddy at the fact the Lakers didn't get their way, for once. It was these owners of the lockout that cried of the big market teams getting the best players, it was these new owners that wanted a short cut to the title, just like the players do. The difference is these are billionaires and they pay the salary of the Commissioner Dictator David Stern.

Strangely as I noted here on an earlier editorial David Stern knows that the League is most successful when the big market teams are good. He needs the Lakers to be good, but he can't tell that to the punks like Dan Gilbert because he couldn't keep the hometown hero in Cleveland. Was it really the city or the Front Office that lost LeBron James. I heard of the place called New York that Im told is a big city yet up until last year they have had a horrible team. Big City, horrible team has to be a bad Front Office.

The Lakers have had the luxury of the Big Glamour City but they have also had the best front office personnel the game has seen. The current GM Mitch Kupchak made the moves to bring 3 finals appearances and 2 Championships and he would have secured his legacy if Dictator Stern did not veto the deal he had the right to make. Things have taken a quick turn for the Lakers though....

Because of the veto the Lakers now find themselves in a very strange place. They can't force any moves and must be patient yet they feel they are a deal away from continuing their dominance, and at the same time could be at the beginning of a tailspin that could end the current era and send LA into a rebuilding phase.

The time has come and the drama is at a peak. I can already hear the footsteps of the band-wagoning Lakers fans on their way to the land of LobCity to jump on the Clippers wagon.

Mitch Kupchak and Kobe Bryant are facing the most difficult season they have seen since being together. Being the Lakers is not accepting anything but a Championship run, and if you are not in the running than you are not the Los Angeles Lakers. It is this burden that they face, Mitch trying to put the pieces together with the league against his success. Kobe is trying to lead the players he has with him while dealing with his own personal battle of divorce.

Lakers fans, the team needs you now more than ever, the fair weather fans will for sure be flocking to the Clippers so it's time for you to stand strong and show your Lakers Pride, they need you.
Be assured, everyone will be watching to see which way the ball bounces, with the Lakers fans or with the Lakers Haters. Sorry Miami, Boston, Dallas, New York, and you Clippers, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the story of he NBA.

LA vs LA - It's different now

2011-12-19T10:55:00.000-08:00

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Tonight the LA basketball world clashes for the first time with the latest additions to the Clippers and the latest subtractions to the Lakers.

As noted by David Steele of the Sporting News here are the storylines that will be a part of what is supposed to just be a pre-season game.

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David Stern Lied and Continues to Lie

2011-12-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

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This will be our last post on how the league screwed the Lakers and Rockets as we all know it was a shady move by David Stern. This move by Stern will go down in Sports history as one of the shrewdest corporate power moves in the modern sports era. A blatant disregard for the good word of open negotiations between respective teams. Obvious deceit to cover the lies and motives of a major sport and it's commissioner.

As noted by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle....

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Kobe and a Playboy Centerfold?

2011-12-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

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Bleacher Report is reporting that rumors are Kobe has been
dating and giving expensive gifts to Playboy Playmate Jessica Burciaga. She has said it's not true but who knows?

Im sure there are going to be more rumors and truths behind the divorce filings by Vanessa Bryant. Since she has filed I'd assume it's a matter of being very upset over something.

Anyhow, this season is not looking so good for the Lakers or Kobe Bryant. He is still trying to capture that 6th ring to put him in a tie with the Small Market team owner from Charlotte. It would also separate him from Magic Johnson's 5 Rings with the Lakers. It is a critical time for Kobe should the Lakers not be able to make the moves necessary for Kobe to get that 6th ring. As longtime Laker announcer Chick Hearn would say "It's Nervous Time"

Story to unfold in the coming days, months, years...

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Breaking News -David Stern Vetoes Kobe Bryants Divorce

2011-12-16T22:04:00.000-08:00

EDITORIAL by LakersPride

According to sources close to the situation. David Stern has vetoed the Divorce filed today in Santa Ana Superior Court in Orange County. It is believed to be clear that David Stern thinks that Vanessa can get a much better deal than the 50% that Kobe is offering and has put a stop to the filings, instead asking for Kobe to put together a better offer the league can approve.

It appears that Stern does not want Kobe to control where he will play in the future. Sources say other parents have contacted
Stern with threatening emails concerning the divorce and oppose allowing an all-star player to control his own destiny
and have asked Stern to step in and stop the filings.

David Stern has said that everyone does not have a full
understanding of the role he and the league have in this matter
and that over time everything will become much more clear.

Kobe could not be reached for comment but sources close to him are saying that he is seething and blames the Commissioner and parents for all of this chaos.

Kobe Bryants Wife Files For Divorce

2011-12-16T17:29:00.000-08:00

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Kobe Divorce - Could it be over for real?

From the Sacramento Bee

"The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a Judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012."

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VIDEO - Stern backpedals and shows his slithery skill

2011-12-16T17:18:00.000-08:00

Pic by Anthony Sweeney

STERN FINALLY APPEARS

Espn Talk with Stern -
As expected Stern says everyone didn't understand his dual role in the part of Hornets owner and league commish. You can almost see his snakeskin coming through his smirk as he explains the Chris Paul situation as HE sees it......Are you buying it?

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How David Stern lost the NBA

2011-12-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

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The trade crazy NBA now has it's rooted problem stemming from inept leadership during the lockout.

This is why David Stern is acting like an idiot......

The lockout had an opportunity to fix the NBA and go after the NFL, but David Stern no longer has the ability or trust of his owners or players....as pointed out by Jason Whitlock....

"Stern’s biggest problem is with ownership, not the players. If Stern had a firm grip on the men who pay his salary, he would’ve handled the lockout negotiations far differently. It wouldn’t have devolved into a quick cash grab. If league ownership had faith in Stern’s vision, the lockout would’ve been focused on installing a system that put the NBA in position to chase down the NFL. Owners and players would win in that scenario. Instead, the lockout produced no winner, only pain, embarrassment and hard feelings"

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NBA - League of Power Monger and his Cronies

2011-12-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

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The league has gone beyond damaging it's credibility. It has exposed itself as a League of Power mongering and who cares what anyone thinks we will do what we want. This is going to have some serious ramifications....Noted by yahoo sports...

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Kobe Sets sights - Video making 10 3pointers in a row

2011-12-15T09:34:00.000-08:00

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From the LA Times

He says he feels better than ever, and after what the league has done to the Lakers in ruining there trade scenario, the Lakers are gonna need the Black Mamba to be.

His shooting looks to be ready as this video shows him making 10 3 pointers in a row....when he is ON it is a beautiful sight....

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Lakers Get Screwed - Mitch is Pissed off!

2011-12-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

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As is expected the Lakers are pissed they got screwed in the Chris Paul fiasco

6 days after getting rejected the league ok's a deal to the Clippers....

From the LA times - Mike Breshnahan

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