Los Angeles Lakers Blog Posts

NBA and player wins

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:29:51 EDT

I have done some research and tinkering with numbers and came up with a way to determine a player's value in wins. As I discuss rosters, trades, draft picks, etc.., I will be talkng about a players wins. LeBron James had the most wins with 15. Kobe Bryant had 12 as did Chris Pual. The system I have in place splits up the wins a team earns during the year based on the player's statistis. Two players can have close to the same numbers but earn different win totals. That is because they have one major number that is different, team wins. There are players that score over 20, but can't win games. Ricky Davis is an example of that. Statistically, at one time, was very good. But, he never won games.

Ok, so here is some of the nitty gritty: Scoring is a huge factor. It's what the game is all about. Whoever scores the most wins. The teams with the higher point total had a fairly positive correlation. But, not as near as good as field goal percentage. FG% was a major factor. The better a team shoots, the more they win. FT% has absolutely now correlation. While FT attempted had a slight one. Another scoring statistic to include was 3-pointers. It was surpsrisingly strong correlation. However, you can't rely on threes. The more threes you shoot, the lower your FG% would be. So, there has to be a good medium with the two.

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Summer league--July 11

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:16:04 EDT

Summer league is a time for development. The Lakers are still deciding on what to do with Lamar Odom. But, in the meantime, Adam Morrison is making the most of summer time. He had 24 points 5 rebounds, 3 assist, and 1 turnover in his summer league debut. Then, he had 22 points and hit 4 three pointers in his second game. Great numbers and improvement. If Morrison can contribute off the bench, it will provide much needed insurance for if/when Ron Artest melts down.

The Milwaukee Bukcs are rebuilding and Joe Alexander had 14 points and 7 rebounds in his summer league debut. Brenden Jennings had 10 points and Meeks had 14.

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Lakers increase their win total

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:48:17 EDT

The Los Angelos Lakers have gotten better on paper. When they let Trevor Ariza go last week via free agency, they lost 6 wins. However, they gained 7 wins when they signed Ron Artest. Here is a look at next year's squad and how many wins they achieved statistically this past season:

PG DEREK FISHER 7

SG KOBE BRYANT 12

SF RON ARTEST 7

PF LAMAR ODOM 8

C PAUL GASOL 11

A. BYNUM 5, J. FARMAR 4, S VUJACIC 4, WALTON 3, POWELL 2, BROWN 1, MBENGA 1, MORRISON 1.

That is a total of 66 wins for next year. Lamar Odom is a key factor. He is a free agent and adds a lot of flexibility to the team. If he were to leave and take his 8 wins with him, LA would still be in good shape. Luke Walton has played a lot of minutes before and fit right in. And, perhaps Adam Morrison will start to contribute. Players usually blossom in their third to fourth year in the league. If Odom stays, and Artest can keep it cool like last year, this team could approach 70 wins. Bynum didn't play the whole year and still earned 5 wins. This is the team to beat next year.

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Top 10 Reasons Kobe and Artest will work out

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:05:02 EDT

10) They were spotted in Kobe's escalade at an 'N and Out drive-through. And yes, they both got "animal style."

9) When on road trips in Denver, Kobe's got Artest covered for booty calls.

8) Kobe's beer preference is bottles - meaning, he'll never pour anything in a plastic cup.

7) Kobe & LeBron's Nike "puppet campaign" is being replaced by "Kobe and Ron," a new puppet ad-series. However, Nike's yielding to "Crank Yankers" for the directing of this one.

6) Like Kobe, Artest is practically another Dobermamba on defense. Only difference is, Artest may bite.

5) As a peace offering, Artest bought fellow teammate and candy-lover, Lamar Odom, a year's supply of Cookies 'n Cream.

4) Finally, Kobe has a legit MC to battle Shaq with.

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Summer Malaise Probably Led To Coach K Rumors

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:15:17 EDT

When reports came out last week that Coach Mike Kryzewski was possibly considering leaving Duke to take over Lakers if Phil Jackson retires, few could really take it seriously. It was serious enough that Coach K addressed it at his summer press conference last week though, but I doubt anyone thought the Duke of Duke would abdicate his NCAA throne for one in the NBA.

But you can't blame bloggers and media types for trying. I am sure Coach K's name came up as a possible candidate in some brief conversation but the fact that it has been reported is more a product of the time of year rather than the actually likelihood that it would happen.

In the sports world, we are in the certified doldrums of the year. The NBA Finals are done, baseball is only halfway through its marathon season and NFL training camps are still about a month away. What is a sports writer/blogger to do? Of course the Laker story and Phil Jackson have made some entertaining reading so far. Jackson floats a coaching only at home scenario (maybe Jackson could coach via Twitter while sitting at home in his recliner watching the game on a big screen tv). The signing of Ron Artest has added new drama with his love for Kobe. Why not throw Coach K in there?

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NBA Champions

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 21:30:17 EDT

With the top 4 teams in the league last year making ALL the big moves so far this off-season(Boston excluded so far because they haven't signed sheed yet, but they will be getting a healthy Garnett back so it's like they made a big move), is it too much to ask to skip the next regular season and just have a 4 team playoff for the championship?! Seriously.... and I don't want to hear anything about the Spurs or the Nuggets. Jefferson is a mediocre pick-up at best and the nuggets were just a flash in the pan, "Oh my gosh Billups is from here!!!!", team last year. The team that will have an honorable mention next year will actually be the Blazers, but that's it. I know no one wants to suffer through the Cavs, Magic, Lakers

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Lakers Rockets trade sort of

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:20:00 EDT

If you were to glance at headlines yesterday, you might thing that the Los Angelos Lakers and the Houston Rockets made a trade. What is happening is that they are recruiting the other team's free agent. Ron Artest sent out a text saying he is happy to be a Laker. Meanwhile, Trevor Ariza is saying that he might be a Rocket. So, they are basically swapping small forwards. It is a good move for both teams. The Lakers want to win another championship and to do that, you have to mix things up a bit. Artest makes them better. He can score and defend. Ariza is still developing and getting better, Artest is already there.

I've created a formula that determines how many wins a player contributed statistically to his team. Last year, Artest earned 7 wins while Ariza earned 6. So, the Lakers get a win better, and the Rockets lose a win and a headache.

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In Taking an A for an A Lakers Become NBAs Super Villains

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 03:26:25 EDT

As we Laker fans begin to ponder Los Angeles' acquisition of Ron Artest at the expense of Trevor Ariza, a sense of dread came over me.

Not that the roster shakeup is necessary a bad one, but that now I'm a full-fledged fan of the NBA Villain.

The Lakers now are the Evil Empire. They're Darth Vader, Lex Luthor, Dr. Evil and Rush Limbaugh rolled into one purple basketball mass -- the team the NBA will love to hate.

Most people outside L.A. and Laker fandom have a considerable dislike for Kobe Bryant. Even with his renaissance this season as a world champion.

The rape allegations. The feud with Shaquille O'Neal, with many people believing an arrogant and selfish Bryant drove O'Neal out of town and coach Phil Jackson into retirement in 2004.

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Artest to LA Ariza to Houston

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:00:12 EDT

Well, the Lakers and Rockets essentially swapped players. For all intents and purposes, Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza are basically the same player, and bring the same skills to the table. Sure, Ariza's younger, but neither LA or Houston got better from these free agent pick ups. Both teams are in the same boat. Both guys are good defensive small forwards who can shoot, and will take on the toughest perimeter assignment. Ariza has more upside, so Houston has to be happy with that. Overall, not much was accomplished from all of this.

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The Draft Picks Are the Lakers Insane or Playing smart

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 20:34:43 EDT

The draft picks for last week were not only astonishing but the opposite of what the general public expected. The Laker's draft picks were at the bottom of pile to say the least. Not to mention the only player that was chosen who is unknown to say the least was foreigner name Chinemelu Elonu. I as well as fans were in complete shock when his name was actually mention in the second round of the draft picks. He seems to be a force to be reckoned with because his 235 pounds of strength and height of 6-10' inches. One could make the assumption that he may replace Shaq and be highly correct. Overall the picks this year for the Laker's were not inevitable but unpredictable. Yet, with stars such as Kobe Bryant still on their side they may not need anymore help adding another ring on their fingers. It only goes to show when in Rome do what the Romans do and when it comes to the Lakers recruiting star players isn't their main objective, winning always is.

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