Silver Screen and Roll

Bynum "Day to Day" with Jammed Ankle

2009-11-20T21:35:27Z

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Don't worry guys, I was just playing it safe. I'm still good.

[Ed. Note: We've decided to discontinue The View as a regular front page column, and are working on a plan to do more original SS&R content, editorial pieces, news, funny stuff, etc. — though we do hope Timbo will continue to give us his thoughts on anything and everything in the FanPosts. However, this means that you won't find The View in this time slot anymore, though it will hopefully be replaced with additional original content.]

Last night's game against the Bulls, as successful an outing as it was, contained more than a couple *gasp!* oh crap! moments. You know the kind: a player goes down, and depending on how injury prone they are (or whether they've got current injury issues), you hold your breath for a moment, hoping they're okay.

For the Lakers, it goes like this:

Kobe goes down, and you scream, "Where's the foul?!?" Let's be honest, no one thinks twice about injury with that dude. He'll just treat it around the clock and play anyways.
Pau Gasol goes down, and you think, "Silly bearded man..." Unless he's just coming back from injury, in which case, you think, "Oh crap, if he's not okay, I'm gonna hurt someone."
Lamar Odom goes down, and you think, "LO, I will never understand you." Mainly because he probably went down because of something crazy and inexplicable that he did. It's LO, we don't pretend to understand it.
Andrew Bynum goes down and you think, "Shitguys, Z missiles are coming!" Yeah, it's pretty much nuclear holocaust-level despair.

We had a couple of those moments last night. Fortunately, none of the worst case scenarios came to bear. Details after the jump.

Pau Gasol hit the floor pretty hard twice, one of which looked bad as his left foot got stuck underneath him. Fortunately, and much as I had suspected, it appears that he really did take his time coming back, waiting until he was at or close to 100%. The result was that he was able to take a beating without any noteworth y adverse effects, and he's none the worse for wear.

Now to the story that's actually news, though not the bad kind. As I noted in my recap of last night's game, Andrew Bynum played limited minutes (24:16, a full 13.5 minutes less than his average thus far) because he tweaked his ankle during the game. Just what we need, right? Another Bynum injury.

Relax, people. The news is good. They're not calling it a sprain; they originally called it a "tweak," and now they're calling it "jammed." And while they held him out for the rest of the game, he's slated to practice today, and expected to play on Sunday against the Thunder. See? You didn't believe me, but I told you it was fine.

I'd like to add that the Lakers' coaching staff, and/or Bynum himself, absolutely made the right call in sitting out last night. No, it's not what Kobe would do, but Bynum's not Kobe, and after the last two years, playing it safe is the right way to do things. Especially when Gasol is back, you're up a couple dozen points, and the game simply is not in question. In that scenario, it was the right move to get Bynum rest, not taking even a minor risk with that ankle, and make sure this isn't a problem.

That's what they did, and the news is, sure enough, no problem.

LA 108, Chicago 93: Recapping Lakers-Bulls, Pau Gasol Style

2009-11-20T18:00:31Z

by Noah Graham - NBAE/Getty Images

View full size photo »

Welcome back, Pau Gasol.

Thanks for stopping by, Pau Gasol.

So glad you're back, Pau Gasol.

It's true; sometimes, this Lakers team can be so ridiculously talented that when a guy like Gasol sits out the first eleven games of the season, you can almost forget just how much you miss him. Almost.

When things don't quite seem to fit, you think to yourself that this team is far, far too talented not to be destroying everybody they meet. But things look awkward, not quite right. Something is wrong; what's the problem?

And then he comes back, and life is easy and grand and beautiful, with everything in its right place, and you remember. Not that he's good — you were never that forgetful. But you remember just how good he is, and everything he does for this team.

Thank you, Pau Gasol.

Remember the part about how Gasol hasn't played in several weeks, and therefore could be kinda rusty? You know how sometimes, when coming back from injury, big men like Bynum need some time to find their timing again? Not an issue for Pau Gasol.

Gasol played nine minutes in first quarter, shooting 4-5 in the period for 10 points, along with four rebounds, two of them offensive. The Lakers jumped out to a quick 25-19 lead, and the rest of the game followed suit, with the Lakers winning the first three quarters by a steady average of six points, and playing the Bulls evenly in a final period that was nothing more than a formality. Just like that, Pau Gasol was back.

Rusty, he was not. He scored 24 points while taking only 15 shots, connecting on almost two thirds of them (nine). Talk about efficiency. At the same time, his timing was good enough for 13 rebounds, including seven offensive.

Fatigue may have been a factor—he said he was "looking forward to the first timeout," and was glad for the longer timeouts of nationally televised games—but if so, it didn't show in the amount or quality of the minutes he played. Phil Jackson had said prior to the game that he would be happy with 25 minutes from Gasol; instead, Gasol gave him a full 35. And if he was tired, he fooled me. He ran the floor, was often one of the first down on offense, and got back quickly back on defense. He challenged shots, fought hard for rebounds, played solid defense. Sure, he may have been thoroughly winded when it was all over, but he certainly didn't play like a guy who couldn't catch his breath.

Meanwhile, Gasol's presence had a positive ripple effect throughout the entire Lakers roster. As Kenny "The Jet" Smith pointed out in the TNT postgame show, Gasol's return put everyone back in their natural positions. It also bolstered the bench, allowing Lamar Odom to return to his role as sixth man and bench leader and anchor. Gasol's presence also enabled Jackson to use more mixed lineups — two bench players with three starters, or three bench players with two starters, instead of simply swapping out entire five-man starting and replacement units.

Andrew Bynum had a quiet night, with "only" 11 points and eight rebounds, but don't be fooled. J.A. Adande is wrong when he says that Gasol's return negatively affected Bynum's production. In reality, it was poor shooting and a minor injury that resulted in a lower point total for our budding young center. A sprained ankle caused him to play only 24:16; meanwhile, he took 12 shots, which is only two fewer than his average for the year, and pretty consistent with his average over the last three games (12.6).

I don't know about you, but the fact that he got off 12 shots and pulled down eight rebounds while playing 13.5 fewer minutes than usual because of that ankle doesn't say to me that Gasol's presence is hindering Bynum's production. If anything, it was a simple off night that resulted in a lower point total for Bynum, as he missed several shots he usually makes. In his previous nine games, Bynum has shot the ball at a rate of 59.1%. Had he shot that well on his 12 shots tonight, he'd have had 15 points. Then, if we compensate for his shortened minutes, we find that, had he played his usual minutes, he would have scored 23 points on the night.

While Andrew's minutes may go down a bit overall, even when he's not tweaking his ankle, I think it's safe to say that Gasol's presence on the court had nothing at all to do with Bynum's lessened production. Assuming he still plays 32-35 minutes, I see no reason why Bynum can't continue to be a 20/10 guy, or something close to it.

Kobe Bryant struggled with his shot, but I got the impression (as did several others) that he's simply adjusting to the changes in dynamics with Gasol back on the court. He's spent 11 games working out of the post and in the paint, and now he's back to spending a bit more time on the perimeter. He'll probably still get a few more inside touches than he did last year, and obviously it shouldn't take long for him to adjust back to a balance of perimeter and post play, but last night, it seemed a simple case of readjustment. His shots were good ones, for the most part, and several of them barely rimmed out.

On the other hand, the rest of his game was quite good. In addition to 21 points, he had nine rebounds, eight assists, and only one turnover. While I could care less about the assists—it's an incomplete and misleading statistic—I did like his passing and his approach to the game overall. It's not necessarily that he had more of a passing mentality, and less of a shooting one; it's simply that in the past 11 games, this team has needed him to score first and foremost. With Gasol back and not missing a beat, that need was immediately less pronounced, freeing Kobe up to play a more rounded game, and he did just that.

I have to talk about Ron Artest. I can't be excited enough about this guy. First, let's talk overall. How fortunate are the Lakers to have a guy like Ron Artest, who has been the top dog on his team for most of his career, to essentially play the role of defensive specialist? I'll answer that for you: very. Loul Deng came into the game averaging 17.4 points per game on 46.1% shooting from the field. Ron Artest simply shut him down, and it didn't even seem like a big deal. 3-11 shooting for Deng, for a grand total of six whopping points. He was a non-factor for the game, and that was Artest's doing.

But it's more than that. This is a guy whose actions (and just plain craziness), for most of his career, have demanded attention. It was impossible not to notice Artest. With the Lakers, so far, you could almost miss him if you weren't paying attention. And understand me here; this is a very good thing. You're not noticing him disrupting the offense. You're not noticing him jacking up bad shots (well, aside from not one, but two straight backwards, over-the-head layup attempts, last night). You're not noticing him shooting poor percentages and taking the Lakers out of their game offensively. You're not noticing him being a disruption off the court, or picking up technical fouls and threatening to fly off the handle on it.

And if you're busy watching Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, and Andrew Bynum, you might not be noticing him making plays, passing, setting up teammates, defending, rebounding, deferring, and making virtually all of the right decisions. You might not be noticing him putting in constant effort, never relaxing or playing lazy. And you might not notice him making life in general easier for Kobe Bryant and everyone else around him.

Oh, and by the way, lost in Pau Gasol's return and Kobe Bryant's rebounding and distributing against the Bulls were Artest's 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and only one turnover. He made half of his three-point attempts (2-4) and his only free throw (woo!). And while he took 13 shots to score 15 points, that line is deceptive, since he had four offensive rebounds. As you may recall from Dex's intro lesson on advanced statistics, possessions with one or more offensive rebounds still only count as a single possession for the Lakers. And since three of those four offensive rebounds were on his own misses, it turns out that he actually scored 15 points on only 10 offensive possessions, or 1.5 points per possession. And that is very efficient basketball.

Shoutouts to Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom, both of whom shot well from the field (Fish 5-5, Odom 4-7) and from long distance (Fish 2-2, Odom 2-4), adding a couple assists each. Odom also chipped in with 8 rebounds, one of four Lakers to collect at least 8 boards. Jordan Farmar also played fairly well overall, making good decisions even while the rim wasn't kind to him, and adding a couple assists and three steals to his eight points in 20 minutes.

Overall, the stats confirm what our eyes told us, that the Lakers dominated the Bulls on both ends of the court. They scored 1.09 points per possession while holding the Bulls to 0.96 points per possession. They controlled the offensive and defensive boards, rebounding 28% of their misses while allowing the Bulls to rebound only 21.7% of theirs. The Lakers had nine turnovers in the first half, but brought things under control with only three in the second, committing 12 turnovers overall to the Bulls' 15.

My favorite things from a team perspective, however, were the points in the paint and the game flow chart. In the former, the Lakers held a 60-40 advantage, scoring 55.6% of their points in the paint. Borat say, very nice! The game flow chart, meanwhile, shows a consistent effort from start to finish from the Lakers, and that's something I like. Rather than coming out flat and then building up to take back control, or starting strong and then letting the Bulls back in before gritting out the win, the Lakers steadily outperformed the Bulls from beginning to end. Hell, even a garbage time lineup featuring Adam Morrison, DJ Mbenga, Josh Powell (who is solid, but not when he shares the court with Mbenga), and Sasha "The Broken Beyond Repair Machine" Vujabric managed to more or less keep pace with the Bulls.

Not everything was perfect for the Lakers, but the signs were very promising. The passing was well-intended, but at times sloppy and imprecise. This will improve as the Lakers grow more comfortable with their current lineup, and as Ron Artest becomes more comfortable in the triangle and playing with Gasol. Things were sloppy at times, but don't underestimate the balancing and spacing effect Gasol has on the entire offense. As these guys get more comfortable with each other, and with Gasol in the mix, I expect the passing to become crisp and precise, a true thing of beauty, and the offense overall to begin running at a level we have not yet seen this year.

And that's what tonight's game was: A thoroughly enjoyable display, a strong reminder of the countless things Gasol does for this team, and a promise of how good these Lakers—already one of the best teams in the league even without Gasol—can be now that he's back. As Timbo said in last night's game thread, what the Lakers with Gasol aren't additively better than they were without him, they are exponentially better. Expect the various power rankings to start changing in the Lakers favor.

The Credits: El Matador

2009-11-20T15:49:37Z

More photos » by Noah Graham - NBAE/Getty Images

Browse more photos »

Recaps, Post Games & Chats:
Gasol Stars Against Bulls In Return - Lakers.com BasketBlog
A happy return for Lakers' Pau Gasol -- latimes.com
Gasol has nice start - The Orange County Register
Gasol's return sparks Lakers - LA Daily News
Forum Blue And Gold " Preview & Chat: The Chicago Bulls
TLN’s Postgame Report: Lakers vs. Bulls | The Lakers Nation
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers - ESPN
Gasol already in top form | PE.com
Kobe Catches Kareem - Lakers Defeat Bulls - HoopsWorld
Behind the Box Score, where the Lakers can do this sitting down - Ball Don't Lie

Click on through for more Lakers and NBA related links after the Jump...

Lakers Links:

Vote for the All-Star Game

The Los Angeles Times:

Lakers' Gasol proves his worth, even if fans don't notice
(Bobblehead Alert. Plaschke only pays attention to big games, then gives his take.)
Lakers 108, Bulls 93: Pau Gasol screams*, "Hola, 2009-2010 season!" | Lakers Blog
Andrew Bynum: Jammed right ankle, day to day | Lakers Blog
Five years later, Ron Artest recalls the Brawl at the Palace

The Orange County Register:

Others:

Daily Dime: Gasol shines in season debut - NBA - ESPN
Lakers forward Artest recalls costly 'Malice' - LA Daily News
SLAM ONLINE | " Post Up: Kobe passes Kareem
Gasol’s Return Lifts Lakers Back to Normal - Off the Dribble Blog - NYTimes.com
Hardwood Paroxysm " Blog Archive " Lion Face/Lemon Face 11.19.09
Lion Face: Oops-Pau-Surprise Isn’t it sort of scary when a healthy Pau Gasol is forced upon us? I mean, there we are, meandering about the NBA world thinking that anybody is ripe for the West taking with Kobe Bryant and company sort of hobbled and then they screw everything up by bringing back a tall Spaniard with acting experience and a hell of a post presence.
'Art of a Beautiful Game' Explored by Sports Illustrated Scribe -- NBA FanHouse
Below is a link excerpt about Kobe:
- Deadspin - Book Excerpts That Don't Suck: The Art Of A Beautiful Game

Lakers Audio/Video:

Bulls -at- Lakers - 11/19 - SD Highlights | Flash | JD2K Lakers Video Highlights

LAKERS: Bulls vs. Lakers Highlights

LAKERS: Post Game Locker Room Talk

Podcast: Bulls.com’s Sam Smith at Lakers.com BasketBlog

A non-NBA fan headed to Staples Center to see whether what the league had to offer could convert him - ESPN

710 ESPN Los Angeles

ESPN NBA Today

The Basketball Jones

NBA Related Links:

LIVE: Lakers vs. Bulls

2009-11-20T04:00:30Z

Sorry for the late game thread, guys. I'm closing up at work and then heading home during a commercial, so I'll dispense with any commentary and let you get right to it.

Previewing Bulls-Lakers, Where Pau Gasol is Back!

2009-11-20T01:08:01Z

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

Browse more photos »

That's right, folks. The Chicago Bulls have won the Pau Gasol Sweepstakes! As their prize, they get to be the first to have to plan for not only Kobe, Bynum, LO, and Ron Ron, but also the might Spaniard, Pau Gasol! Aren't they lucky?

Actually, no. While he may be a bit rusty in his first game back, he also has a history of performing well against the Bulls. In their two-game regular season series last year, Gasol led the Lakers in scoring, averaging 28.5 points per game, as well as 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in 35.5 minutes. The Lakers won both games, the final scores of which were virtually identical: 116-109 at Staples Center, and 117-109 at United Center.

Suffice it to say that while no NBA team, executive, coach, or player wishes injury on another, the Bulls wouldn't have minded if Gasol had sat out one more game.

On the other hand, Derrick Rose also fared pretty well in those two meetings from last season, averaging 25 points, 6.5 assists, and 4 rebounds in 37.5 minutes per game. With the point guard position being the Lakers most vulnerable point defensively, and our weakest matchup, this could continue to be a problem. But before we get into that, let's look at the Lakers coming in.

The Lakers Right Now

8-3, 3rd in West, 105.4 ORtg, 102.3 DRtg, 94.4 Pace

The Lakers were looking great mid-last week. Had power rankings been done about a week ago, the Lakers likely would have held the top spot. But then they lost two straight, neither of which was close, and we started to realize that the win over Phoenix might have had just as much to do with their weary legs and rough early schedule as it did with out supposed dominance.

With Pau Gasol out until now, much of the season to date has revolved around Kobe Bryant — to an extent that we really hadn't expected with a team still so talented. Simply put, the team has mostly risen and fallen with him. In the early going, when his post game was impossibly dominant and the Lakers were getting it to him as often as they possibly could, LA rolled. After a bit, teams adjusted to that strategy, packing the defense into the paint and forcing Kobe to go outside, and the Lakers to get other players involved. They were slow to adapt, not doing either of these things well, and that led to poor performances overall.

Simply put, teams knew what Kobe was going to do, and they knew the rest of the Lakers weren't looking to do anything but pass to him. It made the Lakers predictable, and quite stoppable, and stopped they were.

On Tuesday, the entire situation looked much improved. Okay, we can give Kobe a pass for getting excited about his new and improved post game, and we can give his teammates a pass for being mesmerized by it and wanting to see more of it. They got a bit infatuated with that lone offensive weapon, but they seem to have snapped out of it. Two nights ago, they were passing the ball, getting other players involved, and playing as a team. Kobe was playing a fully balanced game, running pick-and-rolls on the perimeter, attacking off the dribble from the wings, and of course, still adding a good measure of post play. For two dominant quarters, they were unstoppable — and the story of those quarters was more one of interest and effort than anything else.

On the defensive end, they were engaged, working hard. The perimeter defense was suffocating, even from guys like Farmar, Brown, and yes, D-Fish. Meanwhile, I was pretty impressed with Bynum, who was challenging guards on switches, moving his feet, altering shots, and going after rebounds. If the Lakers play with the interest and motivation they did in those middle two quarters, this game won't be a problem. If they play with the sloppiness and laziness of the first quarter, and if the bench is as disconnected and just plain bad as they were in the fourth quarter, this is a Bulls team that can beat us.

Speaking of Pau Gasol

It's the first time we'll be seeing him this year, so let's talk about Pau Gasol, since we haven't yet. Don't expect him to play heavy minutes; Gasol has worried vocally about his conditioning, and Phil Jackson has said that he'll be happy if Pau can go for 25 minutes. On the other hand, I wouldn't be too worried about what kind of shape his knee is in. He took things very cautiously and slowly — much the opposite of the "if I can breathe without a respirator and have at least one good leg, I'm playing" mentality of one Kobe "Round-theClock Treatment" Bryant — so it seems safe to assume that if he's coming back, it means that leg is in pretty good shape.

The good news is that we could get a fairly healthy dose of Gasol while he's in. After playing without him for 11 games, I wouldn't be surprised if his teammates are looking for him a bit more than usual. If his shot is falling, he's got the skills to really do some damage. Most of all, though, his passing will be a welcome addition to the Lakers half court set. I was pleased with Bynum's passing against Detroit, but I don't know that there's a big man in the league that has Gasol's passing skills. At the same time, his mere presence on the court is likely to encourage a more balanced game both from Kobe, and from the Lakers — and as we saw on Tuesday, that's a recipe for success.

Bottom line: This is the guy that Kelly Dwyer has been repeatedly calling the best power forward in the NBA, and I'm inclined to agree with him. While he may be a bit rusty to start out, there's simply no way to put a negative spin on getting back a player of that caliber.

The Bulls Coming In

6-4, 7th in East, 98.0 ORtg, 99.5 DRtg, 92.3 Pace

The Bulls are a pretty lopsided team. Their defense is 4th best in the league, allowing only 98 points per 100 possessions (for reference, the Lakers are allowing 102.3 points per 100 possessions). On the other hand, their offense is just abysmal, averaging 98 points per 100 possessions — for the mathematically challenged among you, that's less than one point per possession. As you know if you've been paying attention around here, that is NOT good.

As a team, the Bulls take an inordinate number of long twos and mid-range jumpshots, while attempting significantly fewer inside and three-point attempts than most teams in the league. Translated, that means they're taking a lot of the least efficient shots on the court, and not enough of the most efficient shots.

The defensive strategy for the Lakers, then, should be easy: push the Bulls into their already established tendencies. Pack it into the paint and chase them off the three-point line, and they'll almost do the Lakers work for them, settling for low percentage two-point shots.

On the other hand, Derek Rose has vowed to be more aggressive offensively, accurately noticing that his offensive struggles are the result of settling for low quality shots and an overall passiveness on offense. Rose has committed to attacking the paint and playing more aggressively as of this game — how he fares against the likes of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom is yet to be seen, but if the Lakers are hoping to lull the Bulls into taking low percentage shots, they should be aware that it is Rose's intention to do the exact opposite.

Joakim Noah seems to be the story of the Bulls, lately. He's not an extraordinary NBA talent, but the guy just works harder, more consistently, than most players in the NBA. He's an effort player who can really inject his team with energy, and that effort is contagious.

For a Lakers team that is criticized for their effort more than anything else, this could be the story of the game. If the Lakers come out expecting a walk in the park and an easy win, without putting in solid effort and playing hard, the Bulls will have a chance to steal this game. If they buckle down and plan to earn this win, their talent is such that this Bulls team simply isn't good enough to play with them when they're working hard and playing well.

The Credits: The Lords of the Ring: The Two Towers

2009-11-19T15:21:55Z

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Browse more photos »

For the first time this season, Pau will play! Here are your Lakers Links:

The Los Angeles Times:
Pau Gasol says he will play Thursday
All Gasol, Gasol the time | Lakers Blog
Up next for Lakers: Thursday vs. Chicago
Chicago could try to blame road woes on the circus

The Orange County Register:
Lakers about to put Pau into lineup
Pau Gasol ready to play and declares: "I’m a happy man"
Breaking down the banter between Pau and Phil
Brown, Farmar show encouraging signs

LA Daily News:
Gasol set to return for Lakers
SHELBURNE: Gasol now just one of the guys

Others:
Forum Blue And Gold " What To Expect With Gasol Back
Lakeshow Spotlight: A Tale of Two Lakers | The Lakers Nation
Kobe Closing in on Kareem at Lakers.com BasketBlog
Luke Walton Injury Interview at Lakers.com BasketBlog
New Wallpapers for Lakers Nation from J7 Designs | Lakers Nation
Passive Rose has to get aggressive :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bulls
(Hat tip to True Hoop)
Pondering Iverson to the Lakers - Bethlehem Shoals - The Baseline - Sporting News

Vote for the All-Star Game

Audio/Video:

LAKERS: Lakers Practice Report 11/18/09
ESPN NBA Today
710 ESPN Los Angeles
The Basketball Jones

Click on through to discuss...

All Signs Point to Gasol Returning Soon

2009-11-18T23:12:28Z

We've been waiting for Pau Gasol — he of recent CSI: Miami fame — to return from his "day-to-Christmas" injury for weeks now. Well, last night, in a game break interview during the Lakers rout of the Pistons, Gasol stated with quite a bit of optimism that he hopes to play against Chicago tomorrow night.

Neither Gasol nor the Lakers are making any guarantees about the exact date of his return, including whether or not he will play against Chicago. But the most encouraging part of this announcement wasn't in the details; it was in Pau's upbeat demeanor.

Throughout this extended process, Gasol's candor regarding his frustration with the injury has been very transparent. Rarely do players express their disappointment, frustration, and honest concern and worry regarding injuries that are classified as "day-to-day," the way Gasol did. He wasn't just frustrated — he freely admitted to being upset, antsy, angry, depressed, and more than a little worried. He repeatedly expressed that we should be very concerned by the way the injury was sticking around.

Doctors may not have agreed, but if nothing more, it was a pretty clear indicator of how close to coming back Gasol was not.

As of last night's interview, that has completely changed. Gasol was upbeat, hopeful, and optimistic, and clearly excited to be returning to the court very soon. Coming from someone who was so hesitant to express any sort of optimism before, and who has stated more than once that his intent is to be very cautious and take it very slow, this can probably be taken as a sign that this ordeal really is ending, and that his impending return will be not only soon, but also safe.

I'd call Gasol's return against Chicago about a 70% likelihood, and overall, I'd conclude that when he does return — almost certainly by Sunday's game against the Thunder, if I'm reading this correctly — it should be for good, and without further complications.

Lakeshow Episode 11: The View from Detroit

2009-11-18T20:00:20Z

You'd think that I'd give the Memphis Grizzlies a break. I mean, people who actually live in Memphis don't give a piddle in a rainstorm for them, why should anybody else care?

I just love listening to politicians spin and lie, that's all.

Here's the way Memphis GM and Donkey Breeder Chris Wallce described the latest plot twist in the Allen Iverson soap opera:

Grizzlies, Iverson Agree to Terminate Contract

by Michael Tillery, Memphis Commercial Appeal

* * *
Iverson and the Griz mutually agreed Monday to terminate the one-year, $3.1 million contract he signed in September. Under the agreement, Iverson essentially forfeited the remainder of his salary.

Iverson will be waived, and then become an unrestricted free agent if no team claims him off waivers.

Iverson, 34, had been away from the Grizzlies for the past 10 days on a personal leave of absence. The Griz cited Iverson's personal matters as the reason for his departure.

"The Grizzlies and Allen Iverson have come to a mutual agreement that because of personal matters that forced him to leave the team on Nov. 7, Allen will step away from the game at this time, allowing him to focus on those matters," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. "As a result, we will be ending our contractual agreement with Allen, which will allow both parties to move forward. We wish Allen the best." * * *

Ha ha! The myth of "personal matters" is being spouted to the bitter end!

More Memphis mocking after the jump...

Of course, these imaginary "personal matters" aren't going to stand in the way of Allen Iverson returning to the NBA, only his returning to the Memphis Grizzlies. That's sort of funny, isn't it, since the "personal matters" were said by Memphis Liar in Chief Michael Heisley to have "nothing to do" with the bench role stuff? Here's a story by Mark Spears of Yahoo! Sports:

Allen Iverson fully intends to resume his NBA career, preferably this season, his personal manager told Yahoo! Sports on Monday night [11/16/09].

Iverson reached an agreement on Monday to part ways with the Memphis Grizzlies after previously taking a leave of absence from the team. He is expected to clear waivers in a couple of days and become a free agent.

"There is absolutely no doubt that he still wants to play," said Gary Moore, Iverson's personal manager. "There should be no doubt in anyone's mind. He will be working out every day until he hears from someone."

Wait for it...........................................

A New York Daily News report said the New York Knicks would explore possibly signing Iverson. Team president Donnie Walsh wasn't committal, telling the Daily News, "We'll look into it. Right now, I'd say probably not, but we'll see." * * *

Well, you know, I know, we all know that if the General Manager in New York was Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson would have been there yesterday — because if there's anyone in the NBA dumber than Memphis GM Chris Wallace (hard to imagine, I know), it's Magic Johnson's little friend. But Donnie Walsh happens to be one of the best and the brightest of the old school GMs. Compare and contrast to the New York Daily News, a tabloid rag which often ventures into the realm of speculative fiction in an effort to sell newspapers. Bottom line: I'd take that particular rumor with exactly 3 pounds, 5.7 ounces of salt.

Don't worry about the tattooed twerp, though, as his personal manager notes

"His spirits are very high," Moore said. "There is nothing damaging to his spirits or anything. This time was necessary for him. God and family first, then basketball."

Allen Iverson is a humble Christian gentleman, after all!

Channel Surfing

Monday, Nov. 16.

Portland (8-3) at Atlanta (8-2).

The Blazers were riding a league-best 6 game win streak, attempting to finish their first undefeated 5 game road trip since 1991. The last team to beat them? The Atlanta Hawks, surprising occupants at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The Hawks and the Blazers are in many respects parallel teams in their depth and athleticism. On this night for three quarters the Blazers managed to dictate pace and forced the Hawks to settle for perimeter jumpers, which were not falling. A double digit lead was opened up, sitting at 9 to open the 4th Quarter.

The Blazers were unable to finish, however, missing jumpshots while getting wiped out on the boards. Hawks superstar Joe Johnson got red hot, racking up 10 points in the final quarter in leading the charge for Atlanta. The Hawks went on a 10-0 run and evened the game by the midway point. They held the momentum and the lead thereafter.

A desperation 25 footer by Rudy Fernandez at the buzzer tied the score to force the game into overtime, but Portland seemed gassed and never threatened in the extra frame. Joe Johnson (a VERY desirable free agent this summer) finished with 35 points and Josh Smith had 20 for the Hawks, who remain on top of the Eastern Conference, leading the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. Hawks 99, Blazers 95 (Overtime).

Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Detroit (5-5) at LA Lakers (7-3).

Consider, if you will, the fable of the tortoise and the hare:

There once was a speedy hare who bragged about how fast he could run. Tired of hearing him boast, Slow and Steady, the tortoise, challenged him to a race. All the animals in the forest gathered to watch.

Hare ran down the road for a while and then and paused to rest. He looked back at Slow and Steady and cried out, "How do you expect to win this race when you are walking along at your slow, slow pace?"

Hare stretched himself out alongside the road and fell asleep, thinking, "There is plenty of time to relax."

Slow and Steady walked and walked. He never, ever stopped until he came to the finish line.

The animals who were watching cheered so loudly for Tortoise, they woke up Hare.

Hare stretched and yawned and began to run again, but it was too late. Tortoise was over the line.

After that, Hare always reminded himself, "Don't brag about your lightning pace, for Slow and Steady won the race!"

Well, if Aesop were alive and hanging with his boys in SoCal today, and if he were courtside to watch the Lakers lay wood to the Pistons on Tuesday night, he'd be inspired to put his little story through a bit of rewrite.

In Today's Revised Version, Laker Hare would run 3/4 of the race, pulling out to an insurmountable lead. Then PJ the Gamekeeper would say, "That's enough humiliation for the poor Piston Tortoise, Laker Hare, please sit down and let your brother the Bench Sloth finish the race."

And brother Bench Sloth would run the wrong direction and chuck the Tortoise towards the finish line and crash into inanimate objects and take time to stick each of his 3 toes up orifices where the toes have no place being and would generally crawl in circles like a victim of Adam Morrison Disease. The insurmountable lead would almost vanish because Bench Sloth really had no place running a race against Piston Tortoise or any other competitive, unidirectional creature.

Then PJ the Gamekeeper would mutter "Screw this!" (but not so loud that any children would hear) and he would jump up from his comfortable padded seat on the bench, and would load his tranquilizer gun and shoot the incompetent Bench Sloth in the butt with a dart. Then would ask Laker Hare to kindly get his ass in there to finish the race for his challenged brother.

And Laker Hare would pull out the victory.

Kobe with his 100th game scoring 40. Please come back soon Pau, we can't take these idiots much longer.

Now for some rather less fabulous analysis, please remove your Popcorn Machine GAME FLOW CHART from its holster... Click that link, if you please.

Observation 1: This game played evenly for a quarter and a half. Then the Lakers went on a 19-6 run midway through the 2nd Quarter, with the Kobemeister doing the damage.

Observation 2: The Pistons had a run of 15-3 during the first part of the 4th Quarter. Kobe had to be inserted to stop the slide. This was followed by a 9-0 Piston run, with Kobe on the floor, forcing Phil to put Lamar Odom back into the game, which effectively iced it for the Lakers. But at this time a 28 point 3rd Quarter lead had fallen to just 7.

Observation 3: The 4th Quarter Pistons run was made exclusively by the Detroit bench, plus rookie SF Jonas Jerebko.

Observation 4: Starting PG Rodney Stuckey was a mindblowing Minus-30 on the Plus/Minus for the evening, while money men Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva were never reinsterted during the Detroit run.

Well, that's all I've got. Now please grab your cat and cuddle up to join me in watching the latest installment of THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD:

And just in case you missed it, here was yesterday's dose...

(1)

About Last Night: The Detroit Pistons have no answer for Kobe Bryant

by Patrick Hayes, Booth Newspapers/Full Court Press blog

Minus a frantic fourth quarter effort to close the gap, there wasn't much good to write about last night's game. The Pistons had no answer for Kobe Bryant, which was expected. Few teams do.

They also had no answer for Andrew Bynum's size. He had 17 points, 12 rebounds and a block for the Lakers, including five offensive rebounds. Ben Wallace didn't have a horrible game with five boards and three assists in 18 minutes, and Kwame Brown, other than his three turnovers, was solid with 9 points, five rebounds and three assists, but neither had much success pushing Bynum out of the paint.

Charlie Villanueva was a no-show for the second straight game, although Lakers forwards Ron Artest and Lamar Odom didn't do much either.

Basically, while it's hard to get too demoralized about a loss to the defending champs, the Lakers were able to do pretty much anything they wanted against Detroit's first-stringers. The fourth quarter comeback, taking nothing away from what the Pistons reserves were able to do, is fast becoming a common occurrence in LA, so again, nothing to get too excited about. * * *

(2)

Recap: Lakers 106, Pistons 93

by Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

* * *

Turning point: When the Pistons inbounded the ball to start the second quarter — a period where the Lakers scored on 16 of 21 possessions.

The big number: 64 — the shooting percentage of the Lakers in second quarter.

The other side: Lakers center Andrew Bynum was a matchup nightmare with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Temper, temper: In the fourth quarter, Pistons' Jason Maxiell, who scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, cleanly blocked a breakaway dunk attempt from former MSU star Shannon Brown. Maxiell and Andrew Bynum later picked up technical fouls for jawing with each other.

Let it go, the sequel: Three days after being serenaded with boos in Washington by one of his former teams, Kwame Brown got the same treatment when stepped to the free-throw line in the first half. * * *

Equal number: The Pistons and Lakers each shot 47.2% from the field.

(3)

Tayshaun Prince Improves; Return Uncertain

by Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press

LOS ANGELES — When Tayshaun Prince felt something wrong with his back during a practice after the third game of the season, he figured a little extra stretching would help.

It turns out that was the worst thing he could have done.

Prince, a surprise passenger on the trip West, spoke with the media for the first time since it was announced before the Nov. 3 home game against Orlando that he was sidelined indefinitely with a small ruptured disk. It snapped Prince's streak of 496 straight games.

He has missed eight games, and while he didn't have a timetable for a return, he said he feels a lot better and is eager to return — with the blessing of the team's medical personnel and strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander.

"Obviously it's going to be something Arnie and me agree to, and obviously it depends on how I feel," Prince said of his return. * * *

(4)

Pistons Lit Up by Livid Lakers

by Ted Kulfan, Detroit News

Los Angeles -- The Los Angeles Lakers came into Tuesday's game angry, and the Pistons paid the price.

After ugly losses their previous two games, the Lakers beat the Pistons, 106-93.

But not without the Pistons giving the Lakers a scare at the end.

The Lakers (8-3) took a 28-point lead in the third quarter, but the Pistons cut the margin to seven points (98-91) with 1:55 left in the game.

DaJuan Summers then fouled the Lakers' Shannon Brown (Michigan State) on a 3-point try, which extended the lead to 101-91 and all but clinched the outcome.

"We gave them too much respect early on," Pistons rookie Jonas Jerebko said. "In the fourth quarter, we just played hard and not as much respect. But we can play a lot better than we did." * * *

Jerebko, a rookie from Sweden, guarded Bryant quite a bit Tuesday. It was an experience Jerebko won't soon forget.

"He's the best player in the league in my opinion," said Jerebko, who had eight points, two rebounds and an assist in 29 minutes. "It was tough but it's fun to play against such a good player. It was an experience." * * *

(5)

Worked: Lakers 106, Pistons 93

by Packey, Motown String Music (SBN)

If you want to see what a jet-lagged, inferior team looks like, watch the Pistons in a replay of this game. Or maybe it's just what a team looks like against the defending champs when Kobe Bryant is on the other side shooting 17-29 and scoring 40 points for the 100th time in his career.

Either way you look at it, the Pistons got worked, 106-93. They were outscored 65-41 in the middle two quarters, as the Lakers shot nearly 60% from the field. Detroit turned it over 15 times although it seemed like a lot more than that and the Lakers cleaned up on the glass, outrebounding Detroit 44-32, which also seems lower than it felt.

If it weren't for the Lakers putting it in neutral after three quarters and the inspired play of Will Bynum, this game would have ended similar to the way it ended in the third -- with the Pistons down more than some can count. Instead, Will "The Thrill" led the Pistons charge on the obligatory "blow out comeback" and put the Pistons within seven (!!!) with about two minutes remaining, but it was too little too late.

The Lakers turned it on one last time to push the lead back to ten and then Kobe Bryant sank a three pointer from a few feet behind the three point line to put the Lakers up 13 for good and give himself a quaint 40 for the night. * * *

(6)

Detroit Pistons Aren't Ready for Games Like This

by Dan Feldman, Piston Powered (TrueHoop)

After last night's 106-93 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Jonas Jerebko went up to Kobe Bryant and congratulated him. Bryant look up, saw who it was, looked the rookie in the eye and said, "Good game."

It's funny, but I think Kobe was serious.

Last night's game turned for the worse when Jerebko began guarding Kobe Bryant. Bryant, who missed his first four shots, looked at the rookie and seemed to think, "He's guarding me?"

All of a sudden, Kobe's nagging groin injury and his cold shooting stroke disappeared. Bryant scored 40 points and added five rebounds, five assists and three steals. He controlled the game, and there was nothing the Pistons could do about it.

That's OK. Not many teams can do anything to slow Kobe.

But it was encouraging the Pistons kept playing hard — including Jerebko more than any other starter.

The Lakers built a 28-point lead midway through the third quarter, and Detroit cut it to seven with 1:54 left. Big leads in the NBA naturally shrink because the winning team becomes complacent.

But cutting it that much and forcing the Lakers to bring Kobe Brant back into the game is a little more than the typical swing back to the losing team. So, give credit to the guys out there in the fourth quarter:

Jerebko (the only starter with a positive plus/minus rating: +3)

Jason Maxiell (13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks)

Will Bynum (24 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block)

DaJuan Summers (team-best +12 rating)

Chris Wilcox (three rebounds in six minutes)

Kwame Brown (nine points, five rebounds and three beautiful assists)

But — and there's a huge but — the Pistons aren't ready for games like this: road games against the league's better teams. And they're certainly not ready for this road trip (games at Portland, Utah and Phoenix in the next five days). * * *

(7)

My Second Half Observations

posted by "Gabe" to Detroit Bad Boys game thread

Very very good: MFWB [Mother-Fuckin' Will Bynum]. He's awesome. Quickness + consistent finishing ability inside the paint + a clearly hungry player = an amazing guy to watch.

Very good: The 4th quarter effort from Summers/JJ/Max. Those three supplied the defense/hustle/physicality to match MFWB's incredible offensive effort. Kudos to all three of them, especially Max for devouring an infant of Shannon Brown's. Hopefully this earns him some more minutes, and he makes use of them.

Good: Kwame. He tried hard and made a pair of FT's.

Not so good: Kuester. His sub pattern really confused the hell out of me. He took out a scalding hot Max for Kwame with less than 5 minutes left in the game. And he gave Won'tcox some run in the 4th for no real reason, instead of either CV, or if we're just giving up, then Daye. If we'd hit a couple three's in the 4th quarter, in addition to MFWB's drives, we might have been able to really make it interesting.

Bad: Stuckey. He's clearly playing really, really hard. But IMO that might be part of the problem, as he continues to show a counterproductive tendency to force things that aren't there.

Very bad: The refs. That 3rd quarter was an abomination, easily the weakest, most horseshit calls I've seen this season. Then the refs tried their hardest to compensate and take it easy on us in the 4th, but for fuck's sake, can't they just call it even from start to finish?

Worst person on the planet: Kobe. The only living being who can make me even consider rooting for KG.

(8)

Never Say Die: Pistons Fall in LA

by Rashid S. Umar, Need4Sheed

After a promising start, the Pistons were overwhelmed by the Champion Lakers, but put on a late rally before falling 106-93. The Pistons were led by Will Bynum's 24 points and 6 assists, while Kobe Bryant scored 40 to help stop LA's two-game losing streak. Detroit falls to 5-6 on the young season and head to Portland Wednesday night.

Some key points:

Despite a strained groin, Kobe takes advantage of the smaller Piston guards en route to 40 points (including an unnecessary three pointer late).

For all the people who think that the team should trade Tayshaun or Rip, don't you think they would have made a difference tonight?

Lakers were without Pau Gasol and Luke Walton. * * *

Did Charlie V suit up tonight? I'm just asking.

Big Ben Wallace tried his best but was outdone by LA's low post offense.

Living in LA, I had to watch the Lakers broadcast which made me angry, so I decided to mute the television. * * *

Lamar Odom nearly had a triple-double with triple 8's. * * *

Another Bynumite night, we clearly had the Better Bynum! * * *

Too many turnovers in a short period of time during the second quarter led to a ridiculous Lakers rally.

While Ben Gordon was able to get off to a fast start, he was later neutralized while trying to defend Kobe. * * *

Pistons have lost 2 in a row and look to avoid another "L" tonight in Portland.

(9)

Too Much Kobe

Pistons Nation

I need some more coffee. These late games kick my butt. I wish the Pistons could have gotten back to their winning ways, but overall I wasn't disappointed with their play.

Not to take anything away from the Pistons, they played well, they just had the unfortunate task of catching a Lakers team at the Staples that was coming off consecutive losses.

Kobe Bryant was on his game after having two sub-Kobe games in the Laker's losses. Kobe dropped in 40 the World Champs, marking the 100th time he's scored 40 or more in a game.

The Pistons, down by as many as 28 in the game, made a valiant attempt at a fourth quarter comeback led by Will Bynum who had 10 of his team high 24 points in the 4th.

Last night was one of Jason Maxiell's better showings of the season. Max scored scored 13, with 7 boards and a pair of steals. * * *

(10)

Re: Game 11: Detroit @ Lakers

posted by "Vege" to RealGM Pistons message board

* * *
The great thing about this game is, after some dumb mistakes when Lakers put pressure on us and a few bad decisions, Bynum had another huge game. He played really great and got our players involved with a few great assists. He also got Lakers defense in trouble.

Maxiell played a great game. He did a great job against Andrew Bynum on both sides of the floor. Played with energy got some important offensive plays and got a monster block on Shanon Brown IIRC, that block was huge that dunk would get Lakers on fire and Max rejected it. I hope you keep playing with that energy Max, that was so different than the lazy ass you have being. I am glad to see him playing great after so long.

Stuckey/Gordon/CV had terrible games, I don't care what the numbers say, they were a disaster tonight.

(11)

Re: Game 11: Detroit @ Lakers

posted by "Piston Boris" to RealGM Pistons message board

Promising start, but the Lakers got rolling in the second quarter.

They played good defense on the Pistons' guards, forcing the frontcourt to carry the team. Villanueva was out of it for a second straight game, but worse with just 2 points and 4 rebounds. He did play solid defense.

Bynum and Maxiell led a great fourth quarter comeback, though. Bynum got the team's energy going again. Maxiell had his best game of the season with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. One of 'em was a great point blank block at the basket of Shannon Brown who climbed the ladder to throw down a dunk. Maxiell just went up one rung higher and put up a "no fly" zone.

It was an odd lineup with DaJuan Summers, Chris Wilcox, Kwame Brown, Jonas Jerebko, Bynum, and Maxiell who brought Detroit to 98-91 with 1:55 left to go. Kuester is sending a message to the starters to compete and have no let downs. * * *

The rest of the West Coast trip will be brutal now.

The starters did get a break in the second half, which hopefully, they'll put to good use against a hot Portland team tonight.

This is a growing time for the young Pistons.

The Bottom Line:

1. Blech.

2. Will Bynum is the man!

3. It's lucky you have that Kobe fellow.

The Credits: Detroit Rock(ed) City

2009-11-18T17:30:02Z

Recaps, Post Games & Chats:
Lakers Handle Pistons as Kobe Finds Balance - Silver Screen and Roll
Third Time’s A Charm at Lakers.com BasketBlog
Lakers almost let it get away -- latimes.com
Lakers 106, Pistons 93: Don't trust anyone over 40. Unless it's Kobe. Then trust him 100 times. | Lakers Blog
Lakers avoid third straight loss - The Orange County Register
Lakers' Bryant shows true grit in win over Detroit - LA Daily News
TLN’s Postgame Report: Lakers vs. Pistons | The Lakers Nation
Forum Blue And Gold " Preview & Chat: The Detroit Pistons
Kobe takes charge with 40 | PE.com
Game Recap: Lakers 106 – Pistons 93 | Lakers Nation
Kobe gets 40 in Lakers' 106-93 win over Pistons - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Lakers Mow Down Motown | lakers-EDGE
NBA.com - Kobe gets 40 in Lakers' 106-93 win over Pistons

Vote your Lakers into the All-Star Game!

Click on through for more Laker Links after the Jump...

More Lakers Links:

The Los Angeles Times:

The Orange County Register:

The LA Daily News:

CSI: L.A. -- Lakers coach uncovers "truth" about Gasol injury -

Press-Enterprise:

Will Lakers spend for insurance?

Others:

Forum Blue And Gold " Three Things That Worked For Us; Three Things That Worked For Them
Congrats to greatness; Kobe scores 40 for 100th time in NBA Career | The Lakers Nation
Everyone's a critic -- especially Phil Jackson - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
Daily Dime: Suns ground Rockets - NBA - ESPN
J.A. Adande: Kobe's Groin Holds Up Fine
The Association: Is Kobe's Low Post Game Hurting the Lakers Offense?
Behind the Box Score, where Denver flexed its muscle - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
The Lakers were quick, really quick, reacting and moving and playing the aggressor in this win over Detroit....
Former UMass Star Tony Gaffney eyeing possible return to Los Angeles Lakers | My Wide World - MassLive.com
Basketbawful - Worst of the Night: by Doctor Victor Von Doom
Hm. According to Doom's inside sources, the Chicago Bulls are currently ranked 4th overall in Defensive Rating among teams in the National Basketball Association. Note that this has happened during the very first season they have played since allowing Ben Gordon to leave the team. This is not coincidence. Neither is the fact that last night's shooting guard matchup in the Pistons-Lakers game was Kobe Bryant versus Gordon...a matchup Bryant won 40-18.
Notebook: Bryant Back to Form - Basketball News & NBA Rumors - Hoopsworld.com
China's Sun Yue Unhappy With Bit-Part Role In The NBA
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Sun Yue, now back in China with his old Beijing team, has complained about his lack of playing time in the NBA.
Want to Win a Signed Bird/Magic Book? - The Baseline - The Baseline - Sporting News

Audio/Video:

Pistons -at- Lakers - 11/17 - SD Highlights | Flash | JD2K Lakers Video Highlights

LAKERS: Post Game Interviews

LAKERS: Lakers vs. Pistons Highlights

Pistons -at- Lakers - 11/17 - Kobe Bryant Circus Shot | Flash | JD2K Lakers Video Highlights

Video: Jason Maxiell says 'no' to Shannon Brown - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

Larry Bird talks some trash, weighs in on Magic, Jordan - Dan Patrick.com

The Basketball Jones

710 ESPN Los Angeles

Lakers Handle Pistons as Kobe Finds Balance

2009-11-18T10:13:21Z

More photos » by Jeff Gross - Getty Images

Back to his old tricks, but with some new ones to boot.

Browse more photos »

Lakers fans understand what I mean when I say that sometimes, watching Kobe Bryant play, it's almost as though the game in progress becomes secondary. The greatness of Kobe Bryant simply transcends the moment, and you could almost forget that there is an event taking place, the outcome of which matters quite a bit to the players, coaches, and indeed, Kobe Bryant himself. You could almost forget that anything bigger was happening than you, sitting transfixed, watching Kobe be Kobe. This was one of those nights — not quite to the extent of 81 points, or 62 in three quarters, but nonetheless.

And yet, even as Kobe Bryant finished with 40 points for the 100th time in his career — only the third player in history to reach that mark — there was a game taking place. And it just so happens that it was a game that mattered just a little bit more than your average November NBA game against middling competition. The Lakers were on their first "losing streak" of the season, having lost their last two games, and those two losses had been bad ones. Too soon to be freaking out? Yes, of course. Important to right the ship? Also, yes.

So while it would be so tempting to simply bask in the beauty of Kobe's one hundredth 40-point game, and the way in which he scored those 40 points, we're going to resist that urge and get into some other observations about this mostly encouraging game.

Okay, so maybe we'll bask for a moment, at least. Let's do this quasi HP-style.

Thing That Mesmerized Me

Kobe Bryant. Perhaps it was poetic, in some sense, that Kobe started the night with an unchallenged airball, before roaring out to a frustrating 1-6 start. Then, in a performance that is indicative of Kobe's challenge this year, he shot 16-23 for the rest of the game, including an unbelievable stretch in the second and third quarters in which he hit 12 of 15 shots.

The challenge for Kobe, this year perhaps more than ever before, is adaptation. As most of you know, I'm a huge fan of his significantly augmented post game, and I'm not alone. I think it could equate to a leap in Kobe's overall game, as well as increased longevity at a very high level as he plays into his thirties. However, as dominant as Bryant's post game has been in the early season, it has at times been so much the focus that it has rendered both Kobe and the team one-dimensional. If Kobe is going to play almost exclusively from the post, and the Lakers are going to force the ball into him on every possession, then defenses will pack it into the paint and both Bryant and the Lakers as a whole will sputter. Even Stu and Joel picked up on this, admiring Kobe's new post moves while also calling for him to mix it up, keeping opponents guessing rather than falling into a predictable routine.

Last night, he did just that, and he was brilliant. If the last few years have been "Good Ol' Kobe," and this year has been "Post Kobe," then his 100th forty-point game was a devastating combination of the two. At times, he posted up. At others, he attacked from the perimeter, off the dribble or on cuts within the offense. At times, he created head-shakingly easy shots for himself with superb footwork and the full utilization of the broadest, most fundamentally sound skill set in existence. At others, he simply hit impossible shots, as he always has done — fadeaway jumpers after absorbing the foul, super-extended hook-layups, and no-look, over-the-head toss-ins that have no business finding the net. But best of all, while busy being unstoppable, he still found time to look for his teammates.

As Kobe's game changes, and the needs of his team also change, teams will adapt to counter him. For Kobe, continued dominance — both for himself, and for his team — depend not on any one skill, but on his ability to balance all of his many skills, keeping defenses guessing and playing not only to his strengths, but to his team's. This is what he did last night.

Oh, and 40 points on 29 field goal attempts. Sweet.

Things I Liked

The second and third quarter efforts. The Lakers played very good defense during these two periods, holding the Pistons to 0.90 points per possession. They were active and persistent, and the Pistons' offense often struggled to find a shot at all (let alone a good one) before the buzzer. On the other side of the ball, the Lakers' offense was untouchable, scoring at a jaw-dropping rate of 1.45 points per possession. Their passing was crisp, willing, and frequent, and it was a thing of beauty to watch. Of course, it didn't hurt that the Lakers' new dynamic duo were on fire in these two quarters, with Kobe scoring 27 on 12-15 shooting, and Andrew Bynum hitting 6-8 for 14 points, along with four rebounds.

Andrew Bynum. Offensively, it's safe to say the kid has arrived. He is so long, so soft of the hands, and so talented, that few teams can keep Bynum from getting his points these days, and at a very efficient rate. Tonight, however, his effort was there in every aspect of the game. He was moving his feet on defense, showing on pick and rolls and even challenging guards on the perimeter. He was altering shots, lunging after rebounds, and even scrambling after loose balls. Offensively, he wasn't forcing it, made good decisions, and knew when to kick the ball out, resulting in an open shot for a teammate or a re-post for himself. He has had better numbers, but it is with all-around efforts like these that he is at his best, and makes the Lakers that much harder to beat.

The Bench. They didn't mesmerize me, but they were good enough. Josh Powell remained steadily consistent, Jordan Farmar attacked the basket and remained under control, and Shannon Brown continued to be a spark of energy whose impact on the game was far more positive than his 4-12 shooting line would seem to indicate. Yes, I was watching in the fourth quarter ... see below.

Ron Artest, role player. Has he ever been less noticeable, or less noticed, in his entire career? At this point, he is flying so low under the radar, playing with such poise, and fitting so well into the system without drawing attention to himself, being a distraction, or wasting Laker possessions, that I don't feel like it fits to call him anything but his full name, at this point. No Crazy Pills, no Tru Warier, not even Ron Ron. When you forget he's there, he's just Ron Artest. And it's a very good thing.

Pau Gasol, hopeful. The Spaniard has been very vocal about his frustration with his injury, and has shown a rare willingness to express some pretty serious negativity regarding it to the press. The fact that during the third/fourth quarter interview, he was hopeful and positive, and seemed to think it very possible that he could be back by Thursday, was encouraging to me. Also, Phil Jackson was tickled pink not to have to do said third/fourth quarter interview.

Things I Didn't Like

The First Quarter. The second and third quarters were a relief, because the first was continued frustration. Non-existent defense, sloppiness on offense, overall lack of effort and interest, and general bobbleheadedness. The Lake Show was discombobulated and distracted in the first quarter, and a good team would have put us in a pretty decent early hole.

Pau Gasol choosing the wrong CSI. I'm all about Gasol branching out. The dude's a scholar and a philosopher, and was studying to be a doctor before he decided to go pro ball. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he can act, and I wish him the best of luck. And since I just like the guy so damn much, if he does act, I'm probably going to want to see it. Which now poses a problem, since watching CSI: Miami is against my religion. Seriously, Pau?

Thing I Hated

Staples Center Boo-ing Kwame Brown. Disappointing doesn't say it. Appalling is closer. Way to stay classy, Los Angeles.

Thing I Didn't Care About

The Fourth Quarter. Perhaps you're upset about the end-of-game lapse. You wanted the bench to come in and hold the 25-point lead. You wanted a good, old fashioned blowout. The fact that the Pistons cut the lead from 25 to eight, before finally losing by 13, really frustrates you, and you can't see how I could list the bench as a positive.

Frankly, I could care less whether we win by 13 or 25. I fully expect that a team up 25 in the fourth is going to let up a bit, play with less intensity, and thereby let the other team back in a bit. Let's be honest, a 25-point fourth quarter comeback is virtually impossible — consider, for example, that between the two teams, only three times (out of eight) did a team score more than 25 total quarter points. 25 more than your opponent in a single quarter? Not happening. So yeah, a team up 25 in the fourth quarter relaxes a bit, and the other team gets back in it a bit. The game was never in danger, so I couldn't care less.

Thing I'd Like To Leave You With

Clearly, this season is still a process. If you honestly thought the Lakers could win 70 games, you didn't consider that this team still has many lessons left to learn — and to Phil Jackson, the regular season is for learning those lessons, not for chasing meaningless records. Because there are still lessons left to be learned, there will be ups and downs. The weekend was a down, and a bit discouraging. As of this moment, we're back on the up. No, all problems are not fixed, and this team is not ready to win a championship yet. But we're seeing very good potential from them, and an ability to understand their own problems, along with a willingness and ability to address and resolve them. While not enough to inspire entitlement arrogance supreme confidence, it is certainly an encouraging indication.

Lakers-Pistons Game Thread

2009-11-18T03:00:15Z

Laker newsage in brief from the day gone by:

Pau Gasol practiced today and says he might play Thursday against Chicago. He didn't say it's likely, mind you - just possible.
Kobe Bryant practiced today as well, "with no complications" in relation to his groinal area.
The Lakers have contacted the agent of Tony Gaffney, whom they cut this past training camp, about the possibility of bringing him back to the team. (H/T Inside Hoops.) Gaffney is a 6'8" forward from UMass who's playing in Israel right now.

Here's your open thread - make sure you stretch out thoroughly before commenting. I don't want anyone pulling a muscle in here.

Lakers-Pistons Preview

2009-11-17T18:00:38Z

On the scale of sportswriter adjectives, the Los Angeles Lakers hover somewhere between "shorthanded" and "injury-ravaged." Pau Gasol is improving but still out of commission. Kobe Bryant is playing, but with a hurt groin. Luke Walton has an aching back and is likely out until 2010.

And yet, their Tuesday night opponent, the Detroit Pistons, might be worse off still. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, who together dropped the guillotine blade on the Shaq-era Lakers in the 2004 Finals, are both shelved with injuries, and point guard Rodney Stuckey left the Pistons' Sunday night game early with a strained something. (It was either an ankle or a calf, depending on who you ask.) Stuckey will play tonight, but Detroit still runs only eight deep.

And that's only if you count Kwame Brown.

Despite their injury-ravagedness, the Pistons haven't looked too bad so far. In fact, they're the very model of a middle-class NBA team. Their record is 5-5 against an average slate of opponents, and they're 15th in the league in net points. Nothing in those results should embarrass new coach John Kuester. Especially since he's had to give 15 minutes a night to Kwame and 20 to Jonas Jerebko, the only Swedish player in the league.*

And here you were thinking the Lakers' bench sucked.

Prithee take a closer look at the Pistons' team stats, below.** All terms and their significance explained here. League rankings are in parentheses.

*Pace*	87.4 (29th)
*Offensive Rating*	106.8 (13th)
Turnover Rate (Off.)	13.0% (7th)
FTA/FGA (Off.)	0.36 (3rd)
Free Throw % (Off.)	70.2 (28th)
Effective FG % (Off.)	48.7 (19th)
True Shooting % (Off.)	53.0 (20th)
Offensive Rebounding %	27.9 (9th)
*Defensive Rating*	104.7 (15th)
Turnover Rate (Def.)	13.3% (19th)
FTA/FGA (Def.)	0.37 (28th)
Effective FG % (Def.)	46.5 (5th)
True Shooting % (Def.)	51.8 (8th)
Defensive Rebounding %	70.9 (24th)

The Pistons play at a slow pace, as they've seemingly done forever. The offense runs through four perimeter players: Stuckey, new acquisitions Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva and backup PG Will Bynum. Though he's the only one to come off the bench, Bynum might be the best of the group. He's an efficient scorer and has the potential to wreak Aaron Brooks-like havoc on the Laker D.

Stuckey and Gordon throw some different looks at you. The former is a big power guard in the Rajon Rondo mold, while Gordon loves shooting like Kwame loves cake. It wouldn't surprise me to see Ron Artest spend time checking these guys, both to give Kobe a rest on defense and because the Pistons don't have a small forward worth guarding. (Jerebko hardly ever shoots. I told you he's Swedish.)

Speaking of nobody worth guarding, Ben Wallace is back as the Pistons' starting center. He's the same Ben Wallace you remember, but worse. This doesn't mean, though, that Andrew Bynum gets the night off. Stuckey and the other Bynum are both adroit at getting shots in the lane, and as the numbers above show, Detroit's a good offensive rebounding squad. The Lakers are next-to-last in the NBA in defensive rebounding, so... you know. If they feel like hitting the boards tonight that'd be great.

The Laker offense has been a disaster two straight games now. Their shot selection has been bad, their shot making even worse, and not nearly enough effort has been made to pound the ball in to Bynum. The Pistons don't have amazing inside defenders, so Drew could have another big night if the other Lakers don't forget he's on the team. Except for whoever's guarding Fish (most likely Gordon and Will Bynum), there's no position at which the Lakers don't have a matchup edge on offense.

It's unclear, though, exactly how much of a problem Kobe's groin will be. He practiced fully on Monday and says he's OK, but you and I know he hasn't looked the same the last couple games. Detroit doesn't have a Battier-caliber defender, so Tuesday should bring us closer to knowing whether Kobe's just been off lately or, alternatively, whether the groin is a real concern.

We'll also find out how Phil Jackson adjusts the rotation for Luke's absence, which opens up about 10 minutes of playing time. Technically Adam Morrison is next on the small-forward depth chart, but Phil must know he'd be exposed in a bigger role. Instead I expect to see more small lineups, with incrementally more run given to Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic.

(Feel free not to explode with delight at this prospect. Until Pau returns, allowing Lamar Odom to spend more time at three, there aren't a ton of great options here.)

Detroit's a team the Lakers should beat, even at less than full strength. If you combined the two teams' rosters, only one Piston (pick one of the guards) would start, and a couple Pistons who get real minutes (Jerebko and Kwame) would play not at all. The Lakers have been so bad the last six quarters, nothing can be taken for granted, but the first three-game losing streak in the Era of Gasol for now looks pretty unlikely.

* - I was going to write that Jerebko is the only Swedish player in NBA history, but it turns out Miles Simon was born there as well.

** - Thanks to Basketball Reference and Hoopdata for the numbers. Excellent sites, both.

The Credits: Variety

2009-11-17T15:24:30Z

Lakers Links:

Injuries:
Your Lakers medical update | Lakers Blog | Los Angeles Times
Luke Walton Injury Update at Lakers.com BasketBlog
Luke Walton out a minimum of six weeks | Lakers Blog | Los Angeles Times
Pau Gasol on track for season debut Thursday vs. Bulls -The OC Register
No worries on Kobe’s groin pull; he practiced Monday - The OC Register

The Los Angeles Times:
Up next for Lakers: Tuesday vs. Detroit
Missing their A game, Lakers hope Pau Gasol can play a game

The OC Register:
Kobe says everybody should calm down
Lakers matchup: 5-5 Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Others:
Time for Lakers to regroup | PE.com
Handle with care: Laker injury bug strikes Kobe - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Forum Blue And Gold " Tracking Aaron Brook’s Path Through The Lakers
Gasol Guest Stars on "CSI: Miami" Tonight at Lakers.com BasketBlog
Nation Discussion: AI? | The Lakers Nation

Audio/Video:

LAKERS: Lakers Practice Report: 11/16/09

Music video mayhem: Ron Artest, 'Blind' - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

710 ESPN Los Angeles

The Basketball Jones

Click on through for more NBA related links after Jump...

NBA Related Links:

Power Rankings:

Allen Iverson:

Allen Iverson, Memphis Grizzlies agree to terminate contract - ESPN
Nation Discussion: AI? | The Lakers Nation
Iverson hopes to resume NBA career - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
NBA.com: Grizzlies get off easy with Iverson's prompt exit
Iverson Wants to Play Again, With Knicks as Possibility -- NBA FanHouse
N.B.A. Roundup - Iverson’s Time With Memphis Ends Almost Before It Starts - NYTimes.com
Iverson, Jackson followed path to freedom - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
These are the storylines the league office loathes: the disgruntled star wrangling with management, reinforcing stereotypes that remotely reflect the reality of most of the NBA’s rank and file. Nevertheless, Jackson and Iverson transformed the sluggish October and November news cycle into personal platforms for foolery. For the NBA, it’s a shame. Yet commissioner David Stern has no one to blame but too many clueless, lost owners and franchises which enable, even encourage, such behavior.

Bill Simmons:

Others:

Luke Walton Out Six Weeks, Minimum

2009-11-17T02:17:10Z

Luke Walton Out Six Weeks, Minimum

The parade of awesome injury news continues. The diagnosis for Luke is a pinched nerve in his back, which oddly enough is among the conditions that has tormented his father Bill in recent years.

Adam Morrison, it's time for your closeup.

Lakeshow Episode 10: The View from Houston

2009-11-16T20:00:32Z

God, I love the Memphis Grizzlies!

They learn nothing from mistakes and they are committed to a public relations strategy of topping the last lie with a bigger one. It's pure hilarious entertainment, a soap opera crossed with a political scandal crossed with the incompetent and self-absorbed management style of Dunder Mifflin.

They funny!

The Grizzlies are such an embarrassment to their local community that they get 4th billing on the local newspaper's website, behind Memphis Tigers basketball, Memphis Tigers football, and the paper's own columnists rambling about miscellaneous everything. If semi-pro women's softball ever comes to town, the Grizz will most assuredly slide down to 5th place on the totem pole.

Memphis is a one-pro sport town that seems to earnestly wish it was a NONE pro sport town... And really, who can blame them? Unfortunately for Memphonians, they've now got a big money modern arena there, (David Stern doesn't need Viagra, he just uses his imagination about such facilities and their bountiful luxury boxes) so they're probably stuck with that crappy franchise indefinitely.

So in the spirit of spreading the joy, I'll let long suffering Grizzlies beat reporter Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal be the one to make you giggle today...

Click on through for the joke of the day from the NBA's jokes of the year...

Griz Sign Former Pacers' Point Guard Jamaal Tinsley

Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace oversees a team that is shaky at the point and has little to no leadership in the locker room.

The hope is that veteran floor general Jamaal Tinsley provides an upgrade in both of those areas. * * *

Wallace insisted Saturday that signing Tinsley to a one-year, veteran's minimum deal had nothing to do with Allen Iverson's weeklong leave of absence due to personal reasons. * * *

"We just felt that (Tinsley's) experience and playmaking ability could be of benefit to us," Wallace said. "So we reached out to him. ... He's an accomplished playmaker. We felt that it was a chance to buy some insurance at that position." * * *

Asked whether Tinsley was signed to supplant Conley as the starter, Wallace said the Griz made no promises. Tinsley, though, was guaranteed that he'll have a chance to compete for the leading role.

"I told him this is an open-ended invitation," Wallace said. "He has to come and compete. It's a process coming back after a year and a half off. ... But we feel that Jamaal has a tremendous desire to play and resume his career. He can help make us a better team." * * *

Isn't that precious?!? Addled Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is looking to Jamaal frickin' Tinsley to provide locker room leadership for Memphis!!!

HAW HAW HAW HAW!!!!!!!!!!

true" />

You remember Tinsley? No?

Never you mind, here's a quick recap from Bleacher Report at the time of his joyously celebrated departure from Indiana:

Tinsley was the last remaining Pacer to take part in the hideous 2004 brawl at the Palace in Detroit.

Legal problems and injuries have been the main story behind Tinsley. He was owed approximately $14.7 million over the next couple years.

In a 14-month stretch, he was involved in three different late night conflicts: A strip-club incident in '06, a bar fight in '07, and a gun fight by a downtown Indianapolis hotel in December of '07. * * *

Sounds like an absolutely perfect "team leader" for the amalgam of thugs, egos, and incompetents that owner Michael "Family Problems" Heisley and his toady Chris Wallace are putting together in Memphis!

Can Jamaal Tinsley Night at the Fed Ex Mausoleum be far behind?

Stay tuned for additional entertaining developments, absolutely certain to follow...

Channel Surfing

Saturday, Nov. 14.

Portland (7-3) at Charlotte (3-5).

When the two teams playing at the slowest pace in the NBA get together, you know there's not gonna be a lot of running and gunning. When you combine that with the fact that Charlotte puts up the fewest average points per possession of all the 30 teams, you know that the existence of the third digit on the scoreboard is probably superfluous. This game was true to form.

Why does Charlotte have so much trouble scoring? That's pretty easy to see, they've got no reliable perimeter shooters, with Gerald "Crash" Wallace, Boris Diaw, and the offensively challenged Raymond Felton their "go to" guys. That just ain't gonna git 'er done in this league...

So how did Larry Brown's Bobcats keep the back-to-backing Portland Trailblazers close? One word: defense. Time and time again, Charlotte got back fast and packed the key, forcing a cavalcade of lame jumpshots. Oden got in fast foul trouble and it became a slog. If a team is hot, Charlotte is going to lose via blowout every time. Against a team struggling to find their shots on the 4th road game in 5 nights, things become very interesting for them.

Portland was further hampered by the loss of not one but two players from its 10-man rotation in this game. Prior to tipoff, reserve Guard Jerryd Bayless twisted his ankle missing a bottom stair in a dimly-lit hallway and had to be carried to the locker room. "Rex" should be back on the floor shortly, but the Blazers could certainly have used his SuperSkill against Charlotte, driving the lane in traffic and getting to the rack. Travis Outlaw, the jumpshooting Small Ball backup 4 was lost to a much more serious injury, a broken metatarsal bone in his left foot — the same injury that caused the team to lose Martell Webster for the full season last year. It is his contract year and we shall see if Injury = Opportunity for Blazer GM Kevin Pritchard as it was a year previously with Marty.

Portland led by 8 at the half and by as many as 16 in the second half before Charlotte cut the lead to 4 in the final quarter. The Blazers managed to hold on, however, extending their NBA-longest winning streak to 6 games with the ugly victory. Blazers 80, Bobcats 74.

Oklahoma City (4-4) at San Antonio (4-3).

The Spurs were at home and they had their Tony Parker back and even old Grandpa Bankshot was feeling spry, kicking up his heels and getting his exercise. No excuses: the San Antonio Spurs just got beat by a younger, hungrier, more athletic team, plain and simple.

The Thunder have taken the Lakers to OT and beat the living shit out of the Orlando Magic. They do not suck any more. They might even be a playoff team in the Western Conference this year. Get used to the idea.

As for the Spurs — they started 6'4" (or so) rookie DeJuan Blair at Center. Blair scored 7 points but only pulled down 1 rebound in 13 and a half minutes of action. Good luck with that, Pop.

San Antonio led by as many as 10 points in the 1st Half before giving it all up with a 14-4 OKC run coming out of intermission. OKC wound up putting up a 32 spot for the period to take a 4 point lead into the final frame. The Spurs did their best to play catchup in the closely-contested final period, with Durant and Westbrook both missing a shot during the Free Throw Derby. Parker was a foot to the left with a halfcourt heave to tie things up at the buzzer, however, and the Spurs lost for the first time this year at home.

Kevin Durant racked 25 points, Jeff Green went 21 & 10, and Russell Westbook had 19 points and 11 assists for the Thunder. OKC is currently — note well — sitting in the number 8 seed in the Western Conference playoff race. Thunder 101, Spurs 98.

Sunday, Nov. 15.

LA Clippers (3-7) at Oklahoma City (5-4).

Many people probably thought this a meaningless matchup of lottery-bound incompetents. I saw it as a game with future playoff implications, featuring as it does two of the three leading candidates for the 8th slot in the West.

The back-to-back seemed to have caught up with OKC, who were a half step behind and prone to miss long jumpers. OKC shot an abysmal 1-for-12 from distance in the first half and found themselves chasing the Clips, who were powered by the double-digit output of Center Chris Kaman.

Kaman also did his part scarfing 4 rebounds and dishing a sweet little feed to Kareem Rush for an easy bucket. If the coaches are paying attention, this guy could be the surprise member of the 2009/10 NBA All Star team. The Clippers' front line of Camby and Kaman is solid; the addition of rookie Blake Griffin when he returns from injury could make it downright outstanding.

Midway through the 3rd Quarter, Kevin Durant and his mates turned up the intensity and the Clippers, serial losers that they are, obligingly went into a scoring slump, allowing the Thunder to come all the way back. Durant put on a show, ringing up 18 points in the 3rd Q alone. Durant finished with 40, to no avail.

It was a coin toss of a game. Down the stretch, the Clips got the ball in to Kaman for a good bucket (he finished with 25 & 7) and the highly overpaid Baron Davis drained a long trey, and there you had it. Clippers 101, Thunder 93.

Houston (5-4) at LA Lakers (7-2).

A very wise man once said that NBA games are never won or lost in the 1st Quarter. Well, at least I remember Phil Jackson making that comment once, so it's either true or I am making shit up. Either way: this game proved the veracity of PJ's real or imagined statement. The Lakers came out roaring and very nearly had every member of the Rockets team curled up in the fetal position under the bench screaming about their childhood traumas.

I mean, after Houston scored the first bucket it was a 16-0 run for the Lakers. WHAP!!! BAM!!! SOCKO!!! POW!!!! — just like Adam West's Original Recipe 1960s Television extravaganza... Leading Scorer Trevor Ariza couldn't buy a bucket... "Holy Incompetent Roleplayers, Batman!" But then Mr. Aaron Brooks went to town, the Lakers decided to act old and fat, jacking up long jumpers and being weaksauce on the boards, and the team that wanted it more pulled ahead and won.

I've got news for you, one and all — this Lakers team is not the 2009/10 World Champions. They still might become the World Champions, mind you, when they get Pau back, if they start playing smart. They're long and they're athletic and they've got an effective offensive system... It could be. But they were World Champions LAST YEAR. That is over and done with. There are no entitlements, there is no coasting. Every single god damned game must be fought and won.

The Lakers were outhustled, outrebounded, taken to the hoop. Reggie Miller may be SHOCKED, SHOCKED I say, but not me. If you play like shit in the NBA, like the Lakers did, or you coach like shit, not calling strategic timeouts to break another team's momentum or by inserting The Worst Player in the NBA™® into the lineup during critical game time, you deserve to lose. And you will lose. And they did lose. Rockets 101, Lakers 91.

Now let's whip out our tool box and plug in our basketball Sawzall™®, the Popcorn Machine GAME FLOW CHART, shall we? Please click on that link and read along while moving your lips, if you would.

Observation 1: Houston turned it around during the 2nd Quarter with a 19-9 run. Interestingly, it was not Mr. Aaron Brooks that burned LA, but rather David Andersen who did the big damage in the period, racking up 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting and hauling down 3 rebounds.

Observation 2: Aaron Brooks had a career best 33 points. Notice that Phil put Jordan Farmar on him only for a couple minutes throughout the entire course of the game. My guess is that Farmar is the most likely of the Lakers PGs to be able to stay in front of AB a little. We certainly know by now that Derek Fisher can't. God, do we ever know that...

Observation 3: Lakers blew their engine when they gave up a quick 12-0 run midway through the 3rd Quarter. That was Mr. Aaron Brooks doing the damage there.

Observation 4: Adam Morrison, The Worst Player in the NBA™®, scored 0 points on 0-for-1 shooting (what a brick!) during 3:10 of game action. The Lakers were Minus-4 during that interval. Not that anybody's counting.

Before we get on with the actual point of this column, an accumulation of nouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, and adverbs relating to the Laker-Rocket game whipped up by the bloggers and journalists of Rocketland, please hold hands with a loved one and join me in watching the latest installment of THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD:

(1)

Pregame Projection

posted by "Jeff Who" to ClutchFans.com message board

Let's face it, we are not gonna win this game. I know you should never count out even the worst team in basketball because at the end of the day it is still ball, but we have NO chance in thse one.

You asky why? Here you are

1) We have nobody to throw at Bynum and that kid has been playing well. Against Yao there is no questions qho is better, but even with Hayes at him, Drew can easilly shoot over him and rebound over him.

2) They are MUCH BIGGER. Freaking Kings ate us alive on those boards so I don't expect any improvement in that game, especially against even bigger LA.

3) Battier hasn't really stopped anybody this season. Come on, Kobe, Roy dropped already 40 on him. He hasn't been the same defender this year. And his offense is INCONSISTENT. 1/8 or 8/10. Which night will he have? Unless he can make Kobe really work for his shots, we are not winning this one.

4) Don't expect anything even average from Ariza. Ron will own him just like he owned him last game when he was like 5/21. As much as I hate Ron and as much as he is struggling, he knows what he can do against Ariza.

Just put a little pressure at him and Trevor is completely LOST. I know Ron doesn't defend as well as he used to and he is not stopping anybody either, but he actually CAN gamble against Ariza.

The only chance we can win? If for Aaron to have a CARRER night. I mean he is playing against Fisher. This year he is not even hitting his shots, complete garbage.

Aaron will have to be agressive and I can see him dropping 30+ on Derek.

But still, Go Rockets!

(2)

Rockets @ La Lakers Preview-ish

by Xiane, The Dream Shake (SBN

* * *
LA is still without The Grubby Catalan aka Pau Gasol, with one of those "minor" LA injuries that seems to go on for months. When I hear medical reports out of LA I am usually reminded of the Monty Python sketch where the colonial Brit gets his leg eaten by a tiger and is told things like "A mere scratch! In the meantime, favor the other leg, old boy!". Doubtless Rocket fans everywhere are full of sympathy for LA's sad, sad plight. * * *

(3)

Rockets Show Off All-Around Game: Rebounding, tepid Bryant contribute to stunning win

by Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle

LOS ANGELES - They don't show it in the championship highlight videos, but the Los Angeles Lakers have seen this act. They, more than any other team the Rockets will face, should have seen it coming.

When things seem their worst, the odds longest, the Rockets are at their best.

Coming off a loss in Sacramento and seemingly trapped in a game destined to duplicate last season's Game 7 and inspiring flashbacks like recurring nightmares, the Rockets stunned the Lakers 101-91 on Sunday night. It was an L.A. sequel to the Rockets' stunning, short-handed Game 4 and 6 wins over the Lakers last postseason at Toyota Center.

"It reminded me of Game 7," said Aaron Brooks, who had a career-high 33 points in an emphatic answer to the physical defense the Lakers used against him last week. "In Game 7, they sustained the lead and grew the lead the whole time. I think we took big steps. When they went off to their run, we went off to one of our own."

The Rockets trailed by 25 in the first half of that game last spring, and they seemed headed that way when the Lakers rolled to a 16-2 start Sunday.

"It was Game 7," Shane Battier said. "We were turning the ball over. They got out, got a few dunks. It was exactly the same."

But this time the Rockets settled down. They had committed seven turnovers in the first quarter. They would commit six the rest of the game. They had rushed shots, missing seven of their first eight. The rest of the way, they moved the ball to open shooters, getting assists on 27 of the 33 field goals that were not scored off rebounds.* * *

(4)

Rockets 101, Lakers 91: Ariza's 'ring' of truth

by Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle

This was why Trevor Ariza came to Houston, for nights like these.

It was not that he wanted to beat the Lakers, though he seemed to enjoy that as much as a very classy pregame ceremony in which Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher gave him his championship ring and the Staples Center crowd gave him a standing ovation.

It was the way the Rockets played, the way they battled and competed, that drew him to them when the glamour teams had recruited him after the Lakers chose Ron Artest instead.

Artest played well on Sunday and with the exception of some strong defensive turns on Kobe Bryant, Ariza did not. But before the game, when Ariza was describing the Rockets to the gangs of L.A. media that circled him, he nailed it.

"I definitely think so," Ariza said when asked if the Rockets will be a playoff team. "We play hard, compete every night. Our heart and determination and will to win pretty much makes up for what we lack." * * *

(5)

Rockets Take Advantage of Karmic Gift - Come Back to Beat Lakers by Double Digits

by GrungeDave, The Dream Shake (SBN)

The Rockets started slow tonight. Real slow. As in, 16 quick points without much resistance for the Lakers.

Then Ron Artest pissed off the basketball gods.

Now, as much as I love you Crazy Pills — when Trevor Ariza lost his shoe and you intentionally threw it into the crowd — that probably wasn't the best idea. Karma is a bitch, dude.

Plus, you now owe Trevor Ariza breakfast, as that was a dick move.

(6)

NBA Broadband League Pass — Where "WTF!" Happens

by Xiane, The Dream Shake (SBN)

* * *
When does a "fluke" become a "trend"? Over the last nine games (playoffs plus 09-10 thus far) LA's record against the Rockets is 5-4. One extra bucket last week and it would be 5-4 in our favor.

This recent "dominance" has largely been accomplished by a full-strength LA team competing against a Houston team playing 40% of its payroll. At this point, it would be reasonable to hear Laker fans say something like: "Wow, Houston is just a good team. Hats off to you guys. Glad we made it past you last year." * * *

On to the game. This wasn't the result I was expecting. Not after LA got bludgeoned in Denver. La Lakers came out with manic energy, taking a big lead in the first, and somehow still found the time to throw Ariza's shoe into the crowd. Get a ring, lose a shoe. The cycle of life. * * *

Staking a nigh-insurmountable claim as Best Australian Rocket, David Andersen introduced himself to the NBA champs this evening. He scored 19 on 9-14 shooting, with a stroke so sweet it had diabetics at Staples reaching for their glucose meters. He also did what we all hoped he could do — he spaced the floor in a uniquely "Euro Center" way — pulling Bynum or Odom way out from underneath the boards to cover Andersen's jumper. Call me a hypocrite — I HATE that when it's done to Yao, but turnabout is fair play. * * *

(7)

Lakers Fall Hard

by Clutch, front page of ClutchFans.com

After slipping hard in Sacramento and getting killed on the glass, the Rockets looked like lambs to the slaughter going into the defending champions' place. Not so fast.

Instead, the Rockets overwhelmed the bigger Lakers on the boards (60-38) and got a couple of career highs from Aaron Brooks and David Andersen in a stunning 101-91 win in Los Angeles.

Brooks popped in 33 points while Andersen chipped in 19. Carl Landry added 15 points and 10 boards. Houston's bench outperformed LA's 48-18. They have had a few bad games, but the Rockets have been flat impressive this season.

(8)

Mind Blown

posted by "Solid" to ClutchFans message board

This team is blowing my mind!! Who are they? What are they? The team on paper can't do these things; the team on the court can apparently do anything. This team should not be able to beat LA in LA by ten points. No way, no how....but they just did.

Looking at the first ten games, I wrote weeks ago that if they went 5-5 we all should be deliriously happy because the early schedule was brutal. Well folks, your Houston Rockets are 6-4 and smiling.

(9)

Coincidence?

posted by "Spdngyns69" to ClutchFans message board

On a side note, Ariza had one of his worst games this year and I believe Artest had one of his best nights putting up 22 pts. on 18 shots and a shoe outta bounds.

Coincidence that we won?

Sure the dude shot 50 percent from the field but taking that many shots just putted his whole team in a funk. Taking shots away from your other three options isn't too wise there.

Farmar is their quickest PG and did you see brooks broke his ankles?....literally. ABZero, Mandry, and DA was the business tonight! * * *

(10)

A Really Great Experience

posted by "Hasher" to ClutchFans message board

Hey guys.. I saw the game at Staples and it was so awesome to cheer the Rockets on throughout the game and see them come away with the win. A few things I really enjoyed:

1 - Aaron Brooks faked out the opposing guard (Farmar? Brown?) so badly the guard fell down backwards.. I think this happened in the third quarter but I'm not sure. Aaron took the shot but missed, but it didn't matter to me.

2 - Artest stealing the ball from Ariza (I think) and then dribbling it with one hand behind him then through his legs to control it and pass it forward... it was beautiful to see even though it was against us.

3 - The recorded video PSA by Lakers players (including Artest) asking all in the crowd to refrain from discourteous behavior or activity that would incite disturbance (forgot the exact phrase).. I was thinking he might have wanted to say ".. or I'll come up there and kick your a**"

4 - Meeting AC Green totally by chance outside the arena afterwards and getting a picture taken with him.. he's pretty cool, soft-spoken guy.

5 - Applauding and whooping as the Lakers were booed during the 4th quarter.. and watching Kobe just peter out instead of stepping up like I feared he would do. People started leaving in earnest with about 3 minutes left in the game, so I was able to go down and sit up close behind the courtside seats and watch the final minutes and see how these guys look up close.. man these guys are sooo fast it's incredible.

It was my first visit to Staples and I only get the see the Rox play live maybe once a year so this was a really great experience for me.

(11) from a few days ago, but still a good read...

Another Season, Another McGrady Soap Opera

by Richard Justice (Houston Chronicle)

Here we go again. Another season, another Tracy McGrady soap opera. Things were a little too quiet, a little too pleasant around the Rockets. They've been winning even though they don't have a single star. They've been winning with teamwork and energy. They're fun to watch and one of the NBA's surprise stories so far.

Problem is, Tracy McGrady was being ignored. Tracy doesn't like being ignored. Tracy likes center stage. He's the NBA's highest-paid player at $23.4 million, but money doesn't buy attention.

Why would McGrady announce his return without checking with his team's coach, general manager or medical staff? Is he thoughtless, clueless or arrogant? To say the Rockets were stunned by McGrady's announcement is an understatement.

Haven't we been down this road before? The Rockets have attempted to convince themselves that a similar announcement last year about season-ending knee surgery was a misunderstanding.

There are a lot of misunderstandings with McGrady. He didn't really pick the Lakers to beat his teammates last spring. He didn't really loaf in a couple of games last season. He didn't really yank his teammates and coaches around with his constant coming and going.

McGrady began this season with bridges to mend in the locker room with the way he handled last season. He'll be the last to admit such a thing because, well, he really does think it's all about him.

Now to announce his return at a time when he hasn't even had a full return to practice might lead one to believe there's something else at play. * * *

The Botom Line:

1. The team that plays together, stays together...............

2. ................ they also tend to kick the asses of lazy, self-satisfied, complacent opponents.

3. One game, long season — but summarily dismiss our Rockets at your peril.

Game Recap: So much for veteran leadership

2009-11-16T16:00:54Z

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

Browse more photos »

Just before the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets took the court for last night's NBA contest, we were all reminded of a glorious truth: The Lakers are the NBA Champions. Our reminder was the joy of getting to watch the final piece to that championship puzzle being given the bounty such an endeavor deserves. Trevor Ariza received his championship ring, delivered by Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, and a standing ovation from the Staples Center faithful, a fitting end to Ariza's time in LA, which nobody wanted to see end so quickly.

There should have been one more person as part of that presentation, Phil Jackson. Then, the triangle of veteran leadership credited with bringing the championship back to Los Angeles would have been complete. These three people played an extremely influential role on last year's championship. PJ was the brains, Kobe was the will, and Fisher was the voice, the inspiration, and finally, the wedge that broke through the last remaining obstacles. All three have varying degrees of a legacy that will last forever.

I bring this up because a team usually counts on their veterans to do the right thing. These are the guys who have been there before. These are the guys who know exactly what to do, who shouldn't be flummoxed by anything. These three are the reasons why LA raised a banner this season. They are also the reasons why the Lakers lost last night's game against Houston. Our veterans ruined any chance the Lakers had to win.

I've been down this road before. I've criticized PJ in the past for many, many things, only to see him lead the team to success in the end. I've gotten on Kobe for poor shot selection, only to see him make all the right moves when it counts. I've killed Fisher for every aspect of his game, only to see him come through in the clutch time and time again. Only a foolish man continues to give credence to arguments which have been proven false in the past. I'm not a fool, so I won't be traveling that road again. You'll find no criticisms from me. But I can't analyze the game without looking at the decisions made by these legends, by our veterans. I may not be a fool, but I sure am confused.

Before we get into everything else, a very quick recap of what happened in the game. The Lakers jumped out to a very quick start, followed by the inevitable crash back down to earth. The Rockets out worked the Lakers all night, because that's what the Rockets do. The bench still sucks, and for many reasons that I'm about to discuss, the Lakers were failed by the very people the team looks to to guide them through these tough games. Here's how.

Kobe Bryant lost this game. He lost it by taking a staggering number of difficult shots. He shot 25% from the field. He scored less points than he took shots, even with going to the free throw line 10 times. He failed to adjust to the fact that Houston was prepared for him every step of the way. An extremely wise man had this to say in previewing the game:

A word of caution to those expecting Bryant to walk all over Battier again: Battier, more than any other player in the league, is a great defender because of his preparation. He studies what his opponent does, analyzes their tendencies, and figures out precisely what course of action will lead them to the least efficiency. The first Rockets-Lakers tilt was Battier's first experience with "post-Kobe", and there weren't a whole lot of games for Battier to analyze Bryant's new offensive weaponry. Now, Battier has a bit more first-hand experience, so at the very least, he will have a better game plan to try to contain Bryant in the post than he had in the first game.

Nail head, meet hammer. The Rockets had a much better idea of what to expect from Bryant tonight, and it was clear from the opening tip. Kobe struggled to get clean looks all night long, and instead of trying to figure out how the Rockets were keyed into him, and how it could be exploited, Bryant instead continued to be aggressive. But his aggressiveness was not success. Truth be told, I'm not too concerned with the shooting numbers. Sure, Kobe took some bad shots, but he also took some shots that he's been nailing in the past week. He got to the rim more than a few times, missing layups that are normally easier than breathing for him. But I am concerned with the mindset.

No, I'm not talking about the selfish chucker mindset. I'm talking about the invincible, "there are no consequences, only basketball" mindset that led to all those missed shots. When Kobe misses contested jumpers, he could just be having an off night. When Kobe's missing layups, it's clear something is wrong. That something is a strained groin. Kobe played the entire 2nd half looking like he wouldn't be able to use a stair climber. He came in to a game that was all but over in the 4th and limped around like a horse that needed to be put down. Kobe is completely incapable of coming out of a game due to injury, and tonight, it hurt his team. It hurt his team because, the way he was moving, Shannon Brown would have been an upgrade over what Kobe was bringing to the court. But much more importantly, he hurt his team because he was playing through an injury that can and will get worse if you play through it. He's been diagnosed with the same injury that Pau has, except to a different muscle. I love Kobe's will, his determination to play through pain and leave it all on the floor. But if he follows through on his promise not to miss time with this injury, it may well do a lot more harm than good.

Derek Fisher lost this game. Fisher's play last night was simply appalling. He constantly got beat by his man, Aaron Brooks, who had a career high 33 points on 23 shots. Actually, that's not true. In order to consistently get beat by a man, you have to be consistently guarding that man. Fisher instead chose to double down on players who were far less of a threat than Brooks was. In the pivotal 2nd half, Fisher was nowhere near Brooks on a number of occasions, leading to many wide open threes or close outs which were forced to be way too fast, allowing Brooks to go right by Fisher without even the token resistance he normally provides.

But, as I've said before, I can live with Fisher's defense, because it's not going anywhere (get it?). What I can't live with was Fisher's shot selection. Let me clue you in to what his shot selection entailed. Step 1: "Do I have the ball?" Step 2: If yes to step 1, shoot it. Andrew Bynum scored 21 points on 12 shots. Whenever Bynum got the ball, the Rockets had no answer for him, because if you take any two Rockets players, and have one sit on the other's shoulders, Bynum will still be taller and bigger than the two. And yet he only took 12 shots. Fisher took 13. How many points did Fisher score? 7. Fisher's shot selection in this game was inexcusable. Shots early in the shot clock, shots that were not open, shots that did not come within the context of the offense, shots that no one in their right mind thought would go in. People with Fisher's experience should know better than to do what he did tonight.

Phil Jackson lost this game. There are many things that Phil Jackson does differently than any other coach. The merits of these differences are often difficult to see. And those differences were on full display. Not calling a timeout when it would appear to be desperately needed to stem the tide? Check. Rotations that don't seem to have any rhyme or reason to them? Check. Not doing anything to rein in Fisher's poor shot choices, like say, giving his minutes to a more athletic and capable backup? Check. My biggest concern with Phil's decisions was the lineup he sent out for the start of the 4th quarter. The Lakers were down 7. Not an insurmountable lead, but also nothing to laugh at. So PJ decides that it would be a good time to throw out a lineup of Bynum, Artest, Farmar, Vujacic, and ... Adam Morrison. Now, apparently Luke Walton was hurt (and if anybody is unclear about Walton being a decent player that the Lakers need, this lineup should cure you of that), but if Adam Morrison is playing in a game that is on the line, well, that game will no longer be on the line. Stu freaking Lantz knew that lineup was a bad idea. And it wasn't even necessary. They weren't using the lineup to rest Artest. Artest was playing the PF spot. The Lakers could easily have played Josh Powell at the 4 and Artest at the 3. Powell wasn't exactly earning a max contract or anything, but it would be difficult to provide less than Morrison does. Surprising no one, the 7 point lead quickly became 12, and the Lakers never threatened again. But that's not even the strangest part of Phil's decision.

We've seen this before from Phil. He's willing to risk losing a game if it means he can put his players into a certain type of situation and see how they respond. This was just such a scenario. He wanted to test his bench. They failed. Lakers lose. No big deal to Phil. What I want to know is, why, in the name of all that is holy, do you play a rotation like that, clearly risking the outcome of the game, and then put in your injured super star to try and win the game with a bum leg that can be made worse by putting forth the effort necessary to try to win the game? That's what makes no sense to me. If Phil had thrown out the junk rotation, let the Rockets build up a big lead, and then just kept on with it, I would be OK. That's just PJ being PJ. But Phil put the Lakers in a position where winning the game was a very unlikely probability, and then re-entered Kobe into the game to try and win it, possibly making Kobe's injury even worse. By the end of the game, Kobe was going straight to the locker room, with visible pain attached to any movement. PJ threw the game away, and then risked throwing Kobe's season away on an already lost cause.

You may remember the part where I said I'm not criticizing. And really, I'm not, though I understand your confusion. The truth is, these veterans are who they are, and they wouldn't be champions if they weren't. Kobe will try to play through anything, no matter how adversely it affects his performance or his future health. Fisher will get beat on defense, and will also go through periods where he struggles with his shot, and responds by taking more shots. PJ has no regard for regular season games, or bench player's confidences, and will play what ever rotations he thinks will better prepare the team for the 2nd season, even now. These people win championships. They are veterans, and the unquestioned leaders of this team. They lost last night's game, but they don't care about it. And in the end, neither should you.

The Credits: Dazed and Confused

2009-11-16T15:15:19Z

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

MORE of this would have helped. (AP Photo/Lori Shepler)

Browse more photos »

Recaps, Post Games and Chats:

Click on through for the rest of you Lakers links and highlights after the Jump...

More Lakers Links:

The Los Angeles Times:

The OC Register:

The LA Daily News:

PAINTER: Former Lakers forward Ariza treated like homecoming king - LA Daily News

Others:

Kobe Bryant Injury Update at Lakers.com BasketBlog
Kobe Bryant: strained right groin muscle - TrueHoop Blog - ESPN
Forum Blue And Gold " To Rest or Not To Rest, That Is The Question
Daily Dime: Ariza gets his ring - NBA - ESPN
Behind the Box Score, where the Rockets won't quit. Again - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Handle with care: Laker injury bug strikes Kobe - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
Hardwood Paroxysm » Blog Archive » Lion Face/Lemon Face 11.16.09: So about the weekend…
Lemon Face: The Los Angeles Lakers …You know what? They’re without Pau Gasol, Kobe’s banged up, they’re still integrating Artest, and it’s November. I’ll give ‘em a pass. Lemon Face for the effort and lack of focus, but it’s a “too much lime in the gin and tonic” not “biting into the lemon” face.
Golden State Warriors in serious talks with Charlotte Bobcats about dealing Stephen Jackson, sources say - ESPN
Warriors trading Jackson to Bobcats - NBA - Yahoo! Sports

Audio/Video:

Game Time: Rockets vs. Lakers - NBA Videos and Highlights

VIDEO: Trevor Ariza Gets His Ring at Lakers.com BasketBlog

The Basketball Jones

Ariza Loses Footwear, Wins Game

2009-11-16T05:39:32Z

Things aren't going that well right now.

The pregame ring ceremony for Trevor Ariza was nice. Classy. The 16-2 run to open tonight's game against the Houston Rockets was even nicer. From there the Rockets outscored the Lakers by 24 points, which I don't recall seeing in the script.

L.A. got shredded by David Andersen (wait, who) and Aaron Brooks. I'm sure those two are nice guys, but when they're lighting your D up for Stockton-Malone numbers, something isn't right. Not helping the situayshe was the Lakers' second straight ghastly shooting performance. Laker guards not named Shannon Brown shot 10 for 42. Here's the box score if you don't believe me.

The best part? Kobe Bryant limped off the floor late in the game. According to beat reporter Mike Trudell, he was playing with a hurt groin that was injured last Sunday against New Orleans. We're just finding out about this now?

After the jump, see Ron Artest toss Ariza's shoe into the courtside seats. The Lakers are 7-3. Hmph.

	Poss.	TO%	FTA/ FGA	FT%	EFG%	TS%	Off Reb%	Def Reb%	PPP
LA	100	13	0.32	74	42	47	12	71	0.91
Houston	100	19	0.21	84	47	51	29	88	1.01

Lakers-Rockets Open Thread

2009-11-16T02:00:18Z

Welcome to Ariza Bowl II.

Let's all raise a glass tonight for our old friend Trevor, who'll get his championship ring before the game. He was a distinguished soldier for us last year and will always have a place in Laker history. Aw, man... I told myself I wouldn't cry! Give me a moment here.

No such goodwill extends to the hated Luis Scola. That guy's a tool.

Open thread, ENGAGE.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

2009-11-15T20:20:52Z

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

6 days ago: Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant looks on as the Lakers fall behind by 30 points to the Denver Nuggets in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 105-79 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Browse more photos »

Tonight, the Lakers play host to the Houston Rockets. It will be slightly more special than the usual game, as this is the first game in Los Angeles for Trevor Ariza since playing a major role in bring a championship to the Lakers last season. So, in a moment that is sure to be bittersweet, TA will be receiving his championship ring before the game. Make sure to get there early (and by there, I mean the couch for most of you). Regardless of where you sit on the Trevor Ariza vs. Ron Artest fence, I don't think a single Lakers fan was happy to see Trevor go. We all have a fond place in our heart for him, and if you don't, you may or may not have a soul. So it will be quite enjoyable to see him reap the rewards of his efforts last season, no matter what uniform he's wearing now. Sappy note aside, onto the preview.

Catching up with the Lakers (7-2, tied 2nd in West, 106.3 OR, 102.8 DR, 93.9 Pace)

The Lakers will surely want to use the game tonight to wipe off the stench of their last game, the Denver Debacle. Even if everyone knows that game was likely a loss to start, the Lakers included, there is still no excuse for losing a single half by 24 points. That said, it was not a particularly surprising result to me. I don't think you can take too much from that game, analysis wise. The starters hung in there for a while, got tired, and lost it in the 3rd quarter. Nowhere was this more visible than in the play of Kobe Bryant.

Kobe didn't have a particularly strong game in either half, but his effort level was significantly higher in the 1st half than in the 2nd. In the first half, he was working his way down on the block, attempting to post. In the 2nd half, he was catching the ball 20 feet from the basket, waiting a couple seconds, and then just shooting a jumper, with maybe a few dribbles to attempt separation. It was the epitome of lazy basketball, although in this case you can substitute the word lazy for the word tired. And if Kobe Bryant, he of the world-renowned work ethic and conditioning, is tired, you can only imagine how the rest of the team was feeling. It was a schedule loss, created by the NBA scheduling department, and every single team in the league has them.

The one real negative you can take out of that game was the play of the bench, but honestly, is anybody surprised if and when the bench tosses up a stinker, especially on the road? At this point, anybody pointing to the Lakers margin of victory (often used by stat-heads like Hollinger as the best indication of how good a team is) as a cause for concern needs to check reality. The reality is if the bench comes in to the 4th quarter with a 25 point lead, the Lakers will likely win by 10. If the bench comes in to the 4th quarter down 10, the Lakers will lose by 25. In either situation, Phil Jackson is likely to stop caring about the game, and will do nothing to stop it. Is the play of the bench concerning? Absolutely. Is it going to prevent LA from reaching any of their goals? That remains to be seen. It's the same bench that LA won the championship with last year, and once the playoffs come around, a deep bench becomes less and less important. So the bench WILL cost the Lakers some regular season games if they can't pick things up. And an injury to one of the starters (like Pau's injury now) does put the Lakers in a tight spot regarding depth. But it seems clear to me that margin of victory is a little less successful at measuring the top-heavy Lakers than other teams that have a little more balance between the starters and bench players.

After the jump, catching up with Houston, and match-ups.

Catching up with the Houston Rockets (5-4, tied 6th in West, 108.5 OR, 106.0 DR, 94.5 Pace)

Last we saw Houston, they were the surprise of the league, with a 3-1 record and some significant wins. Now, they are a bit more under the radar (with teams like Sacramento at 5-4 and Milwaukee at 5-2), but they still look to be a much better team than anybody suspected. Trevor Ariza is finding success as the team's lead player, although his shooting numbers have definitely come back down to earth a little bit (42% overall, 38% from 3pt). Carl Landry continues to be an absolute beast off the bench, scoring 14 points per game in only 24 minutes. If the Rockets can keep it up, they should be able to make the playoffs with a lower half seed, and the "if" in that statement is disappearing more and more with every game.

The Match-ups

Everyone saw last season's playoff series with the Rockets. Houston lost Yao Ming, and then proceeded to destroy the Lakers in the rest of their home games in the series, while getting destroyed in the games in Los Angeles. The Rockets formula for success was efficient scoring from their "big" men, Luis Scola and Landry, great outside shooting, and quick guard domination with Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry. In the recent game between these two teams, the Lakers escaped with a narrow 103-102 overtime victory. A funny thing happened in that game. Down the stretch in the 4th quarter, the Rockets turned to super quick PG Aaron Brooks and expected him to terrorize the Lakers defense with his quickness on Derek "Stoneshoes" Fisher. The Rockets gave the ball to Brooks and constantly isolated him, or ran a pick and roll for him. And an extremely unexpected thing happened. Fisher ... handled it pretty well. Brooks did not run rampant, the Rockets did not get a whole lot of success from it, and there ended up being complaints from Houston about the "tactics" Fisher was using against Brooks, a sure sign that Fisher got into the little dude's head just a bit. I have no idea if Fisher can pull that off again (he certainly hasn't changed people's minds about his foot speed this season), but if he can, I don't see how Houston can pull out a win tonight.

Elsewhere, the Lakers will still be without Pau Gasol (I think, I haven't seen an update in a couple days), but that doesn't change the fact that the Lakers should own the Rockets inside with their height. The Rockets, are one of the worse rebounding teams in the league. I say should because we've seen it not happen far too often to ignore. The Rockets still employ a starting center who lists at 6'6", but Bynum has yet to fully solve the riddle that is Chuck Hayes. Lamar Odom also has either an athleticism advantage (Scola) or a size advantage (Landry) on his counterparts, so the Lakers easiest path to victory is, as always, down low.

Kobe Bryant had his first bad game in the post against Denver. In the first match-up between Houston and LA this season, he torched Battier from the block, in a way that I don't think I've seen him do before. Whether this happens again will go a long way to determining whether the Lakers are in for a fight, or win going away. A word of caution to those expecting Bryant to walk all over Battier again: Battier, more than any other player in the league, is a great defender because of his preparation. He studies what his opponent does, analyzes their tendencies, and figures out precisely what course of action will lead them to the least efficiency. The first Rockets-Lakers tilt was Battier's first experience with "post-Kobe", and there weren't a whole lot of games for Battier to analyze Bryant's new offensive weaponry. Now, Battier has a bit more first-hand experience, so at the very least, he will have a better game plan to try to contain Bryant in the post than he had in the first game. That said, Kobe is also coming off of his first bad game in the post, so look for him to re-assert his ability to have success in that area early and often. No surprise, this match-up is the key to the game.

Also, look for both Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza to be slightly more restrained in this game. In the first game, both players were clearly trying to "make a point" by sticking it to their former clubs. That element of the game may not go away completely, but I don't expect to see Ariza pressing quite like he did a couple weeks ago, or Artest putting up quite as many shots outside of the offense as he did against Houston.

Lakers starting 5: Bryant, Fisher, Bynum, Odom, Artest. Bench rotation: Farmar, Brown, Vujacic, Powell, Walton, Mbenga

Rockets starting 5: Battier, Brooks, Hayes, Scola, Ariza. Bench rotation: Lowry, Landry, Chase Buddinger, David Anderson

No preview yet over at The Dream Shake, but we'll keep you posted.