The Lakers Nation

Podcast: Voice of the Nation – Episode #73

Jaime Quintanilla — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:58:08 +0000

The Lakers may be slipping, but Voice of the Nation never does, as it returns to bring you more exclusive Lakers coverage.

G-Small and D-Bricks break down the Lakers recent slide in play and intensity, and look ahead to the final 17 games of the season.

Their are more NBA players talking smack to the Lakers on Twitter, and is the fall off due to the decline of Kobe Bryant?

Tune into Voice of the Nation #73!

Audio -
Jay-Z – Paper Chase
Notorious B.I.G. – Unbelievable

Additional Audio -
Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum – Lakers Post-Game

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Download Link: Voice of the Nation – Episode #73

Barkley: Kobe Not In The Same Conversation As Jordan

Chris Manning — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:16:20 +0000

Kobe not even in the same conversation as Jordan?

Sports Illustrated: Barkley had interesting comments on Kobe Bryant’s penchant for last-second shots. He said that some of Kobe Bryant’s game-winners are lucky. What are you going to do when he hits a 20-foot fade-away jumper? Barkley said that the Raptors played good defense against Bryant earlier this week but he hit the game-winner any way.

Barkley said that Bryant isn’t in the conversation with Michael Jordan as the greatest ever. Barkley said that the Lakers “play with no sense of urgency” and only won the title because they had more talent then everyone else. Barkley said that Bryant’s Lakers wouldn’t have a chance against the great Bulls teams.

– Barkley has been very impressed with the Dallas Mavericks. “They’re in the conversation with the Denver Nuggets against the Lakers,” Barkley said. “Clearly the Lakers are the favorite. But Denver and Dallas are right there.”

The Bay To L.A.: And We Have Miles To Go Before We Sleep

Max Mann — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:19:24 +0000

The NBA season is a long arduous marathon, and perhaps the Lakers recent run of poor play is just another blip on the radar.

True they broke their three game skid, but it took yet another Kobe game winner to pull it out.

In the grand scheme of things playing like “garbage” against the Raptors probably doesn’t mean a whole lot.

It’s sort of routine for a Championship caliber team to lay up some stinkers against inferior opponents (we’ve definitely made an annoying habit of this though).

And losing three in a row doesn’t necessarily mean that much either, especially if you consider many of this decade’s NBA Champions did, at one point, lose three in a row.

But what is perhaps troubling is that only three teams this decade lost three in a row, after the month of March, and went on to win the NBA Finals. (Spurs in ‘05, ‘07, and Heat in ‘06). Of course this really means that the other seven NBA Finals’ losers all lost three in a row after March.

Maybe this is a bad sign for the Lakers, and maybe it’s not, but clearly we are not playing as well as we could; or should be.

Anyway, that’s just something to think about, but while we’re at it, why don’t we also think about some other items of importance?

Cleveland Cavaliers -

This team is scary right now, and LeBron isn’t even what really scares me about them.

What’s scary is that they have the two things that give the Lakers the most trouble: a quick PG who can score, and physical interior play.

Every single team knows that Pau, Bynum, and Odom have major issues when teams put bodies on them, and play physical. And every single contending team seems to be able to do that effectively, and the Cavaliers are no different.

Also, there’s the added factor that every team who plays like this against us seems to get rewarded for it. Isn’t it odd that in the ‘04/’08 Finals, Detroit and Boston, played “good tough” physical defense, and somehow go to the line way more times? Isn’t it also odd that Cleveland got a gazillion more foul shots in the two games we played against them this year? Basically, if we play Cleveland in the Finals, expect us to play two teams: the referees and the Cavaliers.

Oh yeah! This team also has LeBron. It’s going to be interesting to see how “post weight loss” Ron Artest does against King James. Ron clearly struggles with quicker players like Wade, and he was completely unable to even stay close to LeBron in the previous two meetings. Let’s hope the weight loss will give him a chance this time around.

The West -

Two months ago if you would’ve asked me if I thought there was anyway for the Lakers to lose before the Finals, I would’ve said, “Hell NO!”

Yeah, about that…

We’re 3-4 against Dallas and Denver, and all four of those losses have been by double-digits. Only one of those wins — against Dallas at home — was a double digit win, the other two were by a combined eleven points.

Does anybody else feel reassured?

Also, both of these teams have also added multiple players that they can throw at Kobe. I don’t think theirs any way that Aaron Afflalo, J.R. Smith, DeShawn Stevenson, or Caron Butler can stop Kobe for a series, but they have all shown that they can at least make it tough for Kobe to score. If we do get past Denver and Dallas, how much will Kobe have left in the tank for the Finals?

Let’s just say that April 8th, at Denver will be huge game! It’s a road game, it’s against maybe our biggest threat to repeat, and it’s when we should start to peak.

If we lose that game… You know what? I’m not even going to talk about losing that game. It’s a must win!

Derek Fisher -

Great guy, yes.

Clutch, yes.

Washed up?

YES!

Can somebody explain to me what exactly we are getting out of Fisher right now? Sure, he knocks down the occasional big shot, but would we even need those damn shots if he wasn’t the biggest defensive liability in the league at the PG position?

Look, you can argue that Shannon and Farmar aren’t quite ready for prime time, or crunch time, or whatever you want to call it, but we’re never going to know with Fisher playing the bulk of the minutes.

Fish’ is also one of the worst passing PG in the league (2.5 apg), and he’s lost his fastball (.358 from deep is hardly “knock down”).

I really really don’t know if the Lakers can win it all with Fish’ starting.

Of course I was saying the same thing last year — and I was saying it all year too — and he came up pretty big. I don’t know if he has anything left in that well of his, but let’s just hope so.

The Finals -

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.
But I have promises to keep.
And miles to go before I sleep.” - Robert Frost

The Lakers dark deep woods, are only lovely if they keep their promise, which is an NBA Title. Indeed we do have miles to go before we sleep, but at least we have miles.

Improvement can still be made defensively, offensively, mentally, and physically. Some of the greatest teams have peaked late in the season, like our ‘00-’01 squad.

Let’s hope that our well traveled team is able to keep their promises when they’re out of the woods, and they finally lay down to sleep.

Odom willing to make statement, disprove “soft” title

Chris Manning — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:13:07 +0000

Odom had some really encouraging words regarding the Lakers and them being considered, “soft.”

O.C. Register: “Got dudes on the Raptors talking (bleep),” Odom said. “They ain’t done (bleep), You know what I mean? As a team, as individuals.”

“Our disposition as a team gives like some of these dudes, they feel like they have the right,” Odom said about the Raptors. “The way we’re playing as a unit, they got dudes on their team that are talking …. They are like .500. “But our aura comes off like ‘soft’. This was the second game I almost got thrown out. So I see one coming. I’m just going to take one, like, ‘hold up?’ Our energy, we are so laid back right now that these teams are like…

“That … that [Orlando's] Matt Barnes pulled, that ain’t never going to happen again,” Odom said. “He’s lucky it was a close game.”

…

Odom indicated he’s inclined to take flagrant fouls or even draw a one-game suspension to make clear that the Lakers must be determined and forceful to move forward in this season.

Continue reading ‘Odom willing to make statement, disprove “soft” title’

TLN’s Postgame Report: Lakers vs. Raptors

Steve Avery — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:53:14 +0000

The Lakers snapped their 3 game losing streak at home Tuesday night against the Raptors. All it took was a fourth quarter comeback capped by a game winner from none other than Kobe Bryant.

After Bosh hit a three in the closing seconds, Kobe answered with a fadeaway jumper with just over a second remaining to give the Lakers a 109-107 victory.

The Lakers simply didn’t play hard in the first half, giving up 58 points to Toronto and couldn’t hit a shot from downtown ending 3 of 15.

While it was an ugly win, it was much needed. The Lakers need to get some wins with Denver creeping up on them in the standings.

The starting Laker bigs offensively did well with 39 points combined, but did a poor job on the glass as the Lakers only got 40 rebounds as a team, allowing 11 offensive boards.

Now, the bests of the day…

Top 3 Laker Performers -

1) Kobe had 32, 6 and 6 with a game winner!

2) Bynum had 22 points on 8 of 12 shooting.

3) Lamar had 10, 8 and 5 off the bench. Another solid game.

Lakers Smush of the Day (Note: STD denotes the Laker that played the poorest): Shannon shot 2 of 9 and just didn’t have it tonight.

Play of the Night: What do you think?

What to Look for Next Game: The Lakers travel to Phoenix Friday night after a few days rest. Look for a W.

Ticket Info: Next home game is a week from Friday vs. the Timberwolves. E-Mail me at Steve@AveryTickets.com or call 213-221-7681 for info. on how to lock these tickets up today!

Go Lakers!

2nd Look: Kobe does it again, sinks Raptors from baseline

Chris Manning — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:17:16 +0000

Kobe Bryant is the absolute most clutch player in the league today, hands down.

Kobe drove baseline and shot a baseline fadeaway over two with 1.9 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a win over the Toronto Raptors.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, when the game is on the line, there is NO ONE better than Kobe Bryant.

Podcast: Basketball Taboo – Episode #1

Jaime Quintanilla — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:43:51 +0000

TLN’s Chris Manning and Jason Riley introduce “Basketball Taboo” – An all-new Podcast from The Lakers Nation that digs beyond the surface and dives into the taboo topics in the NBA. In this pilot episode, they discuss…

Kobe Bryant vs. Lebron James
Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan
Lamar Odom’s Reality TV Career

Plus, Chris and Jason talk Lakers, Clippers, the ‘10 Championship, and whether or not the Denver Nuggets pose a real threat to the Champs.

If you have any topics you would like discussed, feel free to e-mail and/or tweet Chris; or e-mail and/or tweet Jason.

[Voice Talent: Sharla Pair]

Download Link: Basketball Taboo – Episode #1

TLN’s Game Report: Lakers vs. Raptors

Jeff Little — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:43:49 +0000

The (46-18) Los Angeles Lakers are back at home to host the (32-29) Toronto Raptors after staggering though a forgettable three-game road trip.

It happened after 217 games since Pau Gasol joined the Purple and Gold; the Lakers lost three games in a row. Seeing it happen wasn’t a big surprise nor does it signal that the Lakers run as Champions is over.

This is no time to panic Lakers fans; adversity can be a good thing. There is reason for concern, but the best thing for this team is to move on. I’m not buying the talk from naysayers that state that the Lakers can’t win a championship, the last time I checked, this team is still the defending NBA Champion until it loses in a seven game series.

The Lakers have to play better as a team and simply execute. The Lakers have to get back to the basics such as playing solid defense, eliminating the mental mistakes, rebounding, taking care of the basketball, and knocking down their free throws. The Purple and Gold are getting quality looks although the team isn’t knocking down the shots on a consistent basis.

The Lakers have a total of 18 games to right the ship, so to speak and start playing like a Champion.

Against the Raptors, the Lakers need to come out of the locker room with energy, focused, and aggressive from the start. Toronto is a dangerous team that can score several points, they are very successful with their screen and roll action plays and can attack the team with multiple ball handlers.

Jarrett Jack had a good game scoring 18 points against us in the game on January 24th, Hedo Turkoglu can handle the ball, score at will just like he did last season for the Orlando Magic.

The Raptors have several excellent shooters so it goes without saying that you can’t give this team open looks. They are 4th in the league in scoring.

The Lakers have to stop the dribble penetration to limit their ability to drive to the basketball causing the defense to collapse and kick the ball out to open shooters. The Lakers have been turning the ball over way too much allowing the opponent to score way too many points off of their turnovers.

The Lakers front line has to step up their game. Pau Gasol has spoken of balance and movement off the basketball. In the last meeting with the Raptors, the Lakers front line had a solid effort and combined for 48 points and 19 boards. The Lakers can snap their losing streak exact a little payback against Toronto with a solid team effort, playing good defense, using excellent ball movement, and excellent player movement and outworking the Raptors.

Tip-off: 7:30 PM PST

Television -

Los Angeles: FS West (Joel Myers & Stu Lantz)
Toronto: Score (Matt Devlin & Jack Armstrong)

Radio -

Los Angeles: ESPN 710 AM (Spero Dedes & Mychal Thompson)
Toronto: FAN590 AM (Paul Jones & Eric Smith)

Injuries -

Lakers:

Kobe Bryant (Avulsion fracture of right index finger, elbow & back)
Sasha Vujacic (Sprained Right Shoulder) Probable
Luke Walton (Back) Out
Ron Artest (Sprained Left Thumb)
Shannon Brown (Sprained Right Thumb)

Raptors:

PF Hedo Turkoglu (Sore Left Ankle) Listed as Day-to-Day

Sasha Scores for Kids with Eczema

Chris Manning — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:40:50 +0000

Sasha may return tonight, but that hasn’t meant he hasn’t been busy while hurt! Here is a great new program he’s started!

Vujacic.net: Over 30 million Americans – many of them children – suffer from a skin disease called eczema. Sasha Scores for Kids with Eczema, launched with the National Eczema Association (800/818-7546), is a campaign to raise awareness and funds to support this cause. The first 100 donors will receive an autographed photo of Sasha. Donate now!

Sasha became aware of how severe eczema can be through three year old Lakers superfan Jarrett (see Jarrett and Sasha on youtube).

At three months old, Jarrett was diagnosed with eczema. Because of the discomfort and itch, Jarrett scratched his skin so much that it bled. As Jarrett got older, he became somewhat resistant to the skin treatments he had to follow. His parents tried several different coping mechanisms to keep his mind off scratching and create distractions while applying ointments and medicine. Jarrett’s father Eric, says that when Jarrett was two, he began showing interest in the LA Lakers, so they created routines for Jarrett’s treatment revolving around his favorite basketball team.

Jarrett uses his Sasha Soap, Kobe Cream, and Lamar Lotion to help cope with the arduous skin regime he must follow. Jarrett has endeared himself to the entire Lakers team by memorizing all their names, and jersey numbers, and by being what has to be their most adorable fan.

Continue reading ‘Sasha Scores for Kids with Eczema’

Barnes: Lakers won’t punk us

Chris Manning — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:46:31 +0000

You just opened up Pandora’s Box; especially if there is a Lakers/Magic rematch Mr. Barnes…

USA Today: If the Lakers and Magic face each other in the NBA Finals yesterday’s game no doubt will be what’s referenced as the agenda-setter. Orlando survived for a two-point victory as Matt Barnes played intense defense on Kobe Bryant, and Barnes says he’s ready for Round 2.

“They aren’t going to come in here and punk us,” Barnes told Fanhouse’s Tim Povtak after practice today.

Barnes also put some advance pressure on the referees, saying, “I have no problem playing physical, but throughout the game, he (Bryant) elbowed me three times. If I did that, I would have been kicked out . . . (Pau) Gasol takes a swing at Dwight (Howard). If we do that kind of stuff, we get kicked out, suspended. He (Bryant) is the best player. He gets to do whatever he wants. It is what it is.”

Barnes’ parting shot regarding Kobe: “If he’s going to throw elbows, I’m not just going to let him do it . . . Kobe is a killer. He has that killer instinct. If you let him mentally get to you, you don’t have a chance.”