Lakers Bit by Injury Bug
written by: Troy McNabb
Fan Contributor
Keys to the Game: Lakers vs Mavs
written by: Troy McNabb
Fan Contributor
Independently submitted articles on your Los Angeles Lakers, do you agree or disagree? What's your opinion?
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers will have a battle Tuesday night as they take on the Dallas Mavericks for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
There will be extra energy at Staples with Shaquille O’Neal’s jersey being retired. Specifically, Kobe Bryant will have an extra pep in his step.
Although the Kobe and Shaq feud is officially over, expect the Black Mamba to give a monster performance today in order to prove the Lakers made the right decision keeping him and trading Shaq.
Bryant knows the Lakers need this game, and with Steve Nash ruled out due to an ailing hamstring, he will surely give his all against the Mavs.
The Lakers also need a big performance Dwight Howard who may also be motivated from a feud he continues to have with Shaq. Dwight wants to establish himself as the new superman in tinsel town, which is bad news for the Mavericks bigs Tuesday.
According to ESPN, after practice Monday Dwight Howard told reporters, “We just got to come out and play with the right intensity, the right effort for 48 minutes and we should win all these games.”
Dwight knows the Lakers need a great game from him Tuesday. Howard must control the paint on both ends of the floor against the Maverick’s big men. Elton Brand will most likely start at center for the Mavs tonight who is averaging a career low 7.6 points per game. Howard should have his way against the 6’ 9” Brand. Howard must stay out of foul trouble because the Lakers need him on the floor for forty plus minutes Tuesday.
The Mavericks are always a tough matchup for the Lakers and are motivated to get to .500 so they can finally shave their Viking-like beards. The matchup to watch is between power forwards Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki.
Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will look to score from a variety of outside jump shots and drives to the basket. Pau Gasol will look to offset Nowitzki with a variety of post moves and passing. Nowitzki will win this matchup more than likely, but Gasol must make sure Nowitzki doesn’t win it by a large number.
Another exciting matchup to watch is Kobe Bryant versus O.J. Mayo. Mayo will be looking to prove that he is an elite shooting guard in the league, while Bryant will show why he has been the best scorer of this era. Kobe Bryant will win this matchup just as he always does, but he must make sure he stays home on Mayo and not give Mayo any open shots.
The Lakers as a team must play a lot better defense than they have recently in order to win this game. Defense is the team key to winning the game Tuesday against the Mavs. The only word that should be on the Laker players mind is DEFENSE! IF they play defense collectively and for each other, they will win this extremely important game Tuesday.
For more on the @Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA
Injuries, injuries, and more injuries! That has been the story of the Lakers all season long.
With so many injuries, the Lakers should consider attending church Easter Sunday as a team in order to shake the injury devils that have cursed their bodies.
Kobe Bryant left the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on one crutch, Thursday, after another tough Laker loss. He suffered a bone-spur in his left foot after logging in 36 minutes against the fast-paced Milwaukee Bucks.
Bryant’s backcourt mate Steve Nash was also bit by the injury bug, aggravating his hip and hamstring. Nash did not re-enter the game after going to the locker room in the third quarter.
These injuries couldn’t have come at a worst time for the Lake Show as they are fighting to maintain the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The team is already lacking in depth after losing forward Metta World Peace for 6 weeks due to a lateral meniscus tear against the Golden State Warriors.
Earlier in the year, the Lakers lost Nash and Blake for significant time and forward/center Jordan Hill for the entire year. Pau Gasol missed significant time with various injuries. Bryant has also missed a few games due to a sprained ankle. Dwight Howard returned too soon from back surgery, and only recently is displaying the level of play the Lakers expected.
If any other team in sports had as many injuries as the Lakers, they would have sunk a long time ago. The Lakers have had to battle injury, chemistry issues, and flat out old age. But they still have some how rallied back to playoff contention, where many predicted they would not be. The thought of the Lakers making the playoffs was laughable a month ago.
With that being said, the Lakers must stick together during this last stretch of the season. They need Kobe and Nash to play through injury the way they were pushing Dwight Howard to. If Bryant and Nash miss significant time in the upcoming weeks, the Lakers have no chance of making the playoffs, let alone making a run in the playoffs. The season will then be considered the worst season in the franchise’s history given the high expectations given to this team before the start of the season.
Not making the playoffs will bring major drama and questions to the Laker offseason such as “Will Dwight stay? Will Kobe Retire? When and where will Gasol be traded?” This scenario is unlikely because given the warrior spirits of Bryant and Nash, either of them missing more than a few games is highly unlikely. This is why the Lakers should not be counted out.
The Lakers will be in the playoffs and will be a dangerous team to face for any team in the Western Conference. This is the reason no one wants to see the purple and gold in the first round of the playoffs. Perhaps it’s too late for this team to fulfill its full potential but it will be a tough out come playoff time. That’s if their latest injuries don’t stop them again.
For more on the @Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA
Clippers Sweep Lakers
written by: Troy McNabb
Fan Contributor
Metta World Peace is Back!
written by: George Middleton
@Ge0rgeMiddlet0n
The Lakers had their hands full Sunday night as they faced Western conference rival San Antonio Spurs in a 91-86 victory.
The Lakers were extremely short-handed in the backcourt with Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash out. Nash has been out since March 30 with hip and hamstring injuries he’s listed as day to day while Bryant is out for the season with a torn Achilles.
The Spurs have also been hampered by injuries lately. Guard Manu Ginobili is expected to miss the next three to four weeks with a strained right hamstring and forward/center Boris Diaw is out two to three weeks with a sprained lumbar facet in his back. Also, all-star guard Tony Parker has missed three out of the Spurs last four games with a sore neck and he is still nursing a sprained ankle that caused him to miss time.
The Lakers were able to keep Parker out of the paint Sunday, which they haven’t been able to in their last four meetings. Before Sunday’s 4-point, 1-for-10 effort Sunday, he had averaged 23 points on 58.8 percent shooting in his last four games against the Lakers - all Spurs wins. Lakers guard Steve Blake had the difficult task of slowing down Parker, one of the game’s best penetrators, just one game after being torched by Warriors guard Stephen Curry for 47 points. It takes a team effort to slow down Parker, however Blake did an outstanding job Sunday.
However, the matchup between the teams Sunday night was decided by the bigs of both teams -playing their best ball of the season. Spurs forward Tim Duncan is averaging 22.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks over the last 13 games, so slowing him down wasn’t going to an be easy task heading into Sunday’s matchup. Pau Gasol drew the assignment and was coming off a triple-double in an emotional win over the Golden State Warriors.
Tim Duncan got the better of this matchup scoring 23 points, while Gasol struggled from the field, scoring 7 points on 3-17 shooting. Gasol did win the rebounding battle, gathering 16 boards.
Another matchup to pay attention to was Dwight Howard versus Tiago Splitter.
Howard has found himself in the Lakers’ offense, while re-establishing himself as perhaps the best defender in the NBA. Splitter had his hands full trying to slow down D12, who is looking to prove he can be the leader of this Lakers team with the absence of Kobe. Howard dominated every Spur who guarded him whether it was Duncan or Splitter. Howard overcame “Hack-a-Dwight,” scoring 26 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.
This was a big game for both teams; San Antonio is fighting for the number one seed in the Western conference, while the Lakers are still trying to secure the number eight seed. The Lakers must maintain a one-game lead on the Utah Jazz at the end of the season in order to secure a playoff spot due to Utah owning the tiebreaker. The Spurs are one game back from the Oklahoma City Thunder for the top seed in the west after Sunday’s game.
For more on the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter
Lakers One Win From Playoffs
written by Troy McNabb
Fan Contributor
The road to the playoffs just became a lot tougher for the Lakers after losing to their cross-the-hall rival Clippers, 109-95 Sunday.
Kobe Bryant tried his best to bring the Lakers back from a double-digit second half deficit, pouring in 25 points and dishing out 10 assists. Dwight Howard had a great game as well scoring 25 points and blocking 4 shots.
However, the big efforts from Bryant and Howard weren’t near enough as the Clippers fast break style was too much for the Lake Show. The Clippers had great games from their two stars, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, who had 24 points each.
The Clipper’s bench was tremendous as well, out-scoring the Lakers’ bench 34-19, led by 12 points from Matt Barnes. The Lakers had no answer for Clippers shooting guard Jamal Crawford who torched the Lakers with 20 points.
Sunday’s game was critical for both Los Angeles teams. The Lakers must keep winning to hold on to the eight seed in the Western Conference - the clippers fighting for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
With the loss, the Lakers now move into a tie with the Utah Jazz, who has a tough matchup later Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers must maintain a lead on the Jazz because the Jazz own the tie breaker if the two teams happen to have identical records at the end of the season.
The Lakers playoff hopes are in serious trouble - they must go into Tuesday’s game against the New Orleans Hornets focused and ready to give maximum effort. They can’t rely on losses by the Jazz. Both the Jazz and Lakers have five games remaining with three against teams who are playoff contenders.
In order to make it to the playoffs, the Lakers must beat the two sub .500 teams they face and perhaps can only afford to lose one more game maximum to secure a playoff spot.
On the Clipper side, with this win they now have their first division title in franchise history and have swept the season series against the Lakers for the first time. This is quite an accomplishment for the franchise that has been the joke of the NBA for so many years.
The Clippers only have one more game against a playoff team remaining and four against bottom feeder teams - which means they should have a strong ending to what has been the best season in their franchises history.
For more on the #Lakers and #Clippers, follow @SportSpeakLA
The Los Angeles Lakers currently stand at 42-37, which is good for the 8th seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers hold a one game lead over the Utah Jazz. The Lakers must finish a game ahead of the Jazz as they hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers.
The Lakers have won two of three meetings against the Golden State Warriors this season. The last time these two teams faced each other was on March 25 in Golden State, the Warriors won 109-103.
Tonight, the Warriors will be without their starting center Andrew Bogut, who sprained his surgically repaired ankle last night. Festus Ezeli, a rookie is expected to replace Bogut in the lineup for tonight’s game.
For the Lakers, Steve Nash is out for tonight’s contest as he remains day-to-day with back and hip issues.
There are a few keys in tonight’s contest against the Warriors so the Lakers can earn their 43rd win of the season.
The first key to the game is to limit the three-point shooting. The last time these two teams faced each other, the Warriors went 10-23 from three. Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson went 6-11 from behind the arc.
Three-point shooting was a big
contributor to the Warriors 25 point lead early in the third quarter of the last game.
The second key is to limit Warriors shooting guard Stephen Curry. Curry, who played with a sprained right ankle, took control of the game with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. You can make the argument that Curry has emerged into superstar status ever since the all-star break. In the 27 games since the all-star break, Curry is averaging 25.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds.
The third key for the Lakers is containing David Lee. In the last matchup, David Lee went for 23 points and 12 rebounds. Pau Gasol will match up with Lee as they both play the power forward spots. It’s clear that Gasol wasn’t the same player that he is now in that game. In the last five games, Gasol has averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists.
If the Lakers take care of these three things in this game, it this reporter's opinion that they will win. It’s not going to be easy to do this but they need to win this game if they want to keep control of their playoff hopes.
"We've got no breathing room at all," Bryant said. "I'm still on edge. We've got to win three more games and we're in." (ESPN)
For more on the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter
Game Preview: Lakers vs Warriors
written by: George Middleton
@Ge0rgeMiddlet0n
A hall of fame career flashed before the eyes of many Laker fans in Friday night’s win against the Golden State Warriors - Superstar Kobe Bryant fell to the floor with 3:08 to go in the fourth quarter.
The Black Mamba suffered a complete tear of his Achilles tendon in his left foot and will miss the next six to nine months of basketball activity. Friday night Lakers fans could only watch in disbelief as Bryant’s body slowly broke down on him throughout the game. Bryant kept getting up until his body couldn’t take anymore. On his Facebook page Saturday morning, Bryant conceded the fact that maybe his age is catching up to him.
“Maybe I should break out the rocking chair and reminisce on the career that was. Maybe this is how my book ends. Maybe Father Time has defeated me…Then again maybe not!” This quote makes fans question if this was the last time we see Kobe on an NBA court.
The Los Angeles Lakers currently stand at 42-37, holding the 8th seed in the Western Conference. With a one game lead over the Utah Jazz, the Lakers must finish a game ahead of Utah as they hold the tiebreaker over the Lakers. Having won two of the last three meetings against the Warriors this season, Golden State won the last time these two teams faced each other on March 25 (109-103).
Tonight, the Warriors will be without their starting center Andrew Bogut, who Sprained his surgically repaired ankle last night. Festus Ezeli, a rookie, is expected to replace Bogut in the lineup for tonight’s game. As for the Lakers, Steve Nash is out for tonight’s contest as he remains on the bench day-to-day with back and hip issues.
Few keys in tonight’s contest can earn the Lakers their 43rd win of the season. First key is to limit three-point shooting. The last time these two teams faced each other, the Warriors went 10-23 from beyond the arc. Warriors guard Klay Thompson went 6-11 from three.
Before leaving the game Friday night, Bryant scored 34 points and dished out 4 assists. He received a lot of help from Pau Gasol, who posted his sixth career triple-double, scoring 26 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing 10 assists.
Dwight Howard also had a monster game, scoring 28 points and bringing in 7 boards. Gasol and Howard were huge in the final minutes without Bryant and led the team to victory. The sudden chemistry with the two couldn’t have come at a better time. They both must continue to play at a high level in order for the Lakers to have any shot going forward.
The Lakers must now regroup and make a playoff push without arguably the greatest player of the current generation, and arguably of all time. It will be a difficult task as the Lakers play the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets the final two games of the season.
For more on the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter
Crucial Loss in Lakers Win
written by: Troy McNabb
Fan Contributor
Pau Gasol has missed the last 20 games because of a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. However, the Lakers have gone 13-7 without the Spaniard in that stretch, and Earl Clark has stepped in nicely in D’Antoni’s fast-paced style. Pau has won two world championships with the Lakers, but that was with Phil Jackson.
There are clear points on both sides of the argument, but the question becomes: In limited time, who is the better option down the stretch? I feel it’s Clark.
Pau’s strengths are his ability to hit the mid-range jumper, rebounding, and passing. Those are valuable attributes, but there happens to be another player on the team with those same abilities, but add speed – enter Earl Clark.
If you ask Clark, he measures up to his billing with reliable precision, stating, "It's cool with me, man. I just want to play. I never got caught up in starting." (Daily Breeze)
Despite Clark’s easy-going nature, he has struggled in the clutch lately and his coach has attributed his decision to Clark’s inability to deliver when it counts. Clark’s numbers in March, 7.4 points - 38.6 percent shooting - 5.3 rebounds, are less than stellar. Still, the intensity Clark brings to the team isn’t represented by numbers necessarily, and D’Antoni’s system is dependent on speed. The main goal of this style is to score in 10 seconds or less, something difficult to accomplish with two slow moving big men.
Pau thrived in a slow-paced, meticulous offense featuring sound passing and clock management. D’Antoni’s “Showtime” offense is a stark change from the Zin Master’s credo.
My solution? Play them both, on the floor, at the same time. We all know the Lakers are going to give up some points. The possibility of Clark and Metta World Peace splitting time seems inviting – if it works. But that’s a debate for another day…
For more on the @Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA
Clark to Bench When Gasol Returns
written by: Todd Boldizsar
@toddboldizsar
With a playoff berth possibly at stake, the Lakers will face the Houston Rockets Wednesday night in the final game of the regular season and possibly the final game of the Lakers’ season.
The winner of Wednesday’s game clinches the 7th seed in the Western conference and avoids the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the 1st round of the playoffs. Wednesday’s game against the Rockets will provide another opportunity for Dwight Howard to prove he can become the next face of the franchise with the absence of Kobe Bryant. “With Kobe out, I understand that I have to do more and be more for this team. This is a great opportunity for me, and I can do it”, Howard told reporters after Wednesday’s shootaround.
As for the rest of the team, Howard declared, “We’re going to fight to the end and do our best”.
Forward Pau Gasol echoed the same the sentiments Wednesday saying, “We have players that won’t give up, that won’t quit.”
The Houston Rockets will have the same attitude heading into the game with the 7th seed on the line. The game will come down to whichever team is able to implement their style of play the best. The Rockets want to run, while the Lakers want to slow the tempo down and give the ball to the big men. The Lakers will look to Howard to lead the team’s defense by controlling the paint against the penetrating guars of Houston, James Harden and Jeremy Lin.
Howard has played well for the Lakers lately and must win his individual matchup against the physically tough Omer Asik. Howard, who is coming off a 26 point 17 rebound game Sunday against the Spurs, has owned this matchup in the past.
Gasol must also play well for the Lakers for the Lakers to be successful. He will be matched up against Greg Smith, expected to start at forward for the Rockets. The Lakers should run their offense through Gasol to exploit this matchup, which Gasol should win easily.
Guard Steve Nash will be out Wednesday’s game with a hamstring injury, so Steve Blake will get the starting nod once again. Blake played perhaps his best game as a Laker Sunday scoring 23 points. He must continue his aggressive play against the younger, quicker Lin. Blake must do his best to stop Lin’s penetration, which is easier said than done.
The biggest problem for the Lakers will be slowing down Harden. It will take a team effort as well as solid individual defense by Jodie Meeks and Metta World Peace who will take turns guarding him. Stopping Harden must be the top priority for the Lakers and it won’t be an easy task Wednesday.
The Lakers may gain extra motivation heading into the Wednesday’s game if the Utah Jazz wins their game against the Memphis Grizzlies Wednesday night. If the Jazz beat the Grizzlies, the Lakers must win in order to make the playoffs. If both the Lakers and Jazz win or lose, the Lakers make the playoffs and the Jazz go on vacation.
For more on the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter
Lakers vs Rockets For All The Marbles
written by Troy McNabb
Fan Contributor
For the Los Angeles Lakers, it all started on July 11, 2012, when Steve Nash was acquired from the Phoenix Suns in a sign and trade deal. About a month later, on August 10, 2012, the Lakers acquired Dwight Howard from the Orlando Magic. Instantly, the Lakers were title contenders in the 2012-2013 season.
The Lakers were seen in the eyes of everyone as favorites to win the Western Conference along with the Oklahoma City Thunder. This season was supposed to be a championship or fail season.
The Lakers started the season with a disappointing loss against the Dallas Mavericks at home on October 30, 2012. It was only right to believe that it was their first game together and that they’ll be fine - but it continued. The Lakers lost their next two games against Portland and the Los Angeles Clippers. In the second game of the season, Nash got injured and went on to miss the next 24 games.
The Lakers first half of the season was arguably the worst that any person could’ve imagined with a roster that included four potential hall-of-famers. Through the All-Star break the Lakers were 25-29, and sputtering.
Kobe Bryant, at the age of 34, had a spectacular season averaging 27.3 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.6 rebounds. Bryant willed the Lakers to the playoffs, but on April 12 things went downhill as he went down with an Achilles tendon injury. Bryant was out for the season and everyone knew the Lakers would be in trouble and there was a chance that they wouldn’t make the playoffs. The Lakers won their last two games without Bryant against the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.
After the All-Star break the Lakers went 20-8 and ended the season with an impressive 8-1 mark. The Lakers got the match up that many believed they were looking for – the Spurs. All the attention was on Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard in the playoffs, as the Lakers only chance to win was if they dominated the paint.
After not playing in the previous eight games, Nash was back in time for game one against the Spurs. It was evident that Nash wasn’t near 100 percent as he was seen hobbling throughout the contest. Lakers saw injuries to Jodie Meeks, Steve Blake, and Metta World Peace before they got swept.
It’s hard to say that a team missing their four primary guards and their starting small forward was expected to win any games against a 58-24 Spurs team.
The Lakers season was certainly not what anyone expected as they got swept in the first round, but without their superstar (Kobe), it was hard to expect much. When Bryant went down the air was sucked out of not only the team but the city of Los Angeles.
Now, the question is whether Dwight Howard will sign with the Lakers and will the Lakers keep Pau Gasol or amnesty him? I believe Howard will sign a big contract as he will work to team up with Bryant to give him a chance at a championship before he retires. Howard will not leave after getting swept, he knows that it will hurt his legacy as a player.
Whether they let Gasol go or stick with his inconsistency is now in question. I believe that there’s a 50/50 chance he will be back in purple and gold. The Lakers can try going with a younger option like Josh Smith, who is close to Dwight’s skill set. The Lakers need to add a consistent bench scorer like Jamal Crawford or JR Smith.
Things will be interesting this upcoming off-season as all eyes will be on Howard and Bryant’s progress.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers might be hometown rivals, but that may not stop them from making a big deal that can change both franchises.
All-Star center Dwight Howard, who played in the last year of his contract in Los Angeles, had a disappointing season in the eyes of many. Howard played through injury throughout the season. Despite playing through injuries, Howard averaged 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. Howard also made his seventh all-star appearance and the All-NBA third team, but those before-mentioned injuries casted doubt on what could have been.
There are many possibilities regarding Howard: He can sign a long term deal with the Lakers, he can sign a deal with any other team or he can be part of a sign and trade deal.
There are rumors of a massive deal, which would send Howard to the Clippers for Eric Bledsoe and Blake Griffin.
Both players will give the Lakers what they are desperately in need of - athleticism. Griffin, who is only 24 years old, has made three straight All-Star games and back-to-back All-NBA second teams. Griffin averaged 18 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. What Blake Griffin lacks on defense, he can certainly make up for with his athleticism and his rebounding ability.
Bledsoe is an intriguing fit for the Lakers, a point guard that has the athleticism and defensive ability to guard players like Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker. The problem with Bledsoe is that he has only started 38 games in his three year career. In 12 starts this season at the point guard position, he averaged 14.2 points, 5.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.5 steals. These numbers show that Bledsoe can certainly fill the stat sheet as he even averaged 1.3 blocks as a starter, an outstanding average for any guard.
One area that Bledsoe must improve on is shooting, as he is only a career 31 percent 3-point shooter, with most of his makes coming on open looks. Overall, Bledsoe is still only 23 years old and he can certainly improve on his jump shot and point guard skills.
If this trade were to go down, it would help both teams as much as it would hurt them. The Clippers wouldn’t lose much in Bledsoe, as they have Chris Paul running the point guard spot. The loss of Blake Griffin would hurt a bit, but Dwight Howard will give them the inside and out combination that would be as dangerous as any in the entire league.
Howard will give the Clippers a true presence down low. With Griffin coming in to the Lakers, they will start Pau Gasol at the center spot with Griffin at power forward.
The Lakers would gain two players that are on the rise and would lose Howard who is as good as any center in the league but isn’t going to improve much more. They would lose a franchise player when Kobe Bryant retires, but they would gain two players that can help them reshape their franchise. If Kobe Bryant returns early in the season and Pau Gasol is healthy, the Lakers will be a contender in the West and should have a better season than last year's that featured injury after injury.
Overall this trade would help the Clippers more than the Lakers, but it is a balanced deal that would give both teams what they are looking for.
Care to give three words to describe the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster?
Jumbled and dysfunctional.
Where to begin with this bunch with the draft looming tomorrow evening?
They have a hobbled superstar in Kobe Bryant who slowly but surely is getting back on his feet after suffering a torn achilles tendon in his left leg last season.
They have a 6’11” behemoth in Dwight Howard who really underachieved in his new purple and yellow duds he was fitted for last year.
A 39-year-old point guard named Steve Nash who missed 32 games and averaged the fewest assists per game since his 1999-2000 campaign as a spot starter with the Dallas Mavericks.
All of that, along with a rag-tag group of journeymen and young kids that barely ever see the floor, has equated to a big, stinking mess.
So how do the Lakers proceed in cleaning up this giant hill of manure?
Unfortunately for them, their first round draft pick this year disappeared like magic.
Bad joke?
All jokes aside, their original first round pick at 19th overall went to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade that occurred back in March of last year when Los Angeles acquired both Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga for Luke Walton, Jason Kapono and the draft pick.
Both men are no longer with the club.
So now this puts the Lakers in a deep hole with not a lot of long-term options available with their second round pick at 49th overall.
With Howard currently a free agent and Pau Gasol having one year left on his contract, the Lakers might need to look into drafting a center this year just in case Howard and Gasol look elsewhere.
If you combine Gasol and Howard’s contract from last year, that equates to an estimated $38.2 million in cap space. Howard is leaning towards getting the heck out of Los Angeles and Gasol is 32 years old and slowly losing his once-dominant form.
The Lakers best option to remedy this situation if they choose to do so with the draft would be to take senior Zeke Marshall from the Akron Zips.
Although Marshall is pretty low on the totem pole of draftees this year, he has been praised by CBS Sports college basketball writer and draft analyzer Jeff Borzello,
“You can watch two minutes of Marshall and see why he’s an intriguing NBA prospect. He’s a mobile 7-footer with great wingspan, and is a dominant defensive player on the inside. From those traits, there’s a chance that an NBA team takes a flyer on Marshall just to see what happens.”
Marshall last season averaged 13.0PPG 7.0RPG and 3.7BLK for the Zips (26-7), who won the MAC Conference Championship and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Losing Dwight Howard if he elects to test the market would open the door for a solid defensive center, who has improved his scoring touch and has the potential to be a diamond in the rough for the Lakers.
With Nash’s contract ending in 2015, that gives the Lakers another year to use their 2014 first round pick on a point guard, knowing that at 49th overall, there isn’t really a point guard worth getting as a long-term option.
So for now, sit tight, get a big man in Marshall with likely both Gasol and Howard leaving L.A and prepare for what looks to be an incredible 2014 draft.
For more on the #Lakers potential draft choices, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter
On the 1st of July, free agent signings begin. Dwight Howard, the hottest free agent in the market is expected to meet with not only the Los Angeles Lakers but with Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, and Golden State.
Last season Howard was heavily criticized for wanting to leave Orlando after giving them contradictory and confusing statements. The “Dwight-mare” will started anew today.
According to sources, Howard wants to leave the Lakers although he hasn’t indicated that directly.
The first potential landing spot for Howard is Houston, where he could team up with James Harden and Chandler Parsons. The Rockets have been making every move possible to clear cap space. There are rumors that Dwight would be motivated to go to Houston even more if they can land another star player.
The Lakers can sign and trade Howard to Houston for Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin.
Dallas has shown a high level of interest in Howard - also scrambling to clear cap space by getting rid of players like Shawn Marion and Vince Carter. If Howard goes to the Mavericks, he will be teaming with Dirk Nowitzki but they will still be missing good backcourt talent.
There are many rumors saying that Golden State is willing to offer Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson. If the Lakers realize that Howard wants to walk, that might be their best option. If the Lakers can take a combination of these two players with the signing of another free agent like Nick Young or Carlos Delfino they will certainly be in the mix.
Finally, Atlanta is also intrigued with Howard as it is well-documented that he would like to play with Josh Smith. However, Dwight has made it abundantly clear he is not keen on returning to his hometown soon. Even so, an option the Lakers can take is doing a sign-and-trade involving Jeff Teague and Al Horford. In order for this to happen the Hawks would have to sign Teague.
As of right now, there are no signs pointing to what Howard will do, but we will find out in the next few days or weeks.
For more on @DwightHoward and the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter.
Dwight Howard has told the media he plans to make an announcement today - selecting the destination for the 2013-14 NBA season.
As of today, many sources see the Houston Rockets as the front runners with the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks closely behind. However, a new contender in the sweepstakes has emerged.
The Golden State Warriors have emerged as a possible destination after reportedly impressing the big man in their meeting. The Atlanta Hawks have a slim chance of landing the star center as well.
Many sources believe that Kobe Bryant challenging Howard and teaching him how to win is a turn off. ESPN NBA Analyst Chris Broussard believes that Howard will choose between Houston and Dallas, with the Lakers still in the mix as well.
Hakeem Olajuwon, the hall of fame center that played for Houston who has been involved in the meetings with Howard said "It's an 85% chance he ends up in Houston," on Wednesday. "You never know, but after that meeting we had, I feel very comfortable that we have the best chance to get him."
The Lakers have the best market, but he isn’t involved as much offensively. Houston has pieces to be a contender if they land Howard, as they already have James Harden and Chandler Parsons. Dallas will probably give him the best chance at getting big numbers but they are the less likely to be a contender as the only really good piece they have is Dirk Nowitzki and OJ Mayo’s return is a question.
As mentioned earlier - a sleeper in the Howard sweepstakes would be Golden State as they will become instant contenders if they land Howard with Stephen Curry and young talent such as Harrison Barnes and Klay Thompson. Howard will most likely join the Warriors through a sign and trade if he does go there.
Although there are signs that point to him leaving Los Angeles, I believe that he will remain on the Lakers.
In the wake of Dwight Howard's departure (Sorry to mention his name again), the Lakers are faced with the prospect of muddling through a "rebuilding" year with the likes of Chris Kaman, Jordan Farmar and Robert Sacre seeing significant time.
This less-than-stellar supporting cast of Steve Nash and Pau Gasol is noticably missing someone - one Metta World Peace.
According to the OC Register's Kevin Ding via Twitter, the defensive-minded MWP will be amnestied to save the Lakers $7.7 million in cap space.
The Lakers will still have to Metta unless another team claims him and makes the highest bid for his services. Either way, his contract will be off the books for the next offseason. With Sacre and Farmar signing 1-year deals, and if Lamar Odom signs a 1-year deal as expected, the Lakers will have only Steve Nash on the payroll after this upcoming season.
Lost in all the shuffle is the madness that will ensue if LA has only one player locked down for the following year.
Saying payroll is great, but with the turmoil surrounding a not-to-be-named-again center, and the dehabilitating Achilles injury to Kobe Bryant, it might be wise of the Purple and Gold to not leave so much in the air.
And why amnesty Ron-Ron now that they won't be handing a max deal to a single player? Certainly MWP has not been a model citizen, nor an offensive dynamo...and really not much of a philanthropist...but his defense and confidence is something a young, bargain bin squad could use in what is sure to be a tumultuous and volitile year.
Metta brings experience, moxy, intensity, and above all - "Showtime" that will be absent in D'Antoni's system with the bland, vanilla, mediocre lot of back-ups signed thus far. Gasol can't shoulder the load himself, and Nash has no one to pass to.
Crazy thought: No, the Lakers don't have much of a chance this upcoming season, but because they are amnestying MWP, not just because El Indecisivo bailed.
For more on the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter.
The Lakers signed Nick Young, who averaged 10.6 points for the Philadelphia 76ers last season.
While nobody has ever questioned Young’s scoring abilities, there have always been questions about his shot selection and lazy defense. I believe that Young will succeed on the Lakers because he will get cleaner looks due to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Expect Young to have a season like he did in Washington when he averaged 17.4 points in 2010-11.
The Lakers signed center Chris Kaman, who played for the Dallas Mavericks last year and previously played for the Clippers. Kaman was an all-star in 2010 and he averaged 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds this past season. Kaman might not be in the prime of his career but he’s a solid center with good offensive skills.
With the acquisitions of Young and Kaman, the Lakers didn’t stop as they signed Wesley Johnson, who played for Minnesota last season. Johnson was the fourth pick in the 2010 draft. While Johnson might’ve only averaged 8 points last season, he averaged 12 points in 29 games after the all-star break last season. Johnson will help the Lakers with his ability to guard multiple positions and spread the floor. I expect Johnson to have a season similar to Trevor Ariza when the Lakers won the championship.
Jordan Farmar was the last big signing the Lakers made this summer. Farmar last played in the NBA with the Nets in 2011-12 averaging 10.4 points. Farmar will help the Lakers with his shooting ability (shot 44 percent from three in 2011-12) and ability to guard the athletic guards.
Expect Pau Gasol and Steve Nash to have better seasons than last year. Despite that, the Lakers season will depend on Kobe Bryant’s health. If Kobe plays in the first month of the season, I believe the Lakers will finish with about 44-47 wins grabbing the seventh seed. I believe they can finish as high as sixth and the worst case scenario is that they’re fighting for a playoff spot with teams like Minnesota and Portland. If Kobe misses a few months then the Lakers will be left out of the playoffs for the first time since 2004-05.
Lakers 2013-14 Season Preview
con't from home page
The San Antonio Spurs were in full control of the game Sunday afternoon, as they beat the Los Angeles Lakers 91-79 at home.
The key factor in Sunday’s game was shooting guard Manu Ginobli as he scored 18 points in 19 minutes. Ginobli came up big in the last 2 minutes of the third quarter, scoring 8 points, including 2 three-point baskets to push it to a 13-point Spurs lead.
"It was great to have Manu back." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told ESPN, "He does what he does. He makes big shots. He creates problems for the opponent and he's got a great will, a great desire.
The Spurs were a plus 19 points while Ginobli was on the floor.
Another key factor in the Spurs win was turnovers. The Lakers had 18 turnovers, the Spurs had just nine. The Lakers finished with more turnovers then their 15 assists.
For the Lakers, Dwight Howard contributed with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Pau Gasol went for 16 points and 16 rebounds, although he was playing mostly outside which even Kobe Bryant didn’t approve of: "Post. Post. Post," Bryant, sidelined with a torn Achilles, tweeted in reference to the Lakers' offense.
A shocking statistic from Sunday’s game - the Lakers actually outshot the Spurs from the field (41.1 percent to 37.6 percent). The Spurs also took advantage of transition buckets, as they outscored the Lakers 17-2 on fast break points.
In order for the Lakers to even the series they must contain Ginobli and hit their jump shots. With the Lakers going 3-15 from three and Jodie Meeks getting hurt, they should have considered using Andrew Goudelock. One might say he’s not a very good defender or he lacks experience, but the one thing he can do is hit his shots.
The Lakers problem was generating baskets, not getting stops. In order to do that they need to use a player like Goudelock that can get hot. If they can accomplish this, not only will this be a close game, but the Lakers can take a much needed split on the road going back home for games three and four.
After injuring his left knee on March 25 against the Golden State Warriors, Metta World Peace is back!
The breaking news is shocking as he was supposed to miss at least six weeks with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Many people are wondering if World Peace is rushing his return in the waning games of the season. “First ever knee injury. Recovery time hopefully is a week and a half” Metta World Peace said on Twitter, before deleting the tweet according to ESPN.
According to World Peace - it is his first knee injury, which makes me believe that he feels good. He has been in much better shape this season and he seems to know that he is ready to go. I don’t believe that World Peace is putting his career in jeopardy as he doesn’t rely on his athleticism too much and something to note is that he shoots a set jumper most of the time.
World Peace will play in tonight’s game versus the New Orleans Hornets, but will come off the bench. "He won't start, but he'll play," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said after Lakers shootaround Tuesday morning. (ESPN)
The Lakers will most likely have to go 5-0 or 4-1 to make the playoffs as the Jazz hold a 0.5 game lead as of today. The Utah Jazz own the tie-breaker between the two clubs, meaning that the Lakers must finish at least a game up at the end of the regular season.
I believe the Los Angeles Lakers will make the playoffs as Kobe Bryant will get them over the hump and the Jazz will lose one or two of their final four games as the pressure will hit them.
Dwight Howard, the Lakers all-star center, had this to say:
“If we get into the playoffs, there's no doubt in my mind and in any of our minds, that we can win a championship," he told the LA Times Tuesday. "It would be stupid of me to sit here and say to you [media] guys that if we make it to the playoffs, we'll be out in the first round. I have confidence in our team.”
The key words Howard used were “if we get into the playoffs” which show that the Lakers don’t control their destiny and they could make a run only if they make it. With five games left it’s safe to say that the Lakers are in a hole, but they will dig out of it and make a run in the playoffs.
For more on the #Lakers, follow @SportSpeakLA on Twitter
