Kings showed a very good formula for beating the Lakers and Mavs

[WayOutWest]

Despite losing the game, the Kings played the type of game that gives the Lakers and Mavs problems.  Tough basketball seems to be the way to beat the Lakers and Mavs and prior to the Shaq trade the Suns as well.  I did not get the impression the Kings were playing dirty, they were fouling hard and making sure that most of the fouls did not give the Lakers a chance at making an easy basket nor an "and-one".  Only Kobe seems to be able to play above that style of physical play.  The Kings had a HUGE attitude durring the whole game, they were going to make the game a bruiser type of game on both offense and defense.  If the Kings had the talent of some of the better teams they would have easily won the game.  I really appreciate that style of game especially since they never crossed the line into thug ball.  Teams like the Spurs and Jazz can handle that style much better, in fact they would probably flourish.

The Lakers playoff opponents should take note of the success the Kings had up until the last few minutes, IMO it would really hinder the Lakers offense and frustration on offense lead to complaining and feeling sorry for themselves which affected the Lakers defense as well.  Other than Kobe and Fisher, and to a lesser extent Odom and Walton, nobody on the Lakers seems to be able to handle a physical game like the Kings played.  I'm glad the Lakers were able to hang in there and get their act togther and adjust to the style of play the Kings were using.  The ultra soft Gasol really pulled through on offense and at the end of the game he picked it up on defense and rebounding.  Glad to see Radman back in the game and I can't wait for Ariza to get back.  According to Kupchak, Bynum could be shut down for the rest of the year, they will make that call in a few weeks.

[ziggy]

Despite losing the game, the Kings played the type of game that gives the Lakers and Mavs problems.  Tough basketball seems to be the way to beat the Lakers and Mavs and prior to the Shaq trade the Suns as well.  I did not get the impression the Kings were playing dirty, they were fouling hard and making sure that most of the fouls did not give the Lakers a chance at making an easy basket nor an "and-one".  Only Kobe seems to be able to play above that style of physical play.  The Kings had a HUGE attitude durring the whole game, they were going to make the game a bruiser type of game on both offense and defense.  If the Kings had the talent of some of the better teams they would have easily won the game.  I really appreciate that style of game especially since they never crossed the line into thug ball.  Teams like the Spurs and Jazz can handle that style much better, in fact they would probably flourish.

The Lakers playoff opponents should take note of the success the Kings had up until the last few minutes, IMO it would really hinder the Lakers offense and frustration on offense lead to complaining and feeling sorry for themselves which affected the Lakers defense as well.  Other than Kobe and Fisher, and to a lesser extent Odom and Walton, nobody on the Lakers seems to be able to handle a physical game like the Kings played.  I'm glad the Lakers were able to hang in there and get their act togther and adjust to the style of play the Kings were using.  The ultra soft Gasol really pulled through on offense and at the end of the game he picked it up on defense and rebounding.  Glad to see Radman back in the game and I can't wait for Ariza to get back.  According to Kupchak, Bynum could be shut down for the rest of the year, they will make that call in a few weeks.

Actually this is interesting.  I went to a Laker board after the Blazers win just to see what people thought.   Wide range of opinions, but one overarching point was how physical the Blazers were.  I didn't really see it that way, but I have "Rose" colored glasses so I can miss things.

[WayOutWest]

Actually this is interesting.  I went to a Laker board after the Blazers win just to see what people thought.   Wide range of opinions, but one overarching point was how physical the Blazers were.  I didn't really see it that way, but I have "Rose" colored glasses so I can miss things.

I did not think they were physical, the Lakers just couldn't defend them all that well.  I've noticed teams seem to have awesome shooting nights against the Lakers, I've seen it too many times now to dismiss it as teams getting "up" to play the Lakers, it's starting to look like poor defense.

Last night the Lakers played the worst defense I've seen all year from them.

[Randy]

Where do you get your "sources" from WOW?  I heard Bynum interviewed a week ago and a reporter alluded to speaker to his trainer -- this is the basics of the comments and the fact that Bynum is recovering well now (after a previous setback) and could be ready to play in March although it sounds like everyone is being ultraconservative and giving him extra time to heal.

?Able to do everything I needed? ? that was the quoted from Lakers C Andrew Bynum, who is currently under rehabilitation from his injury which happened last January. He is scheduled to miss 8 weeks but he is optimistic about the injury and he expects to return by March 14. The Lakers Organization are not taking chances though, as they are planning to return Andrew into action in late March to early April.

That should give him enough games to get the feel of the court and to re-integrate with the team just before the playoffs begin. Just take your time, Andrew. We need you 100 percent for the playoffs.

Here is the article from LA Times reporting about the injury status of Andrew:

Bynum did not experience pain or swelling in his left knee the day after jogging in a swimming pool, a positive sign in the recovery process of the 20-year-old center.

?It responded great from the pool. No extra swelling, and I was able to do everything I needed to do today,? he said Friday. ?I think we?ve got about a week and a half of the pool and if I keep doing well and don?t get any more swelling, then I?ll actually be able to get on the treadmill. Once I?m on there, I should be able to get on the court.?

The earliest Bynum would return is March 11 against Toronto, although the Lakers will take their time working him back into game action. Accordingly, he is not expected to return until an unspecified date later in March, although he seemed eager Friday.

?I think I can run,? he said, smiling. ?I don?t want to try it right now and hurt myself.?

Bynum has missed 18 games since sustaining a deep bone bruise in the knee and a subluxation of the kneecap Jan. 13 against Memphis.

For the Lakers to have any real success in the playoffs, Bynum has to be healthy and playing like he was before the injury.  Without Bynum, the Lakers aren't big and physical enough to go far in the playoffs.  Bynum, with Turiaf and Ariza off the bench, are enough for the Lakers to challenge -- without that physical play, we just aren't going to get it done. 

The Lakers would have lost last night had it not been for Kobe changing into his cape and taking over the game.  He was unstoppable in the 4th quarter and it was just too much for the Kings.  However, the Lakers squad should have been too much for the Kings to begin with.  I like Gasol at PF -- I don't like him at center.  Gasol doesn't want to bang -- he does a good job with help defense but he can't be the anchor at center.  It's why Bynum is so vital to any hopes we have -- both this year and longterm. 

I also like what Ariza brings defensively to our team -- he is a real stopper.  I think there would be times that I would like to see him start and for the Lakers to bring Odom off the bench with the second squad.  I don't know how Odom would feel about that but it would be very similar to what the Spurs do with Manu. 

[msc]

The Lakers D has not been there on a consistent basis.  They play it well it spurts, which makes it even more frustrating because you know they have the ability.  Things were better on that side of the court with Bynum out there.  His biggest improvement this season was his D, IMO.   

Crazy game last night, I thought the Lakers were dead in the water.  I guess it's a good sign to see them grinding out games like this when they play sub-par for 3 qtrs, but it also makes me nervous. 

Has anyone tried to located JoMal and pull him out of the scotch induced coma he slid in to upon hearing the chants of "MVP" resonating through Arco Arena? 

[Randy]

Yeah, I too was amazed to hear MVP chants rising in the Arco Arena.  I think they were trying to throw Kobe off -- the knew the cowbells weren't working anymore, they thought they would see if they could get him to faint by chanting "MVP."

The Lakers aren't playing with a lot of intensity for 48 minutes.  I think they have been watching themselves on ESPN too much these days -- they are falling in love with themselves too and aren't nearly as hungry as they used to be.  I see players like Farmar and Sasha without the fire in their eyes that they had at the beginning of the season.  Somebody needs to light that fire underneath them -- we all know it's not PJ -- he will just have them chant a few mantras and walk away to meditate. 

[westkoast]

Randy he won't be back till April.  The source is Phil Jackson who said he won't be back until then before a home game last week.

JoMaL Id love to hear his take, if hes still alive, about Kobe getting MVP chants in Sac-Town.  If he didn't have a heartattack that would be almost as unbelievable as Kobe getting the chants in the first place.

The Kings brand of basketball works for 3 quarters but it is not the type of defense that is going to take any team far.  That is not the type of defense that gets things done in a series.  Maybe for a game.  MAYBE..as it didn't work last night.  The Spurs don't play that brand of defense.  They play tough defense but not physical defense.    Ditto for the Pistons.  The difference being is sure you slow the other team down and wear them down...you also wear your own players down and get into foul trouble.  The Kings got themselves in a bad situation in the 4th where they were out of fouls very early.  All the Lakers had to do was attack the rim and they would get to the line regardless.  This is the same reason why it didn't work for Dampier and the Mavs on Sunday.

The problem last night wasn't the physical play from Moore or Artest.  The problem last night was transition defense of the Lakers.  There was 15 plays where the Lakers did not stop the ball and Kings players got EASY lay ups.  I am not exaggerating the number either.  That is why the game was closer then it should have been.  It wasn't the physical play.  I disagree with you.

[WayOutWest]

Where do you get your "sources" from WOW?

I already posted it was Kupchak, did you read the entire sentence?  He said it last night.  I said early on that Bynum might be done for the year, last night was the first time I heard someone from the Lakers say it.  Basically they do not want to jeapordize Bynums future for a run this year.  Even if he is able to come back before the playoffs the Lakers may not activate him for the playoffs because he could re-injure himself comming back a bit too soon.

I was amazed at how loud the MVP chants were at Arco.  Only ONE other road game had louder chants and that was the Clippers so Arco is actually second only to Staples Center in the MVP chant.  I think JoMal will be released from the Hospital very soon.

[Randy]

I read the whole sentence -- you didn't say how Kupchak reported it (i.e. through newsreporter, television, etc.).  I had just heard a week earlier comments from Bynum and his trainer and I obviously didn't see the interview on television.  I wouldn't want to do anything that would jeopardize Bynums future -- however, it seems like everyone else is saying that he is doing well and will return. 

Should we send flowers to JoMal in the hospital?  I'd pitch in $5 or $10 -- this could be require some psychiatric evaluation as well.

[WayOutWest]

I read the whole sentence -- you didn't say how Kupchak reported it (i.e. through newsreporter, television, etc.).

You said "where" I got my info from NOT "how" or "in what media format".  Jeeze!  Post what you mean!  No wonder you and Lurker go round and round for days! 

[westkoast]

I didn't hear he would be gone for the whole season.  Just that rehab went a bit slower then expected.  He is running in the pool and making his way back to full contact practice.  They are just being super super careful with him.  Maybe a bit too careful?

[JoMal]

<errrrrph> Sorry, my Bunnahabhain ran dry and now I just have my misery to keep me sober.

A sold out Arco Arena - only the second time this season it HAS sold out - allowed a few thousand Laker/Kobe fans into the arena to make Arco a second comfy home for LA. I "kind" of watched the game from a bar I was in, with some friends who had come to town on a visit. While Kobe took over the fourth quarter, negating the 42 minutes of hard basketball the Kings played up to then, I realyzed something about the Kings.

The Kings really are NOT a good team, regardless of how hard they played or impressed for most of the game last night. This team lost to Miami by 21 points in Florida, then was down 23 to the same team well into the third quarter at home. They have yet to beat any other team in the Pacific Division. To THEN play the LA Lakers so passionately for 3 and a halve quarters only to "lose" impressively.....I don't think so.

Those MVP chants, BTW, were deserved because Kobe took over the game in the fourth, scoring at will while shutting down Kevin Martin...you had to be impressed. The Kings had no answer. For most of that game, Artest tooled Odom like he wasn't there, then he goes and shoots 1 for 9 from the floor in the fourth.

Arco is not selling out this season, and there are plenty of transplanted LA folk around here who still follow the Lakers passionately, so it was not Kings' fans chanting "MVP" at Arco.  

[WayOutWest]

I didn't hear he would be gone for the whole season.

Kupchak was asked about Bynums time table being pushed back to April and the possibility of him being "shut down" this year since it was so close to the playoffs.  Kupchak said they would look at all their options in regard to Bynums long term future and their short term goals.  Like I said, this is the first time I've heard the Lakers imply it's even possible for Bynum to be done for this year.

[msc]

For most of that game, Artest tooled Odom like he wasn't there, then he goes and shoots 1 for 9 from the floor in the fourth.

Artest was on fire for a while there.  I didn't think Odoms D was that bad actually.  It wasn't great, but there were several turn-around, fall-aways that Odom contested but Ronny was just feeling it.  It worked out great for the Lakers in the fourth quarter though when Ron Ron kept jacking up fall-aways while the rest of the Kings stood around watching. 

Arco is not selling out this season, and there are plenty of transplanted LA folk around here who still follow the Lakers passionately, so it was not Kings' fans chanting "MVP" at Arco.  

Yeah, you could see on TV that there were a lot of Laker fans and they were obviously the ones chanting.  It was still just eerie and downright bizarre to hear the chants in that Arena.   

[Randy]

I read the whole sentence -- you didn't say how Kupchak reported it (i.e. through newsreporter, television, etc.).

You said "where" I got my info from NOT "how" or "in what media format".  Jeeze!  Post what you mean!  No wonder you and Lurker go round and round for days! 

I got it from the newspaper -- i.e. that is WHERE I heard it!  I heard it on tv -- i.e. that is WHERE I heard it. 

I didn't hear he would be gone for the whole season.  Just that rehab went a bit slower then expected.  He is running in the pool and making his way back to full contact practice.  They are just being super super careful with him.  Maybe a bit too careful?

I'm beginning to think that WOW hears as poorly as he reads.