L.A. Times - Lakers Blog

Monday practice videos: Get 'em while they're embedded!!!

kambrothers — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:16:35 -0800

No real "theme" emerged during today's practice. Which makes sense, as there isn't really much worth a hardcore examination. The Lakers are fresh off back-to-back blow out W's. Pau Gasol is looking very good upon his return from injury. Kobe Bryant is making the kind of shots that typically don't stroke cord without CGI assistance. It is, as the kids often say, "all good" these days. But that won't stop me from presenting some talkies from the afternoon's session in El Segundo. Why? Because we care over at Lakers Blog. And you people would hunt us down if we didn't...

Lakers Poll: Where will Kobe Bryant rank in the pantheon of great Lakers?

kambrothers — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:43:12 -0800

Last Thursday, Kobe Bryant passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and moved into second place on the all-time franchise scoring list (video here). Assuming a) good health, and b) Adidas doesn't issue a kryptonite weave- all at once breathable, moisture-wicking, and debilitating- for their authentic NBA jerseys, at some point this year he'll pass Jerry West for the top spot. Given the way players move from team to team in the modern era, once Kobe gets there then adds another near-decade of tallies, it's hard for me to picture anyone passing him. His accomplishment led to some energetic debate around town regarding Kobe's...

Lakers steal Oklahoma City's thunder

kambrothers — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:00:48 -0800

Come to think of it, the whole freakin' night was really about the repeated stealing of thunder, in one form or another. In their own right, OKC entered Staples Center on quite the little roll. 7-6 (at the time). Above .500 on the road. One hellvua young nucleus being hyped as one of the new teams worth watching. But there's potential and there's reality. The Thunder may be on their way, but the Lakers have clearly arrived. A fact clearly, quickly, and- eventually- flashily established during a 101-85 hometown victory. As BK and I noted during the postgame breakdown, there...

Lakers 101, Thunder 85: Just your average YouTube-makin', Black Eyed Peas-singin', Jay-Z Jumbotronin' Sunday night win

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:02:31 -0800

Sunday funday, indeed. Breakdown below. THREE GOOD: -This... ... and other stuff from Kobe Bryant: The stat line was robust, for sure (26 points, six boards, seven assists) but tonight fans were treated to the full range of Kobe's skills. He put balls up from behind the backboard (see above), capped the first quarter with a quick, left-handed grab'n'shoot off a loose ball to beat the buzzer, a sick step-back, hesitation drive and finish against Thabo Sefalosha, and so on. In the first half, he crushed Oklahoma City rook James Harden in the post. -Andrew Bynum: 9-11 from the floor,...

Completely ludicrous Shannon Brown dunk of the night

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:08:27 -0800

Okay, Kobe Bryant, I'll see your behind the backboard shot and raise you one of these: After the game, Kobe said nobody he's seen- whether teammates, opponents, or himself- gets up like Shannon Brown. He never saw AK pre-ACL injury, but that aside, who am I to argue? I was fortunate enough to be on the side of the floor where the oop went down, and fair to say it led to a momentary suspension of the standard media-row prohibition on "Holy **@&#!" reactions to on-court events. That play could have raised the dead. More on the game to come....

Kobe Bryant scores over the backboard

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:03:05 -0800

From Sunday's game against the Thunder. The next guy to shoot is almost guaranteed to get an "H..." For his next trick, I want to see Kobe do this... BK

Live from the Game: Lakers vs. OKC

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:36:17 -0800

Q: Who are the Lakers playing tonight? Answer? The jabber box is below. AK Lakers vs. Thunder

Andrew Bynum will play tonight against Oklahoma City

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:56:44 -0800

The headline sums things up pretty well... ...but we've been told our posts need to be... ...at least three lines long so they can be picked up by Google searches. BK

Coming to the game tonight? Bring a children's book...

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:04:15 -0800

In conjunction with their annual Chick Hearn Night, the Lakers are conducting a drive for new children's books. Donations can be made from 4:30-6:30 pm at the Star Plaza entrance at Staples. All books will be donated in memory of Chick to Everybody Wins! Los Angeles (learn more about them here), and fans who kick in will receive a 2009-2010 Lakers pin. It's a great cause, and a fantastic way to help honor the memory of an LA icon. BK

Sunday brunch: Feast on hot Lakers links, syrup not included

kambrothers — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 11:05:05 -0800

You've watched your Sunday news programs. You're settling into a day of football. That doesn't mean you can't take in a little Lakers news in anticipation of tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples. This is the age of wireless internet and endless gadgetry. Multitask. The Lakers have a few things on their to-do list, if you ask Phil Jackson. He'd love to see fewer turnovers (14.7 per game, 13th in the league). And there's no such thing as too much defense, either. That could be tightened up (at nearly 102, the Lakers are 8th in the NBA...

If I might just rant here for a moment... and other Lakers/NBA news

kambrothers — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:33:34 -0800

A well run pick and roll is a great thing to watch, impossible to defend completely given the right personnel. That doesn't mean I want to see it all the time. But as Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times confirms and quantifies here, increasingly in today's NBA, it's a P and R world, the rest of us are just passengers. The Lakers, who originated only 11% of their offensive plays last year through the set writes Abrams, are an exception. Fans and the game are better for it. LA's offense demands players think and interpret, share the ball, display...

Friday practice notes: Pau, PJ, and Bynum

kambrothers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:54:35 -0800

(Self Promotional Notes: Don't forget to download this week's 710 ESPN.com Lakers PodKast, and to follow us on the Twitter at latimesKbros. Finally, AK and I are the, ahem, "personalities" representing 710 ESPN at this poker tourney at Hollywood Park Casino. Apparently, there's a bounty on our heads. Not for capturing us Boba Fett style for delivery to Jabba the Hutt, but rather knocking us out of the event. Come down/up/over and play if you can. That is all... for now. Moving on...) Sorry for what will be a brief report from Friday afternoon's practice in El Segundo, but it's...

Andrew Bynum Ankle Update

kambrothers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:50:28 -0800

Or A.B.A.U., for the acronymically* inclined... No surprise, after turning his right ankle in the third quarter of Thursday's 108-93 win over the Bulls, Andrew Bynum didn't practice Friday afternoon in El Segundo, instead receiving treatment ranging from medicine to ice to something he called a "laser level," which I always thought was used to hang picture frames properly. (Note: If my Google skills are worth their salt, I'm pretty sure he meant a low-level laser, which is used to help reduce swelling.) "It was sorer than last night, he said. "I left last (the arena) last night without doing...

New 710 ESPN.com Lakers podkast!!!

kambrothers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:36:58 -0800

The two part presentation remains intact. And in honor Pau Gasol's return, the sections will be titled in Spanish. We're bridging the gap like that. Part Uno -We discuss what the return of Pau Gasol means to the Lakers. Through eleven games, the Lakers have been mostly solid, occasionally fantastic, occasionally bad, but rarely resembling the one that took home an O'Brien last June. As we noticed last night, Pau's presence goes a long way towards restoring that dominance. Between his scoring abilities, passing skills, underrated D and general smarts, an awful lot has been brought to the table. -Lamar...

Lakers beat Bulls: Tapas for all the people!

kambrothers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:28:59 -0800

Hamstring! It sounds like a bad musical, but really, it was just the major running subplot for the Lakers over their first 11 games as they waited for Pau Gasol's balky hammy to heal up. Thursday night, the curtain finally rose on Gasol's '09-'10 season, and the reviews (I'm already sick of this metaphor, but it's too late to turn back) were sterling. Tony Award quality, even. (Wow, that last one made me cringe... hackneyed, thy name is me.) 24 points, 13 boards, 35 minutes as the Lakers knocked off the Bulls 108-93. Gasol didn't expect so many minutes, or...

Lakers 108, Bulls 93: Pau Gasol screams*, "Hola, 2009-2010 season!"

kambrothers — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:48:29 -0800

Oh, FYI. Here's a stat to think on: The Lakers have NEVER lost a regular game in which Pau Gasol and Ron Artest played as teammates. Not a typo. I checked with the eggheads over at Elias. NEVER. Betcha didn't know that one, people! The breakdown is below (and for those who missed BK's earlier post, Andrew Bynum jammed his right ankle and is day-to-day heading into Sunday's contest against Oklahoma City). Three Good Derek Fisher: Fisher's spent his entire career as a streak shooter, which makes a roller coaster November no surprise. Just because it's an established pattern, however,...

Andrew Bynum: Jammed right ankle, day to day

kambrothers — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:45:32 -0800

Pau Gasol's return to the court was a good one Thursday night at Staples- 24 points, 13 rebounds- as the Lakers (wait for it...) ran the Bulls (ha!) by a final score of 108-93. The only sour note? Andrew Bynum left the game midway through the third quarter and didn't return, suffering what was called a jammed right ankle. He's officially listed as day-to-day. "I'm gonna see how it feels in the morning," he said, "but I should be okay. No treatment, just ice. I'll be ready for Sunday." Bynum indicated that not re-entering the game was based less on...

Live from Staples - Lakers vs. Bulls

kambrothers — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:43:10 -0800

Question: If Pau has an absolutely dominating debut, will that lead to a role on CSI: New York? Discuss. The jabber box is below. AK Lakers vs. Bulls

Andrew Bynum, Phil Jackson: Quotes from a pregame

kambrothers — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:15:32 -0800

Some things these guys said before tonight's game vs. Chicago, the first Pau Gasol will play for the Lakers this season... Andrew Bynum: Q: Are there enough touches for you to keep your early season scoring going? "I think so. I may have to be a little bit more efficient, but I think so." Q: What's it been like for you to be such a focal point of the offense? "It's been nice. You touch the ball, you get involved in the game. But I don't think it's going to change much for me. My position is still the same....

Pau Gasol declares Phil Jackson no thespian himself

kambrothers — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:14:01 -0800

Turnabout being the essence of fair play, of course. Tuesday, I asked a sincerely innocuous question regarding Pau Gasol being potentially "gun shy" about risking re-injury to his troublesome hamstring with a return to the court. Phil Jackson, rarely reluctant to tweak a player, asked if I meant that Gasol was a "hypochondriac" and a "baby." Taking it up a notch, he proceeded to tweak his All-Star forward's performance on CSI: Miami. After kidding that Gasol actually injured himself in a scene where he pulled an accident victim from of a burning car and expressing disbelief that people even watch...