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Archive for November, 2007

Bynum wants to get past debacle

Published by Jim Murdoc on November 25, 2007 in Articles. 4 Comments

b17.jpgL.A. Times: Sometimes Andrew Bynum is the future of the franchise, dragging a defender or two on the way to a roaring dunk.

And sometimes he’s that 7-foot kid who only recently exited his teenage years.

He played the part of the latter Friday against Boston, ending a string of solid outings with a four-point, four-foul misery of an evening. On top of it, Celtics center Kendrick Perkins scored a career-high 21 points, ditching both Bynum and a reputation as a defense-minded player.

“Everything went wrong for Andrew,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

Bynum had been on somewhat of a roll, averaging 14.8 points and 10 rebounds in his previous four games, but he called his experience against Boston a “shame” and “terrible.”

“I don’t know what was going on for me,” he said. “I wasn’t going to the basket strong like before.”

Bynum was also in and out of foul trouble.

“Two of them were terrible,” he said of the calls. “One time . . . I just got done talking to the official. I was like, ‘What can I do to not get the foul?’ He was like, ‘Well, if you’re in the restricted area [near the basket] and jump straight up, it’s not a foul.’ I did it the next play, and the guy who told me that blew the whistle. So I was like, ‘I guess I can’t do anything to avoid those.’

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Ronny Turiaf: Life and Times

Published by Jim Murdoc on November 25, 2007 in Articles. 0 Comments

Very good article on what our Ronny has dealt with in his life… Fantastic read.

Lakers.com: From the sandy beaches of the Caribbean, the iconic Eiffel Tower, the majestic mountains of Washington to the hills of Hollywood, Ronny Turiaf has seen it all.

The third year Lakers forward is no stranger to travel, bringing his amazing tenacity and energy to each of his various stopping points. While much of the creative juices flow through Turiaf naturally, his life story has had an equally large part in shaping the former Gonzaga standout into the multicultural man he is today.

TRADING IN THE SUN FOR CRÊPES:
Whereas most families flock to the Caribbean islands for vacation, Turiaf called the small tropical island of Martinique home up until the age of 14. Growing up in a resort-like setting, spending his days walking around barefoot with friends, is an experience not lost on the Creole-speaking native who soaked up every sun-drenched day he spent in his hometown.

“It’s very laid back. Very sunny. Awesome. There’s nothing better than going to visit your friend having a BBQ chicken and just enjoying yourself and having a good time with your family,” said a reflective Turiaf.

Although he grew up playing soccer, the 6’10” forward discovered his basketball talent when he was 14, following the advice of his father. A decade later, Turiaf is the starting power forward for the 14-time NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

The stability afforded by the NBA lifestyle is still new to Turiaf whose life story is as much about transitioning as it is about his enormous heart.

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Kobe Bryant’s Priorities: Defensive Player of the Year Award

Published by Chris Manning on November 25, 2007 in Articles and Kobe Watch. 17 Comments

Kobe Bryant has one major goal in mind - DEFENSIVE player of the year.

BostonSports.com: “I’ve always wanted to play defense,” he said. “I’ve always prided myself on that.”

Now, he’s hoping to take the next step at the defensive end.

“This year, I made it a top priority of mine to win Defensive Player of the Year more than anything,” he said, “because I understand that being able to lead my team by example, by playing that kind of defense, that that will inspire my teammates to do the same.”

L.A. Times: Kobe bothered by knee tendinitis; Ariza yet to practice with team; Kobe on LO

Published by Chris Manning on November 25, 2007 in Articles. 24 Comments

A bunch of news from the L.A. Times. This should break it down in pieces for you:

L.A. Times: “He’s not shot the ball well recently,” Jackson said. “It has to do with legs. He’s talking about some knee things probably going on.”

Bryant has been bothered by knee tendinitis since training camp.

Phil on Ariza; looks like the lack of basketball IQ is in question:

New acquisition Trevor Ariza still hasn’t played for the Lakers, although Jackson doesn’t necessarily blame a lack of knowledge of the triangle offense.

“You don’t have to be a genius to play basketball,” Jackson said. “This isn’t rocket science.”

Just the same, Ariza hasn’t had a chance to practice with the team. He arrived Wednesday on a game day, there was no practice on Thanksgiving, there was another game Friday, and the team did not practice Saturday because of a lengthy flight home from Boston.

Lastly, here is Kobe on Odom and his thoughts on why he is struggling:

“He’s very emotional,” Bryant said of Odom. “We just have to stay with him and continue to talk to him to give him confidence and help him come out of it as much as possible.

“He’s played bad in two games. Man, I’ve played bad in five, six, seven, eight games in a row. I mean, come on, now. I tell him, `Don’t get down on yourself. It’s two ballgames. You’ll bounce back (tonight against New Jersey). You’ll be fine.”‘

Chick Hearn Night 2007

Published by Chris Manning on November 24, 2007 in News. 4 Comments

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The Lakers will commemorate the legendary broadcaster on Sunday November 25 with a book drive, giveaway, and ceremony to honor Chick Hearn Memorial Scholarship Award recipients.

Please support the Lakers Read to Achieve program and bring a new children’s book to STAPLES Center on this night. All books will be donated in Chick’s memory to local Lakers Reading and Learning Centers.

Critt and Coby to D-Fenders?

Published by Jim Murdoc on November 24, 2007 in Articles. 8 Comments

Daily News: Javaris Crittenton’s minutes have been few and far between so far in his rookie season. The same goes for Coby Karl.

Crittenton has played in a grand total of three games and scored six points.

Karl has played in two games and scored two points.

With the NBA’s developmental league starting this week, it would seem a natural move for the Lakers to assign their young guards to the D-Fenders, their NBDL affiliate, in order to get them more playing time.

Jordan Farmar played several games for the D-Fenders when he was a rookie last season. And Farmar, who even played in a D-Fenders game in the afternoon and for the Lakers later that night, has emerged as a valuable backup to point guard Derek Fisher.

“That’s in our thoughts,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Friday.

“I haven’t broached the topic with Javaris yet, but that’s definitely in our thoughts. Coby was drafted by (the Idaho Stampede), but he’s on our roster.

“I think as long as he’s on our roster, we can send him to our affiliate. I’m not up to speed on the rules.”

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TLN’s Post-Game Report: Lakers vs. Celtics

Published by Steve Avery on November 23, 2007 in Avery's Postgame. 41 Comments

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Who knew the Celtics had 4 All-Stars? Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Kendrick Perkins?

It was a night where early foul trouble got the worst of us. Bynum had to go to the bench early with 2 quick fouls and it never seemed to get better for the Lakers.

The three Laker bigs scored 4 points apiece—Bynum, Odom, and Turiaf. That is a recipe for disaster. I don’t really think the Lakers played that bad. I think the Celtics are just that good. The Lakers shot 42% from the field, but let the Celtics shoot over 50%. The difference in the game in my opinion was the three-point shooting. The Lakers hoisted up 30 threes and each miss led to the Celtics running the break on us. Garnett finished with yet another double-double and Perkins had a career best 21 points and 9 boards.

Now, the bests of the night…

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Celtics coast to win over Lakers

Published by Jim Murdoc on November 23, 2007 in Postgame Comments. 6 Comments

Well, that sucked…

ESPN: Kevin Garnett had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the new Big Three in its first game against the rival Lakers, and Paul Pierce added 20 points and nine assists to help the Boston Celtics beat Los Angeles 107-94 on Friday night.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for Los Angeles, which got no help from having California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sitting courtside. Instead, the Celtics fired up the crowd for the renewal of the rivalry by putting a muscle-bound clip of Schwarzenegger’s movie “Predator” on the scoreboard.

Kendrick Perkins had 21 points and nine rebounds for Boston, which improved to 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home. Ray Allen had 18 points, and Rajon Rondo 10 assists for the Celtics.

The Lakers scored eight straight points in the fourth quarter to get within single digits, 94-85, with 4:53 left. But Bryant missed one free throw at 96-86, and Perkins muscled his way to the basket at the other end, then got the rebound after putting a hand in Andrew Bynum’s face.

After trading possessions, Rondo hit Allen for a 3-pointer. The Lakers cut it to 101-91, but Rondo found Garnett for the jumper, then Allen was fouled on the breakaway and hit both free throws with 52 seconds left to make it a 14-point game.

Bryant was booed often by the crowd, which even mustered a “Beat L.A.!” chant reminiscent of the days when the old Boston Garden and the old Big Three of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish seemed to host the Lakers in the NBA Finals every summer.

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