NBA Finals, straight into the Olympics. Both Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol made us proud in bringing home the Silver and Gold Medals to their respective countries. It’s almost amazing, I still remember how excited I was - and how much that game lived up to the hype.
The downside is, do Kobe & Gasol have enough energy - or should Phil rest them the entire pre-season? Here is what Phil had to say…
“This week I’m just seeing how they feel, how’s their energy level, and then we’ll adjust,” coach Phil Jackson said. “I was told not to say that I wasn’t going to play Kobe in exhibition games.
“So I’m not going to say Kobe’s not going to play in this exhibition game or that exhibition game. But there is a chance they may not play in an exhibition game.”
Putting your fan biased aside, do you think this would be smart? I definetely think it will help on Kobe and Gasol’s legs, but the real question is can the Lakers achieve the chemistry needed for a fast start without those two major components… or are they just that damn good we don’t have to worry about it?
Sound-off!
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well exhibition really doesnt matter to me, because both need the rest. i want both of them to be fresh when the season starts.
I believe they should play a little of playing time but not a lot. They should get a lot rest. Pre season is mostly for rookies getting the feel of the game
i say both sit it out…they both have the heart to play but phil needs to give them the red light on this one
rest them but have them playing the last 2 or 3 games before the regular season
How much rest do they need??? They already had 1 month off. It’s not like they are NFL players who get beat up every week. Pau isn’t even 30 yet and Kobe feels like he’s 20. I’m sure any “fatigue” from the olympics is a distant memory at this point. I’m sure our starting line will play together at some point in this pre-season, but the “fatigue” excuse is a joke.
IT’S THE DEBUT OF KGB(KOBE, GASOL, BYNUM)!!!KGB! KGB ! KGB!!!
EVERYONE IS GOING DOWN. EVERYONE IS AN ENEMY. AND EVERYONE WILL BE TAKEN IN AND DEALT WITH……KGB!KGB!KGB!
AM I THE FIRST TO COIN THEM THAT??I WANT FULL CREDIT IF IT TAKES OFF…FULL CREDIT.
KGB KGB KGB KGB KGB KGB
LD2K CAN YOU MAKE A VIDEO OF THIS PARODY??? PUT THOSE THREE IN MEN IN BLACK SUITS OR SOMETHING WITH SOME CRAZY RUSSIAN DEATH MARCH MUSIC….DO IT AND DO IT NOW PLEASE….LOL
I agree with what Sako is saying =].
I disagree. A regular season is 82 games.
On top of that, they not only played in the entire playoffs up to a game 6 in the NBA Finals but they immediately flew to their country and played for their countries in Beijing. This doesn’t account for practice time needed. I def. think it’s not a bad idea.
Look, they both played over 100 games over the last year. As much as we love to think Kobe is still that 21 year old with the little fro, running, jumping, shooting like basketballs version of superman, he is only human, and aging. Play them in the first quarter, maybe a little in the second, then sit them the whole second half. We still need to build on team continuity.
Co-Sizzy
let them rest
Let them play the last 2 pre-season games and give em limited minutes. Bout 20 mins each should do.
Its a good idea to sit them out and get them that extra bit of rest but its not that big a deal. If they do play they are only going to get like 12-15min max of playtime anyway. Thats not going to effect their bodies that much.
We should be more concerned about what they are going to be put through in practice/training camp. That’s where the chemistry, unity, and bonding for the team is really made.
I think Pau needs to play in order to build some chemistry with Baby Bynum.
They should play 15 minutes a game just to get a feel for how the starters are going to be. Bynum/Gasol/Odom are going to need some time to figure each other out.
Rest in some games selectively. Main thing is to build chemistry going into the season opener and beyond. OR, minimise minutes in the preseason games for them.
They need the rest..during pre-season but should play like a few games to get the chemistry going…can’t wait till the season starts..go Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kobe and Pau should get the rest. They really haven’t had an extended period of rest since about two or three years ago. Rest their legs and Phil should monitor their minutes this season too.
rest ‘em cuz they’re just that DAMN GOOD!
As long as they play against the thunder on the 24th cause I’ll be there for the grand opening of baby staples center in Ontario….
no no no they will get rusty!!
HECK NO!!! doesn’t everybody want to know how our starting lineup will function? if it doesn’t work right, preseason is the best time to discover that and make it right. maybe sit them a couple of games but PLEASE not the whole preseason