If you have any Lakers related news or even your own article you'd like to submit to us, please feel free to e-mail us, and if you have suggestions or a question you want to throw at us, please e-mail the staff.

Archive for the '2008 Pre-Season' Category

Lakers shuffle off to first exhibition contest

Published by Jim Murdoc on October 7, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 2 Comments

Daily News: Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol will play together for the first time tonight in the Lakers’ exhibition opener at the Honda Center.

Kobe Bryant will shift from shooting guard to small forward. Derek Fisher will move from point guard to shooting guard. Lamar Odom will go from small forward to point guard.

Or more accurately, Odom will move from power forward to point guard, bypassing his anticipated role as a small forward as Lakers coach Phil Jackson begins his promised starting lineup experiments during the eight-game exhibition season.

Jackson’s tinkering would make for compelling theater on its own, but there’s the added bonus of the Lakers hitting the court for the first time since their humiliating 39-point loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last June.

Could this be the most anticipated exhibition game in recent Lakers’ history?

Jackson’s training camp shuffling certainly has piqued the interest of his players.

Bryant, for one, said he is looking forward to watching 7-footers Bynum and Gasol playing together tonight against the Utah Jazz.

Continue reading ‘Lakers shuffle off to first exhibition contest’

Sun Yue cleared to practice!

Published by Chris Manning on October 3, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 7 Comments

Sun Yue, who has been on tons of Lakers fans radar, has been cleared to play!

L.A. Times: Rookie guard Sun Yue has been cleared to practice with the Lakers after doctors determined that his type of mononucleosis was no longer contagious.

“The doctor said I’ve just recovered and still need a lot of time to rest, but I don’t want to miss much in camp,” Sun said. “So I’ve come here to see what I can do. I can run, but I still feel weak.”

Phil doesn’t think Bynum will be a 20/10 guy yet

Published by Chris Manning on October 3, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 4 Comments

Phil’s mindtricks? Or is it really how he feels about the kid? Either way, Bynum will bring enough to put us over the top - book it…

RealGM: Lakers coach Phil Jackson doesn’t believe that center Andrew Bynum can obtain his goal of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds this season.

“Well, I guess it’s good to have goals,” Jackson said. “It’s not possible. There’s just not enough offense for everyone to do that kind of stuff.”

Bryant & Gasol might sit out preseason games to rest

Published by Jim Murdoc on October 2, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 5 Comments

ESPN: Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol might sit out some of the Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason games after a hectic offseason.

Bryant helped lead the United States to a victory over Gasol and Spain in the gold medal game in the Summer Olympics. Bryant and Gasol each took only a few weeks off before reporting for the first day of training camp Tuesday.

Bryant and Gasol played a carefree game of one-on-one near the end of the first of the Lakers’ two practices. Their teammates, meanwhile, ran a set of wind sprints at the conclusion of their morning workout.

“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.”

Jackson said last week he was determined to monitor Bryant’s playing time more closely this season. The reigning NBA MVP, who turned 30 on Aug. 23 and is entering his 13th season, averaged 28.3 points in 38.9 minutes in leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals last season.

“Phil does a good job of making sure we stay in good condition, but that he doesn’t overexert us too much because of the long summer we had,” Bryant said. “I feel great. I could run all day. I’m in shape, so I’m ready to go.”

The Lakers play their first preseason game Oct. 7.

Lakers youngsters fight for last roster spots

Published by Jim Murdoc on October 2, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 3 Comments

O.C. Register: The young guys hung together, unsure and unknowing what they were supposed to do or where to go during Monday’s media session.

Few reporters approached them. Even fewer television cameras sought them out. So the group of rookies joked around, laughed and then took a group photo.

Yet, by the time Lakers training camp ends, one player, maybe two, will emerge from the pack, separated by their superior ball-handling skills, shooting ability or defensive play and be rewarded with a roster spot.

The competition for the final two roster spots will be fierce as training camp opens Tuesday. Coach Phil Jackson traditionally likes to carry only 14 players, allowing him leeway later on in the season in case the Lakers suffer multiple injuries.

The rookies know this and are aware of each other’s competitive drive.

“I feel the spots are open for someone to take, for the rookies to take, you just have to go out there and take them,” said Dwayne Mitchell, a free agent guard who played last season for Iowa in the NBA Developmental League.

“They are going to take the best two guys, the two guys they feel can best help them, this team and improve their game.”

Continue reading ‘Lakers youngsters fight for last roster spots’

Vujacic sprains left ankle

Published by Kam Pashai on October 1, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 16 Comments

Don’t worry too much! Its not THAT bad.

OC Register: Sasha Vujacic sprained his left ankle during the Tuesday night scrimmage. It was diagnosed as a moderate sprain, but Vujacic suggested he could be back in action in a few days.

Vujacic ran into DJ Mbenga during a baseline drive when Mbenga tried to take a charge. Vujacic said it’s an area on the outside of his ankle that is causing sharp pain.

“I was going to the basket,” Vujacic said. “Hard to believe, but I was going to the basket.”

Vujacic noted that he should be able to do more of that now that he’s “210″ — and to be completely honest with you, I initially thought he said he was “too tan.”

It’s no coincidence that a moment later when Lamar Odom was joking with Vujacic about getting hurt, Vujacic asked Odom to tell reporters how Vujacic got hurt.

“Tanning?” Odom deadpanned.

Odom wants to start, and Jackson knows it

Published by Jim Murdoc on October 1, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 11 Comments

O.C. Register: Lamar Odom would rather start. He would rather have a big season and get another big contract to replace the one that expires at the end of this season. He would also rather win a championship with the Lakers than be elsewhere.

So Odom acknowledged he’s conflicted about his personal and team agendas, especially after Phil Jackson continues to ponder his brainstorm from the end of last season that the Lakers might be better served with Odom as a sixth man and defensive ace Trevor Ariza starting.

“Whatever he wants, I guess I would do,” Odom said. “But I wouldn’t suggest (a reserve role), especially in a year where I want to be on the court for obvious reasons.”

Jackson and Odom have spoken briefly about the matter, but Jackson remains set on waiting and seeing what kind of defense the tall frontcourt of Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum can deliver together for the starting lineup. Jackson brought up the name of San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili to reporters after practice as an example of how elite teams usually have a starting-caliber player coming off the bench.

Jackson also offered this little dig when asked about the possible bench role motivating Odom to work harder: “I don’t know. I’ve never seen Lamar motivated before.”

Odom unhappy about 6th man role

Published by Chris Manning on September 29, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 23 Comments

This is something that should be interesting. Perhaps media day wasn’t all drama free as we had hoped?

L.A.Times: Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said recently that he is considering making Lamar Odom the team’s sixth man this season. The Lakers convened this afternoon for a media session in El Segundo before the start of training camp Tuesday and Odom voiced his disdain for Jackson’s idea.

“He must have woke up and bumped his head. He probably hit his head on something — boom,” Odom said about Jackson. “To start off like that, you’ve got to be out of your . . . mind.”