I have never been a celebrity gossip fanatic, to say the least. Just about every story is the same generic piece, right?

(Celebrity A) was seen at (Semi-Normal Place) with (Celebrity B) doing (Semi-Normal Activity).

I can hardly contain my excitement. Maybe it’s because I have always associated gossip enthusiasts with bubbly teeny-boppers bouncing around the mall making absurd comments like, “Oh. My. God. Did you see Taylor Swift drinking her Mocha with whole milk? She’s sooo gonna’ die soon!”

Gag me.

Thankfully, my celeb-gossip connoisseur girlfriend has the inside scoop on the daily adventures of Hollywood’s elite. Every once in a while, she will drop me a story that doesn’t leave me feeling like J.R. Smith after an English exam. This morning, she read me a piece of an interview from US Weekly (I’m told that’s a magazine) where the following exchange with Lamar Odom happened:

US Weekly: What’s next for you – more hoops?
Lamar: I want to retire. Hopefully this line (Rich Soil) will blast off.

Hmmmmm….

And that appropriately brings us to our first mailbag question…

My wife makes me watch “Keeping up with the Kardashians” – and no I don’t want to talk about it. When I first saw Odom on the show, I realized that there’s a whole camp of people who know him as Mr. Khloe Kardashian… and why shouldn’t they? It’s not like his head is in the game half the time he’s on the court. I’m starting to think that maybe he’s a better reality show star than NBA player. Am I alone on this one?
- Darren

I shamefully confess that I have seen a few recent episodes of ‘KUWTK’ – and I also don’t want to talk about it. Lamar has always been an enigma – he has every physical gifting and the natural ability necessary to be a perennial All-Star. He may be one of the few players in NBA history to hurdle from underrated to overrated – only to make the same transition all over again. Love him or hate him, he will make you love him and hate him, probably in the span of just a few games – and that’s about all you can consistently count on from L.O.

Earlier this season, he went through a fifteen game streak where he scored in double figures just once, and grabbed 10+ rebounds only three times. On Sunday afternoon, he looked like a completely different player – and in a game where Kobe was firing blanks, he was certainly the difference (along with Ron’s defense on Melo).

Lamar Odom isn’t dumb, he doesn’t have a low basketball IQ and he certainly understands what it takes to be successful in the NBA… in my opinion, L.O.’s inconsistency can be summed up in one sentence:

Lamar Odom likes to play basketball… he doesn’t love to play basketball.

I am convinced that Odom would be perfectly content pushing his clothing line (which he shamelessly has been) and enjoying the PR spotlight of being married to a Kardashian – and I am fully aware that I may wake up to an inbox full of hate mail tomorrow for that comment (it wouldn’t be the first time). I love what he variably brings to this Lakers’ team; I only wish he brought the same focus and effort every night.

To answer your question: Is he a better reality TV star than an NBA player? No… well, not yet at least.

There’s five seconds left in the game. You’re down one with the ball after a timeout. Kobe Bryant isn’t an option – what current NBA player do you draw that final play for?
-Matt

Lebron James would be the popular answer; but I give the ball to Dwyane Wade (assuming he’s 100% healthy). Let me give you one undeniable reason why:

(1) Games 3-6 of the ’06 NBA Finals.

Game 3: 42/13/2/2.
Game 4: 36/6/3/1.
Game 5: 43/4/4/3.
Game 6: 36/10/5/4.

The greatest performance in NBA Finals history? I say yes. How did Lebron fare on the NBA’s grandest stage? Well…

Just for the hell of it, here’s my entire last shot top-5:

1. Kobe Bryant
2. Dwyane Wade
3. Lebron James
4. Carmelo Anthony
5. Kevin Durant

(Feel free to disagree with me, of course.)

Is it just me, or is it that the Lakers seem to appear lazy and out of it for half the game? It’s like they finally start playing in the last 3 minutes when they are down. Am I right to assume that they are just tired and getting out hustled now, but hopefully that will change come playoff time?
- David

Ah, yes… the proverbial switch, something the Lakers have toyed with for years. It’s the challenge every battle-tested NBA champion faces during the grinding stages of the regular season. Of the 12 marquee regular season games (Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and Denver), only two (vs. Denver, vs. Orlando) remain. The Lakers are a healthy 5.5 games out in front of the western conference and the only real motivating factor remaining during the initial 82 is the race for HCA in the NBA Finals (1.5 GB of Cleveland).

I think we’ll see a more focused and energized Lakers’ team come playoff time; but even so, they will need to rip that switch off the wall if they want to advance past the Denver Nuggets (assuming the Lakers take care of business and Dallas doesn’t squeak into the WCF).

It would seem Derek Fisher is coming to the end of his rope, averaging career lows in several categories. So do the Lakers promote internally and give the job to Jordan Farmar, look to sign a FA, trade for a PG or fill the need through the draft somehow?
-John

John, it’s about time I answered one of your questions, huh? Before we prematurely slam the door on D-Fish’s career, let’s not forget that this very same Bench Fish sentiment was also present around this same time last year… and we all remember how much we adored him after he saved us in the NBA Finals vs. Orlando. Can Derek still hit some big shots for us? Absolutely. Can Derek still be effective as a starter? That’s a completely different story.

The Lakers PG situation is fragile, and we know D-Fish isn’t getting any younger. Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown are FA’s at the end of this season, and keeping both of them will be relatively unlikely. I personally would like to see us bring back Shannon Brown (better upside at a cheaper price than Jordan) and make him our starting PG. You bring in Fish off the bench behind him, and try to add some PG depth through the draft. I would love to see the Lakers try to steal Sherron Collins – He’s a champion, works hard, plays in an NBA-type system under Bill Self, knocks down the 3 and performs well in the clutch. It’s early still, but I think he’s going to be the Ty Lawson of the upcoming draft.

Or, we could always scratch everything I just said and re-visit the Devon Harris trade rumors…

You predicted earlier this year that Kobe Bryant would win his second MVP. Any chance of that still happening?
-Diana

Unfortunately, slim to none. When you look at the MVP award, there are three major factors you have to consider:

Best Player on Best Team:
Cleveland (47-14) has a game and a half advantage over the Lakers (45-15); plus the Cavs swept the season series in rather dominating fashion. This gives Lebron the advantage in this argument.

By the Numbers:
Kobe: 27/5/5 on 46% Shooting
Lebron: 30/8/7 on 50% Shooting.

Even with Kobe’s five game-winning shots (and counting), Lebron is having one of the best statistical seasons we have ever seen. Lebron still has a slight edge in this argument.

Quality of Supporting Cast:
Which supporting cast would you rather have?

Cleveland: Mo/Jamison/Shaq/Hickson/Big Z
Los Angeles: Gasol/Bynum/Artest/Fisher/Odom

If these two teams played ten head to head games without their two superstars (Bryant, James), I say the Lakers win 70% of the time, giving Lebron a clean sweep in the regular season MVP argument.

However, when it comes to the MVP that really matters, I like Kobe Bryant’s chances.

In a landslide.

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #1
2. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #2
3. Out of Bounds: Mailbag!?

Kobe drilled another game winner (his fifth of the season) in Memphis last night; J.R. Smith had a few choice Tweets about Mr. Bryant; Cleveland is struggling (1-3) since pilfering Jamison from Washington; Paul Pierce is back… to crying about another nagging injury (thumb); and the Lakers are (still) running away with the West…

The NBA season is starting to pick up, and that means it’s time for another ridiculously long mailbag! Send me your questions, comments and anything else you want to rant about. You can email me, tweet me, Facebook me, or simply fill out the form below.

Related posts:

1. January Mailbag Contest!
2. Out of Bounds: Mailbag!?
3. Out of Bounds: Contest Winner!

Last Sunday, shortly before Kobe committed aggravated burglary in Boston (the highlight of my NBA season thus far), I remembered all over again how much I hate the Boston Celtics. Just the sight of Paul Pierce getting tangled up with Ron Artest right before tip-off evoked irrational thoughts of rage that should certainly have me at CVS picking up my Paxil prescription.

On Monday morning, I spent a solid hour reading every single pro-Boston panic column I could find. I just couldn’t get enough, “Trade Ray Allen”, “We blew the game”, “Kobe hit a great shot” references. It was like basketball porn – and those five words alone are creepy enough that I will not edit them out of this column. Like I said, I should be medicated.

All of my Celtic-hate fashioned a rather interesting question that I’m going to throw out there to all of you TLN’ers to hear what you guys think. Let’s say you meet someone, and after a few weeks, you realize that you’re really digging them. Around date number four or so, sports comes up and they lay the following on you:

“I like the Celtics; I was actually there when they won the championship back in ’08. It was one of the five greatest moments of my life.”

So, Lakers Nation, if you’re on that date, what happens next? (No, that didn’t happen to me). Do you throw up a little bit in your mouth, or does it spill out all over the table? Do you casually head for the front door, or do you Usain Bolt for the nearest exit? Do you sit in complete silence, or spew out a string of obscenities? While you ponder that horrifying scenario, here are 8 things we have learned about the Lakers in 2010:

The Lakers are unbeatable.
You are just as guilty of this as I am. Right before the season tipped off in October, we looked at our lineup, condescendingly smirked and put in a request at work to take off the second week of June to celebrate. If you didn’t do this, you at-least thought about it. After all, our 22-3 start unquestionably justified it. Following our recent 16-9 stretch and a growing list of menacing injuries, the smart money remains in the Lakers corner, but it’s not so much of a lock anymore.

Kobe Bryant is not healthy.
First, it was his finger. Next, it was a different, more important, finger. Then, it was his back. And most recently, it’s been his ankle. Kobe is the NBA’s version of William Wallace – not only the most skilled (don’t try to tell me Lebron is more skilled than Kobe), but also the most tenacious. Nine times out of ten, this works in our favor. Right now may be the one exception. Should Kobe hang it up for a few weeks and get healthy? It’s certainly up for debate. We know Bryant won’t take any time off – what we don’t know is how much that may hurt us come May and June.

Cleveland is for real.
Once again, Lebron James is building quite an impressive MVP resume. They have found their groove here lately, even without their second best player, Mo Williams. Boston looks old, beat up and as far from their ’08 Finals form as we have ever seen them. Vince Carter isn’t working out so far in Orlando, Dwight Howard has regressed some this year, and Shaq will present him some serious problems if they were to play in the ECF again. It’s looking more and more like Nike is going to get their dream match-up. Let’s just hope the regular season isn’t a sign of things to come.

Drew’s contribution has evolved from ‘luxury’ to ‘necessity’.
Very quietly, Big Drew is becoming a sizable part of the Lakers’ success. He has failed to score in double figures only 8 times this season, and when Drew has it going, I think we can all agree that stopping the Lakers becomes highly unlikely. Speaking of things we can all agree on, for the first time in his career, Bynum’s play could make or break the Lakers’ championship aspirations. Can you imagine beating Denver, Cleveland or Boston in a 7-game series with Bynum being in-effective? Me neither.

Healthy Ariza > Unhealthy Artest.
Let’s be clear about this; Ron Artest isn’t healthy. I remember having this thought during the West Semi’s last season:

“Holy Crap, Ron Artest could kill us all by himself.”

Don’t be fooled by his sporadic play, Ron can still get it done. The real question is whether or not he will get healthy this season with enough time to find his rhythm. If he does, then come playoff time, we won’t miss Trevor. If he doesn’t, well…

Pau Gasoft isn’t completely deceased.
How much do I really need to even elaborate on this one? If we were honest with ourselves, this would come as no surprise. We were able to ignore it when the Lakers won the NBA title and opened this season at 22-3. The simple truth is that Gasol hasn’t changed, we have. Pau doesn’t (and has never) liked physical play. That is who he is (and always has been) as a player. The sooner we accept that as one of his weaknesses, the less surprised we will be when he gets pushed around at times (I.e. Cleveland). We need Andrew to step in as an enforcer and let Gasol do what Gasol has done his entire career with the Lakers – Win.

D-Fish isn’t in a slump; he’s 35 years-old.
For a second consecutive year, the ‘Why the hell is D-Fish playing?’ campaign has gotten underway. Here’s what we know about Derek at this stage in his career:

- He’s definitely lost a step or two and isn’t the defensive guy he once was.
- His shot isn’t quite as automatic as it was just a couple of seasons ago.
- He’s one of the most clutch players in the League and reliably hits timely shots.

The latter makes the first two endurable; and you may not agree with me on this right now, but you will when he buries a game-changing shot, just like he did in Orlando last year, and throughout his entire career.

Championship #2 is considerably more difficult than #1.
And that is why it’ll be that much sweeter…

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Reality vs. Expectation
2. Out of Bounds: Five Bold Possibilities
3. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #3

I talk an awful lot about overly emotional Lakers’ fans – primarily because I am a recovering one myself. If I were to create an F-Bomb Usage Chart that spanned the entirety of my life, it would look something like this:

Lakers Specific: 90%
Basketball Related: 7%
First Day of Wakeboarding: 1%
First Day of Snowboarding: 1%
That Time my Ex Tried to keep me from seeing my Dog: 1%

On Tuesday, I had a minor relapse, dropping a big F-You on Twitter in the direction of Lebron James’ and the Cavs. To those I offended, please accept my sincere apologies. While my anger may have been vented towards Lebron, it certainly had a lot more to do with the disappointing and deflating play of the Lakers.

Last season, a distinctly hungrier Lakers’ team met, and conquered, almost every single challenge the regular season placed in their path. Around this time, they were busy dominating a late-January road trip (6-0) that concluded with back-to-back victories over the Celtics (swept 2-0) and Cavs (swept 2-0). This year, well…

We all want this recent stretch to be an aberration in our championship picture… a bump in the road on the journey to another parade… a fixable lapse of desire for a team that wants #16 more than we do. But is it really that simple? The troubling symptoms are plainly visible for the Lakers.

Road Woes. The Champs are sitting at a very mediocre 10-8 on the road (12-5 at this time last season). If that doesn’t alarm you, maybe their 3-7 record in road games against playoff contenders will – including a season sweep at the hands of the Cavs and blowout losses vs. the Nuggets, Clippers, Blazers and Spurs. Still not concerned? 2 of those 3 road wins came back in November, giving us one quality road win (vs. Dallas) in the last two months.

Injuries. I said it from the very beginning (as did many of you); there are only two things that can prevent the Lakers from repeating as NBA champions this season: Injuries and Themselves.

Right now, both are happening. Check out the number of key injuries the Lakers have already been forced to deal with this year:

Kobe (Finger, Back)
Gasol (Hamstring – 2x)
Artest (Feet, Head)
Walton (Back)

That’s the best player on the planet (Kobe), our second (Pau) and fourth (Artest) best players and a valuable rotation guy (Luke). While I’m confident that Gasol and Walton will be just fine, I’m not so sure about Artest and Bryant.

Have you seen Ron jump lately? He has the springs of a middle-aged white guy playing pick-up ball at the Jewish Community Center. Without that hop in his step, his greatest asset (defense) actually becomes a liability. And Kobe? He is one of the toughest competitors in the history of sports, and that is the only reason he is on the court right now. I don’t think I could even brush my teeth wearing that splint he wears on his hand. Those two injuries beg the following all-important question:

Can the Lakers’ repeat if Ron and Kobe are playing at only 75%? The thought of being forced to answer that question terrifies me.

Defensive Rotations. Sure, our defensive numbers look good (second overall according to NBA.com’s way-too-complicated system). However, those numbers are a poor representation of the frequent blunders we’re seeing from the Lakers on the most important side of the floor. How many times a game does Odom get lost and fail to rotate to an open shooter? Gasol and Bynum get pushed under the basket and scored on? Fish and Ron get beat off the dribble? Even Kobe – an all-world defender – loses just about every time he gambles for a steal.

Most alarming is that these lapses frequently happen during the closing minutes of the game. We watched Lebron get multiple, uncontested looks down the stretch in Thursday’s loss in Cleveland and Hedo had absolutely no problem getting to the rim (not one of his strengths) on the last possession of Sunday’s loss in Toronto. The majority of us would rather see Kobe hoisting a contested fall-away at the buzzer to win or lose the game than we would the Lakers defense trying to get a stop to win or lose the game. That, right there, says it all.

.

There’s a reason we have all heard the phrase having the heart of a champion.

It’s because heart is always the key ingredient when it comes to achieving greatness. It is what inspires teammates and fans to overcome the longest odds, even in the face of adversity; It is what wants it more than everyone else, and doesn’t rest until it has been attained; It is what willed an exhausted Lakers team to the ’09 NBA title; and it is exactly what eludes this Lakers’ team right now.

If we don’t finish on top come June, at-least there will be no question about what was missing.

.

J-Ri’s Shameless Plug of the Week: Goes to my friend, TLN Forum Member and Lamar Odom lover Violet Kanian. Vee is in the running to land a gig with G-Star Raw to be the new YouTube reporter for New York’s Fashion Week. Exciting, right? Well, she needs your help. Please take just 30 seconds of your day to go vote for her! It’s easy and you’ll be helping another person get a step closer to their dream. Win/Win, right? Right.

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Reality vs. Expectation
2. Out of Bounds: Anything But Tiger…
3. Out of Bounds: Mid-Season Check-Up

I can be a superstitious person, but only when it comes to sports. I remember one specific occasion where I forced my self-absorption on the other ill-fated members of my family. During a game against the Mavericks back in 2002, I insisted they all wear Lakers’ gear before joining me in the living room to watch the game. By the end of the third quarter, I realized exactly why the Lakers’ were getting Snookied by the Mavs on National TV. My Mom was wearing a Lakers’ Van Exel jersey… and Nick the Quick was busy carving up the Lakers defense for the Mavs.

How could I have made such an unforgivable mistake? I sprinted to my room, grabbed a Magic Johnson throwback and demanded that she change immediately. My confused (and noticeably annoyed) Mom reluctantly agreed to swap jerseys. When she finally returned to the living room rocking the #32, the whole game had changed. In the end, the Lakers had mounted a 27-point rally in the fourth quarter to beat Dallas – the second greatest comeback in NBA history.

True story.

When you get right down to it, people (like me) who are superstitious are really just people who have a problem overestimating their own self-importance.

“The result of (insert unrelated event) somehow had everything to do with me.”

I mean, how preposterous is that interpretation of reality? Even so, I still find myself having superstitious tendencies when it comes to the Lakers. I spent Christmas and New Years’ with my family in Kansas City. When I left Los Angeles, the Lakers were rolling into their Christmas Day match-up with Cleveland at a league-best 23-4. After a nightmarish two-days of traveling (detailed here), I arrived in Kansas City right before Christmas Eve. During my 3+ weeks there (way longer that I had planned for), the whole forecast of the regular season had shifted.

We got hammered by the Cavs, Suns, Clippers and Spurs.
We extended our ridiculous losing streak in Portland.
Ron Artest fell down the stairs and piled up a few DNP’s.
Pau Gasol injured his hamstring.
Kobe Bryant started having back spasms.

The Lakers limped to a 7-5 record during my stay in the Midwest. And only hours after I landed back in L.A…

We won in Dallas without Gasol and a completely healthy Kobe.
We smashed the Clippers by 40 points.
Ron Artest, Luke Walton and Pau Gasol all came back to the lineup.
Kobe Bryant looked considerably healthier (30/3/2 on 50% shooting) than he did a few days ago.
Our bench played out of their minds in a win over the Orlando Magic.

What does this all mean? Well, I am to blame for all the Lakers’ woes, and I want to sincerely apologize to the Lakers Nation for failing to realize that my presence in Kansas City would cause so many disastrous things to happen to our beloved team. By way of reimbursement, let’s start with a 2,000 word I’m not doing any work today mailbag.

Enjoy!

Is the reason the Lakers stench – ahem – I mean bench, is struggling so bad is because the Laker organization let go of the bench’s heart (no pun intended) and soul in Ronny Turiaf? They haven’t been the same since the 2008 Playoffs…
-Silas C.

I really like this question. From a basketball perspective, Ronny brought a level of energy and excitement to the floor that couldn’t possibly be calculated by looking at a stat sheet. His minutes were low (20/game), his stats were mediocre (7/4/2) and he struggled late in the playoffs (’08). Yet, he ignited the whole team, played with KG-like passion and our bench was a unit to be reckoned with. When it came down to it, Kupchak simply couldn’t justify matching Golden States offer to Turiaf (4 years, $17 million) using terms like hustle, heart and hi-fives.

Looking back now, we certainly miss Ronny more than most of us probably thought we would. Energy and effort are two intangibles that Turiaf consistently produced, and both are commonly missing with our second unit. Is Ronny’s absence the reason why Sasha can’t shoot? Farmar and Odom are inconsistent? Walton is vying for a marketing deal with 3 Day Suit Broker? Probably not, but Turiaf brought the best out of his teammates, and we certainly miss him.

In 20/20 hindsight, if Sasha was worth $15 million over 3 years, Ronny was easily worth $17 million over 4 years. Of course, at the time, there was no way we could have known how valuable Ronny’s presence really was. Now we do.

Is Tag Heuer pronounced ‘Tag Her’ or ‘Tag Whore’?
-Laker Bunny

This made me laugh, so I felt compelled to include it. Kudos.

What would happen if, in the course of the remaining games, Kobe suffers a devastating injury that renders him incapable of playing? I dread the thought, but how would the Lakers survive the onslaught of the other teams throughout the season?
-Virginia R.

Let’s hope this question stays completely hypothetical. For the sake of this situation, let’s forget for a moment that we have the best player in the world. How does this lineup look?

C – Bynum
F – Gasol
F – Odom (Walton)
G – Artest (Brown)
G – Fisher (Farmar)

Not terrible, right? To be successful, we would have to mercilessly pound the ball inside to Bynum and Gasol. Both guys would get 20+ shots and the triangle would run through them on the block. We would need Odom to consistently play well (just like he did last night vs. Orlando) and our perimeter players (Fish, Jordan and Shannon) to knock down some long jumpers (just like they did last night vs. Orlando). We would have to significantly tighten our defensive rotations and take fewer chances (just like they did in the first half last night vs. Orlando). Drew and Pau would need to be committed to lock down the paint and stay out of foul trouble.

(Basically, we saw what it would look like last night vs. Orlando.)

If all of those things happened, I think we would be a middle of the pack playoff team with an outside chance at the Conference Finals. Realistically speaking, we would have a better chance at missing the playoffs than winning a championship. Losing Kobe would be devastating… our repeat hopes would be lost… I don’t want to think about it anymore…

Let’s completely change the subject.

If Rosie O’Donnell had been a professional athlete, what sport, team, and position would she have played?
-Kris P

I am giddy just thinking about answering this question. I spew Rosie O’Donnell jokes faster than Rosie O’Donnell can rip through a Snickers… factory. You see? It really is fun (for me). To adequately answer this question (and the spirit of the question), we have to do it a couple different ways.

Let’s start by directly answering the question:

Sport: Football.
Position: Upper Concourse Section 414.
Team: Dallas Cowboys.

On the depth chart (refraining from an onslaught of bad and unfunny jokes), she was also listed as the second string jumbo-tron, the third string retractable roof and in the case that the city of Dallas somehow broke off into space, she would be the replacement. (I need to stop, it’s only funny to me at this point, but I just can’t.)

Secondly, let’s go ahead and answer the spirit of the question by asking the following: If Rosie was a current or historical player in each major American sport…

Which player would she have been? What team would she have played for? How would her teammates have responded after she ate the coaching staff? The mascot? A fan? What would history have to say about her impact on the game? The playing surface? The foundation of the Earth? How would her specific sport have been altered by her career? Would she have won any championships or MVP’s?

I’m kidding.

I won’t answer all of those questions… but I did think about it (and you were about to read it). Let’s go ahead and move on before this column can’t recover and I get a bunch of comments from you guys telling me how much I suck (it may actually be too late for that).

Moving on…

I got a trade scenario for you. Luke, Sasha, and Morrison for Tracy McGrady. It sounds dumb, but McGrady would replace Luke as the back-up SF, and Sasha and Morrison have been getting zero playing time anyway. So, it’s not like they’re valuable assets, plus it would get Luke’s and Sasha’s contracts off the books for next year. The Rockets don’t want to mess with their team chemistry by playing T-Mac, so they’re probably willing to give him away and his $25m contract. … What do you think?
-King

There are so many hilarious ways to look at this. For example…

Mitch: How about this, I give you Walton, Vujacic and Morrison for McGrady’s expiring deal?
Daryl: Three white guys?
Mitch: …
Daryl: Three white guys who can’t shoot?
Mitch: …
Daryl: Three white guys who can’t shoot and have a combined $27 million left on their contracts?
Mitch: …
Daryl: …
Mitch: You’re right, I’ll call Chris Wallace.
Daryl: Good idea.

Sure, I’d take a 75% T-Mac as my backup SF, but Houston would be Lady Gaga insane to give him away to the Lakers, especially for those three guys. But hey, we did get Gasol and dumped Kwame in the same deal.

And speaking of trade scenarios…

Thoughts on the Bynum for Bosh trade scenario(s)?
-Several of you

If I’m arguing for the Bosh to L.A. for Bynum scenario…

Bosh has made a career out of being consistent. He’s averaged between 22.5 and 23.8 points/game and 10+ rebounds/game for the last five seasons. Unlike Bynum, he has proven he can stay healthy (69, 67, 77 GP’s over the last 3 seasons.) He can play the 3, 4 or 5 spots and reliably knock down a mid-range jumper – both things that Bynum absolutely cannot do. His versatility and athleticism give him a much better chance of co-existing with Pau Gasol – all things that Drew struggle with. Anytime you have a chance to make a championship team even better (I.e. Artest, Ariza), you have to do it.

If I’m arguing against the Bosh to L.A. for Bynum scenario…

Bynum has improved his production every season he has been in the NBA (7, 13, 14, 16 point per game/season). He has a rare mix of size (7’, 290 lbs.) and natural talent in a league where both are lacking. He is young (22) and still developing as a player (and a person), and has shown flashes of being able to dominate the paint on both sides of the court (both things Bosh hasn’t done). All the ingredients are there for him and Dwight Howard to battle it out for this decade’s most dominate big man crown.  Anytime you have a chance to develop a franchise center, you have to do it.

55% of me says, “Trade him; Bosh is a certain upgrade and Bynum is injury prone. Even if Bynum stays healthy (questionable) and reaches his full potential (also questionable), he is only marginally better than Chris Bosh. If we can win with Bynum, we can definitely win with Bosh.”

45% of me says, “Keep him; why try to fix something that’s not broken? We won with Drew, and he’s only going to get better and more refined. We have invested a lot in him (Kareem, etc.), no reason to try to cash in on his talent before it’s peaked.”

I would be okay with either player. If it was up to me, I would pull the trigger and make the move (as long as we were able to dump Sasha in the deal). I am sure you will crucify and praise me for that decision.

Send in your questions for Jason Riley’s next Mailbag: Email, Tweet, Message or simply use this form.

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Mailbag!?
2. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #3
3. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #1

I really enjoy watching a good love story (briefly pausing while you quietly judge me). This would really work to my advantage if I ever found myself in this position:

Girl: Are you really watching another basketball game tonight!?
Me: Baby, that’s why God created NBA League Pass.
Girl: What about me!? What about what I want to watch?
Me: I’ll make a deal with you. For every NBA game that I watch, we can watch one of your chick-flick love stories together?
Girl: Um, really!? You would actually do that?
Me: Ordinarily, no… but for you, absolutely. Not everything in this relationship has to be about me.
Girl: OMG, you’re the best!

One of the most enjoyable love stories I have seen is 500 Days of Summer (if you haven’t seen it, you really should). About two-thirds of the way through the film, there is a brilliant scene that perfectly illustrates exactly why we are all frustrated with the recent play of the Lakers:

Reality vs. Expectation.

Most of us secretly (or not-so-secretly) thought the Lakers would do the NBA schedule like Jason Voorhes does Spring Break. Of course, we weren’t alone in our observations. Reggie Miller predicted the Lakers would start the season at 20-1. Kenny Smith expected a healthy Lakers team to challenge the ’96 Chicago Bulls regular season wins record (72-10). 8/10 NBA.com analysts and 19/20 ESPN.com analysts picked the Lakers to run away with the West.

Let’s be completely honest with ourselves, we weren’t thinking about being one of the best teams in the league, we were thinking about being one of the best teams of all-time. Whether we want to admit it or not, the majority of us would have agreed on the following equation:

Healthy and Rested Kobe + Healthy and Rested Pau + Hungry and Motivated Ron Artest = So Long ’96 Chicago Bulls.

By the end of November, our tower of Babel high expectations were being met.

We were cruising down the PCH at 13-3, closing out the month by winning our last six games by double figures. We slashed through the early part of December (5-0) and watched Kobe Bryant bury one of his greatest clutch shots at the buzzer to beat D-Wade and the Miami Heat. Finally, we aced our first extended road trip (4-1), watched the Mamba drill another game-winning buzzer beater (vs. Milwaukee) and marched into the Christmas Day match-up with the Lebrons’ at a pristine 28-6.

Then it began to happen… our expectations started to drift away from reality.

The Cavs wiped the floor with the Lakers on Christmas Day (completely ruining the whole day). If that wasn’t bad enough, Ron Artest falls down the stairs at his home (really?) and misses the next several games. Any chance he was sober when that happened? None. Three days later, the Suns demolished the Lakers in Phoenix. The Lakers managed to respond by rattling off four straight wins (including another Kobe game-winner vs. Sacramento), but lost Pau Gasol to another hamstring injury in the process. The week finished with a blowout win against the ice-cold Bucks (95-77), but not before the Lakers had been embarrassed out by the Clippers and Blazers in back to back games.

And now it’s complete… our expectations have completely abandoned reality.

The Lakers are a mediocre 6-4 since beating the Zombie Sonics right before Christmas, forcing expectations and reality as far apart from each other as they have been this season. Naturally (just like we do so often in real life), we totally freak out when this happens. How many times have you heard different variations of the following statements this week?

“What’s wrong with Kobe? Why can’t he shoot? Has he stopped trusting his teammates?”
“Andrew Bynum is a joke! He can’t play with Pau Gasol. Let’s get rid of him while he is still healthy!”
“What the hell is Phil doing? Why is he playing Sasha and Morrison together? Is he crazy?”

Before we totally lose our minds and enter the Tyson zone, now is a good time to take a step back and reset a few of our expectations for the regular season, only this time with a little more sensibility.

Expectation says… Kobe Bryant will win his second MVP award.
Reality says… 30/5/5 on 46% shooting + 3 game winners at the buzzer + best player on best team argument.

Expectation says… The Lakers will finish the season with a healthy roster.
Reality says… Kobe (finger) will find a solution, he always does. Pau Gasol (hamstring) is expected back sometime next week. Ron Artest (concussion) is back on the court without any lingering effects. Luke Walton (back) has been participating in full practices.

Expectation says… The Lakers will finish the season with the NBA’s best record.
Reality says… the Lakers (29-8) lead the Cavs (29-10) by 1 game and the Celtics (26-10) by 2 ½ games.

Even after the Christmas Day letdown… The Ron Artest vs. the Stairs setback… The series of blowout defeats against the Suns, Blazers and Clippers… The untimely Pau Gasol hamstring injury… The Kobe Cold-Front during the last four games… The Lakers reality still says they are on pace for the only thing that actually matters.

Banner #16.

Expectation says everything else will simply produce a more dramatic championship DVD.

Related posts:

1. Kids In Seats, Making The Dream Of Seeing The Lakers A Reality
2. Garnett a reality?
3. Out of Bounds: Rise of the Machines

It’s been a crazy week in the world of sports. A superstar athlete cheated on his wife? Are you serious? That’s as surprising as Rasheed leading the league in T’s (again) with 10 after tonight’s mini-tantrum (the highlight of my night). I really am trying hard to avoid writing a column about Tiger Woods. I think the best way to do that is to kick off my random thoughts by talking about the real player of the decade, Kobe Bryant.

Kobe Bryant.
It’s hard to find words that fully illustrate the greatness of Kobe Bryant. After much deliberation, (and the elimination of several lifeless analogies) I have decided that nothing sums it up better than the remarkable answer to this question:

Which of the following headlines are more newsworthy?

Bryant Misses at the Buzzer, Lakers head to OT in Milwaukee.
Kobe Drains Game-Winner as Time Expires, Lakers Win.

Think about it.

When Kobe missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation, I was completely floored. It was like eating at Panda Express and not ending up with a mild case of irritable bowel syndrome by the end of the night – it’s happened so many times that you have just come to expect it. When it doesn’t, you’re legitimately shocked.

Five minutes later, and in spite of the desperate pleas of Bucks TV announcers Jim Paschke and Jon McGlocklin (watch it here), Mamba buried the game-winning jumper over the helpless defense of Charlie Bell as time expired, giving the Lakers a one-point escape from the Bradley Center.

Were you even surprised to see that shot fall through the net? Did you, at any point, think: Holy crap, I can’t believe that just happened? You didn’t; and there’s no better way to amplify Kobe’s greatness than by simply looking at our own reaction to it. In fact, it’s exactly what puts distance between him and the other 430+ players in the NBA; including his closest competition, Dwyane Wade and Lebron James.

If Wade buries a fall-away at the buzzer to win the game, it’s unbelievable. If Lebron hoists a contested three as time expires to win the game, it’s remarkable. If Kobe drills a step-back to win it in overtime, it’s routine. Bryant makes the unbelievable very much believable, and there is no greater compliment to his rapidly expanding legacy than just that.

Lakers’ Road Woes.
Kobe has been nothing short of extraordinary (even with a broken finger on his shooting hand); but lost in the hype of his clutch play has been the Lakers conspicuous struggles on the road. We have played a total of just seven games away from the comforts of Staples Center and it hasn’t exactly been pretty:

We were completely destroyed in Denver (105-79) and never led in the second half during last weeks’ loss in Utah (102-94). It took overtime to secure a victory in Oklahoma City (12-11), Houston (14-10) and Milwaukee (11-12), all teams hovering around .500. We needed every bit of Kobe’s 42 points in Chicago (8-15) and only once this season have we looked like a championship team away from Staples Center – a 33-point win at Golden State. (If any of you caught tonight’s Warriors vs. Wizards game, you know that’s not all that impressive).

Am I pushing the panic button? Definitely not. Is there some cause for a little bit of concern? I think so.

We have 24 games between now and the end of January; 15 on them will be played on the road. With routinely challenging stops in Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Portland, Cleveland and Boston, the Lakers will have to play significantly better to hang on to the best record in the NBA.

Lamar Odom.
Has anyone seen Lamar’s game? I tweeted Khloe about that very subject, but I’m pretty sure she was still at her WWE tryout (Boooo!). Speaking of Lamar and Tweeting, during the third quarter of the Lakers loss in Utah last week, I tweeted this:

@JRiley21: Last season, this was a game where Odom would get 18/15/5 and come up big for us. He’s been out of rhythm so far this season.

When Bryant struggled last season, Lamar often-times had his best performances (remember his 28/17 game in Cleveland when Kobe had the flu?). This season, he’s scoring less (-3 PPG) and shooting a lower percentage in FG’s (41%, -8%), FT’s (56%, -7%) and 3FG% (28%, -4%). He’s also rebounding a little bit less, turning the ball over slightly more and is on pace to set career lows across the board since joining the Lakers in ’04-05. Only once this month has he scored in double figures (vs. Minnesota) or grabbed double digit rebounds (vs. Utah).

Has anybody else wondered if Khloe is verbally (and possibly physically) abusing Lamar at home? Odom has been his usually productive self in very limited spurts this season. It’s hard to specify what exactly the problem with his game is. Phil’s sometimes inconsistent rotations? The (successful) addition of Ron Artest? His well publicized marriage to Khloe Kardashian? No matter the case, we are going to need Odom’s production to increase as the games continue to get more and more important.

January Mailbag.
Don’t forget to email or tweet me your questions/comments for next month’s OOB Mailbag (or fill out the form below). AXE Hair will be giving away one (1) Grand Prize – a $25 Visa Gift Card and an AXE Hair prize package – to the person with the most creative question or comment. Four (4) other winners will be selected at random to win great hair products and prizes. Get your questions and comments in by Christmas Day to be entered. While you’re at it, be sure to follow AXE Hair on Twitter and check out their new Hot Tweeters contest. Good luck!

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Contest Winner!
2. Out of Bounds: Mailbag!?
3. January Mailbag Contest!

Congrats to Steve Lee for winning a 1-year subscription to SLAM Magazine for his question in last weeks’ Out of Bounds Mailbag!

Keep sending in your questions/comments for next months’ OOB Mailbag! I’ll be giving away some great prizes from AXE Hair for my favorite emails and tweets! Follow AXE Hair on Twitter, or check out their latest Hot Tweeter contest!

(Submit for next month’s OOB: Mailbag below)
[contact-form]

Related posts:

1. January Mailbag Contest!
2. Out of Bounds: Mailbag!?
3. TLN Survey Contest Winner

I spent a few years of my life in corporate America. I met some great people during that time; but I miss the job like we all miss G6 of the ’08 Finals.

Most of my days started with me waking up and slipping on my work sweater. Am I the only one who had a work sweater? I owned three (all different colors), and rotated them throughout the week. Some of you know exactly what I am talking about; a few of you are even wearing yours right now. My work sweaters screamed I am a 50-year-old trapped in a 20-year-olds body – perfect for the corporate world.

The majority of my professional life was depleted by bouncing in and out of meeting rooms, conference calls and campus coffee shops. I even learned a whole new language – acronym’s like ETA and SLA suddenly didn’t sound like someone mumbling during a seizure. There were three things that got me through that season of life:

1. An awesome team of co-workers.
2. A very strict $200/month coffee budget.
3. Bill Simmons, Marty Burns and every other Mailbag column on earth.

I was like a kid at Neverland Ranch – wait, let me rephrase that – I was like a kid at Disneyland every time I opened my laptop to find a new mailbag had been posted. I remember wishing their mailbag columns were even longer and released every few hours; that seems completely ludicrous now. I am no Bill Simmons (I am convinced he is not human) or Marty Burns, but I hope this mailbag provides you the same relief from work that it always did for me.

Let’s get to it.

[These are all real emails/tweets/messages sent by you guys – sometimes edited for length and/or profanity.]

I get it; people HATE the Kobe/Jordan comparisons. But with an improved Kobe working the post (Kinda like M.J.) and an improved Laker team poised to be competitive for the next couple of years (win a few more rings in addition to his 4), does the comparison conversation change at all?

-Steve

Great question. Short answer: 100% yes. Long answer? Well…

Let’s say the following happens: Kobe brings home another MVP (this season or next) and another Finals’ MVP (this season or next). He avenges his loss (and sub-par performance) by knocking off the Boston Celtics in the Finals (most likely this season). He returns next year, continues to play at an MVP-type level and remains the best player on another championship team – giving him 6 rings (same as MJ) and a second three-peat (same as MJ).

IF (and possibly when) that happens, then we can make the comparison without it being offensive to Jordan’s’ astounding legacy (right now, it’s silly). Even so, every quantifiable category will still lean in M.J.’s direction. There are three measurable ways we can evaluate greatness:

1. Winning.
2. Awards.
3. Numbers.

There are more intangibles than just that, but most of them have a lot to do with things that we can’t necessarily gauge. Let’s see how Jordan and Kobe would historically match up in those three categories (still assuming our first paragraph happens):

Winning:

Jordan has 6 Rings (6-0 in the Finals), won 6 Finals MVP Awards and made the playoffs all 13 years he played in Chicago (missed twice in Washington). Kobe has 6 rings (6-2 in the Finals), won 3 Finals MVP Awards and made the playoffs in all but one of his 14 years in Los Angeles (and counting). Relatively close? Sure. Even so, I would still give Jordan the edge there, especially having never lost on the grandest stage.

Awards:

Jordan was All-NBA First-Team 10 times (6 MVP’s), All-Defensive First-Team 9 times (1 DPOY) and racked up a ridiculous 10 scoring titles. Kobe was All-NBA First-Team 8 times (2 MVP’s), All-Defensive First-Team 7 times (0 DPOY) and has 2 NBA scoring titles. Jordan is +2 on All-NBA First Team Awards, +4 on MVP’s, +2 on All-Defensive Teams’ and a surprising +8 on scoring titles. That gives him +16 in the Awards department – A lead that Kobe won’t be able to make up no matter how well he plays out the remainder of his career.

Numbers:

Just for the hell of it, let’s assume that Kobe puts up 28/5/5/1 on 45% shooting for the next two years. Here’s what that would look like:

.

Advantage: Jordan.

Before you crucify me, this is not a knock on Kobe Bryant. As you said in your question, does Kobe winning a couple more titles and another MVP award change the conversation? Absolutely. Granted, Jordan will always come out on top (I personally think), but Kobe becomes a very worthy comparison – something that nobody else in NBA history has been able to accomplish.

Why the F— hasn’t Kupchak pulled the proverbial trigger on Sasha and/or Luke? Seriously, Sasha didn’t produce in the Finals, he barely produced in the playoffs and he has dwindling minutes thanks to Shannon and Jordan. You said it yourself – Sasha hit an open jumper?!… And Luke? (Relevant side tangent) Before my wife met me she only had limited knowledge of pro basketball because she rarely watched it on TV. After meeting me and getting up to speed with the Lakers, the only comment she makes when Luke touches the ball is “OMG, why do they put him on the floor?!” … ‘Nuff said.

-Raymond

This made me laugh – I think the male equivalent of your wife asking you why Luke is on the floor would be you asking her why Kristen Stewart was cast as Bella in the Twilight series. Can we say that Luke Walton is the Kristen Stewart of the Lakers? I am going to say yes. Any objections? Good. (Did I just reference Twilight in a Lakers’ column? Damn.)

Luke has three years (not including this season) left on his contract where he will make (gulp) $17 million. He can’t shoot the ball consistently from outside. He is too small to bang down low. He spends an awful lot of time in street clothes nursing an array of injuries. His one redeeming quality is that he is a good passer and understands how to employ that in the triangle. Still, only Isaiah Thomas would be brainless enough to donate anything of value to the Lakers’ championship cause in return for Mr. Walton.

Sasha is a different story. He has always been a one-dimensional player – and we were okay with that. In ’08, he was our Steve Kerr. We loved how pesky he was defensively and stood every time he fired one from downtown. We even gave him an alter-ego (The Machine) – that’s how much we loved him. Then the Boston Celtics happened and he still hasn’t mentally recovered.

He commits ridiculous fouls away from the ball, launches contested three’s and spends more time flopping around on his back than Chelsea Handler. His teammates don’t trust him and his opponents can’t stand him. Couple that with the $5.4 million he will make next season, and Sasha has trade leprosy. Mitch couldn’t swap him for Eddy Curry’s abs and a pair of Knicks season tickets. I think we are stuck with a broken machine through ’11.

How many games will the Nets lose before they win one?

-Kris

Do the Nets get to play the Flint Tropics this season? Would Will Ferrell drop 50 on Chris Douglas-Roberts? Maybe. I have honestly never seen a worse basketball team. They run through their offense with the intensity of a Kathleen Turner workout. They will be remembered as the worst team in NBA history. I am almost as certain of that as I am of smoking the guy who asked this question (Kris) in next summers’ Mud-Run.

New Jersey has a few winnable games before the New Year (vs. Charlotte, @ New York, vs. Golden State, vs. Minnesota). If they don’t win any of those games (quite possible), they are looking at heading into 2010 at 0-32. Do I want to see this? Of course I do; we all love a good train wreck, right? That explains why Tyra Banks still has a talk show.

I am going to say the Nets get a win in New York on 12/6 (0-19). If they lose that game, then they won’t win until 12/23 when Minnesota comes to town (0-28). If they lose that game, they won’t win again until they play Macabbi Tel Aviv in an exhibition game during the ’10-11 preseason. If they lose that game, I am moving to New Jersey and going to an open tryout.

I cringe at the sound of hearing “2-time MVP Steve Nash”… The dude is ring-less and finals-less. Kobe got robbed. (Vent completed)

-King

You’re right; it’s crazy to think Nash has more MVP’s than Kobe. I think there are a few factors you have to consider:

1. The MVP is a regular season award.
2. It is decided by people in the media, not the people who are part of the game.
3. It is as much a team award as it is an individual award.

I have to mostly agree with the ’04-05 MVP for Nash. The Suns went from awful (29-53) in ’03-04 to Pacific Division Champs in ’04-05. The only major roster difference? Steve Nash. The ’03-04 Suns had Amare, Marion and Joe Johnson with Marbury running the point. Nash stepped in and suddenly everything clicked. While he only averaged 15/11, he shot 50% from the floor and 43% from downtown – crazy numbers for a 6’4” pass-first point-guard.

Meanwhile, the Lakers were in turmoil during that ’04-05 season. The media world largely blamed Kobe for running Shaq and Phil out of town. Bryant averaged 4+ turnovers a game (career low), a sign that he trusted his teammates like we trust Obama’s economic plan. That whole season felt like the pilot episode of The Beautiful Life – there was no way it was going to end well. The Lakers missed the playoffs (34-48), marking a first in Kobe Bryant’s career.

Kobe could have put up 40/6/6 on 50% shooting and not won the MVP that year. There was no way the media was voting for him; and in all honesty, Steve Nash deserved it.

’05-06 was a different story. Kobe took a lifeless Lakers’ team (Odom, Kwame, Smush, Walton, Mihm) to the playoffs in an extremely loaded western conference. They won 45 games (+11 from ’04-05) – and if anybody remembers pre-season predictions, not one single person in the media picked the Lakers to even scratch .500. Bryant averaged 35/5/5 on 45% shooting – not to mention dropping 81 points against the Raptors and 62 in three quarters against the Mavs.

He made his teammates better. He said all the right things. He had one of the greatest seasons in the history of the league. He exceeded every critic’s expectation. He passed every MVP test except for one – the media bias. He still hadn’t publically recovered from the disaster in Colorado and the departure of Shaq and Phil. For a second season in a row, a group of reporters weren’t going to give Kobe the MVP award, they just weren’t. It was even more of an outright travesty than Duncan beating Kidd in ’02 (and that’s saying something).

Every writer that didn’t vote for Mamba in ’05-06 should be ashamed of themselves. Kobe Bryant was the MVP that season and we all know it. It wasn’t even close.

Will this Kobe vs. Lebron debate ever end? There is no debate on who is better. This is the reality of it: Kobe 4, Lebron 0.

-MambaMVP

I received several different variations of this same statement from a few of you guys. Let’s put the issue to rest, shall we? Everyone wants to know the answer to this. Who is better: Kobe Bryant or Lebron James?

If you look at this question objectively and free from any sort of bias, it seems almost preposterous to even ask the question to begin with. Aside from a handful of clutch performances and a lengthy highlight reel, Lebron James has accomplished very little thus far. If you want to talk strictly about careers, the discussion is asinine (at very best).

Kobe has 4 NBA Titles (Lebron has 0); Kobe has an NBA Finals MVP (Lebron has never won an NBA Finals game); Kobe has 2 NBA Scoring Titles (Lebron has 1); Kobe has more NBA Finals appearances than Lebron has Playoff appearances (6-4); Kobe has been All NBA First-Team 7 times (Lebron 3) and All NBA First-Team Defense 7 times (Lebron 1). I could go on, but I won’t. I think we all see where this is headed. Kobe wins in a rout.

(And for the people who say that 25-year-old Lebron is better than 25-year-old Kobe; let’s not forget that Mr. Bryant had already won three NBA championships by then.)

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s respond to the most common (and most logical) argument from the Lebron is better than Kobe camp:

Kobe may have had more accomplishments in his career, but Lebron is better right now.

Okay, that’s fair. Forget Kobe’s legendary career for a minute. What have you done for me lately? Let’s look at both players last two seasons from every relevant angle:

Individual Accomplishments:

Kobe won an MVP (’07-08), a Finals MVP (’08-09), was All NBA First-Team (twice) and All NBA First-Team Defense (twice). Lebron also won an MVP (’08-09), was All NBA First-Team (twice) and All NBA First-Team Defense (once). In just the last two seasons, Kobe is up a Finals MVP (Lebron has never won a Finals game) and an All NBA First-Team Defense award. That gives Kobe the edge in individual accomplishments.

Team Accomplishments:

This is where it starts to get out of hand for the Lebron camp. Kobe has an NBA Championship (Lebron has 0), two NBA Finals appearances (Lebron has 0) and a 7-1 record in playoff series (Lebron is 3-2). Additionally, the Lakers have a regular season winning percentage of .744 (Cleveland is at .677). It’s not hard to see that Kobe and Lakers win this section over Lebron and the Cavs in a landslide.

By The Numbers:

Kobe (47%, 36%, 27/5/5) vs. Lebron (48%, 33%, 29/7/7). This is the only advantage Lebron has in the debate (and it’s by the slimmest of margins). He has posted slightly better numbers than Kobe over the past couple of seasons. Let’s give that to him and concede the point.

Kobe 2, Lebron 1 | Final. (And it really wasn’t even that close.)

There is only one remaining question the Lebron camp has left to ask: Will Lebron pass up Kobe in the next couple of seasons? Most likely, yes. It’s just too bad for LBJ that Dwyane Wade will still be better than him when he does.

You should get back to work and I should get to bed. Keep the emails/tweets/messages coming (I received way more than I expected); I plan to keep doing these mailbags so I can respond to more of your questions and comments. The SLAM Magazine winner will be announced this week.

Good luck, and good night.

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #3
2. Out of Bounds: Mailbag #2
3. Out of Bounds: Mailbag!?

The Lakers have been rather un-Hollywood since Pau Gasol returned to the lineup. The last three games have been slightly less exciting than a 60-minute exclusive on global warming with Al Gore.

They completely wiped the floor with the struggling Chicago Bulls (108-93). Did anyone think they would miss Ben Gordon this much? They blasted the surprisingly competitive “Zombie Sonics” (101-85). Most shocking? Sasha knocked down an open jumper. That was almost as remarkable as Kobe’s behind-the-backboard how-the-eff-did-he-just-make-that shot in the first quarter.

Last night, the NBDL Knicks were in town. Once upon a time, this game used to matter. The world was a very different place then – The twin towers still overlooked New York City and Khloe Kardashian was just the fat-scary-chick in high school. New York clanged 22 shots from downtown (not a typo) while the Lakers methodically took care of business (100-90).

With the next three games – Golden State, New Jersey and New Orleans – not likely to provide much more excitement than the last three, it seems like a good time to try something new. Periodically, I get emails/comments/tweets/messages from some of you guys. I have heard everything from I love your column to you are an incompetent moron (both direct quotes). Instead of letting those sit in my inbox, I think we can have some fun with them.

My next column will be the inaugural Out of Bounds Mailbag – and I will be giving away a FREE, 1-year subscription to SLAM Magazine to someone. If you guys enjoy this, we will continue to do them every once in a while. Here’s the deal:

Send me an email, tweet or message (or just fill out the form below). It can be a Lakers’ question or comment, an opinion or rant about the NBA or even a pop-culture reference – anything you would like to see responded to in the next column. I will pick some of the most creative, relevant and intriguing messages and respond to them in my mailbag column next week. If your message makes it, you will automatically be entered into the random drawing for a 1-year subscription to SLAM Magazine. Pretty easy, right? If nothing else, this should help us get through the humdrum part of the Lakers’ schedule.

(Please be sure to include your name and email address with your message.)

Related posts:

1. Out of Bounds: Contest Winner!
2. January Mailbag Contest!
3. It’s Mailbag Time!