Lost 3 in a row. Awful. I don't like our late game offense of 100% Kobe isolation plays - it gets others out of rhythm, gets Kobe tired. Maybe there can be some plays where both Pau and Kobe have a chance to score the ball, not sure what such a play would look like. Maybe a pick and roll.
Raptors tonight. Chances this game is closer than it should be? Likely to very likely.
Mar 9, 2010
Jan 24, 2010
The Importance of January
Over the past month or so Kobe has been getting pretty banged up. He injured his index finger on his shooting hand, requiring a fat bandage whenever he plays. He had back spasms during a Spurs game and his lift has not been the same since - he passed up a wide open dunk for an awkward roll-around-the-rim layup against the Knicks this past Friday.
Media folk have asked Kobe why he doesn't rest and try to get better for the playoffs, especially since the team is in good shape record wise. His answer is always dismissive, almost as if he's offended at the idea of needing time off to heal like a mere mortal. I recently read a report where Kobe was asked something like "Why don't you sit and rest to heal yourself?" to which he replied "Why would I?" The report then gushes about how competitive Kobe is and how Kobe is being Kobe ad nauseum.
Huh? How about the simple fact that YOU DON'T WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN JANUARY? I haven't heard anyone mention this. Kobe should rest. We can feature Gasol or Bynum in all our offensive possessions and be better than any team we face.
Speaking of those bigs, the Lakers should bench Bynum and start Lamar. Gasol can once again be our ridiculous low-post threat. Our bench would be a lot less dependent on streaky 3-point shots when we can feed Bynum inside. I don't understand why this lineup hasn't been explored. I hope its not because of Bynum's contract and a way of showcasing him (there have been Bosh trade rumors...).
Of course the team will stay the course. Kobe will continue playing through his injury, Bynum and Gasol will continue to start together, I will continue to be frustrated at times. As long as we get home court I'll be happy.
Media folk have asked Kobe why he doesn't rest and try to get better for the playoffs, especially since the team is in good shape record wise. His answer is always dismissive, almost as if he's offended at the idea of needing time off to heal like a mere mortal. I recently read a report where Kobe was asked something like "Why don't you sit and rest to heal yourself?" to which he replied "Why would I?" The report then gushes about how competitive Kobe is and how Kobe is being Kobe ad nauseum.
Huh? How about the simple fact that YOU DON'T WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN JANUARY? I haven't heard anyone mention this. Kobe should rest. We can feature Gasol or Bynum in all our offensive possessions and be better than any team we face.
Speaking of those bigs, the Lakers should bench Bynum and start Lamar. Gasol can once again be our ridiculous low-post threat. Our bench would be a lot less dependent on streaky 3-point shots when we can feed Bynum inside. I don't understand why this lineup hasn't been explored. I hope its not because of Bynum's contract and a way of showcasing him (there have been Bosh trade rumors...).
Of course the team will stay the course. Kobe will continue playing through his injury, Bynum and Gasol will continue to start together, I will continue to be frustrated at times. As long as we get home court I'll be happy.
Dec 14, 2009
Lakers lost?
Yea, we did. To Utah. Didn't get to watch the game, but here's some box score/highlights analysis:
1. They shot very efficiently
2. Kobe shot inefficiently
Nothing more to say. The team lives and dies by Kobe's volume shooting on nights like this. Personally I'd like to see Pau get the most shots, but hey, what do I know.
News from fantasy:
I don't think I've won a week yet. I've lost most of my weeks 4-5, I think I might have tied one week 4-4, and lost 3-6 once. Its really sad. I have good players, a bunch of them are playing well, but they don't provide the breadth of stats that fantasy needs. Pretty sure I'm leading the league in points and turnovers.
I did pick up Iverson. This is how you know my team is bad. Last week (his first full week of play this season), he was second on my team in total assists. Let me write that again. Allen Iverson was the second leading assist man on my team last week. Seven weeks of play, guess what my record in assists is? That's right, 0-7.
1. They shot very efficiently
2. Kobe shot inefficiently
Nothing more to say. The team lives and dies by Kobe's volume shooting on nights like this. Personally I'd like to see Pau get the most shots, but hey, what do I know.
News from fantasy:
I don't think I've won a week yet. I've lost most of my weeks 4-5, I think I might have tied one week 4-4, and lost 3-6 once. Its really sad. I have good players, a bunch of them are playing well, but they don't provide the breadth of stats that fantasy needs. Pretty sure I'm leading the league in points and turnovers.
I did pick up Iverson. This is how you know my team is bad. Last week (his first full week of play this season), he was second on my team in total assists. Let me write that again. Allen Iverson was the second leading assist man on my team last week. Seven weeks of play, guess what my record in assists is? That's right, 0-7.
Nov 18, 2009
Random thoughts
1. Lakers won last night, thank god we avoided the three game losing streak. I'm confused though, I thought Kobe was injured. He scored 40? What?
Also, when is Pau coming back?
2. My fantasy team has played three weeks, lost 4-5 each week. One bright spot? I lead the league in points. I kind of knew I would coming in, but I need more balance. Assists, three's, something.
3. When my mind was drifting into fantasy land (haha...) I came up with an idea. This might not be new, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hear about it from somewhere. Can't we have fantasy competitions for things outside of sports? Bear with me. Imagine a fantasy league about the TV show The Office. The stats could be like "minutes on screen", "words spoken", "number of times his/her name was said", etc. Like, Michael would be the Lebron of this league, then I'm not sure, maybe Dwight or Jim or Pam.
The reason my example was a TV show is because sports have the advantage of providing a steady stream of data (weekly NFL games, nearly daily NBA games, etc), and TV shows usually have some sort of schedule. Don't let this limit the possibilities though. What about a tabloid fantasy league? I guess tabloids include Star, Enquirer. You could draft celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan.
This idea is less than half baked. I may come back to this and realize it was enormously stupid. But just in case, COPYRIGHT 2009-2010 bitches.
Also, when is Pau coming back?
2. My fantasy team has played three weeks, lost 4-5 each week. One bright spot? I lead the league in points. I kind of knew I would coming in, but I need more balance. Assists, three's, something.
3. When my mind was drifting into fantasy land (haha...) I came up with an idea. This might not be new, but I'm pretty sure I didn't hear about it from somewhere. Can't we have fantasy competitions for things outside of sports? Bear with me. Imagine a fantasy league about the TV show The Office. The stats could be like "minutes on screen", "words spoken", "number of times his/her name was said", etc. Like, Michael would be the Lebron of this league, then I'm not sure, maybe Dwight or Jim or Pam.
The reason my example was a TV show is because sports have the advantage of providing a steady stream of data (weekly NFL games, nearly daily NBA games, etc), and TV shows usually have some sort of schedule. Don't let this limit the possibilities though. What about a tabloid fantasy league? I guess tabloids include Star, Enquirer. You could draft celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan.
This idea is less than half baked. I may come back to this and realize it was enormously stupid. But just in case, COPYRIGHT 2009-2010 bitches.
Oct 26, 2009
Holy Blake-amole!
Courtesy of Keppler:
That is one ferocious dunk. Let's hope he gets better soon and starts posterizing fools.
That is one ferocious dunk. Let's hope he gets better soon and starts posterizing fools.
Oct 19, 2009
Basketball Fantasy
Actually more like fantasy basketball.
Our league consists of 14 players, most of whom reside in Boston and therefore are my mortal enemies. As fate would have it I got the 10th pick of the draft, which I believe was where Pau Gasol was ranked. He was taken 8 or 9, so whatev, I wasn't hot on him anyway. Here's my team:
1. (10) Amar'e Stoudemire - I didn't think he'd fall to me, but after the locks for 1-7, 8 and 9 took Roy and Pau. Great! I think Amar'e'll have an awesome year. He better...
2. (19) Carmelo Anthony - When I first looked at the preset rankings it shocked me to see Carmelo in the 30's. I know he had a mediocre year last season, but isn't he a top 20 pick? Am I crazy here? I wasn't going to wait and hope for him to fall to me in the third round. I think this pick will pay dividends.
3. (38) Baron Davis - The draft took place somewhere in Boston with a handful of people, while everyone else participated online or audotdrafted. I was at William Pack's house watching the Saints crush the Giants. After the pizza wings potato salad veggie platter bonanza, I plopped down with a laptop and got to drafting. Brian suggested I take Baron, saying he was risky but potentially rewarding. I'm pretty sure all my picks so far have been risky but potentially rewarding, so why change now? As Keppler put it, 15 assists a game just to Blake Griffin.
4. (47) Michael Redd - Can you get a more "risky but potentially rewarding" guy here? One of the better scorers in the league, but he's probably injured as much as Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming combined. Still, I forsee a big year.
5. (66) Andrew Bynum - At this point there weren't too many stellar players left, and Drew seemed a reasonable choice. He's been great all preseason, the team is seemingly pushing for making him an all-star (lots of touches), he's a Laker. I'm all over it.
6. (75) Al Harrington - I honestly don't even know what team he plays for (the Knicks?). I think he can get me around 14 and 7 with a handful of 3's. Why not.
7. (94) Chris Kaman - I think I had him for a bit last year. Emphasis on "a bit". Yeah.
8. (103) Jamal Crawford - He's still a decent scorer, and he's on Atlanta with lots of young guys. I wouldn't be surprised if he scored a decent amount. I would be surprised if he was a decent fantasy player though.
9. (122) Peja Stojakavic - I honestly thought this was the best pick at this point. But looking back, forfeiting the pick might have been better. Peja is pretty bad. That's an understatement. Maybe he'll give me three 3's a game.
10. (131) James Harden - Who? I said the same thing myself. I think he's OKC's lottery pick, brought in to provide some outside shooting and dishing ability. I think. I have no idea if he's even going to play.
11. (150) Antonio McDyess - He's on the Spurs, and used to be on the Pistons, which means he'll probably work hard, get me some garbage put-back points and rebounds. Right? RIGHT??
12. (159) Kelenna Azubuike - These picks don't even matter. Especially this one.
13. (178) Hakim Warrick - What's more realistic: Coby Karl being the next Kobe Bryant, or Hakim Warrick being the next Hakeem Olajuwan? That was my thought process here.
Our league consists of 14 players, most of whom reside in Boston and therefore are my mortal enemies. As fate would have it I got the 10th pick of the draft, which I believe was where Pau Gasol was ranked. He was taken 8 or 9, so whatev, I wasn't hot on him anyway. Here's my team:
1. (10) Amar'e Stoudemire - I didn't think he'd fall to me, but after the locks for 1-7, 8 and 9 took Roy and Pau. Great! I think Amar'e'll have an awesome year. He better...
2. (19) Carmelo Anthony - When I first looked at the preset rankings it shocked me to see Carmelo in the 30's. I know he had a mediocre year last season, but isn't he a top 20 pick? Am I crazy here? I wasn't going to wait and hope for him to fall to me in the third round. I think this pick will pay dividends.
3. (38) Baron Davis - The draft took place somewhere in Boston with a handful of people, while everyone else participated online or audotdrafted. I was at William Pack's house watching the Saints crush the Giants. After the pizza wings potato salad veggie platter bonanza, I plopped down with a laptop and got to drafting. Brian suggested I take Baron, saying he was risky but potentially rewarding. I'm pretty sure all my picks so far have been risky but potentially rewarding, so why change now? As Keppler put it, 15 assists a game just to Blake Griffin.
4. (47) Michael Redd - Can you get a more "risky but potentially rewarding" guy here? One of the better scorers in the league, but he's probably injured as much as Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming combined. Still, I forsee a big year.
5. (66) Andrew Bynum - At this point there weren't too many stellar players left, and Drew seemed a reasonable choice. He's been great all preseason, the team is seemingly pushing for making him an all-star (lots of touches), he's a Laker. I'm all over it.
6. (75) Al Harrington - I honestly don't even know what team he plays for (the Knicks?). I think he can get me around 14 and 7 with a handful of 3's. Why not.
7. (94) Chris Kaman - I think I had him for a bit last year. Emphasis on "a bit". Yeah.
8. (103) Jamal Crawford - He's still a decent scorer, and he's on Atlanta with lots of young guys. I wouldn't be surprised if he scored a decent amount. I would be surprised if he was a decent fantasy player though.
9. (122) Peja Stojakavic - I honestly thought this was the best pick at this point. But looking back, forfeiting the pick might have been better. Peja is pretty bad. That's an understatement. Maybe he'll give me three 3's a game.
10. (131) James Harden - Who? I said the same thing myself. I think he's OKC's lottery pick, brought in to provide some outside shooting and dishing ability. I think. I have no idea if he's even going to play.
11. (150) Antonio McDyess - He's on the Spurs, and used to be on the Pistons, which means he'll probably work hard, get me some garbage put-back points and rebounds. Right? RIGHT??
12. (159) Kelenna Azubuike - These picks don't even matter. Especially this one.
13. (178) Hakim Warrick - What's more realistic: Coby Karl being the next Kobe Bryant, or Hakim Warrick being the next Hakeem Olajuwan? That was my thought process here.
Aug 30, 2009
New Vantage Point
A change in my life will affect my basketball fandom this year. I've moved to Dallas, and should be here for the next 6 to 9 months. As such, the games I can attend in person will almost exclusively be limited to Mavericks games. This isn't a bad thing; I always have a good time in other arenas.
Being in Dallas also affords me some intriguing opportunities. The proximity to Oklahoma City, Houston, and San Antonio, while not miniscule, is certainly manageable for a weekend trip. And its not like what I had in LA, where I could have traveled north to see Golden State and Sacramento games: these teams can actually be interesting. Just kidding, Houston is going to blow. I've got my jumping shoes ready for when the Kevin Durant bandwagon comes to town.
Being in Dallas also affords me some intriguing opportunities. The proximity to Oklahoma City, Houston, and San Antonio, while not miniscule, is certainly manageable for a weekend trip. And its not like what I had in LA, where I could have traveled north to see Golden State and Sacramento games: these teams can actually be interesting. Just kidding, Houston is going to blow. I've got my jumping shoes ready for when the Kevin Durant bandwagon comes to town.
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