11 Reasons Why the Lakers Will 3 Peat

While most NBA teams are spending their summer adding the most talented scorers available in free-agency, the Los Angeles Lakers have focused on toughness and chemistry.  With the addition of Steve Blake, Theo Ratliff and Matt Barnes, the back-to-back champions added the toughest players for their respective position available in free agency and they did not have to break the bank to do it. 

Some might argue with me, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the Lakers now have the toughest team in the NBA.  Few would argue that last year they had the most talented team headlined by Kobe and Pau, but now they have enhanced their 2nd unit with very good defenders.  We added Matt Barnes and Steve Blake who are two gritty players who play solid defense and neither is afraid to shoot the 3, when called upon.  According to Ron Artest, “Barnes is tougher than nails Tougher than a penguin on steroids Tougher than Richard Simmons trying to take off his spandex.” Theo Ratliff certainly has had his day in the sun, but the 15-year veteran can still block shots and be counted on for 10-15 minutes if needed to. 

With Lakers draft picks, Derek Caracter and Devin Ebanks shining brightly in the summer league, it looks like the Lakers have their roster.  Laker’s free agent Shannon Brown is still a question mark for the Lakers, but it isstill  possible as Ebanks or Character could spend some time in the D-league. 

Let’s review the tough lineup the Lakers look to feature in the 2010-2011 season

1. Kobe Bryant -- Do I need to explain?

2. Ron Artest -- Ruthless lock-down defender who enjoys challenging opponents in every game.

3. Derek Fisher -- He proved in the playoff he still has something left in the tank.  Ask Ray Allen or Rajan Rondo if Fisher is still tough! Still pound for pound, he is one of the toughest guys in the league.

4. Pau Gasol - Ask Kevin Garnett why he was only able get 3 rebounds in game 7 of the Finals.  Ask Garnett if he still thinks Gasol is Soft…

5. Lamar Odom- Very underrated defender and great rebounder. When the game gets edgy, Odom usually wakes up and steps up.

6. Andrew Bynum -- His dedication was questioned in the past, but his willingness to play injured in the playoffs this year speaks volumes.

7. Luke Walton -- When is not injured he likes to tangle with oponents.

8. Steve Blake -- Gritty and unselfish point guard who plays solid defense and like to set up his team-mates to score.

9. Matt Barnes -- Very good defender who gets tougher every year. Not too many players have the balls to throw the basketball at Kobe Bryant’s face.

10. Sasha Vujacic -- Ever wonder why most opponents dislike Sasha?  This annoying international hoopster is not affraid to get in his competitors face.

11. Theo Ratliff -- This guy was once one of  league leaders in shot blocks and he has always put defense first.  Another guy who doesn’t back down to opponents

It is clear to me that the lakers have focused on solidifying their defense and 2nd unit this summer.  At this point, the Lakers are more focused on maintaining chemistry than adding talent.  With the Lakers overlooking free agents like Tracy McGrady and Larry Hughes saying they will play for the league minimum, it’s obvious the Lakers are more concerned with complimenting their roster on the court and inthe locker room.  The only question I have is -- - Are you ready for a 3-Peat Los Angeles?

Paul Gasol Versus Kevin Garnett 2010 NBA Finals

As a Laker fan I have been sick of the Celtics players and Celtics fans calling Pau Gasol soft.  In 1998 he averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds a game, but the Celtics won the series.  So rather than just shout at my Celtics friends I thought we should compare the “Big Ticket”, Kevin Garnett to Pau Gasol in this 7 game series of 2010. 

Let’s break down the statistics between Garnett and Gasol for the series. 

• Gasol edges KG by averaged 18.5 points a game to Garnett’s 15.2. 
• Gasol wins over KG for blocked shots 18 to 9.
• Gasol Wins over KG for Assists 26 to 21
• Gasol Wins over KG the Rebounds 81 to 39
• Gasol Wins over KG Offensive Rebounds 35-8

KG is clearly on his way to the Hall of Fame, but for the “Big Ticket” to get less than half as many rebounds as Gasol underlines the dominance that Pau demonstrated over Garnett in the 2010 NBA Finals.  Let’s consider that this future Hall of Fame power forward for the Celtics came up with 3 rebounds in a Game 7 NBA Finals versus the Lakers when their starting center was out.  If ever there was a night that KG needed to come up with 15 boards it was last night’s game 7.  Kobe Bryant came up with 15 rebounds—But I forgot we were comparing Garnett to Gasol.  Oh yeah, Pau Gasol had 19 rebounds last night. 

Pau Gasol is NOT SOFT!  Gasol clearly dismissed the “Soft” tag and now it’s KG’s turn to wear the soft sign for the summer.  Gatorade is going to have to get pretty creative on their TV ads in the future.  I can’t wait to see how Gatorade spins  the soft play of “Big Ticket.”  KG pounding his chest with 3 rebounds…

Is Shaq Going Back to the Lakers?

According to NBC Sports, NBC Shaquille O’Neal wants to join the Los Angeles Lakers after next season. In an effort to promote his new reality show he said that he would like to play out this final year of his contract in Cleveland, then see if returning to the Lakers is an option for next year.

Not in the least based in reality, but a great marketing comment. Already one LA television morning program talked about it today, I’m writing about it and you can bet sports talk radio will squeeze that in between Brett Favre talk today. And every time it’s mentioned his new reality show gets another free plug. But Shaq is not coming back to the Lakers. There are as many reasons as Shaq has had nicknames though his career.

First, remember the preseason game before Shaq was traded to Miami when he ran down the court screaming at Lakers owner Jerry Buss, “Pay me! Pay me!” because he wanted a contract extension. I guarantee you that Buss does, and that he still fumes a little at that. Those comments greased the rails for Shaq’s slide out of town, and Buss does not forgive that easily.

Lakers vs Heat Side by Side Comparison for Lamar Odom

In an effort to help Lamar Odom decide between the La Lakers and the Miami Heat, the boys at Lakers Buzz put together this side by side analysis so that #7 can compare apples to apples and make a sound decision. 

Lakers Need to Do the Right Thing and Pay Lamar Odom

I’m no Alan Greenspan when it comes to finance, but let’s start with a very basic premise, no advanced degree required: The Lakers and the luxury tax seem about as comfortable together in the same sentence as Barack Obama and Sarah Palin. I bring up the salary cap talk up because the Lakers seem to be playing the luxury tax card as they talk vaguely about what they can and cannot afford to pay their free-agent forward, Lamar Odom. The versatile Odom that created match-up problems for Lakers opponents every game, made about $14 million in 2009. Now there are hints about offering him the mid-level exception of $5-plus million, something like a 60% pay cut. You want to cut somebody? Ask Andrew Bynum to give some of that 52 mil back.

Now, it’s not my place to spend Jerry Buss’s money. If he wants to blow some of it on poker, 21 being a great number for both blackjack and girlfriends, that’s his business. But riddle me this: If the Cleveland Cavaliers can pay THEIR power forward, the klunky Anderson Varejao, $50 million and he’s about a quarter as good as Lamar Odom, are the Lakers telling us they can’t pay a talent like Odom $8 to $10 million?   And if the Cavaliers — remember, the market is Cleveland — can live with being $14 million over the cap, which they are today, why are the Lakers crying poor about being $12 million over?  Twelve million dollars? Isn’t that what it costs to park at Staples? Doesn’t $12 million represent about 20 games’ worth of profit from those yummy chicken burritos they jack you for at about $8 bucks a pop there?  Oh, and before we even get into how much the Lakers franchise is worth, the Dallas Mavericks are $26 million over the cap.  Mark Cuban spending to win while Jerry Buss cuts corners? Say it ain’t so. Now, the Lakers have been pretty clever in selling us on the cap. But if it’s a snow job, does that make it like the candy, Sno-Caps? Lessons in capology are coming out of Mitch Kupchak’s office every day. Lakers beat writers then dutifully carry the message to the public without investigating the profit side of the ledger, so we don’t get a balanced story where Lakers finances are concerned.

Right now the cap propaganda is getting so thick, I’m starting to think Kupchak has moved his office to the Kremlin.  Jerry Buss bought the Lakers (and hockey’s Kings, the Forum and a ranch in Bakersfield) for $38 million. Today most major financial publications estimate the Lakers’ worth at between $650 million and $900 million!  I believe this is known as a substantial profit. Wait, I mean windfall.  And boo hoo, they’re crying about a few mil in cap money?  I’ve known the good doctor Buss for 35 years and never once in all that time has he ever acted like Charlie Cheapskate. So in that context this Odom business, hard-balling such a key championship ingredient, does surprise and disappoint me.

The Lakers don’t sell cheap. They usually leave that to the team down the hall.  When you’re on the cusp of starting another run of championships, with two, three or even four in a row feasible, this is no time to channel Donald Sterling.  While you’re basking in the glow of the ’09 title, look around, Dr. Busschak. The Cavs got Shaq, the Celtics got ‘Sheed, the Spurs got Richard Jefferson and the Blazers are on the brink of getting Paul Millsap.   This is not the time for the Lakers to penny-pinch and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX_5o-mxH4wget left at the starting gate.   Cry about the cap? What’s next, passing the hat?  Besides, Odom’s been a good soldier. Occasionally, a great one, a three-star general.

Ask Lamar to start, he starts. Ask him to be sixth man, he’s sixth man. Ask him to bail out Andrew Bynum every time the kid is called for two fouls before he gets off the bus, which was just about every game in the playoffs, he bails out Bynum. Ask him to help you win a championship, you win a championship.   So don’t diss Odom, either. Show him the respect and appreciation he’s earned. Just because the market’s turned in the Lakers’ favor is no excuse to take undue advantage of it.   

Ten million a year for Lamar? A little too much. The market has changed. Money’s tighter. Lamar’s gonna have to live with it; it’s a fact of life.  But if you’ve given Ron Artest about $6.9 mil per when he has no history with the Lakers, other than getting in Kobe’s grill from the enemy side, then give Lamar at least the same annually. Or a little more because he’s been there for you. Say 8 per … $16 million for two years and call it a deal.  Dr. Busschak, nothing less than your reputation for doing the big, important things right and stylishly rests on it. Only that and winning the championship again next season.

Watch Lamar Odom Slap Kevin Garnett’s Celtic Ass

Article Written by Ted Green (Green formerly covered the Lakers for the L.A. Times. He is currently senior sports)

Classic Artest Quote to Kobe

Kobe said that after the Lakers lost game six of the ’08 NBA Finals in Boston by 39 points, he was alone in the shower, just fuming. He heard somebody walk in and assumed it was one of his teammates, or maybe a staff member. Instead, he looked up, and it was Ron Artest (to this day, Kobe has no idea how Artest got into the locker room).

“I want to come help you,” Artest said. “If I can, I’m going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title.”
_________________

LA Fans Want Lakers to Sign Odom & Ariza ASAP

Lakers fans hit the radio waves today with a campaign to get Lakers’ brass to resign Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza to new contracts for another opportunity to repeat as NBA champions next year.  Listen to Lakers fans, like Mario Urutia who was on 710 AM radio today, “ Let’s be honest…the 2009 NBA Championship would not have happened for the Lakers without Lamar Odom or Trevor Ariza.”

Side by side, Ariza and Odom celebrated. Still in uniform, their ready-made championship shirts wet with champagne, an empty bottle within arm’s reach. Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, new to this championship thing, huddled together on a bench inside the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room. They looked a little unsure of themselves, of the whole delirious scene, and someone needed to tell them that, yeah, this was real. This was their moment, too. “If it was a movie, I couldn’t have ended it any better,” Ariza said. He laughed. He was thinking the same thing everyone was thinking.  “Hopefully, there will be a sequel.”  

Can the Lakers repeat? 3-peat? They’re talented enough, young enough, to make sure this season isn’t a one-and-done celebration, provided enough of them stay together. Ariza and Odom become free agents in a couple weeks, and for Lakers owner Jerry Buss, that means one thing: It’s time to pay.  The media will talk about the luxury tax, but let’s not get caught up in the NBA propaganda.  The Los Angeles Lakers are the most profitable team in professional sports and Jerry Buss has never has a problem paying the bill when he believes in his team.  Clearly Buss and Kupchack have faith in the this Lakers squad and I will be shocked if both Ariza and Odom are not resigned this summer.  Niether player is expendable and each player made significant contributions throughout the playoffs enroute to the 2009 NBA championship.

Watch Video with Lamar Odom Discussing his Lakers’ Depth This Season 

Ariza’s performance might have come as a surprise had he not done the same three nights earlier when he sparked the Lakers’ Game 4 comeback with a 13-point third quarter. Not a spot-up shooter? He made 40 3-pointers in 84 attempts during these playoffs. In 229 career games before this season, he’d made nine. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak followed Ariza during his lone season at UCLA and targeted him as a possible roster addition once he arrived in the NBA. He liked Ariza’s length and athleticism. But envisioning him as a starter in the Finals, a valued contributor on both ends of the floor?  “I couldn’t tell you with a straight face I knew that,” Kupchak said. Ariza might not have envisioned it himself. For much of the Finals, he downplayed the significance of facing the team that traded him. But as the Lakers celebrated late Sunday, he finally admitted the obvious: Winning on the Magic’s floor meant something.  “This,” he said, “was special.”

Odom said the same. He came to the Lakers five years ago from the Miami Heat as part of the package for Shaquille O’Neal. Two seasons later, Odom watched as the Heat won the championship without him. After the Lakers bowed out of last season’s Finals with a 39-point loss to the Boston Celtics, Odom shouldered much of the blame for the embarrassing collapse.  On Sunday, he played the role of hero. The Magic closed within five midway through the third quarter, and Odom answered with consecutive 3-pointers.  “I’ve always seen this coming, my day,” he said. “…It’s finally here, and it’s … overwhelming.”  Minutes earlier, Kupchak had stood in a quiet corner of the locker room with his son, Max, next to him. The champagne had already emptied, but Kupchak looked dry. Five years earlier, the Lakers dismantled their dynasty by trading Shaq. No one faced more heat during those three subsequent lost seasons than Kupchak, and no one deserves more credit for shaping the Lakers into a contender again.  This championship, Kupchak said, was special because it proved “the rebuilding stage had a beginning – and had an end. 

Truth be told, the Lakers would prefer not to change many of their ingredients. Ariza turns 24 at the end of the month and is due a nice raise from the $3 million he earned this season. To keep the midlevel suitors away from Ariza, the Lakers may need to pay him twice that in a contract extending four or five seasons. Odom is more complicated. He made $14 million, and he’ll need to take a pay cut to stay. Odom has said several times that he wants to retire as a rock-star on the Lakers and he’s willing to accept less. The question: How much less? Only a few opposing teams own significant salary-cap room, so leveraging the Lakers won’t be easy.

Obama Predicts Lakers Win NBA Title in Six Games

You have to chuckle when you hear the President of the United States makes a prediction to the Associated Press that the Los Angeles Lakers will win the NBA title in 6 games.  Forget the fact the most NBA analysts also predicted the Lakers would beat the Magic in six games.  Forget the fact the Obama is a politician, not a sports analyst.  Maybe Vince Vaughn’s wife in Old School said it best when Luke Wilson was mauling her friend, “Inappropriate.”  Come on Barrack, you can’t take credit for the Lakers.

Mr Clutch Motivates Kobe

Anyone else out there think Jerry West may have intentionally made some comments on the radio with the intention of  motivating #24?  For those of you who haven’t heard, in a radio interview on Tuesday the Lakers Legend, Jerry West said he hated to say that Lebron James may have passed Kobe as the best player in the NBA.  Mr. Clutch did say he would still want Kobe to be the guy to take the last shot when you needed a game winner. 

No one since Jerry West retired has been more clutch with more game winning shot than Kobe Bryant, so that comment was more scientific than confidence building for Kobe.  But why would someone as private and serious as West say such comments to the media right before the first game of the Western Conference Finals?  West traded for Kobe in 1996, right out of high school and personally took a role in developing the young Bryant during his rookie year.  West understands the pressure put on Kobe and he also understands what motivates his prodigy. 

No way does West believe that Lebron is better.  Mr. Clutch does understand how Kobe gets bored easily and he knew his comments would wake up #24 in time to salvage the championship for his beloved Los Angeles Lakers.  Thanks Jerry for waking up the beast in Kobe.  Denver will feel the wrath and hopefully your plan will work.

Keys to LA Lakers Beatings the Nuggets

Let’s be honest…If the Los Angeles Lakers show up play their game, they will win.  I don’t care of it Denver, Orlando or Cleveland, the Lakers control their own destiny.  If the Lakers play their game and Denver play their best game, The Lakers would likely win the series in 5 games.  Unfortunately, the Lakers are the one of the greatest inconsistent teams ever.  Nobody really know if the Lakers will bring their “A” game or not.  It has been stressful to be a Laker fan the last few months. 

7 Keys to Lakers Victories

1.    Play Defense – Kobe and Ariza need to make big stops

Gasol, Odom and Bynum need to be defense minded and Odom and Bynum both need to stay out of foul trouble.

2.    Lakers need to let the 3’s come to them and focus more on passing the ball and executing the triangle

3.    Kobe needs to take the ball to the hole and not fall in love of his jump-shot.  Lakers need Kobe to go to the free-throw line 10-15 times a game

4.    Phil needs to Play Bynum at least 25 minutes a game.  Let him foul out.  He helps nobody sitting on the bench

5.    Lamar needs to be aggressive offensively and defensively.

6.    Phil needs to call a time-out from time to time

7.    Lakers can’t coast when they go up by 15….

Article written by Bryan Dornan