Kobe Bryant is Not Messing Around

The man came to Las Vegas on a mission. I have heard a lot of stories already: In the lead up to yesterday's first game of the FIBA Americas tournament, he was walking around with a custom-made DVD of Greivis Vasquez, the Venezuelan guy he was going to be guarding. He has elevated the level of practices. He has mixed and mingled and made people feel good. He has infused the team with optimism.
And he was like a hungry wolf on defense. Here's how Mark Heisler tells it in the Los Angeles Times:
The tone was set from the opening tap by, who else, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. Coach Mike Krzyzewski put him on the Venezuela point guard, Greivis Vasquez, a Maryland sophomore, who was challenged even in trying to complete an entry pass.
"I don't know how to explain it," said Vasquez after the game. "That was amazing."
"I grew up watching the NBA. I was in College Park, watching his highlights. All of a sudden, he was guarding me like it was the last game of his life. . . .
"I'm 20 years old. . . . It was tough. I'm not going to lie to you guys. I lost the ball on a couple of possessions. . . .
"But tomorrow's another day. It's all good. I'm glad it happened."
I know he's everyone's favorite villain, and not without reason. But this is how we want our superstars to play, and when they play that way, let it be noted.
He has even stopped eating junk food. The man is a professional.
He also finished one of the funnest highlights I have seen in a long time. You can see it here. Here the play is described by Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal:
Kidd had four assists and made a great hustle play in the second quarter as he saved a ball from going out of bounds, flinging it to Anthony at the top of the key. Anthony quickly found James cutting to the basket and hit him in stride. James then delivered a behind-the-back pass to a trailing Bryant, who finished with a thunderous slam dunk that brought the Thomas & Mack crowd of 6,537 to its feet.
LeBron James' pass was spectacular.
Also, without Kobe Bryant's 2-2, the U.S. shot 33% from downtown. With a short three-point line. And a ton of wide open garbage-time shots.
Now, I know the U.S. won easily, but there were a couple of things to worry about. TrueHoop reader Brandi blew off some law school work to keep detailed notes of the game, and the first quarter looked like this:
[Tayshaun] Prince just set the most illegal pick ever. He shuffled from the threepoint line to three feet behind it to set that screen. *shakes her head* So far I've seen two poorly executed rolls (unless they're not teaching a proper roll in Phoenix ... you'd think Amare Stoudemire would know how to roll, given it's the primary weapon in the Suns' offense) at least three bad passes out of LeBron (I think he got away with a fourth), a horribly illegal pick, and a lot of mugging in the paint. Stimulating first quarter. Walton calls out Venezuela for scoring eight points in the quarter, but we only scored 18 in ten minutes. 18 won't cut it against a full-strength Argentina or Spain.
The other thing worth noting? The U.S. was playing a much smaller opponent. Yet they had no post-up game whatsoever. Synergy Sports logs every play, and records only four possessions when the U.S. posted up at all (compared to 26 three-pointers). The only one of the four that resulted in a bucket was when Carmelo Anthony caught a lob over the top and eventually dunked it. It was really a case of undersized defense more than actual posting up. Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire got nothing done catching the ball in the paint. Which was fine against Venezuela, and may be OK in the long run, but you know what they about teams that live by the jump shot.

Coach K hopes he's reliving the Dream

LAS VEGAS -- Nobody calls it the Dream Team anymore. We know better. So does Mike Krzyzewski.
Dream Teams win things. They don't need MapQuest to find the top step of the medal stand. They don't go bronze, bronze, zilch in the last Olympics and two FIBA World Championships. And they don't wonder whether the rest of the world has passed them by.That's why Krzyzewski was here working the sideline Wednesday evening as his Team USA defeated Venezuela 112-69 in the opener of the FIBA Americas Championship. Krzyzewski was hired to make things right, to return the USA to what national team managing director Jerry Colangelo says is "our rightful spot on top of the heap in basketball."

Rightful? Maybe 15 years ago, when the original Dream Team won its opening game at the 1992 Summer Games by 68 points and the gold-medal game by 32. Krzyzewski was an assistant on Chuck Daly's USA staff back then. But the truth is, Krzyzewski's wife, Mickie, could have coached the USA to Olympic gold in Barcelona that year.
Jordan. Barkley. Malone. Bird. Magic. Stockton. Etc. And a Dookie coach named Krzyzewski. My gawd, it was almost obscene to have that much talent on a single roster. There wasn't any doubt, any hand-wringing over who was going to win those games. Are you kidding? The USA romped. It was like killing a housefly with a nuclear-tipped warhead.
"That's in the past, and that was beautiful," Krzyzewski said Wednesday. "But like in music, there's one Woodstock. If you want another one, you have to go out and create something special of your own. We are the U.S. national team. What we want to be called is not a 'Dream Team.' We want to be called a 'championship team.' The other one will not happen again."
Krzyzewski witnessed the domination of that original Dream Team, just as he has witnessed the slow erosion of USA on-court dominance. There has been a coup d'etat in international basketball, with the USA being the toppled hoops dictatorship. Gold used to be a foregone conclusion. Now the USA team -- Krzyzewski's team -- has to qualify for next August's Summer Games in Beijing. This is the equivalent of Duke's having to sweat out an NCAA at-large bid.
"If we had done our job last summer, we wouldn't be here," Colangelo said.
But they are here, thanks to that third-place finish at last year's FIBA World Championship in Japan. Of course, there's more to it than that. They're here because the Dream Team concept wobbled and fell, because some of the USA players forgot to care, because the rest of the world has caught up.
That explains why Krzyzewski, who was hand-picked by Colangelo, is a regular at the Thomas & Mack Center these days. If he's not working these same sidelines Sept. 2, when the FIBA Americas final is played, that means the USA was humiliated once again. Only the top two teams automatically advance to the Olympics, so if Team USA does the unthinkable and gags, it will have to schlep overseas next spring, probably to Europe, for one last qualifying attempt.
"We've got to come home with the gold, that's all there is to it," Colangelo said.
The victory against Venezuela was a nice start, but that's all it was, a start. To win this thing, the USA needs 10 victories in 12 days, counting Wednesday night's win. That means no letdowns, no serious injuries, no forgetting how to shoot over the defense of choice in international play, the zone.
I like its chances, especially against a so-so field, especially since it's 27-0 in this tournament over the years and especially since Team USA looks like it has a point to prove.
If you're interested in the numbers, Carmelo Anthony and Michael Redd led Team USA with 17 points. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant led in floor burns and defensive intensity. He had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot. He was terrific.
Negatives? Nine missed free throws ... 10-for-26 from the 3-point line ... Mike Miller limping off with a tweaked knee with 1:32 left to play (he's fine). But that's nitpicking for now.
Fifteen years ago, Krzyzewski watched the Holy Trinity of Hoops (Bird, Magic, MJ) dominate the Olympics. Now he has Bryant, LeBron James and Melo, among others. Not bad -- in fact, damn good -- but nobody is scheduling a congratulatory visit to the White House just yet. They first have to win this thing and then win in Beijing.
"We're ready," said Krzyzewski, which in understated Coach K-speak means he must love his team's chances here and in Beijing. At the very least, it means he thinks Colangelo & Co. are close to fixing what was wrong with the senior national program.
Winning matters to Krzyzewski. But it seems to matter more when his three favorite colors -- red, white and blue -- are involved. After all, he is the grandson of a Polish immigrant who came to America in 1906. You should hear the pride in Krzyzewski's voice as he talks about receiving in April a framed copy of the original ship passenger manifest from Ellis Island that included his grandfather Joseph's name.
Krzyzewski himself graduated from West Point, where he played for a genius and sometime-SOB named Bob Knight. He left the Army as a captain, but the Army never left him. This coaching-for-your-country stuff is part of his basketball DNA.
This is Krzyzewski's 11th tour of coaching duty with the USA Basketball programs. So it's no surprise the guy turned into pudding when Colangelo asked him to coach this team.
"You cannot say no to this," the 60-year-old Krzyzewski said. "I don't believe in reincarnation. You're not going to come back. You're not going to come back and do this. ... I want to do this. It's service."
Service. Duty. And a total jones to respectfully kick butt.
"The biggest thing Coach K wants is to be Olympic champion," said Chris Collins, a longtime Duke assistant who is helping out during the USA practice sessions.
"This, for him, is the ultimate challenge," says Steve Wojciechowski, another Duke assistant serving in the same role here as Collins. "USA Basketball has taken some hits. I think he looks at this as a chance to do something incredibly special."
The only thing missing from Krzyzewski's head coaching résumé is an Olympic gold. He has those three national championships, 10 Final Four appearances, 775 college victories and a place in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. But this is his one and only chance to lead his team to the top step of an Olympic medal stand.
Olympic coaches don't get medals. Only the athletes get those, which Krzyzewski said is the way it should be. But every so often Krzyzewski closes his eyes and visualizes Bryant, James, Anthony, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade standing on the top step of the victory stand in Beijing as they celebrate their Olympic championship."That's my gold medal," said Krzyzewski.

by Gene Wojciechowski

ESPN.COM

Bryant is the Star of Stars

LAS VEGAS -- Winter, summer, in a Lakers uniform or that of the U.S. team, it's still all Kobe, all the time. . . .

He's not just a Lakers obsession, now he belongs to the world, or at least international basketball, and just in time with the U.S. expected to mop up the competition in FIBA's Tournament of the Americas that begins today -- We're back! -- if only because there isn't any.

Argentina, which won the gold medal at the 2004 Olympics, won't have Manu Ginobili, Andres Nocioni or Fabricio Oberto. Brazil, which upended the U.S. in the 2002 World Games, won't have Anderson Varejao.

Even with the U.S. team's new humility that comes from winning their last gold medal in 2000, followed by embarrassments in one Olympics and two World Games, the Americans are expected to be OK here, needing only to finish in the top two to qualify for next summer's Olympics in Beijing.

On the floor, this unofficially became another of Bryant's teams in its televised intrasquad game when he shut down LeBron James at the end and hit the game-winning shot.

Off the floor, there was never a question with Kobe making his first public appearance after last spring's media blitz in which he demanded that the Lakers trade him.

Well, most days, anyway.

Understanding the sensibilities of USA Basketball and Nike, which sponsors the U.S. team as well as Bryant, Kobe has been low-key, trying to defuse the issue. . . while pointedly refusing to take anything back or rule out a holdout.

Just to cut to the chase, here's how he feels.

He still wants out.

He finally figured out the Lakers wouldn't move him, no matter what he said, and settled down . . . only to watch in anguish as his beloved Kevin Garnett went to Boston. If the Celtics could land KG with nobody, why couldn't the Lakers?

More reports of Bryant's dismay went out through the usual channels but Kobe, himself, seems to be settling down again. It's still fuzzy enough to lead to priceless moments, like last week's exchange with ESPN'S Rachel Nichols.

Nichols: "You said one day you wanted to be traded, you said you wanted to be a Laker for life. There were different phone calls back and forth.

"Bryant: "I think a lot of people misinterpreted it. But that's water under the bridge to me because going forward we're handling our situation between ourselves, meaning the Lakers organization and myself."

Maybe all those times Kobe contradicted himself led to the misinterpretation, but being as good as he is means never having to say you're sorry.

If the question is, will he play for the Lakers this season, the answer is almost surely yes.

The real question is whether he'll make this issue go away, before or after training camp, so the Lakers can play this season without a sword dangling above them.

If the day is coming when Bryant and the Lakers do part, his impact on the U.S. team is an excruciating reminder for Lakers fans of how many positive attributes he still brings along with his unrivaled game, the work ethic, the competitiveness, the elbows teammates have to watch out for in drills.

In this ensemble of stars, where great care is taken not to build up anyone at the expense of anyone else, Bryant is indisputably the star of stars.Phoenix Coach Mike D'Antoni, who marveled at his ferocity as Kobe won the All-Star MVP here in February, is marveling at him again as an assistant coach on this team.

"He loves playing and he loves to compete and it just carries over," said D'Antoni. "I think all the guys are doing it this summer. It's been a joy.

"No matter who we're playing, what we're doing, he's competing. He works out like a fiend. I mean, he works out in the morning, at night. It's pretty impressive."

Said Detroit guard Chauncey Billups: "I've always said from the beginning that I felt like Kobe was the best player in the league. We're around a very elite group right now and you can still see his greatness."

The same can be said for a few more players but Kobe's the cream of the crop out there.

"The U.S. team may not be tested here, nor are the Lakers likely to get their questions answered. In both cases, that time is coming, but it's not now.

by Mark Heisler

LATIMES.COM

Red, white and blue, but built for gold

There are a lot of reasons why the USA Basketball Team should storm through the field at the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas beginning Wednesday. They are almost too numerous to mention, although we will point out some of the major ones in due time.
But having a more talented roster top to bottom or giving a superior performance in the most games over 12 days isn't what winning at the highest levels of international basketball is all about. The USA Basketball outfits that lost in the semifinals of the last two major international competitions — the 2004 Olympics in Greece and the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan — learned that painful lesson and each limped away miserably clutching bronze medals.
Neither the 2004 or 2006 teams even earned a chance to play for the gold medal. In fact, the United States hasn't competed in a gold medal contest in the Olympics or World Championship since 2000 — when it defeated France in Sydney, Australia to take home the last prime coinage for the once-unbeatable Red, White & Blue.
In this Olympic qualifying competition, the United States could win eight straight games by an average of 30 points over the first two rounds and it wouldn't matter much. What matters is winning on Sept. 1.
That is the date of the two semifinals, and the winners on that Saturday night will be special, indeed. That's because the two finalists in this tournament both qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. (In a strange way, the gold medal game on Sunday, Sept. 2, will be anticlimactic, almost an exhibition game.)
This current amalgamation of NBA stars is the best team constructed by USA Basketball since the little-remembered 2003 FIBA Americas team that punished opponents (including nemesis Argentina twice) on its way to a 10-0 record. That group included Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and a healthy Jermaine O'Neal. It also boasted outstanding 3-point shooting from Ray Allen and Mike Bibby.
Unfortunately, Kidd, Carter, O'Neal, Allen and Bibby did not suit up for USA Basketball in 2004 or 2006, and the point guard play and perimeter shooting has not been nearly as good since. In 2004, Iverson and Stephon Marbury clanged enough 3-point attempts to allow not only mighty Argentina but middle of the road teams like Lithuania and Puerto Rico to humble the USA squad. In 2006, big Greek guards Theodoros Papaloukas and Dimitris Diamantidis punished the smaller Chris Paul and Kirk Hinrich in the semifinals, exploiting the NBA guards' inexperience and lack of physical strength on every inch of the court.

Now, the field for the FIBA Americas Championship doesn't boast Spain, Greece, France or any of the other current European powers. Argentina, beaten by the U.S. one year ago in a consolation bronze medal game that offered little in the way of consolation for either the winners or losers, will be without national team stalwarts Manu Ginobili, Fabricio Oberto and Walter Hermann, all of whom are playing in the NBA. But the team still boasts Carlos Delfino (Toronto Raptors), Luis Scola (Houston Rockets) and Pablo Prigioni (Tau Ceramica of Spain), all experienced players who have played key roles in many international victories. It's still not clear whether Andres Nocioni, the Chicago Bulls star who was hobbled most of last season by plantar fasciitis, will be on the final roster.
Puerto Rico, with NBA guards Carlos Arroyo (Orlando Magic) and Jose Juan Barea (Dallas Mavericks); and Brazil, with Nene (Denver Nuggets), Leandro Barbosa (Phoenix Suns), and Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs draft pick), are the other favorites in the tournament, but none will be favored to beat the United States when it counts most.
Here are the five main reasons why the USA Basketball team should go undefeated in Las Vegas and capture a berth in the 2008 Olympic Games:
1) Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James is getting better all the time, and Carmelo Anthony, the scoring leader of the 2006 bronze-medal winning World Championship team, is a truly outstanding offensive player. But neither player has taken, much less made, as many big shots as Bryant has in his 11-year NBA career. Despite experiencing seven losses in the last three major international competitions (19-7 overall, .731), the United States rarely gets soundly defeated in international play. Often, one or two more perimeter shots or simply better free throw shooting would have made the difference. Bryant is the ultimate big shot maker, and that includes making all the big free throws down the stretch when it counts.
2) Jason Kidd.
It's no accident USA Basketball has an 18-0 record in the last two competitions (2000 Olympics, 2003 FIBA Americas) in which Kidd has played. Kidd is big and strong enough to trade hip checks with the biggest international guards, is a tenacious defensive player and his acumen at setting up teammates for baskets is unmatched in basketball today outside of Steve Nash (who isn't playing for Canada, by the way). Kidd is most dangerous when he doesn't even have to think about scoring a basket, and the composition of this team makes that a reality. Whereas Chris Paul and Kirk Hinrich were novices trying to feel out international play, Kidd is a proven international floor general who won't be thrown off by the rhythm of a 40-minute game or the inconsistent international officiating. At crunch time, Kidd will ensure the right players have the ball in their hands.
3) Better 3-Point Shooting.
International teams are replete with smallish guards who don't have the athletic package to compete in the NBA, but are masters at locating and nailing shots from the shorter international 3-point line (20 feet, six inches). Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks is a marvelous physical specimen at 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, but he made only 12 of 39 attempts in Japan (30.8 percent), failing at his primary function and putting the United States at a tremendous disadvantage. Overall, the United States shot only 36.9 percent from 3-point range in Japan. USA Basketball hopes it has rectified that shortcoming by naming 3-point specialists Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks and Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies to the 2007 team. If Redd and Miller can be counted on to make 3-pointers when defenders clog the lane or swarm Bryant, Anthony and James, the USA team could start administering profound beatings to its brethren in the Americas.
4) Better Free Throw Shooting.
A disgrace. A shame. An embarrassment. Only the censorship capabilities of my editors prevent me from using stronger language to describe the performance of the last two USA Basketball teams at the free throw line. In 2006, the United States shot 66.7 percent from the line. In 2004, the tally was 66.8 percent, and Shaq wasn't even on either team. In 2006, it was a communal disgrace: of the top six USA players in free throw attempted, Dwyane Wade was the best at 70 percent. Anthony (63 percent), Dwight Howard (61.9 percent) and LeBron James (55 percent) were all terrible, although for Howard, that measured up to his career average. Why will things be different this time? For starters, it will be an upset if Bryant, a career 84 percent free throw shooter, doesn't lead the team in attempts. Chauncey Billups (88 percent), Redd (85 percent) and Kidd (78 percent) are all fine free throw shooters. And while James is no guarantee to shoot any better after the way he looked at the line in the playoffs, you have to believe that Anthony will do better than 63 percent this time around. He's a career 80 percent shooter.
5) Better Defense.
You would think NBA players would be able to defend the pick and roll reasonably well, but that just wasn't the case in Japan. The burly international forwards are masters at setting moving screens that seem to elude the notice of FIBA referees, and too often, NBA stars were relegated to whining at the refs instead of coming up with a solution. USA Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski will doubtless do a better job of preparing his team to combat the international offensive staple, but he also has a savvier group of players this time around. Bryant, Kidd and Billups all possess enormous physical strength and won't be picked off as easily as Chris Paul, Kirk Hinrich and Dwyane Wade were. And with another year of experience under his belt, Howard won't have that "deer in the headlights" hesitation he showed so often in Japan, when he blocked only 12 shots in nine games.
Parting Thought
If the unthinkable happens and the United States does not finish in the top two in the FIBA Americas Championship, it will be no less than a calamity for USA Basketball, which has invested more time and energy in dogged pursuit of an Olympic berth than ever before. Still, even if that should come to pass, that unhappy result would not necessarily preclude the United States from participating in the 2008 Olympics.
The third, fourth and fifth place finishers in Las Vegas will qualify for the 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, a 12-team, last-chance tournament that will be played July 7-13, 2008. The top three finishers in that tournament will earn the last three available spots for the August, 2008 Olympics. Of course, USA Basketball would rather not have to compete in yet another qualifier, but then again, winning basketball competitions is no longer a sure thing for the nation formerly known as the Dominant Basketball Power on Earth.

By Chris Ekstrand

MSNBC

No KG, No Problem: The New Movement

Kevin Garnett is now a Celtic, something I think he will regret for the rest of his NBA career.
Kevin Garnett’s quote about the Lakers was, “I didn’t know the whole Kobe situation so…” That makes total sense; you couldn’t call Kobe and ask him? Even saying that you act like you had leverage in the trade.
You didn’t want to go to Boston and now that Ray Allen is there you love it? Amazing how a 30 year old with two bad ankles can make you do a total 180.
So to Garnett, good luck over there and when Kobe drops 60 on you in the Garden and they start chanting his name again like last year, I think you will then have realized that you choked and you should of demanded management to send you to beautiful Los Angeles, California — Rather than cold and muggy Boston, Massachusetts.
As an avid preacher of the movement, am I bitter that KG didn’t come to LA? No, I actually really don’t care as much as I thought I would. I think looking back at it logically the possibility of Kevin McHale, a man with Celtic pride in his blood ( I guess the phrase over there would be… bleeds green and white?), getting KG to LA was near impossible.
A guy that once close lined Kurt Rambis, he would of never sent KG to LA, and ill even take it one step further, McHale knew that Garnett had to be moved, and that they were going to re-build, so why not send them to your alma mater, in a sense?
There’s no doubt in my mind that McHales past with the Celtics factored in more than we might think when sending him to Boston.
It also goes both ways why he probably didn’t entertain offers from the Lakers or he wouldn’t really entertain a three team deal. No matter how much older he gets, or how professional he says he is. Deep down he still hates the Lakers and in return loves the Celtics with all his heart.
“Hey, I got a 10 time All-Star that I need to trade, hmmm… What team should I trade him too?” I might be over exaggerating but in sense that’s how it went down.
The “Get Garnett movement” was in no way something that was a waste of time, it was in no way something that never helped and was pointless. The fact of the matter is the “Get Garnett movement” will always be remembered for the idea that it instilled the passion, hard work, and determination for the diehard Laker fans.
The Nugget, posting relevant Laker news up to the minute, LD2K using the visual effect to let us envision a more promising future, hZm making the site looking ridiculously sick with his professional graphics. It was a site that was mentioned on both NBC and ABC, mentioned by Fred Roggin and Rob Fukuzaki. Was shouted out on the radio, LD2K was a guest on a radio show in Minnesota talking about the movement; people were emailing us from all over the world talking about the movement and the Lakers in general.
The “Get Garnett movement” was in NO way a failure, in no way something that we should be ashamed of. But now it’s time to make this site what it truly is, #1 in Lakers news, rumors, and articles. We no longer worship or hope and wish for one single player. We will not be known as the Get… Anyone. We will be known as getting the Lakers back to a championship level.
Phil Jackson said, “We’re only one piece away.” There are still options out there for us to look into and to upgrade our roster. The movement in a sense is still there but has just re-focused back to what it really was in the first place, a site for passionate Laker fans to speak their mind and hear about rumors and possibilities of making our roster better.
The users are still passionate and want to make a difference and want to be heard. All that being said, it is essential that we don’t forget what got us here; GetGarnett.com was not a failure nor was it something we should forget about. Now we move on continuing to report the Lakers in a professional setting for the FANS, the Laker Nation.
To say the movement is over is ridiculous, we just no longer worship some All-Star that rather be with Paul Pierce then Kobe Bryant.
So my personal opinion is we need to change the site name ASAP, we cannot forget where we came from, but we must move on in a more positive direction without the Garnett cloud hanging over us.
Till then we will still update the site with all relevant Laker news and rumors… Gasol, Jermaine, Artest, whoever!
We still have hope to upgrade our roster significantly and get Kobe in better spirits. Remember, most of the deals that go down don’t have too many rumors, so right when you least expect it we might make a move that catapults’ us to the NBA’s elite.
This quote still sums it all up and stays very relevant…

By DBricks

GetGarnett.com

Kobe: Alone (The Final Act)

As the heartbeat of all Lakers fans came to a flat line today, the city of Boston has begun to rejoice in their ceremonious Celtic ways once again. If you thought that landing Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were big, don' forget that Beantown also picked up Randy Moss and Eric Gagne as well. That my friends is a hell of an offseason for a city.
As for the City of Angels, the Lakers have officially become the Make-A -Wish franchise by overpaying for Derek Fisher and signing up cancer survivor Coby Karl as our 18th point guard. I've literally been sick all day just thinking about our inept front office and how the one player that the Lakers franchise and fans have been waiting for the last 3-4 seasons is now a Celtic. For the first time, the T'Wolves actually considers taking offers for KG, and what does the Lakers FO do? Wait. Leave the initial deal on the table and wait.
Paul Pierce demands to be traded and he receives Ray Allen and KG. Kobe goes on a worldwide tirade and he gets Derek Fisher and Coby Karl but don't worry Lakers fans, I hear that Mitch is working on signing Salvador Torres. Though small, our FO believes he will be great from the perimeter.
I seriously don't get it. Bynum will NEVER be the player Kobe is. NEVER. Why this franchise is so enamored with the black version of Big Z is beyond comprehension. Though this is a dark day for Lakers fans, it is going to get worse. If our next focus is JO, the asking price has just been inflated. If you thought that Bynum & Odom were too much, just wait for the new demands. Yet, this isn't even the worst part.
Now that Boston has become an elite team in the East, Chicago must now look at ways to improve. Though it won't happen this year, by next offseason, Kobe will be where he wants to be.
I would like to continue writing, but I am honestly not in the mood to reiterate all the negativity that has already been burning on all the Lakers boards. As of now, our roster is at 15. The saddest day of my Lakers life (after Chick's passing and Magic's retirement) will be the departure of Kobe Bryant. In many ways, it is going to hurt more because just like many of you, we have all watched him grow.
Though no city in the world will ever love Kobe or embrace him as much as we have, the franchise that we all love has failed him. Be ready Lakers fans, Kobe Bryant's Final Act in LA is upon us.

By LD2k

GetGarnett.Com

We Should Be Fine

It is a sad day in Lakerland for many, we fans have waited years, YEARS, to land Garnett, but he now will reside in Boston, it is official.
However, there is still something that some have not considered, something, that will make us feel better…
Why should we gut our team to get Garnett? If we had to trade for Garnett straight up, it would have to be Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Kwame Browm, Jordan Farmar, Mo Evans, and several picks, does that sound fair? Of course not,we would be gutted, GUTTED!
What would happen if Kobe’s ankle gets twisted again? could we rely on Garnett, because Garnett with no Kobe is not much better than what he had in Minnesota.
What can be worse than losing Garnett? It would definatly be him going to our arch rivals in the east, the Celtics. What seemed impossible after Garnett said “NO” to being traded to the Celtics, he changed his mind with the newly added Ray Allen, and he would take kind to the idea of being traded there, and, it was the inevitable. Boston had many young players and a fat expiring contract of Theo Ratliff but it seems like the deal couldn’t have been done without the young and promising Al Jefferson.
Should we cry over losing Garnett to the C’s? Absolutely not, they made there team unreliable now. They now have a bunch ball-hogs who need the ball to score, and basically, they have no passers.
Also, look at their “stars”, Paul Pierce is another person that needs to score to be effective, and missed many games due to injuries last season, his tank is running low. Ray Allen, who was a great shooter, but again, he had surgery on BOTH ankles and missed many games last season, plus, he seems to be loosing his touch a little bit. And finally, Garnett, a great post up player, can shoot the mid-range and the occasional three, but, he is getting old, plus, he seems like an injury waiting to happen.
Do you see the pattern?
All of the Celtics “stars” are old, injury prone, and require the ball constantly. Be realistic, who do the Celtics have when a player gets injured to back them up that can perform, NO ONE, it is basically a three man rotation. What happens in five years? By then, all of the “stars” will be old and shabby, with no one else that can emerge. Atleast, the Lakers will have Java, Farmar, Luke, Bynum and several others that can emerge to be great.
Should we blame the Lakers Front Office? No, they are not responsible for this. After listening to the first question, I hope you realize that it would not be for the best if the Lakers traded for Garnett. Sure, Kobe and Garnett may sound amazing, and you can imagine the power of that duo, but then, what would happen if Garnett or Kobe got injured, it would be horrible. What if the Lakers traded for JO, it would make us average again and not elite. There was no possible way the Lakers could get a dominant big man this off-season.
Did Kevin Garnett want money or a championship? I think this is an easy one. There is no way Boston is an automatic contender with three aging players and scrubs, the only reason he did the trade, is because he would get a five year 105 million dollar extension. If he wanted a championship, he would’ve stayed in ‘Sota for one more year being a “teacher”, then opt out and sign for the MLE with a team like Suns, Bulls, or Mavericks and be a real contender and not something that seems amazing in paper.
What should the Lakers do this off-season? The best option would be to sign Chris Webber, that would be the best. A veteran that doesn’t cost much, great passer, be great in the triangle, and basically free.
Should we be angry if nothing else happens? Answers may vary, but I say no. Look at it this way. Lamar, Luke, Kwame, and especially Wolfman (Radmonivic). All were injured and didn’t do that well. If none do well, they will obviously be traded sooner or later. This almost guarentees a break-out season. Plus, Andrew, and Farmar will become more reliable, and Java.
If Utah Jazz can get to the Western Conference Finals with an okay post-presence and a developing point-guard, we should be able to do it too with the greatest player on this planet, a point guard with the same potential, and a solid post presence in Mihm… We should be fine.
Let Boston have their fun, they are not even in our conference and no way able to win a championship with no chemistry. We will have a great season, if not, we can get one of the star free-agents that are available next season. We will be fine and we will have a greater season if we had received Garnett in the first place.

By Raphael Rossellini
GetGarnett.Com