Mon 13 October, 2008
07:39 Training Camp Talk with Mitch - 09/23/08» NBA.com: Lakers NewsLakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak talks about the upcoming training camp, the players involved, and what's ahead for the Lakers this season.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Sun Yue Signing Press Conference» NBA.com: Lakers NewsLakers Guard Sun Yue meets the Los Angeles media for the first time. Check out the video of the press conference.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Phil Jackson Pre-Training Camp Press Conference» NBA.com: Lakers NewsLakers head coach Phil Jackson met with members of the media today to talk about off-season and what is expected of the Lakers in 2008-09.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Lamar Unplugged» NBA.com: Lakers NewsOdom opines on the WWE, his curveball, Inglewood and more.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 LAKERS WAIVE DWAYNE MITCHELL» NBA.com: Lakers NewsThe Los Angeles Lakers have waived free agent guard Dwayne Mitchell, it was announced today.
Mitchell, a 65 220-pound guard out of Louisiana Lafayette, was a member of the Lakers 2008 Summer-Pro League team in Las Vegas, where he averaged 6.7 poin
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 LAKERS RE-SIGN DJ MBENGA» NBA.com: Lakers NewsThe Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed free agent center Didier DJ Ilunga-Mbenga, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 LAKERS GUARD SUN YUE TESTS POSTIVE FOR MONONUCLEOSIS» NBA.com: Lakers NewsLakers guard Sun Yue, who arrived in Los Angeles from China on Sunday, was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital last night after becoming ill. He has tested positive for mononucleosis, it was announced today by the team.
He is not expected
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Jazz Open Preseason with Win over Lakers» NBA.com: Lakers NewsRonnie Brewer and Paul Millsap each scored 13 points, Deron Williams had 11 points and eight assists, and the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 on Tuesday night in the preseason opener for both teams.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Jackson Relaxed in Return to L.A.» NBA.com: Lakers NewsDon't be fooled by Phil Jackson's tan and relaxed demeanor. He's still upset about missing out on another NBA title last summer.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 By The Numbers - Lakers vs. Jazz - 10/07/08» NBA.com: Lakers NewsHighlighted and outstanding stats from preseason game No. 1.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Bryant, Gasol May Sit Out Some Preseason Games» NBA.com: Lakers NewsKobe Bryant and Pau Gasol might sit out some of the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason games after a hectic offseason.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Barnes Scores 21 Points to Lead Suns over Jazz» NBA.com: Lakers NewsMatt Barnes scored 21 points and Alando Tucker added 19 as the Phoenix Suns beat the Utah Jazz 96-89 on Thursday night.
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07:39 Your take: Phoenix or Dallas next season? (Last post on 10/10/2008 at 08:37 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersThis was a discussion that started in another forum.... Which team do you think will be
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Who do you want in the Starting Lineup & 6th man? (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 2:45 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles Lakers
07:39 The Monkey King Arrives in L.A., Gets Mono» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, NBA Injuries
What kind of welcome is this, America? Sun Yue, who prefers to be known as the Monkey King and not the Chinese Magic, signed a small two-year deal with the Lakers Wednesday, and gladhanded the local press. Hours later, reports the Orange County Register's Janis Carr, Sun visited a local hospital due to illness. He was diagnosed with mononucleosis. He won't be playing for a while.Carr glibly notes mono is referred to as the "kissing disease"; as someone who suffered the brutal affliction in high school, I can verify that wives' tale. (Small joke.) It can be debilitating, depending on the severity. Exhaustion is a major symptom, and exhausation is typically bad in conjunction with professional athletics. (Except bowling.) No word on how long this will keep Sun in street clothes, but a month or two seems right.
All told, I imagine Phil Jackson hadn't planned on riding Sun hard in November: Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic are capable of starting for this team. Simply finding minutes for Sun at the NBA level would have a challenge, and I imagine the Monkey King had a date with the NBDL anyway. The real impact will be in Sun's social life. Even L.A. girls won't touch a dude with mono. Poor guy.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 The Lakers roster (Last post on 10/09/2008 at 12:31 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersI thought it's a good time for this with training camp about to open. The Lakers are
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 The Bynum thread (Last post on 10/09/2008 at 1:20 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersWe had one last year that started during camp to chart his progress and continued until his
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Stephon Marbury to be waived (Last post on 10/02/2008 at 08:47 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersThe New York Knicks will waive Stephon Marbury this week according to RealGM. Should the Lakers
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Shaq apologizes to Kobe for his rap (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 11:23 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersVia Daily News Shaquille O'Neal said he called Kobe Bryant shortly after video of his rap
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Save Your Money, Fresno-Based Laker Fans: Kobe Likely to Sit for Most of the Pre-Season» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, NBA Fans, NBA Rumors
The Lakers, like a lot of NBA teams, play several pre-season games in cities that are nowhere near NBA arenas. The idea is to give those fans a chance to see some live NBA action, which is normally a great idea. But this season, if you live in Fresno, Ontario, San Diego, or Anaheim, you may just want to pass up this opportunity. Because according to Phil Jackson, due to the heavy workload of playing through the Finals and then in the Olympics, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are likely to see an extremely limited number of pre-season minutes.Jackson said he's trying to limit some of their activities because both are coming off the Olympics, and hinted that their participation in exhibition games could be limited as well.Ah, Phil, always the comedian. I'm sure he was told not to say anything about sitting Kobe and Pau by the league, as it probably wouldn't help ticket sales in those markets that I mentioned. Will he be fined for giving the fans and the media the heads up? Maybe, but I'm pretty sure it's worth it to have a slightly more rested duo of stars to begin the regular season."I'm just going this week, see how they're doing, how they feel, what their energy level is like," Jackson said of Bryant and Gasol. "I was told not to say that I wasn't going to play Kobe in exhibition games. So I'm not going to say that Kobe's not going to play in this exhibition, but there's a chance he may not play in exhibition games."
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Preason Game 3 Thread: Lakers vs Kings, Sunday 6:30pm (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 8:13 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersLakers are 0-2 (but it's pre-season so who cares, right?) Kings are 0-1 with a game tonight vs
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Photo of Luke Walton's Stalker: No Wonder He Was Scared» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, NBA Fans, NBA Gossip
A couple of days ago, I told you about how Luke Walton had a full fledged stalker on his hands. The woman was doing it all, from vandalizing his car, to following him to his house, to making a "gun gesture" towards him with her hands. Frightening stuff for sure, and even more frightening when you take a look at her mug shot.Athletes Mug Shots
Stacy Elizabeth Beshear: The 34-year-old Lakers fan was arrested on Oct. 7 after being accused of stalking NBA star Luke Walton.
Manhattan Beach Police Dept.
Thunder Collins: The former Nebraska running back was arrested on Sept. 24, nearly 24 hours after a shooting left one person dead and another seriously wounded. Collins faces first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and felony weapons charges.
Omaha Police Dept. / AP
Michael Golic Jr.: The Notre Dame center was arrested on a misdemeanor alcohol charge on Sept. 21.
St. Joseph County Police, AP
Ed Johnson: The Indianapolis Colts starting defensive tackle was arrested on a drug possession charge on Sept. 10 and waived by the team shortly thereafter.
AP
Koby Clemens: The son of the former major league star was arrested with two minor-league teammates for disorderly conduct on Sept. 1 outside a restaurant in Salem, Va.
Salem Police Department
Maurice Simmons: A day of deliberations ends with another black eye for Trojan football. USC recruit Maurice Simmons, arrested in March, was sentenced to four years in prison Sept. 24 for his part in a robbery.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department / AP
Julio Castillo: The Peoria Chiefs pitcher was charged with felonious assault in late July after throwing a ball towards the opposing team's dugout. He was accused of striking a fan with the pitch, causing enough injury to send him to the hospital.
Montgomery County Jail
Rampage Jackson: The UFC star was arrested on July 15 after a 3-mile chase and multiple collisions allegedly involving a pickup truck he was driving. Jackson was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation following the arrest.
Costa Mesa Police Department, AP
Sidney Lowe II: In July, the son of N.C. State basketball coach Sidney Lowe was sentenced to 15 months in a low-security prison farm on a dozen charges, including robbery and kidnapping.
Guilford County MagistrateÂ's Office / AP
Tony Zendejas: The former Rams kicker was arrested and charged on July 10 with raping a woman that he met at his sports bar in January.
LA County Sheriff
Good Lord. It goes without saying that you have to be deranged to do some of the things that this woman, 34-year old Stacy Elizabeth Beshear, has been accused of doing. But to look like this, and truly believe that she and Luke are supposed to be married one day?
Let's go ahead and say that, just this once, the "insanity plea" is something the judge should seriously consider.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Pau/Bynum frontcourt still working out issues (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 10:19 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersVia LA Times So this is why there's an exhibition season. The Lakers were thumped by
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Pau trying to be different from Shaq..... (Last post on 10/11/2008 at 09:14 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersVia OC Register Bryant and Gasol seem to have something natural. Not necessarily best
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 POLITICS POLL (Last post on 10/02/2008 at 08:54 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles Lakerswith all the talk of politics here is a poll so we don t have to read through each of the
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Odom Downplays Comments About Jackson, but Still Wants to Play 'For Obvious Reasons'» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, NBA Gossip, NBA Rumors
Yesterday I mentioned how I thought Lamar Odom's comments regarding the proposition of him becoming a sixth man this season -- although he might have been kidding around -- were a little stiff. Apparently Phil Jackson thought so too, and the two talked a bit to hash things out. Odom backed off his comments a bit, but made it clear he wants his minutes this season."We talked a little bit. At the end of the day, that's out of my control. He's going to do whatever he wants to do. But I wouldn't suggest that, especially in a year when I want to be on the court, for obvious reasons. - I would take it like he bumped his ... head. Nah, that's a joke. I don't mean that. I would take it as this: He's trying to motivate me a little bit. I'll take it as a challenge."Nice spin, Lamar. And the "obvious reasons" that Odom makes mention of are in the millions: as in, the millions of dollars he hopes to secure in his next contract, which he will be signing before the start of next season.
Contract years are not the time that players want to hear that they'll be receiving less minutes in a role off the bench, but Jackson says the minutes might not even change, that it would be more of a role like the one super-sub Manu Ginobili has on the Spurs.
"I think that if you look at teams that are really good, usually a starter is coming off the bench and playing for them, Ginobili for example," Jackson said. "It's hard for players to swallow in this league, because usually they're like, 'OK: my guy is a starter, he's going to get X amount of dollars,' but for people that understand the game, know what's important."So it seems that Phil has no intention of reducing Odom's minutes, only switching up exactly when they would come. But again, this is before training camp has even started, and Odom and Jackson are already going toe to toe through the media discussing minutes and Odom's contract situation. Definitely something to keep an eye on as things get rolling, and the more these types of comments continue to surface, the more likely it is that Odom will finish the season wearing another team's jersey.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball (Last post on 10/04/2008 at 3:20 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersOK, I'm starting to froth at the mouth. This is getting a bit ridiculous. I know there have to
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: What are you guys thinking and doing nowadays?? (Last post on 10/07/2008 at 8:39 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersHello everyone, ' We all know this is a sports forum...but it seems the recent events have
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: USC football thread (Last post on 09/29/2008 at 2:55 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersOK, i'm surprised not have seen a thread like this already. how SWEET was that ohio st. game,
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: The economy (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 2:46 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersI was trying to avoid this, but I decided to speak up. Here's a bit of advice: DON'T
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Politics (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 11:21 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersWell, I know many of us have different opinions on this and thought it would be interesting to
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Orlando's 2008 Training Camp (Last post on 10/01/2008 at 08:03 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersQuote: Or, as Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy explained it, Howard needs to be
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: NBA 2K9 (Last post on 10/11/2008 at 4:28 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersAnyone getting this game? I know I'm excited to play it this Tuesday. Anyone play it online on
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Latest Adidas commerical (Last post on 10/06/2008 at 2:02 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersCheck this new commercial from Adidas and yes, I know Jordan is athletic, but not athletic
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Houston's 2008 Training Camp (Last post on 10/08/2008 at 06:34 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersQuote: HOUSTON - The Houston Rockets, buzzing about the arrival of Ron Artest,
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Elgin Baylor resigned as GM (Last post on 10/08/2008 at 1:36 PM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersDunleavy promoted to GM as well as head coach. Link
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 OT: Cleveland's 2008 Training Camp (Last post on 09/30/2008 at 10:30 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles Lakers“If you can lead 11 of the best guys in the world, you can lead anybody,” James said
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 NBA: Famous Fans Talk Hoops» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Spurs, Suns, NBA Fans, NBA Videos
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded NBA Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
Many celebrities love the NBA and are real proud of it. In this video we caught up with some familiar faces as they walked the red carpet in Hollywood, in honor of the EA Sports NBA Live 09 release party. 'Heroes' star Sendhil Ramamurthy tells us who he roots for, and why it almost cost him his health. Former football star Michael Strahan says he's an NBA buff but does not get what the Knicks are doing. Also hear how funny man Al Shearer would 'punk' NBA Star Tony Parker. While actor Jarod Einsohn says he knows who will win it all. We also find out what Brenda Strong, the voice of 'Desperate Housewives,' used to do for one NBA team.
Youtube link.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 NBA Essentials: This is J-Ho's Country» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Heat, Knicks, Lakers, Mavericks, Warriors, Wizards
NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.1. Dallas Morning News. Josh Howard loves this country. In case you thought otherwise.
2. South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Pat Riley turns his evil sights on the Miami front office; Randy Pfund retires.
3. NBA.com. Gilbert Arenas may have gotten engaged, but he wasn't the one on his knee.
4. Bergen Record. Eddy Curry shows up to media day dressed like a pregnant woman, apparently not in good shape (even by Eddy Curry standards).
5. LA Times. Great read on the development of Andrew Bynum.
6. The Sporting Blog. The situation in Golden State is becoming unstable, as Chris Mullin looks to be on his way out.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 NBA Essentials: The Google Maps Cup» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Bucks, Bulls, Lakers, Spurs, Thunder
NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.1. Bend It Like Bennett. The Thunder are selling "rivalry packs" of tickets focused on the old war with Portland: "The Portland Trailblazers and Oklahoma City Thunder will continue to duke it out for Northwest* supremacy, but perhaps we need to give this series a new name. We could call it the 'I-84 to I-80 to I-25 to I-70 to I-35' Rivalry."
2. Blog-a-Bull. On the chances Ben Gordon can get paid in '09.
3. The Bratwurst. Milwaukee has some saucy looking alternate jerserys this season.
4. True Hoop. Abbott doesn't understand why people think Stephon Marbury can help anyone.
5. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Salim Stoudamire has the 'fro going, and is read to hit Texas.
6. Orange County Register. Good news Lakers fans: "Andrew Bynum lay on the floor, his feet having been knocked out from beneath him on an alley oop pass during a recent pick up game. He got up immediately. No hesitation. No second thoughts. More importantly, no pain."
And one bad story of the day: The Big Lead. TBL writes about the retirement of the "reliable yet oft-injured" Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Reliable. Oft-injured. Reliable. Oft-injured. Something. Doesn't. Add. Up. (It's the "oft-injured" part. And the part where he blames Reef for not getting enough wins, man. Damn you, Shareef! Why didn't you ever want to win?! Can't you for once help your team try to win?!?!) For the record, until last season, Abdur-Rahim played in 94% of all possible regular season games.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 NBA Essentials: Secret Life of Nightmare Ant» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Bulls, Hawks, Kings, Lakers, Magic, D-League
NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.1. ESPN The Magazine The Blog, via BDL. Investigating the birth of Nightmare Ant.
2. Third Quarter Collapse. Everyone thinks Hedo Turkoglu could be a great fit on the Lakers. Here's an exhaustive look at possibilities.
3. Chicago Tribune, via Blog-a-Bull. "[Derrick] Rose is having the best training camp of anybody on the team."
4. 48 Minutes of Hell. Joel Kimmel, the guy that does those awesome NBA portraits, has an art book coming out in a few weeks.
5. Ball Don't Lie. One-time European player Dominique Wilkins thinks Josh Childress made a bad move this summer. Of course, 'Nique works for the Hawks ...
6. The Blowtorch. More life lessons with Brad Miller.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 NBA Essentials: A Team of Jerks» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, Mavericks, Pacers, Warriors, Thunder
NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.1. Dallas Morning News. Rick Carlisle wants his Mavericks to be a team of jerks. "'How do you get guys to be nasty? Well, I think hating the opponent is a start,' Carlisle said." I wonder if this means the annual Nowitzki-Nash gala is off?
2. Gelf Magazine. "Why stat-heads and scouts need to kiss and make up to advance the sweet science of the NBA." (That's half of a self-link.)
3. Indy Cornrows. Someone out there is willing to defend Jamaal Tinsley and explain why he's in a feud with Jim O'Brien. That someone is ... Peter Vescey.
4. Associated Press, via GSoM. The Warriors are getting rid of mascot Thunder because of Clay Bennett's swag-jack. Team Robert Rovell reveals Thunder might get ditched in China next week.
5. Los Angeles Times. Wait, Lamar Odom is going to L.A.'s point guard now?
6. Fast Break. Meanwhile in Oakland, Don Nelson can't decide who will man the one for the Warriors.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Mbenga, Karl and Crawford fighting for a spot (Last post on 10/12/2008 at 10:23 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersVia LA Times Forget Jackson vs. Odom, if only for a day. There's another battle in the
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Luke's now an official NBA Blogger (Last post on 10/07/2008 at 11:00 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersRead all about it The Pain of Losing to the Celtics Losing to the Celtics in the Finals
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Luke Walton Was Being Stalked» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, NBA Fans, NBA Gossip
Luke Walton has been teased by his teammates from time to time for being a "pretty boy" that the ladies are fond of, but one female took things way too far. An obsessed fan was apparently following Luke around town doing the full blown stalking thing, and Luke told Kevin Ding of the OC Register how it all played out. Some of it definitely sounds a little scary. "She seemed nice enough (when she first began appearing regularly outside the Lakers' El Segundo practice facility for autographs), and there are a lot of people who are out there all the time. I would sign stuff for them most of the time, but every once in a while you're in a rush trying to get somwhere after practice. So one time I waved and said I had to be somewhere. And I saw her reach her pen out, and I didn't think anything of it, and when I got to my house, I saw I had a big blue mark all down the side of my car from her Sharpie pen. So then I was like, 'That's messed up. I sign stuff for her all the time. Now she does that; I'm not going to sign anything for her anymore.' That's before I knew she was stalking me."
"It was more an annoyance than anything else until recently when she did that gun thing (gesturing at him with her hand as if shooting at him). And then I was like, 'All right. Now she's crossed the line."
I would have thought that the Sharpie incident, along with the whole "sitting for hours in a parked car with tinted windows in front of my house" thing was crossing the line, but a freaking gun gesture?! Yeah Luke, I'd say that's definitely crossing the line.
NBA players have fairly regular schedules during the season, so it wouldn't be that difficult for someone to make a habit of seeing their favorite player on an almost daily basis. Honestly, I'm surprised we don't come across more stories like this one -- but I'm thankful that we don't. Luke finally got the police involved, so let's hope this is the last we hear of this.
Athletes Mug Shots
Stacy Elizabeth Beshear: The 34-year-old Lakers fan was arrested on Oct. 7 after being accused of stalking NBA star Luke Walton.
Manhattan Beach Police Dept.
Thunder Collins: The former Nebraska running back was arrested on Sept. 24, nearly 24 hours after a shooting left one person dead and another seriously wounded. Collins faces first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and felony weapons charges.
Omaha Police Dept. / AP
Michael Golic Jr.: The Notre Dame center was arrested on a misdemeanor alcohol charge on Sept. 21.
St. Joseph County Police, AP
Ed Johnson: The Indianapolis Colts starting defensive tackle was arrested on a drug possession charge on Sept. 10 and waived by the team shortly thereafter.
AP
Koby Clemens: The son of the former major league star was arrested with two minor-league teammates for disorderly conduct on Sept. 1 outside a restaurant in Salem, Va.
Salem Police Department
Maurice Simmons: A day of deliberations ends with another black eye for Trojan football. USC recruit Maurice Simmons, arrested in March, was sentenced to four years in prison Sept. 24 for his part in a robbery.
Los Angeles Sheriff's Department / AP
Julio Castillo: The Peoria Chiefs pitcher was charged with felonious assault in late July after throwing a ball towards the opposing team's dugout. He was accused of striking a fan with the pitch, causing enough injury to send him to the hospital.
Montgomery County Jail
Rampage Jackson: The UFC star was arrested on July 15 after a 3-mile chase and multiple collisions allegedly involving a pickup truck he was driving. Jackson was hospitalized for a mental health evaluation following the arrest.
Costa Mesa Police Department, AP
Sidney Lowe II: In July, the son of N.C. State basketball coach Sidney Lowe was sentenced to 15 months in a low-security prison farm on a dozen charges, including robbery and kidnapping.
Guilford County MagistrateÂ's Office / AP
Tony Zendejas: The former Rams kicker was arrested and charged on July 10 with raping a woman that he met at his sports bar in January.
LA County Sheriff
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Livingston is Lakers Destiny (Last post on 10/03/2008 at 05:06 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersThis is a perfect situation for Lakers They have an aging PG Phil Love BIG PGs Shaun is
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Lamar Odom as Sixth Man?» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers
While we imagine a Lakers frontline that can actually rebound, it appears the decision-makers in Los Angeles have other ideas. Instead of slipping big Lamar Odom into the small forward slot, the Orange County Register's Art Thompson III (via TH) reports Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton will battle for the gig while Odom will apparently move into a sixth-man role. Odom seems to be on board.Odom has discussed with the basketball staff the possibility of accepting a sixth-man role, which has all sorts of delightful possibilities to it, due to the 6-foot-10 Odom's versatility.This set-up does have some delightful possibilities. (That should be the L.A.'s 2008-09 motto: "The Los Angeles Lakers. Delightful Possibilities.") With Odom as a starter, you basically stick a poor man's Shawn Marion with less opportunity into the mix. Kobe and Pau Gasol will handle most of the offense (extremely well), and even Andrew Bynum will take priority over Odom. You assert yourself as one of the dominant rebounding teams in the league (probably top six), but the bench suddenly looks a bit offensively anemic.
He could come off the bench to play small forward or play the two position (shooting guard) or power forward. The Lakers' staff even has discussed with Odom the possibility of him being a hybrid point forward and initiating the offense in that role.
Ariza's a damn fine rebounder in his own right, and a better "explosive" defender than Odom. Ariza can even trade down and help Kobe defend the Wades and Martins and Manus -- something Odom can't do. And suddenly, Odom running the second unit when Kobe sits ... that's some sort of beautiful, assuming he's locked in (hardly assumable) and prepared.
So long as L.A. has Bynum (an elite rebounder) manning the pivot, I think the team can afford to go smaller at the three. It will interesting to watch, if nothing else.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Lamar Odom Is Less Than Pleased With the Idea of Coming Off the Bench» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers, NBA Gossip, NBA Rumors
There was a little bit of talk over the summer about the idea of Lamar Odom coming off the bench this season. With Andrew Bynum back in the mix, it seemed like a delightful possibility; one that would especially help the Lakers offensively when their second unit was on the floor. But you can forget all that. Odom was asked about it at the Lakers' Media Day yesterday, and hinted that Phil Jackson might have a screw loose if that's what he was thinking:"He must have woke up and bumped his head. He probably hit his head on something -- boom," Odom said about Jackson. "To start off like that, you've got to be out of your . . . mind."I have no proof of this, but having heard athletes speak for many years now, I'm guessing that the ellipsis between the words "your" and "mind" might just have been an expletive. And while I'm sure Odom was speaking in a lighthearted tone when he said this, it's still kind of disrespectful to Phil Jackson, isn't it?
We're not exactly sure how serious Phil was about moving Lamar to a sixth man role, or how serious Odom is about having no desire to go there. But it's definitely something to keep an eye on, as Odom is due for a new contract next season. If things go south between Lamar and his coach, Odom may very well find himself in another uniform before February's trade deadline.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Lakers' Jackson: Odom Will Start ... For Now» NBA FanHouseFiled under: Lakers
Phil Jackson has put a temporary kibosh on the suggestion Lamar Odom may come out of the gate as L.A.'s sixth man, telling the assembled media in El Segundo Friday Odom will be the team's starting small forward. Jackson does leave open the possibility of a switch to Trevor Ariza at some point, should the combination need a tweak. Odom is the superior offensive player -- a talented scorer and distributor who knows the Triangle and is deferential enough to play with Kobe and Pau Gasol. Forum Blue & Gold seems on board with the "start the five best players" philosophy, and I tend to trust them on all matters Lakers.But we know L.A.'s offense will be extraordinary with or without Odom. The Lakers -- with a Kobe, Pau, Odom troika -- racked up amazing numbers in last season's stretch run and through three rounds of playoff basketball. Andrew Bynum will come in. He's a fantastic offensive weapon -- he's still learning, but few Western bigs will be able to keep him off the offensive glass or kill his half-hook and baseline spins. He's not Hakeem, but he might already be one of top five low-post threats in the conference.
If Odom starts, will Bynum get any opportunities? I'm of the mind L.A.'s offense would be just fine with Kobe and Gasol handling most of the duties: Derek Fisher can hit shots, Ariza can sprint in transition, and again, Bynum's good. If you can be assured your starting five offense will be dominant and bolster the starting defense (with Ariza over Odom) and the bench offense, isn't that a better use of your weapons? I think the opportunity cost of starting Odom is greater than what you'd give up making the switch.
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Lakers vs Jazz pre-season game tonight..... (Last post on 10/09/2008 at 04:00 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersThis is the thread to discuss As I type this, 2-0 Lakers lead. Lineup of Fish, Kobe, Ariza,
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add to del.icio.us. look up in del.icio.us. add to furl07:39 Lakers VS. Clips (Last post on 10/10/2008 at 09:45 AM PDT)
» Scout.com > LA Lakers > Los Angeles LakersIm surprised no one has started a thread for this. I know its preseason but Lakers are playing