Werewolf Bar Mitzvah

A-Town Stomped

2009-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Lakers won a sleeper last night against a young Atlanta Hawks team and improved their league-leading record to 43-10. The Hawks came out firing—as any self-respecting team would against the top team in the NBA—escaping the first quarter with a one-point lead over L.A. But then Jordan Farmar (‘Half-Jordan’ because he’s half-black and half-Jewish) provided an offensive spark off the bench, which ignited the team to outscore Atlanta 62-36 over then next two quarters. The game was over shortly after halftime, and I started writing my first R&B hit.

Pau Gasol recorded a triple-douple, his first in Purple and Gold, before the third quarter was over. Pau’s 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists were joined by Deputy Lamar’s 20-rebound outburst. Kobe only scored 10 points—probably had his mind occupied by memories of the Shaqawockeez.

The game was so out of hand, that the third unit got to play the entire fourth quarter. Chris Mihm (yeah, he’s still on our team) got a dunk! We also got a chance to see the newest additions to the Laker Fam, Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown, in action. Brown had a sick, felony-level block that sent the bench (of starters) into a frenzy. The third unit was more of a rec-league children’s exhibition, as they could only throw together 11 points the entire quarter. As Adam Morrison dribbled out the clock to end the game, the expression on Kobe’s face was priceless: don’t y’all young cats like playin’ hoops? When I was in my third year I blitzed the rim every chance I got. Y’all acting like I won’t have you sent to the D-League…ask Smush Parker.

Next up: The Golden State Warriors. NorCal vs. SoCal. L.A. vs. The Bay

Halftime

2009-02-18T07:33:00.000-08:00

The All-Star break marks the official halfway point in the NBA season, and although almost two-thirds of the games have already been played, most of the playoff picture is still taking shape.

The Lakers are soaring high at the top of the league, and most of their competition comes from Eastern Conference squads, like Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando. It’s great that the Lake Show is in the lead pack, but I hope that they keep an ear to the street in the West and don’t get too far ahead of themselves. I don’t think any team in the West will challenge L.A. for the top spot, but one disadvantage which that creates is that the rest of the pack will have a greater competitive mindset going into the playoffs. After being in the late-season dogfight and clawing for spots, teams like the Spurs, Jazz, Rockets, Hornets, Mavs, and Suns will be more than comfortable playing with a sense of urgency and even desperation. The Lakers need to stay sharp and stay hungry as a nation.

Some things to look forward to during the second half:

How the Lakers organize permanent roles in preparation for the Championship run – Will Lamar be utilized more as an initial threat? How often will the offense revolve around Pau in the post? Can the high-flying Bench Mob co-exist with the starters’ slower tempo?

Experimenting during games against non-playoff teams – Some of my favorite games to watch are against the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Thunder. Kobe practices harder shots, Luke Walton works on his scoring game, and the bench usually goes off! Keep an eye out for Lamar Odom dominating down low, too.

Hype around Kobe’s MVP run – Dwight Howard isn’t a dominant enough big-man, and Dwyane Wade’s team isn’t making the playoffs. It comes down to LeBron and Kobe.

Smooth Jazz put Lakers to Sleep

2009-02-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Once again, the Lakers had trouble going into Salt Lake City and coming away with a victory. The Jazz, with their 113-109 win over L.A., brought an end to the Lakers’ 7-game win streak. On the strength of 31 points and 11 assists from Deron Williams, the shiftiest pure point guard in the game, and bigtime shots from Mehmet Okur, the Jazz edged out L.A. in a thriller of a fourth quarter.

The Jazz are a team that we should keep on our radar. Even though they currently sit in 8th place in the West, they’re a good, young team that’ll be even better when Carlos Boozer and Andre Kirilenko return from injury. Deron William, C.J. Miles, and Ronnie Brewer are explosive, hungry, and tireless young stars, and Kyle Korver is a deadly perimeter shooter along with Okur.

I suspect the second half of the season will be quite different for the Utah Jazz.

So, what happened last night? I know there are no excuses for losing, but I just think the Lakers were ready to take the All-Star break and get some rest. After a six-game road trip out East that saw first a 61-point outbust from Kobe, then a game in Canada, followed by an overtime grind in Boston, and finally a Sunday afternoon trip to Cleveland where Lebron and the Cavs hadn’t lost, the Lakers finally got to come home and relax on Tuesday night against Oklahoma City. But then to tell them they’d have to fly out to Utah for a final road game against the Jazz before the All-Star break, they probably didn’t see the point in traveling again just for a one-game road trip.

Kobe seemed to be using the game as practice: working on his post-up game, jogging back on defense, attempting tougher shots than he was given or than he could’ve created. I mean, there were those hustle plays – I can remember off the top of my head three steals by Kobe that he then took to the hoop himself afterwards. Lamar stayed solid, hauling in 19 boards and making 2 big blocks. Pau also did some experimenting, knocking down a couple 20-footers while testing his range.
The Lakers have gotten to a point where they’ve already proven that they can win big games against the league’s elite when they come out with a sense of urgency. I hope that realization doesn’t prevent them from approaching every game with a high level of focus.

Radmanovic, We'll Miss You

2009-02-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Lakers coasted to an effortless victory over the fledgling Oklahoma City Thunder, who, I think, will soon relocate to some other, more reasonable city. More on that later, but today I’d like to take a couple seconds to say farewell to one of my favorite Lakers, Vladamir Radmanovic.

‘Vlad Rad’ occupies a special place in my heart. He came to the Lakers in 2006, midway through their rebuilding years, and every part of me felt that he’d be a strong piece of the puzzle. Beyond the obvious—he’s a deadly perimeter shooter—Radmanovic did a lot to open up a futile Laker offense. In the two seasons prior to his arrival, the Lakers’ only option was to let Kobe try to win every game, while Lamar and the rest of the cast of new Lakers slowly learned the Triangle Offense. But when Radmanovic strolled into town, the Lake Show added a second dimension to its repertoire: the 3-point threat.

Now teams had to respect the perimeter, which opened up lanes for Kobe’s lust for penetration (wink). And when teams got a little too aggressive with KB24, double or triple-teaming or what have you, he could just dish it out to Vlad Rad and watch him rain threes. In the days before Pau and Bynum, when Chris Mihm, Ronny Turiaf, Kwame Brown, and Brian Cook were playing Hot Potato with the responsibility down low, Radmanovic provided just enough of a distraction for Kobe to steal some wins.

And now he’s being traded in a move by GM Mitch Kupchak to free up salary space sooner (trading Rad Man for two players whose contracts expire after this season). A valid reason, and I respect validity. But it kills me to see ‘real’ Lakers get sent away—Lakers who’ve helped bring our team back up from the doldrums, Lakers who endured the frustration of losing to the Suns in the first round two years in a row, Lakers who shivered as Kobe demanded to be traded for an entire summer and then came back in the autumn to demand that some of his teammates be traded for Jason Kidd or Jermaine O’neal.

After going through all of that, and then playing an integral role on this year’s league-leading squad, Vladamir Radmanovic should be branded a Laker for Life. When Los Angeles wins the title in a few months, I’m going to petition that Vlad Rad get an invitation to the parade AND a ring for his Laker work this season. AND I’m insisting that he be played by John Tuturo in the upcoming Michael Bay film, “From Fallen to Ballin’: Lakers in the Kobe Years.”

Here’s a list of my favorite things/memories of Vladamir Radmanovic

His fluctuating hair length
Him getting fined $500,000 for getting injured while snowboarding
How nobody ever questioned his Lakerness
Rocking headbands like the 70’s
Never making any steals or blocks, but ‘rotating’ on defense
Being good friends with Kobe

Farewell, Rad Man. You’ll always be welcome in Laker Nation.

Lakers Rock the Cavs in Cleveland. Kobe vs. Lebron Debate Finally Settled

2009-02-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

The Cavaliers and the Lakers faced off Sunday afternoon at 3:30 EST, and I found myself literally running home before tip-off in my Saturday night outfit, crosstown through Harlem—a showdown like this REQUIRED for me to watch in HD on my 37” Vizio. It’s been a while since there was an NBA game in the regular season that has carried so much hype. The Lakers are the hottest team in the league, and they’re coming fresh off an overtime victory against a stacked Boston Celtics squad. And in the red corner, the Cavaliers were the only team that remained undefeated at home; stringing together 23 straight home wins at Quicken Loans Arena. But that was hardly what all the hype was about…

What else could possibly generate this much anticipation? A better question is ‘who?’

Hector and Achilles, Ali and Foreman, and now Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Both of these young men dominate the court and the debates over who is basketball’s best player. You’re reading a basketball blog, so you already know that, but the timing couldn’t have been any better for this match-up to occur, and for this debate to play itself out. Both of these players put up ridiculous numbers at MSG last week—Kobe dropped 61 points on the K-nicks, while Lebron scored 52, dished out 11 assists, and grabbed 10 boards against the same K-nicks team (but the NBA took Lebron’s triple-double away retroactively because he didn’t actually get his 10th rebound, Yoink!). That set the stage for yesterday’s face off in Cleveland.

The head-to-head match up was easily won by Kobe. He made 5 more shots on 3 fewer attempts than Lebron, all while playing six fewer minutes since he was battling illness. There were also numerous occasions where Kobe went at Lebron 1-on-1, inviting the larger James to Tango, and hitting shizzots in his fizzace. I’m in no way insinuating that King James isn’t near Kobe’s level, but he was only 25% from the field against the Lakers, who give up over 100 points a game, while Kobe was almost twice as effective against the Cavs and their league-leading scoring defense. Advantage Kobe. Lighting up the scoreboard against the K-nicks is one thing, but composing a solid performance against an elite team, when home-court advantage in a possible Finals match up is on the line, in front of a national audience requires…”G.” What is G? G is overcoming flu-like symptoms and ballin’ regardless of opposing teams’ win streaks; isolating and posting up against Lebron James and putting the ball in the basket; G is doing what it takes to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit on the road. Lebron witnessed G.

Welp, Werewolf Bar Mitzvah is admittedly a Lakers Blog, and I would be remiss if I stayed on the Kobe/Lebron tip and neglected to talk about the team as a whole. The Lake Show once again displayed its second-half tenacity during Sunday’s 101-91 beatdown of yet another Eastern Conference frontrunner. Going into halftime down by 10, mainly because of Mo Williams’ 18 first-half points and contributions from Wally “Sir-bee-ack,” some sort of inspirational speech (think Varsity Blues) propelled the Lakers to a dominating final two quarters. For the second game in a row, Lamar Odom flexed his swagger in the second half, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 boards in the third quarter alone. Lamar’s activity around the rim is obviously difficult for teams to deal with, and he’s been exploiting defenders off the dribble. Soon, teams are going to have to bring in three separate defensive specialists to deal with Lamar, Pau, and Kobe and the distinctive offensive threats they each pose. L-O, finished the game with a season-high 28 points and 17 rebounds. Way to step up.

The Lakers bench played another great game, and actually preserved the lead against the Cavs’ starters in the start of the fourth quarter. Although they were only 8 of 22 from the floor, the Bench Mob hit the shots when they mattered most and kept the intensity hella-high while the starters recharged. They also shut down Mo Williams in the second half, holding him to 1 point. The All-Star game isn’t for everyone. Stop cryin’ like a little Mo.

On paper, this win is just one of many for the Lakers, kinda like a million dollars for Bill Gates. But it went much farther than just being a piece adding to the sum. This win showed that the Lakers can take $500,000 in the middle of a recession, with an injured and sickly staff, after being away from home for several games, in the toughest market to win in, and flip that 500K into a cool million…all while King James keeps trying to take it away. Yup, exactly like Bill Gates and a million bucks.

Horus

PS – Instead of Knicks, I use the spelling 'K-nicks' in order to point out the truth. The K is silent and it stands for Kobe, the King of New York. Have some.

Lakers Drop Celtics in Heated Overtime Shootout

2009-02-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Lakers proved why they're the best team in the League. They played a tough, physical game; they were able to fight down the stretch; didn't let the crowd take them out of the game; and they stole a victory from the defending champion Celtics.

In just their third game without Andrew Bynum, who'd started every game this season, the Lakers proved that they could take on the League's toughest teams even when they're hampered by major injuries. Stepping up the most has been Lamar Odom. He's a terror off the dribble, and at 6'10", he's always a match-up problem for defenders. In Andrew's absence Lamar's also stepped it up on defensive end and in rebounding. His 20 points against Boston came on only 10 attempts, and his late free throws won the game for L.A.

My column isn't a recap station, so I'll leave the descriptive analysis to links to other sites. A good write up is the February 6 page of espn.com's Daily Dime.

I'll tell you what I saw from my futon. I saw a Los Angeles Lakers team that found a way to win using all the weapons it had. Kobe unleashed a barrage of threes that pulled them back in the game. Pau played tough inside, grabbed 14 boards, and caused Garnett to foul out. Lamar did his thug-dizzle and won the game for us. Fisher played well and Jordan Farmer was smooth as eggs as a backup. The best part about all of these individual components is that they have an astute sense of timing.

They toughed it out. Nobody played a particularly good game, but when the final buzzer sounded, they knew they'd be on top because they wanted it more. And what makes this so critical is that the Lakers lacked a similar level of heart and desire during the finals last season. To see that hunger in them now is inspiring, and I hope it's lifted the bar in the locker room.

Kobe Scores 61 to Set MSG Record in Lakers Victory

2009-02-05T07:59:00.000-08:00

Of all the Broadway shows, grand museums, chic galleries, and lavish nightclubs that New York City has to offer, there was no better ticket in town Monday night than a seat in Madison Square Garden as the Knicks tried to slowdown the Lakers.

Not only were the fans treated to this year's chapter of one of the great NBA rivalries, but they also got to watch history in the making. And who better to make history than Kobe Bryant? In the Lakers' 126-117 win, Kobe reeled in a Garden record 61 points and shot a perfect 20-for-20 from the free throw line. Hats off to Kobe, who was showered with "MVP" chants during every trip to the charity stripe, and received a standing ovation after breaking the MSG scoring record. It was hard to tell who the New York City crowd liked more: The Lakers or Kobe Bryant?

If there was one word that best described Kobe, that word would be "kangamangus," but luckily there are several words that describe him, and the one I'll focus on here is "grounded." After ballin' outta control in the 'world's most famous arena' in the biggest city in America, one might expect a 30-year old hoops star to be giddy with excitement and disbelief, like a long-shot hall monitor that won Prom Queen. But no. During the post-game press conference, Kobe appeared unfazed by his performance, focused on where the team stood, and seemingly embarrassed by the attention he was getting—almost as if his greatness is a distraction for the team and their championship mission. All he mentioned about his performance was that he was 'feeling good during warm ups.' Either he's unimpressed by scoring 20 points less than his career-high, or he's just that mature and humble, but probably a combination of the two.

Writing then reading between the lines, those of us who watched it witnessed something else take place last night. We saw a man set out on a mission, work his tail off, chase history, and make the tackle in the end. It's not easy to beat the Knicks—they're a strong young team with a great coach in D'Antoni. But still, they'd been beaten 25 times already this season. You could tell from the first shot he took, that Kobe wasn't looking to merely do something that had been done 25 times since November, his sights were set on achieving a feat that hadn't been matched in 25 years: scoring 60 in Madison Square Garden.

And whether or not scoring 61 points against the Knicks is applause-worthy, one thing is for sure: this exhibition of ability, force, and determination was a rare flash, seldom seen these days in the great performances of Lance Livestong, Tiger, and Jason Bourne.

Kobe Diem!

Welcome Back to Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, 2009 Edition

2009-02-03T11:17:00.000-08:00

Okay, now that football season is officially over—props to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning the Super Bowl, to Plaxico Burress for capping himself in the leg through his sweatpants at a nightclub, and to the Detroit Lions for not winning at all in 2008—we can being to focus more seriously on NBA basketball.

We’re practically at the All-Star break, and so far this season has been a second act of last year’s play. The usual suspects occupy the top spots in the standings and the playoff picture at this point is a carbon copy of post-playoff ranking of a year ago.

The Lakers currently stand atop the Western Conference, 5 games above second-place, and their frontrunner status gives this journal a completely different feel from last year—one peppered with higher expectations, more determined opponents, and an intense sense of volatility, similar to watching Kanye West live and wondering what crazy things he’s gonna say or what type of heartbroken robot he going to morph into.

So, to re-introduce us all to Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, I’ve invited guest-writer and life long Lakers fan, J.K. Rowling, to write the welcome and preface for this year’s season. If you like or love the Lakers or Harry Potter, or any noun-verb combination of those words, then you’ll enjoy our first entry…..

There are whispers of a Kingdom in a land far far West, where the Sun spends her final moments of each day, before retiring to a cold, dark slumber. It is said that each night, when the Sun retreats below the horizon, warriors of Purple and Gold descend on the coastal Kingdom, riding in on waves that charge like royal stallions, to protect it from foreign

invaders. Its land is fertile and lush; its tropical weather and scenic landscape are the envy of Eden; the women, with their unrivaled beauty, grace, and finesse, are more than deserving of the myriad of monuments erected in their honor. But the purest, most complete measure of the wealth of this western Kingdom lies in the strength and valor of its warriors. Nightly they vanquish foes as fans cheer on in amazement, like Gladiators of old—these warriors of whom we speak are the Los Angeles Lakers…

With a history so rich in excellence that the very logo of professional basketball depicts a silhouette of one of its former captains, the legacy of the Los Angeles Lakers runs deeper and stronger than any order of men who’ve ever touched a basketball. Along with acres of Championship banners spanning six different decades, waving proudly in the rafters of the hallowed Staples Center are the jerseys of legendary Laker heroes from dynasties past—now forever immortalized in the Hall of Fame. This pantheon of heroes includes the all-time leading scorer, the highest-scoring single game performer ever, a man called Magic, and men appropriately named West and Worthy. Speaking volumes on the greatness of this organization is the fact that Chick Hearn, long-time broadcast commentator of the Lakers, was inducted to the Hall of Fame, merely for being the bard who sang the valiant tales of these beloved heroes.

But history is history, and we shall leave it for veterans to reminisce upon and for scholars to quarrel over. The purpose of our abridged jaunt down memory lane was to construct an idea of the lineage and pedigree embedded in the souls of the main characters in this four months’ traffic of our stage. Beginning now, and culminating with another NBA Championship in mid-June, we will follow the daily progress of the 2008-2009 Los Angeles Lakers as they, once again, attempt to fill the NBA history books with tales written in ink of Purple and Gold. Welcome aboard, friend. Our journey is about to begin…

Here's to you, Los Angeles

2008-06-17T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well, by this point you already know...the Lakers' season has come to an end. It was a disappointing way to finish the season; I guess anything less than perfection would be a disappointment to true fans like us.

I'll still applaud Los Angeles' efforts and their adherence to their character and unique style of play. I was never surprised by how they played--neither when they shined nor when they stunk. They're the Lakers I know, and that in itself, gives me a certain welcoming comfort.

We can sit here and argue about which team is better, and who made better trades, and who has a better shot, and anything else you can think of. But hey, it's already said and done. The Lakers came two games short of winning a title, and they'll have to wait til next year for another shot.

What I'd like to do is to share with you an observation I made about fanhood. Okay, well, for a little background, I'm a Los Angeles native, who moved to New York earlier this year. I was in high school for the Lakers three-peat, in college for the emergence of Kobe, and in Korea for the reloading phase. Well, I've been hitting up the same sports bar in NYC to
catch the Lakers games this season, and I usually get a pretty good crowd of friends to join me--some of them Lakers fans, some of them just buddies of mine.

Alright, well Game 6 was a must win for Los Angeles. This was, for all intents and purposes, the most important game of the year for the Lakers. So, as per my usual, I invited all of my buddies to watch the game with me at our watering hole of choice. But unlike my usual, only a few people showed up this time.

Big up to my companion (you know who you are), M. Larson, JJ from Eagle Rock (Nicole too), and my favorite bartender. Y'all showed up and supported the cause. Thanks for pickin' up the slack when our personnel was low.

There's a difference between fellow fans and friends. Fans are great to watch a game with here and there, but when the dust settles and you're either cheering your face off or holding you face in you hands, I'd rather have my friends at my side anyday.

I've been a huge Lakers fan since I was a child. Since before Nick Van Exel was pushing officials around. This Lakers playoff blog was my first literary journey and I'm glad Los Angeles kept my experience alive so long. I'm proud of the Lakers, and I'm dedicating this blog to them, my friends, and to the readers.

Well, that's the final chapter of this volume. Another might turn up for U.S.A. Basketball and our Olympic conquest. We went undefeated last summer during FIBA Americas, and we're looking to repeat that feat for the world to see. Stay tuned.

This time around, we're gonna have to take the silk road to Olympic Gold. The Games start on 08/08/08 in Beijing; a place where Lakers Nation has already flown its flag. See below.

Lakers fans out there, hold your heads up high. We've come a long way from being bumped out of the playoffs in the first round by the Suns a year ago. We won a Western Conference Title, night after night we watched the best show on Earth, and we got to see Kobe win the MVP award. There's a lot to cheer about from this season, and next season will be another championship run.

Stay humble. Stay hungry.

Signing off for the last time in a long time,

Horus

Lakers Fend Off Boston, Stay Alive

2008-06-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

The Lakers jumped out to another huge lead in the first half, but this time fought all the way down to the wire to win and keep their championship dream alive.

Paul Pierce tried his best to bury the Lakers, but his 38-point effort proved to be too much of a one-man show. The Lakers big 3--Kobe, Pau, and Lamar--each had over 19 points, and their free-throw shooting in crunchtime solidified the victory.

Now with the series heading back to Boston, the Lakers have their work cut out for them and history at their fingertips. Although Game 5 wasn't a blowout, Kobe and the Lakers played with a Debonair style that gave the impression that they were more comfortable and confident with their position than the frenzied Celtics. Even after Boston claimed a lead in the fourth quarter, they seemed to force more shots and committ uncharacteristically silly fouls.

Los Angeles is playing like a team determined to win; the Celtics are just trying not to lose.

More analysis later. I have a real day-job and I'm pretty busy this morning.

Laker Nation Stand Up!!!

Exclusive WBM Report: Kobe & Phil BFFs

2008-06-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

Dear Phil,

Thank you for all of your help. You’ve provided me with so much knowledge, wisdom, and perspective. You’ve allowed me to unlock so many of my talents, and you’ve helped me cultivate them into brilliance. Lord only knows where I’d be without you.

You have touched my life in such way that cannot be communicated; only experienced. When I have a son, I’ll name him after you. Phil Megazord Genghis Bryant.

Dear Kobe,

You are my Sistine Chapel. You have returned the favor by being the most extensive project a coach has ever undertaken. You’re like a son, a pet stallion, a tornado, a lawsuit, waterfall, a dissertation, a new pair of socks, the Himalayas, a mother-in-law, and acid reflux. You are so many things to me, but most importantly, you’re my best friend.

Without you, I’d be just another successful coach. Someone like Greg Popovic, Pat Riley, or Rudy Tomjanovich. They’re great guys and they’ve won some titles, but you, my Kobe bear, allow me to transcend the coaching bridge into a zone known by only a few: Shakespeare’s English teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Basil Hallward, etc.

Kobe, in addition to meditation, yoga, and Mario Kart Wii, you complete me.

Lakers Blow Big Lead. Down 3-1.

2008-06-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

Now, I’ve played and watched a lot of basketball in my day, but never have I seen a team play so well in one half, then proceed to crap all over the court in the second.

The Lakers played brilliant basketball in the first half of Game 4, but gave up a 24 point lead to lose by 6. The 97-91 loss was the final pardon Los Angeles gets, as each game is a must-win from here on out. If the Lakers’ play in the rest of the series in any way resembles their play (or lack thereof) in Game 4, then I don’t think they’ll stand much of a chance.

But it’s not over.

If being embarrassed at home doesn’t light a fire under their asses, then I don’t know what will. They need to re-center their focus, play complete games, and play championship basketball.

Game 5 is not until Sunday night, but I’ve already been given an advance copy of Phil Jackson’s pre-game speech, unedited for the lucky readers of Werewolf Bar Mitzvah:

Phil Jackson: Guys, we have to win this game. That’s the bottom line. We’ve been a mediocre Western Conference team for three years, and this year we fought and clawed our way to the top. It wasn’t a smooth road either. We had trade rumors marinating from the end of last season well into the start of this season, and we’ve had enough injuries to set up our own M*A*S*H* tent. But regardless of the adversity, we persevered. Our journey through the playoff--

Kobe Bryant: Has anyone seen my lucky goat’s head?

Phil Jackson: --our journey through the playoffs has had its ups and downs. But we’ve been able to ride the waves and weather the storm. But gentlemen, we’re not in the playoffs anymore. This is do or die. We need to play perfect basketball starting now. We’re playing for a championship, and just keeping our head above water won’t be good enough. We can’t just drift like a piece of wood; we need to be the speedboat—

Kobe: Oh word? I got 6 of those. Holla.

Phil Jackson: We can’t have our destiny delivered to us. We need to go out there and claim it. It doesn’t hurt me to say this, so I’m just gonna throw it out there: I’ve coached much better teams than this one. Surprise surprise. I’ve also coached much better teams than the Boston Celtics. My point is that we have our strong points and we have our weak points, and so do the Celtics. We have to expose and exploit their weak points using our strong points—

Pau Gasol: Mira, coach. How will we know what our strong points are? You gonna tell us?

Phil Jackson: Our strong point is named Kobe Bryant. He wears #24. Kobe, you had a grip of assists Thursday night, even when your teammates sucked in the second half. Why the fuck do you pass the ball? I don’t want you passing the ball that much tonight.

Kobe: Okay. Sasha and Luke forgot to feed my pandas this weekend and Ling Ling got a tummy ache. I wasn’t planning on passing to them anyway.

Phil Jackson: Great. Now that we have the game plan memorized, let me tell you a little story…Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out.

Kobe: A bucket of cream? Who the hell leaves buckets of cream lying around?

Phil Jackson: You’re missing the point. I’m saying that we’ve gotten ourselves into a mess of a situation and only WE can get ourselves out. It’s gonna take a lot of effort, but we cannot accept the alternative. Team let’s get out there and win this series! One game, one team! What are we gonna do!!??!!

Kobe: Eat Spaghettios!

Lakers vs. Celtics vs. REFEREES

2008-06-11T10:15:00.001-07:00

Once again the officiating was appalling. The refs exercised too much influence over the game and I think they penalized Boston in a way that seemed blatantly contrived.

On a day when former NBA ref, Tim Donaghy, testified that officiating crews had altered playoff games by order of NBA officials, the refs in Game 2 didn’t make a strong case for the assumed objectivity of their guild. They called so many weak fouls both ways that it really limited the intensity of both teams. Almost every time two players from opposing teams went up and fought for a rebound, it was called a foul. That just led to more stars sitting on the bench in foul trouble, and teams being in the bonus halfway through each quarter. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with those circumstances, but the glaring inconsistency of calls during the most important games of the year is marring what was supposed to be a historic series.

Now, I don’t usually make political statements in my Lakers Blog, and I’ll try not to with this post. But the lack of regulation in NBA officiating, highlighted by lop-sided high-profile games like Game 2 and last night, and by obvious missed calls like Derek Fisher’s apparent foul on Brent Barry at the end of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, echoes the problems of unchecked authority outside of the arena of sport. There seem to be no repercussions for law/rule enforcers who themselves act outside the rules. Police can shoot over 50 times at Sean Bell, or 41 times at Amadou Diallo (both unarmed), kill them, and still be acquitted of all charges.

A dereliction of duty in this case, as recent officiating has done more to determine the outcome of games rather than serve its purpose of maintaining the rules of them. Yes, the two are related and are going to overlap, but even a child could see who the refs were helping in these games. I don’t think NBA referees will be reprimanded for killing the spirit of the games they’re supposed to be facilitating.

The Finals would be a lot better if they were officiated in the same way as all the rest of the games. C’mon, NBA…you change the rules in the ninth inning.

Three's a Charm for Los Angeles

2008-06-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

Lakers fans breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday night, as Los Angeles defeated Boston and stayed undefeated on their home floor in the post-season. The 87-81 victory was a testament to the will of this Lakers team and a classic win for the Kobe Bryant-led squad.

From the first possession, Kobe set the tone by driving relentlessly and repeatedly to the hoop. His aggression sometimes outpaced his concentration—jumping too high, dunking too hard, shouting too loudly at overzealous referees—but the message was clear: “We’re going to muscle our way to a win and nothing’s gonna stop us.”

The Lakers were the aggressors for most of the game, going up by as many as 11 and getting to the free throw line 34 times. They shot an embarrassing 61% from the stripe, but that was enough to slay the beast and the 4th quarter free throw shooting was vintage clutch.

Los Angeles’ defense was the foundation of the victory. The Laker D forced Boston to shoot only 35% from the field and held them to just 81 points. 81 points! Kobe Bryant can score 81 points all by himself, and that’s all that the Eastern Conference's best team could muster? Kobe was instrumental in the strong defensive effort, guarding Paul Pierce in crunchtime and holding him to 6 points all game. Pierce, who was the Celtics’ leading scorer in games 1 and 2, was helpless against KB24’s wise and constrictive defense.

Phil Jackson made some changes defensively to start the game, which proved problematic for Boston. Putting Kobe on Rajon Rondo allowed Kobe to roam freely and provide more help against the Celtics big men who dominated Game 2. It took a while for Rondo and his buddies to adjust to Phil Jackson’s new scheme, and by that time, the Lakers had opened up a sizeable lead.

The big story of the night was Kobe’s 36 points. He was literally unstoppable. Setting the tone in the first quarter with 11 points, and charging hard in the fourth quarter to slam the coffin on the Celtics, Kobe controlled the game and wrote the script the way he wanted it. Whether it was Rondo or Ray Allen guarding him, Kobe met little resistance on his ‘put the ball in the hole’ campaign. The shots he made and the opportunities he created for his teammates in the fourth were the stuff of legends. After the “Kobe Bryant Halfcourt Trap” strategy for Boston proved as prostrate as FEMA after Hurricane Katrina, Kobe made Ray Allen’s 1-on-1 defense look infantile. I’m not saying Kobe’s a god, but he made Jesus Shuttlesworth look well…worthless. Boston, if double teaming him doesn't work, don’t make it worse by taking help away; triple team him!

The Lakers went back to their conventional style of victory: Let Kobe score a grip of points and hope a few other guys step up when he’s out to lunch. I’m obviously liking this Lakers win and I’m hoping that Thursday’s Game 4 brings more of the same. I’ll keep you posted.

Stay humble, stay hungry.

Lakers Come Up Short in Game 2

2008-06-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

The Boston Celtics added another win Sunday night, beating the Lakers 108-102. It was an ugly game for Los Angeles, who found themselves down by 24 in the fourth quarter, but rallied back late in the game to pull it within 2. That would be as close as it got for the Lakers, who now find themselves in unfamiliar waters.

Going back to Staples Center for three straight games, it's sink of swim for Los Angeles. Although this is a precarious position for the Lakers (being down 2-0 and all), I think they'll fare well. They haven't been behind in a playoff series this season, but in a macro sense, I think the Lakers are better playing as underdogs. Are our memories that short that we've forgotten about Los Angeles' late-season charge to the top of the Western Conference after trailing New Orleans, San Antonio, and Phoenix most of the way?

Judging by the Lakers' fourth quarter charge in Game 2, they may actually feel more comfortable playing from behind.

In addition to all of that, the home court analysis leans toward Los Angeles. The Lake Show is undefeated at Staples Center during the playoffs, while Boston has lost at TD Banknorth Garden. Lakers should have little problem winning all three at home, and the Celtics already know what it's like to get beat in their own arena.

Okay, there were a lot of factors that led to the Lakers' loss in Game 2:

Giving up offensive rebounds
Poor transition defense
Hometown officials
Shortage of Bench points
Passing up open shots

The most apparent, though, was the way in which the game was officiated. Now, I'm not the type to start making excuses for Laker losses. But even if the Lakers did pull off a huge comeback victory, I could still easily say that they were unfairly penalized. The fouls called on Los Angeles in the first half made it impossible for them to stay afloat. Any contact at all, regardless of which team had the ball, was blamed on the Lakers. I can sincerely say that I was disappointed by how much control of the game the officiating crew exercised, and I was disgusted how one-sided it was. I wag my werewolf finger at them.

I applaud the fight of the Lakers. Given they were down 24 points halfway through the fourth, their determination to battle to the final buzzer showed how much they want to win. They fought back on the shoulders of another 30-point effort from Kobe Bryant, and stiff defense from Laker guards.

It was only two years ago that Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat went from being down 2 games to none, to winning the championship in 6 games. The Lakers definitely have their work cut out for them, but I'm feelin' a big turnaround in this series.

Game 3 is Tuesday night. Stay hungry, Los Angeles.

Celtics Take Game 1. Paul is Revered

2008-06-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers lost the opening game of the Finals Thursday night to a feisty Boston squad. It was back and forth most of the game, but the Celtics held off the Lakers long enough, and took Game 1 with a final of 98-88.

It was a game full of showtime fanfare and top-notch dramatics, but ultimately, the cookie didn’t crumble Los Angeles’ way.

The Lakers played their best ball toward the end of the first half and at the start of the third quarter, but Paul Pierce’s miraculous return from a seemingly career-ending knee injury rejuvenated the Celtics, and propelled them to the finish line.

On Kobe’s last real play of the game, he dribbled hard toward the baseline, pulled up, faded away, and splashed a 17-footer. Trying to guard him during the effort was Paul Pierce, who failed, and then fell to the floor holding his knee. Amidst his squealing and whimpering, he was quoted as saying, “Kobe’s moves are too much for my old knees. I got served.” He was then carried off the court by his teammates, in the tradition of Lt. Dan being saved by Forrest Gump, and taken to the locker room in a wheelchair. People, the scene was serious and the mood was tense.

But you’ll never guess what happened next…

As Lazarus returned from the dead a long time ago, so too did Paul Pierce Thursday night. Two minutes after needing a fireman’s carry and a wheelchair, Pierce comes a joggin’ out of the locker room to the sound of Boston fans going wild. I’m not joking when I say this, it was a scene from WWF Smack Down.

“OMG, I’m so hurt that I need medical attention! Oh, wait. My love for Boston fans has healed me. Lady Elizabeth, stay in my corner forever.”

Okay, so if that wasn’t bad enough, that entire scene played itself out again about 2 minutes later. This time it was a gentleman named “Kendrick Perkins.” Apparently he plays basketball too.

The injuries made the Celtics a better team. They shot better, jumped higher, and ran faster. “Funky Butt Lovin!” I thought that only happened in family friendly Disney movies about sports. In Game 2, watch for Boston running a play called, “The Flying V”

For all that can be said about Boston and their shenanigans, this was their game. They played well, and the Lakers didn’t come through and steal it when Boston was vulnerable.

With that said, I still think the Lakers played a great game. They let Kobe handle the ball when it was necessary (85% of the time); Phil Jackson always made sure there was adequate personnel on the floor; they didn’t wuss out and cry; and they created all the opportunities they needed. Game 2 will be a lot better, and the Lakers will expose and exploit the weaknesses apparent in the Celtics’ game. Boston only went on runs when the Lakers were playing poorly and choosing bad shots to take. The Lakers went on runs when they felt like it, regardless of how well Boston was playing. The Lakers also forced the Celtics to a couple shot-clock violations, and had 5 fewer turnovers. What I’m saying is that the Lakers can beat the Celtics, while the Celtics can only help the Lakers beat themselves.

With that said, I look forward to Game 2.

Lakers in 5.

Celtics Versus Lakers Reloaded

2008-06-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

It has finally come to this. Lakers versus Celtics for the NBA Championship.

Now, I know how young I am, but I feel like I’ve seen some good Finals match-ups in my short life of NBA spectatorship. Allen Iverson stunning the juggernaut Lakers in Game 1; Jordan versus Barkley; Patrick Ewing versus Hakeem Olajuwon; Jordan and the second-term Bulls versus Stockton and Malone (twice)…just to name a few.

Those were all great sagas, and they were well worth recording over my bother’s Karate Kid and Blood Sport VHS tapes. However, I think the Lakers vs. Celtics series carries something extra—something I can’t quite put my finger on. It feels…in a word… perfect. It’s as if this was the match up that not only the NBA needed, but also the one that NBA fans needed. One that validates the existence of the league and reminds everyone why we get so excited about it.

When I think about the culmination of this season up to this point, I get this rush of calm realization. Much like the epiphany and retrospective clarification that you get an hour and a half into an M. Night Shyamalan movie.

So many factors contribute to the perfect storm that is the 2008 NBA Finals. The storied, successful histories of both Boston and Los Angeles, first and foremost, give default significance to a post-season match-up between the two. The franchises with the most championships—the ones that bred Bill Russell, Larry Bird, and Red Auerbach, and Kareem, Wilt, Magic, and Jerry West—once again competing head-to-head for league supremacy.

The storybook seasons on both sides also add a lot of fuel to the fire. Evolving from Kobe’s off-season trade demands, to the development of Andrew Bynum, the acquisition of Pau Gasol, Kobe’s still-broken finger, all the way to the top spot in a hotly-contested West, the Lakers had a rodeo ride of a season and hit their stride in the playoffs. And by now, we’ve all heard of the off-season personnel upgrades in Boston, scooping up perennial all-stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Boston played better than any team all season and revived basketball fever in Bean Town (where the struggling Celtics of yesteryear stood out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of Red Sox championships and Patriots prowess).

Then there’s the never-ending story of Kobe Bryant. There isn’t enough space on this page for me to even scratch the surface of that anthology, but I’ll just give a Cliff’s notes version of the Official Companion to the Kobe Bryant Reader. Kobe has been like Dante and Virgil in the Divine Comedy (mainly just Inferno and Paradiso). And his struggle through the afterlife (post three-peat) has not only been on the NBA courts and scoreboards, but also in the eyes of NBA players and administrators, the eyes of sports fans, his own past and present teammates, and the hearts and minds of the public and media in general.

Kobe went from being the NBA’s Pegasus of sorts—being a great young player with a model off-the-court record, articulate and seemingly well-read demeanor, and pristine personality (a mythical creature that doesn’t actually exist in our day and age of NBA superstars). Then came the days of Kobe to flying too close to the Sun and burning his wings off (Icarus), followed by lately having to rise out his own ashes, like a Phoenix. I may or may not be the first to make this connection, but Kobe Bryant and Robert Downey Jr. have a lot in common, especially early this summer (career wise; I don’t know them personally).

With so much substance loaded behind this series, it’s destined to be one for the ages. Its universal appeal is sure to have everyone from non-Lakers fans, to non-Celtics fans, to Kobe haters, even non-basketball fans completely captivated and spellbound for the next couple weeks.

Game 1 tips off on Thursday in Boston; perfect for Lakers fans looking for a sweep ending in a home victory for Los Angeles.

Here’s to Los Angeles in Four.

Western Conference Champs! Sights Set on Finals

2008-05-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles checked off an important milestone from their 2008 to-do list: Dethroning the reigning champions in a late playoff series. The Lakers’ 100-92 victory over San Antonio concluded an important chapter in their fairytale season.

In Game 5, the Lakers played their best ball of the series. The Bench Mob fought back from a 17-point deficit in the second quarter, led by timely baskets from Farmar, Walton, and Vujacic. Pau Gasol made up for his reluctance to attack Duncan by hauling in 19 rebounds and blocking 4 shots. Odom stayed slashing to get easy layups, while three Lakers guards had at least two steals each.

Kobe Bryant, the foundation on which this Lakers team is built, scored 39 points (including 17 in the fourth quarter), in classic KB24 fashion. It was evident from the first play of the final quarter that he was going to will this victory into fruition. Every single trip down the court, the whole squad knew what the deal was: Get the ball in Kobe’s hands and let him win the game.

And Kobe answered the call. Mr. Bryant’s response was so flawless that it brought NBA legend Jerry West to tears.

It has taken four long years for Kobe to rebuild the Lakers. It’ll take four more victories for Kobe to earn an eternal spot in the Pantheon of NBA heroes. The 2008 NBA finals just maybe the perfect ending to the most epic and storied season for any team in a long, long time.

Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg, John Woo, Spike Lee, the Cohen Brothers, Spike Jonez, George Lucas, Wes Anderson, John Favereau, Clint Eastwood, and Martin Scorsese are all collaborating on the movie.

Hot damn.

Here's to You, Lakers Fans

2008-05-30T08:23:00.000-07:00

During the post-game presentation of the Western Conference Championship trophy Thursday night, several Lakers (front office staff included) made references to how big a win it was for the city, and for the fans in Los Angeles. Having been a teen while the Lake Show won three rings in a row, I know how fervent Laker Fever gets in the city around this time of year. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there’s someone wearing a Kobe jersey; every car has a Lakers flag posted on the window; every retail outlet and restaurant from Santa Barbara to San Diego has some sort of Lakers promotion. It’s a great feeling; somewhere in between gaining colonial independence and playing ‘Spin the Bottle’ in sixth grade. However, I feel like there are lots of people being left out of the mix. I’m talking about absentee Lakers fans.

There isn’t really any logical reason to leave Southern California, but surprisingly, there are thousands upon thousands of fully-blown Lakers fans that have relocated all over the world. Every time I watch a Lakers game at a bar here in New York City, it seems like all the king’s horses and all the king’s men are a hootin’ and a hollerin’ whenever D-Fish rips up the net. When I was in South Korea last year, Kobe Bryant hosted a basketball clinic at Seoul’s Olympic Gymnasium, and the line of purple and gold waiting to get into the event snaked all the way around the parking lot. I got a pretty cool free t-shirt and a good sense of how large Laker Nation really is.

Now, I’m not saying that I feel shunted because Kobe, GM Mitch Kupchak, and Jerry West all neglected to acknowledge wayward fans; I know that in the heat of the moment, the thrill of victory, and ecstasy of pure joy, it’s difficult to remember all of the important people. Daniel Day Lewis forgot to thank his momma after winning Best Actor at the Oscars; Kanye forgot to thank himself after winning 4 Grammys this year. Things like this happen, I ain’t trippin.

I just want to dedicate one post to all of my fellow off-site Lakers fans out there, and recognize your service and dedication. Here’s to you. Thanks for making the world go ‘round.
Viva Los Lakers! Live the Dream

Lakers Play OK. Spurs Get Corralled

2008-05-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Was it a foul? What kind of foul?

These were the questions afoot after the Lakers’ thrilling 2-point victory Tuesday night. With less than three seconds left in the fourth, Brent Barry, who scored an uncharacteristic 23 points by that time, caught an inbounds pass about 5 feet outside the arch. Being played by Derek Fisher, Barry got D-Fish up in the air, initiated contact, took a dribble, and then floated up a prayer toward the basket. The End.

No whistle, no foul; just the hearty sound of the buzzer and a deep, deep sigh of relief from Lakers fans around the world. There’ll be a lot of talk about the final play of the game, but I think it was another spurt of great defense by Derek Fisher, and the result was consistent with the way the officials had been calling the game all night.

A forty-eight minute game shouldn’t boil down to one single play that determines whether we win, but last night it did, and we did. I’m most surprised that Popovic drew up a play for Brent Barry in that situation, when former MVP Tim Duncan, reigning Finals MVP Tony Parker, and Sixth Man of the Year Manu Ginobli were all on the court.

Los Angeles dodged a bullet as ‘poor clock management’ let their nine-point lead shrink down to two in the final minute of Game 4. But the Lakers never trailed the Spurs Tuesday night, propelled by strong early offensive performances by the usual suspects: Kobe, Lamar, Pau, RadMan, and Fisher. Luke Walton came off the bench and hit four shots to help out, and Kobe grabbed 10 boards, which helped make up for his sub-50% shooting night.

The Spurs tied the game several times, but the active, salient defense of the Lake Show, and the nifty interior passing of their big men led to easy buckets at every crucial junction.

Now, for Game 5, it’s back to Staples Center in sunny Los Angeles, where the Lakers will try to eliminate San Antonio and advance to the finals for the first time since Shaq was good.

My prediction is, based on the 29 shots he took in Game 4, Kobe Bryant’s fixin’ to light up the scoreboard all ridiculous, and rock the champion Spurs to sleep. San Antonio should throw in the towel now and save themselves an embarrassing trip out west.

Lakers in 5.

A Tale of Two Cities

2008-05-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

It was the best of games, it was the worst of games; it was the Lakers versus the Spurs over Memorial Day weekend.

The long weekend was a bi-polar rollercoaster for the Lakers, as Los Angeles won by 30 on Friday at home, but lost by 19 on Sunday in San Antonio.

Friday’s victory was another all-around effort by the Lake Show, with a strong performance by Lamar Odom. Lamar’s length and agility allowed him to get to the rim with ease, and collect a handful of blocks. He finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

Another big story coming out of Game 2 was the return of Trevor Ariza. The 22 year-old high flyer has been sidelined with an ankle fracture for most of his Laker life. His rebirth will help Los Angeles plenty on the defensive end, especially when Kobe’s resting on the bench. He even chipped in with 2 points and 2 rebounds of his own during his brief playoff debut.

Now on to Game 3, Sunday night….

It was a hard one to watch. Not so much because the Lakers were playing poorly, but because Spurs were playing so well. Manu Ginobli was raining threes; Parker, in traditional French fashion, was finessing his way to the hoop; and Tim Duncan had over 20 rebounds. The Lakers tried to crawl back into the game after being down by 22, but the Spurs didn’t let that happen.

Kobe played well all weekend, leading the Lakers in scoring for both games, but I fear his aggressiveness was a tad too low. KB24 only took two (2) free throws in Game 2 and 3 combined. One of the best ways Los Angeles controls a game is by getting their opponents in foul trouble and letting Kobe dominate from the line. In order to get back on the winning path, the Lakers are going to have to design a business plan that involves major gifts from the charity stripe.

Game 4 is Tuesday night, and the Lakers will be looking to steal one in San Antonio to take a 3-1 series lead. I wish I had a Tim Duncan voodoo doll.

Horus

PS-Sorry this post is so brief: Memorial Day Weekend was a holiday at Werewolf Bar Mitzvah headquarters. Cooky, Scary, Creepy, Hairy...

Huge Comeback Win for the Lakers. San Antonio Spurned

2008-05-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

Most basketball fans and writers write the Lakers off as a one-trick pony. They think Los Angeles is a team with no heart. A team that doesn’t know how to win in a dogfight; a team that can only play from in front; a team that’ll give up a 3-1 series lead against the Phoenix Suns. But the Order of the Phoenix was last year's tale; this Lakers team has a different screenplay.

Facing the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the Lakers had the match-up they always wished for. Knowing that the best way to get an NBA championship is to pry it from the hands of last year’s winners, Los Angeles welcomed the Spurs into Staples Center with arms wide open. The first half of Game 1, however, gave the Lakers much more than they bargained for. The Spurs jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Their Big 3 – Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan – went on a scoring spree like determined basketball zombies that knew nothing else but putting the ball in the hoop (and eating brains).

The Lakers, never to be outdone on their home floor, tried to rally back into the game, but San Antonio slammed the door on them every time, going on streaks of their own until their lead had grown to an impressive 20 points! But that’s where the story of Spurs efficiency ends, and the Showtime saga begins.

In the second half, it was as if the Lakers flipped a switch somewhere and the hoop got a lot bigger. Sasha Vujacic started raining down threes, Gasol’s movement got him easy layups, Kobe woke up and hit some shots, and all those minor contributions from our bench players, like Farmar and Turiaf, came at just the right time. All told, Los Angeles went on a 14-0 run to end the third quarter, and outscored the Spurs 24-13 in the final frame. The 89-85 victory was a testament to the rarely-seen, neverending defiance of the LakeShow.

Kobe Bryant was a little slow out the gates, scoring only two (2) points in the first half, but when he found his stride in the second, Oh believe me it was clear that he would lead the Lakers galloping to victory. Kobe scored 25 points in the second half, helping to erase San Antonio’s 20-point lead. He also led the game in assists with 9. King Kobe was so generous on Wednesday night that he even dunked a Tim Duncan miss back into the Spurs’ basket as a show of charity toward his exhausted opponents.

Most of all this victory protected the sanctity of Staples Center. A place where Lakers fans can feel safe from invaders, and where no deficit is too large to overcome. Los Angeles crushed the myth of the one-trick pony, and showed the world that Stable Center has thoroughly bred the heart of a stallion.

Game 2 this Friday should be another hard-fought battle. Saddle up.

Lakers Take Jazz to School. A Textbook Win

2008-05-18T23:02:00.000-07:00

Energy Solutions Arena, where the Utah Jazz went 37-4, was the toughest place for a visiting team to win all season long. Well, during the post-season, the Lakers post big numbers. For the second Friday night in a row, Los Angeles marched to Salt Lake City trying to wrap up their conference semi-final duel with Utah. This Friday, however, would bear much more favorable results for Lakers fans.

Once again, the Lakers got support from all angles, with six players scoring in double figures during their 108-105 victory over the Jazz. Derek Fisher locking Deron Williams down for most of the game was the center piece of a strong defensive effort by the Lake Show. Utah was held to a deplorable 38% shooting performance; meanwhile Los Angeles shot 64% from downtown. These numbers tell a better story than the seemingly close final score, which I attribute to the Lakers not playing any defense in the closing minutes as they were so excited to be advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since the Shaq-Malone-Payton experiment.

Pau Gasol added his centerly tithe with 13 rebounds and four blocks, while Odom played a relaxed game—letting his 13 points and 9 rebounds come to him. Sasha Vujacic and his Slovenian sharpshooting added well-timed big shots, twisting the dagger every time Utah tried to fight back.

How’d Kobe do? It was an opportunity to put the nail in the coffin of Karl Malone’s team…do we really have to ask how Kobe did?

Kobe led all scorers with 34 points, and made sure to fill up the stat sheet with 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Utah Jazz had been trying a system of rotating different defenders at KB24, so as to keep Andrei Kirilenko out foul trouble, but all that did was allow Kobe to score at will. There’s no denying that Kirilenko is a superb defender, but watchin’ him try to stymie Kobe Bryant was like watching Ivan Drago being pummelled by Apollo Creed (the way it should’ve been). Rocky IV references aside, during these playoffs KB24 has been playing like a competitor focused on one thing, and one thing alone: making sure the NBA title rests in L.A. come mid-June. The Jazz may have Energy Solutions, but they had no solution for the big Kobe problem running around on their court.

Now Laker Nation must wait for the outcome of Monday’s contest between New Orleans and San Antonio to see who their next opponent will be. It doesn’t matter to me, but I think we’d have more fun with New Orleans. I’m kinda tired of watching ol' boring Tim Duncan , plus, Robert Horry’s half-fro pisses me off.

Till next time: stay humble, stay hungry.

Lakers Soar Back Amidst Soreness in Kobe's Back

2008-05-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

In a well-rounded team effort, the Lakers won another home game against the Jazz on Wednesday. The 111-104 victory highlighted the depth of Los Angeles’ offensive weapons, as all five starters scored in double figures. Kobe Bryant, who missed the two days of practice prior to the game due to a back injury, once again led the Lake Show in scoring and assists.

With the score all tied up going into the fourth quarter, the offensive focus and defensive aggressiveness of Los Angeles outpaced Utah, who found themselves leaning too heavily on their young star Derron Williams. A scoreless fourth quarter turned from Kobe Bryant turned out to be a blessing, as the he found his teammates wide open for easy baskets. Kobe has found a great strategy for dealing with double and triple teams: passing the ball. He seems more comfortable in his role as a decoy these days, and he’s learning that it doesn’t matter who scores the points since the whole team gets the win.

Tonight, the Lakers try to eliminate the Jazz in Salt Lake City, which has been the toughest city to win in all season. I mean, I respect Utah, their defensive stalwarts, and their overly excited crowd, but I don’t think they carry enough firepower to take down this Los Angeles team. Tune in around midnight to see thousands of dejected Utah fans exiting the arena—once again turned away from championship dreams of their only pro sports team. Tonight, Kobe will be crowned king of Salt LAKERS City. Know that.

Stay hungry, stay humble. Bring the pain.

Lakers - Jazz: Game 5. Back to the Drawing Board

2008-05-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

The Lakers and Jazz play a pivotal Game 5 tonight in Los Angeles. I’m not too worried though, since the Lakers have played spotless basketball at home for the past two months. They’ve won 10 games in a row at Staples Center, including two over this Utah team. Further still, the only Lakers game that I attended in the flesh this season was a 123-109 stompin’ of the Jazz in late December, in which Kobe played so viciously that he earned the privilege of resting the entire fourth quarter. I guess what I’m sayin’ is that since the Lakers have been slappin’ Utah around at home since way back in ’07, I have a lot of confidence that our homeownership bubble won’t burst.

I’d be lying to you if I told you that I thought the Jazz were going to walk on the court, play dead, and hand the victory over to Los Angeles; the Lakers have to execute and play within their system in order to win against Utah. They need to play like they have a point guard who’s won some championships; play like they have a coach who’s been to the NBA finals 10 times; play like Odom and Gasol’s versatility make them match-up nightmares; play like they deserve to be the number one seed out West.

Here are some more specific keys to victory:

1. Keeping Derek Fisher out of foul trouble: Fisher is the only Laker that can contain Deron Williams. D-Will has blown games wide open when Fisher has been on the bench.

2. Best Supporting Actors: The L.A. bench needs to step up and drain the shots they get when they’re called upon. In Salt Lake City, Lakers reserves hardly made an impact and were MIA on the stat sheet.

3. Set the Tempo: Hopefully the sour taste of defeat lights a fire under the Lakers and they play with a little excitement. Not even when they crawled their way back into Game 4 were they playing with enthusiasm. Dictate the tone early and stay consistent.

4. Rebound Well: One thing that went right for the Lakers in Utah was that they discovered what boxing out and rebounding is. Eureka! If they continue to limit second-chance points for the Jazz, Game 5 will be easier than arresting an NFL cornerback.

5. Kobe: KB24 just needs to play well in the final 5 minutes of the game. We’re not asking him to build the Sistine Chapel, we just need him to paint the ceiling and whatnot.

And there you have it. How to beat the Jazz in 5 steps. I’m definitely going to CC this post to Phil Jackson for him to disseminate to the rest of the crew. Don’t miss Game 5 tonight at 10 EST!

Although there may be others like it, the outcome of this night will reverberate throughout these walls for millennia.

Stay humble, stay hungry.

Lakers Punked in Salt Lake City

2008-05-11T19:50:00.001-07:00

The Lakers took a One-Two punch over the weekend at the hands of the Utah Jazz. After losing a close 104-99 game on Friday night, the Lakers took the Jazz to overtime before ending up on the wrong side of a 123-115 final.

The Lakers starters played well in both games, but what separated these games from the earlier victories was the lack of support from the bench. Kobe had over 30 points in both games, and Odom and Gasol contributed their usual, but our role-players were more like spectators over the weekend. With the exception of Sasha Vujacic, the Lakers bench players were non-factors, and Ronny Turiaf even found a way to get himself ejected from Game 4. That’s gonna have to change if we plan on winning this series.

Phil Jackson must’ve talked to the Lakers’ big men about the slackin’ in their rebounding game, because the battle of the boards has become a lot closer than the first two games of the series, when the Jazz were averaging over 20 offensive rebounds. But as Los Angeles improved its defense, the offense became a lot sloppier, giving up 18 turnovers on Friday night. The Lake Show just needs to regroup, identify the problem areas, and play a strong all-around game on Wednesday at Staples Center. They usually say that the big city corrupts peoples’ minds, but in this case, the Lakers lost their sense of self when they ventured away from the bright lights of L.A. and into the expanse of boredom that is ‘Utah’. I hope two days of rehab can resuscitate and resurrect the Lakers, and get this party back crackin’ (Snoop/Old School reference).

Alright, now, I’m usually a pretty objective when it comes to the character of the teams we play, but there’s always one team that I can’t stand. It’s not that I can’t stand them because they’re a good team, or because they have ugly colors; it’s usually that the combination of characters on their team makes me want to flog myself when I watch them play. Past teams with this distinction include the Steve Nash Suns, The Vlade Divac Kings, and Reggie Miller Pacers. The Utah Jazz are coming extremely close to achieving immortality among the ranks of teams I hate watching. The mix of Kirilenko, Okur, Boozer, Williams, and especially Matt Harpring, is really difficult for me to watch; I feel like it disagrees with me on a very basic internal level.

Before, I just wanted the Lakers to advance to the next round. Now I specifically want them to demoralize the Jazz on their way to the title. It just got personal.

Jordan Farmar, Where you at?

2008-05-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Playoffs have been a pretty smooth ride for the Los Angeles Lakers. We’ve been scoring well, playing better defense than usual, and most importantly…winning. Everyone seems to be playing their role perfectly. Pau’s been holding it down inside; Lamar’s been slashing and rebounding; Fisher keeps us sane and drills big shots; Vujacic and Radmanovic continue to be the sharpshooters we need them to be; Ronny gives us that energy and hustle; and Kobe puts it down like only he can.

But you know who’s been lost in the party? Jordan Farmar. He’s been getting playing time, but he’s not really doing much when he’s in. I guess he’s stepping back and playing that ‘facilitator’ role. A couple times in the playoffs he’s decided that he was going to run the clock down and take the final shot of the quarter. What part of the game is that? Don’t you remember, Farmar, that’s Kobe’s job…always.

I guess he’s been out of his rhythm since Fisher’s been playing so well and Phil Jackson doesn’t want to take him out.

Well, Jordan Farmar’s my favorite young Laker, and I know he’ll emerge from his pseudo-slump stronger than before. He’s just waiting for the right moment. You know that Robert Horry moment when everything’s on the line and plays need to be made? Look around for Jordan Farmar. He’ll be the one making the fashionably late entrance into the playoffs.

Lakers Stay Playoff Perfect!

2008-05-08T13:48:00.000-07:00

Game II was an ideal game for Lakers fans. While I was watching the game, drinking my 99cent can of Mango Madness Arizona, I had to keep looking at my arms to make sure I wasn’t actually dreaming (in my dreams I have dolphin flippers. My psychologist says it’s an evolutionary message from my dolphin twin with human arms). In any event, last night’s game had everything a fan could want: A high score, great plays, a quick start, a close 4th quarter, lots of blocks, primetime players on both squads. And to top it all off, the Lakers won for their sixth playoff game in a row.

The evening started off with the re-presentation of the MVP trophy to Kobe, this time by Commissioner David Stern. Kobe made sure to get his teammates and family in on the fun, which did help to make the repeat presentation less awkward. Fans at Staples Center were given yellow MVP shirts to wear for the game, but I’d say about 14% of the fans even bothered to put ‘em on. I guess that’s kind of expected since everything in L.A is a fashion show, especially if cameras are going to be there. Don’t get me wrong, L.A. fans LOVE Kobe Bryant. I’m just sayin’ they love them some them, too.

The game started out like a track meet, with both teams exploding out the blocks and on fire from the field. The Lakers were the first team to turn up the defense, which allowed them to build a solid lead through most of the first half. They completely shut out Jazz stars Chris Boozer and Deron Williams in the early going, and the rest of the Jazz couldn’t quite pick up the slack. The Lakers got a lot of help from Derek Fisher this game, who ended up with 22 points against his former team. Fisher made a handful of big shots in the first half, which foreshadowed his customary late-game heroics. Lamar Odom also contributed bigtime—with 19 points and 16 rebounds, Lamar got my vote for player of the game.

One person who doesn’t really show up on the stat sheet, but makes a huge impact is Ronny Turiaf. He only had 2 points and 2 rebounds last night, but he fights for every rebound, he challenges every shot, sets great screens, and he plays every minute like it’s overtime. When Turiaf’s in, he’s like a physical manifestation of the Lakers wanting it more than the other team. (BTW-I met Ronny Turiaf on SuperBowl Sunday, and he called me ‘Fam’)

It wasn’t all roses and kittens for the Lakers though. Deron Williams came alive in the second half and led the Jazz storming back into the game. There’s no point guard in the league that’s better or more aggressive at getting to the rim and making plays up there. Kyle Korver also came alive in the second. Even though he looks just like Ashton Kutcher, I gotta say that cat can ball. Paul Millsap had a big game too, converting at least three conventional 3-point plays and causing all kinds of problems for Odom down low.

But it was too little, too late for the Jazz.

There would be no storybook ending to this game. No miraculous finish. The Lakers dictated the game from the start and held Utah at bay like Lennox Lewis jabbing at Mike Tyson. Time is runnin’ out and it’s gonna be difficult for Utah to get back in this series if they don’t make serious strategic changes.

Los Angeles Lakers: Undefeated in the 2008 Playoffs.

http://www.nba.com/games/20080507/UTALAL/boxscore.html

Kobe Bryant Finally Named MVP

2008-05-07T12:10:00.000-07:00

It’s finally here—The moment we’ve all been waiting for. Kobe has been named MVP! It makes me so happy as a supporter of the Kobe-Life. I never thought this day would come! Wait...back up. Why does it seem like we’ve been waiting for this for so long? Why is it unanimous that Kobe should be the Most Valuable Player? Share the saddle with me while I journey through the psyche of basketball fans and the inner-workings NBA politics.

Well, first off, let me frame this discussion be reminding everyone how much hype and anticipation has surrounded this MVP announcement. There were so many leaked reports of Kobe winning the award days in advance that the Association and sponsors decided to hold a press conference to announce the news a day early. Usually, the MVP trophy is presented at a home game for the recipient. Games 1 and 2 were at Staples Center on Sunday and Wednesday, while the press conference took place on Tuesday. So either the league waited two days since Sunday, which would’ve heightened the suspense; or they decided to give into the swirling speculation and reports, and just presented the award to its rightful owner.

Exhibit B: The Hype Itself. The first-place voting wasn’t even close! Kobe received almost three times as many first-place votes as the runner-up, Chris Paul. Why would there be so much anticipation for something that was basically unanimous? Here’s why: we’ve all been waiting for this announcement for years. Kobe Bryant has been the most skilled and, by far, the most exciting player in the NBA since 2005. It’s common knowledge that Kobe’s better than Dirk Nowitski and Steve Nash. But somehow, we allowed them to receive the award without any qualms.

The truth is….they’re goodguys, while Kobe’s been branded a badguy for a number of reasons (adultery, breaking up the Lakers dynasty, take your pick). In the back of our minds, we couldn’t let Kobe win the award because that would’ve forced us to admit that ‘bad guys’ can be the best. At his press conference, Kobe said he didn’t think he’d ever win the award. Word? He could set the record for 3-pointers in a game, score 81 points, average 34 points, and have streaks of 50+ point games; all of that and still never think he’d be MVP. Kobe knows basketball, but he knows how the game is played even better.

Part of the reason I think this is such a noteworthy MVP acknowledgement is that it symbolizes more than just the 2007-2008 season. This award finally recognizes all of Kobe’s accomplishments that we’ve turned a blind eye to for whatever reason. It recognizes all the game winning shots, all the inconceivable plays, all the milestones that have, in our minds, taken a back seat to our assessment of what type of ‘character’ he is. The lines between sports and entertainment have become so blurred for the spectator, that we’ve reduced the highest level of basketball in the world to a standard akin to late 80’s WWF wrestling. We need to see goodguys and badguys, and the Federation is only in balance when the goodguys are winning.

I tip my hat to Kobe Bryant. I don’t think this announcement means he has finally become a better player than Dirk Nowitski or Steve Nash. He was an all-star before Dirk even left Germany, and when Steve Nash was still backing up Kevin Johnson. I’m just glad that the NBA has finally made it okay for people to like Kobe again.

Just a side note—In over 50 years of NBA Most Valuable Players, there have been only two shooting guards to win the award…Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Peep this photo!

Kobe Donates 21 from the Charity Stripe

2008-05-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I know how many cool-points I lose because of the title, but this story had to be written, and it needed this heading.

In my last post, I basically ripped on both teams for playing one of the least impressive games in recent memory, but now that I think about it, I may have been too harsh on them. Why don't we just write it off as 'first game jitters' on both ends. The Jazz were a little thrown off because there were more superstars in the Staples Center crowd than on the court, and the Lakers were confused as to why a state with zero black people has a team called the Jazz. Amidst the menagerie of b-ball follies, there was a silver lining however...Kobe Bryant's domination of the free throw line.

The Lakers haven't played a second round playoff game in four years, but they returned to encounter familiar tactics. Namely, the once effective "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy. This time around, surprisingly, Kobe was the one being intentionally sent to the line. In an oddly perfect twist of fate, Shaquille O'neal had to watch from home as the Lakers crushed the Jazz, and KB24 not only warrented the same treatment that O'neal once demanded, but also knocked down his free throws. Utah had no answer for Bryant in Game 1, and frankly, I don't even think Coach Jerry Sloan bothered to come up with any type of defensive gameplan to contain him. Folks, I think it's gotten to that point where other teams know that even if they do come up with a scheme to guard Kobe, he's gonna drop insane numbers on 'em anyway. So, instead, they just bypass that step in the planning process completely. But I digress.....

KB24 hit 21 of 23 free throws last game, consistently keeping the game out of reach during the Lakers' streaks and slumps. When asked about his performance from the charity stripe, Kobe responded with:

"They're open looks. It's my responsibility to knock them down."

How badass is that!?! It conjures images of Rocky IV..."If he dies, he dies." Although Bryant struggled with his own shot selection issues (yes, he's an addict and he's been attending Shooters Anonymous meetings), his steady hand from the free throw line reaffirmed his focus and desire. Laker Nation does get a little worried when Kobe's heaving bricks, but if he's scoring 38 points in playoff games, he can shoot every shot with feet if he wants to.

I just wanted to get that out there. Sorry for being such a sourpuss in the last post; It's just that time of the month for me....yeah, bills are due. New York's stupid-expensive!!

I'll leave you with a recent Kobe Bryant quote that basically sums up his approach to the charity stripe. Enjoy.

"A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog."

Lakers Strike First. Jazz Sing the Blues

2008-05-04T18:15:00.000-07:00

Round 2, Game 1: Lakers win ugly, but we'll take it.

Once again, our Lakers got it done on another Sunday afternoon at Staples Center. Led by a 38-point effort from Kobe, the Lake Show may have pulled off their sloppiest W of the season in a 109-98 victory over the Utah Jazz. A big story before tipoff was Los Angeles having 6 days of rest since their sweep of the Nuggets, and the Jazz only getting 38 hours to prepare after advancing past Houston. The assumtion was that the Lakers would be rusty but rested, while the Jazz were supposed to be on point but tired. Well, from my Lay-Z-Boy, it looked like the Lakers were fired out of a cannon, and as for the Jazz, it looked like they were slowly being pushed out of a birth canal. But when the smoke settled, both teams looked like caricatures of their usual selves.

Los Angeles ran circles around Utah for the entire first half, and built up a 19-point lead before ending the half up by 14. Pau Gasol picked up two early fouls and had to sit out, so the Lakers decided to roll with a smaller line up. Playing with this quick, fiesty crew, the Lakers created several turnovers and fastbreak opportunities. In addition to all the running, Sasha Vujacic and Vladamir Radmanovic were shooting the lights out from downtown, as is customary from our favorite Balkan duo. Led by a focused Kobe Bryant, the Lakers owned the the first half.

Okay, here's where the party stops. The second half was the least eventful stretch of Lakers b-ball I've witnessed in a long time. Los Angeles didn't play any defense, refused to grab rebounds, and fouled like fouls were worth 4 points each. This sounds like it would be an exciting time for Jazz fans, but no. Utah shot so poorly that all their second-chance opportunities were just more bricks to throw at the backboard. Also, Kobe picked a terrible time to go ice cold from the field; making only two field goals in the second half, while the rest of the shots were so far off that I thought he was practicing new eyes-closed shots for games of H-O-R-S-E. The Jazz miraculously pulled the game within 5 late in the 4th, but a rejuvenated Gasol quickly extinguished their flame.

Make no mistake about it - I'm happy when the Lakers win... But when both teams play so poorly, it's really hard for me to write a positive article for anyone. I don't know which was worse: the Lakers' 2nd-half defense or Utah's comical offensive performance. A couple things I do know is that Los Angeles won't last long giving up 25 offensive rebounds, and the Jazz won't get anywhere shooting 37% from the floor.

I'm sure both squads are gonna make the right adjustments before game 2 on Wednesday. I'd hate to see a series decided by which team played worse. Lakers...Jazz...get a clue.

Downtime for the Lake Show

2008-05-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the Lakers handled business so succintly in Round 1 that there really isn't much going on in LakerLand. While the Rockets and Jazz beat each other up over who gets the honor of contending against Los Angeles, Lakers fans (and players) really have nothing exciting to do.

What have I been doing since Monday? It's funny you should ask...In my free time, I've had a chance to finish my third novel; I took a ceramics class at the local YMCA; bought and beat Grand Theft Auto IV; checked out some pictures of Miley Cyrus; and took a shower. Needless to say, I have way too much time on my hands and, like you, I can't wait for the next Lakers' series to start.

In the meantime, though, I thought I'd take this the time to familiarize all of you with the title of this blog. Werewolf Bar Miztvah was the title of a song alluded to in a 30 Rock episode. There was a quick flashback sequence that showed the song's music video, and let me tell you, it was the funniest 5 seconds of my life! It was a Thriller-esque Tracy Morgan singing about a Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, where boys become men, and men become wolves. Here's the link:

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1782806

you have to see it for yourself. my words don't do it justice, plus I feel like the guy that goes to work the next day and tells the 'goonie goo goo' joke that Eddie Murphy was talkin' about.

Alright, I'll try to keep the content Lakers-oriented from here on out. Have a fun weekend.

"Life is too short to sit around and hold grudges; it doesn't make any sense to do it." Kobe Bryant, Seattle Times, Nov. 13, 2005

Lakers Complete the Sweep in Denver!!!

2008-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I’d like to congratulate our Los Angeles Lakers for winning their first series since 2004, and I also want to commend the Denver Nuggets for a game well played. Game 4, unlike the previous three, felt like an actual NBA playoff game mainly due to the fact that it was much closer at the end. We could all tell that the Nuggets came to play in the fourth game, but guess who decided playtime was over in the fourth quarter? Yessir, Kobe Bryant. But we’ll get to that later.

After a Game 3 meltdown on Saturday afternoon, and all of the discouraging clubhouse comments from Denver players and coaches that ensued, I assumed that the towel had been thrown in well before tip-off; but au contraire mon frere. The Nuggets made a game of it and held a lead over Los Angeles deep into the fourth quarter. Rallying back from a 10-point halftime deficit, Denver decided to play defense while their relentless offense exceeded already-high expectations. With these conditions in order, and Kobe going ice cold in one of his “I’ll-shoot-the-ball-from-halfcourt” modes, the Lakers found their backs against the wall for the entire second half.

The Lakers stars and roleplayers coasted the team along while Kobe was trying to work the kinks out of his shot mechanics. Lamar Odom finished with a solid 14 points and 12 boards; Pau Gasol contributed with 21 points and 4 much needed blocks; and Walton, Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, and Farmar all chipped in with timely buckets during Kobe’s sabbatical.

The Nuggets’ bench was primarily responsible for their outburst of scoring. Young stars like J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza, and Nene had the L.A. on their heels, and defensively, perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Marcus Camby, led a block party that Dave Chappelle would’ve been proud of.

But let’s get real…

If Denver couldn’t slam the door on the Lakers when King Kobe was firing blanks, they had NO SHOT when he started to heat up. KB24 scored 14 points in the final 5:31 of the game, almost single-handedly terminating the 2007-2008 Nuggets. He ended the game with 31 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks; a well-timed, well-rounded effort from the game’s deadliest clutch performer. Well…I don’t quite know if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but Kobe was all show Monday night. Half of his baskets included a double-axle of some sort, or highlighted him driving past 4 Denver defenders (if such a thing exists) on his way to an equally dazzling finish. See, now, I don’t normally have a problem with Bryant flexin’ his repertoire, but then he turned around and MISSED 5 out of 8 free throws. His shot was off, but his game was on (if that makes sense) but I’ll take a Lakers win regardless of how it’s packaged.

Game 4 was, by far, the most exciting game of the series. These teams must read Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, because they did exactly what I asked of them in my previous entry: made it a close game worth paying attention to. Kobe really wanted to make it interesting, so he missed more than half of his free throws and fouled J.R. Smith twice while Smith was shooting 3-pointers. At least I know I have one loyal reader.

Midway through the 3rd quarter, I watched a play that seemed to be a microcosm of the Nuggets’ season. Denver gets a quick steal, everyone runs down the court, Anthony Carter tosses Carmelo a perfect alleyoop, and then Melo clangs it off the back iron and the ball flies out of bounds. Denver did everything right this season…up until the end. I bid them farewell, and wish them good luck in the off-season.

Next up for your Los Angeles Lakers: The Houston Rockets or the Utah Jazz. I’m hoping their series drags on (all the way up until the Democratic National Convention) so the Lakers have a little time to tend to some injuries and nurse some key factors back to health. I see Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza, and Rony Turiaf just beyond the horizon…

Until next time: Stay humble, stay hungry. Handsome battle, Los Angeles. Back to the underground for now.

check out the box score from NBA.com

http://www.nba.com/games/20080428/LALDEN/boxscore.html

A Lakers Win? Blasé and Passé

2008-04-28T11:29:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it’s hard to step outside of your own perspective and see what the rest of the world is seeing. This sounds like the content of a completely different blog, or like the monologues at the end of every episode of ‘The Wonder Years’ or ‘Scrubs,’ but trust me, this idea is entirely relevant and applicable to Werewolf Bar Mitzvah.

Okay, so, ask yourself which NBA playoffs series you think is the most exciting? Got it? Okay, great. Well, I would say that the Lakers – Nuggets is easily the most stirring, as it includes three of the top four scorers in the league; the Lakers who fought their way to the top of the Wild Western Conference; the playoff-hungry Nuggets who clawed their way into the 8th spot and can score 160 points in any given game; Pau Gasol newly installed in L.A.; the star-studded Staples Center crowd; Carmelo Anthony’s DUI three days before the series; Kobe jumping over Aston Martins; and countless other off-and-on-the-court stories. With this much substance, in addition to the usual level of excitement accompanying post-season hoops, I have no doubts as to why this is Clinton versus Obama for basketball fans. But is it really?

With the Lakers up 3-0 in the series, having won every game by at least 14 points, I’m starting to wonder if this is more like a number 1 seed in the NCAA tourney playing against a #16 seed with Cinderella dreams. Every other series has each team winning at least one game, even Celtics vs. Hawks, which pits the team with the best record in the league against a team that’s 4 games below .500. Those match-ups at least make things interesting. A Lakers sweep would be sweet serenity for us in LakersNation, but little more than an afterthought to foreigners. On second thought (and upon reading the five lines of coverage this series gets outside of L.A. and Denver media), I can, without fear of blasphemy, say that this is a pretty boring series.

I recently realized that my affinity for this type of Lakers dominance has gotten me so excited that I’ve tricked myself into thinking that I’m watching great basketball. I’m always gonna be stoked when the Lake Show’s rollin’; I’m never gonna get sick of post-victory confetti at Staples Center; and I’m just as reluctant to pass up tickets to KB24’s high-flying point parade as he is to pass the ball at all. I always want to see them succeeding; but basically, I love the Lakers so much that it’s hard for me to see how dull things become when they play well.

I saw a US NAVY commercial that said, “The journey is the reward” and to that I tipped my hat. So I think the Lakers should pump the brakes a lil’ bit, you know, make things a little closer, a little more exciting, more intense, suspenseful….make things – ahhh - fun. In 2004, the Lakers lost in the Finals, but at least it was fun to watch because we won a game. Being eliminated by the Phoenix Suns the last two seasons gave me some my favorite playoff memories ever because we won some of those games. So why not let the Nuggets win a game or two? Why not take the scenic route home? Why take the inland I-5 North when you can take Highway 1 up the coast?

People say losing builds character, and losses can be moral victories. By extension and inversion, does that mean that winning destroys character, and that victories are moral defeats?

Well, Coach Phil Jackson has a great barometer for gauging the proper Zen, Chi, or Karma levels, and we all know he has a nose for success and he knows when to win. With that said, I’ll leave the navigating up to Phil.

Until next time, stay hungry and stay humble. Stay tuned Monday night to see what Game 4 has in store. Hopefully a moral(e) victory for Denver

Horus

Game II: One-Man Show. Kobe Drops 49

2008-04-24T21:53:00.000-07:00

If there's a more electrifying athlete on the planet, I'd like to know who it is. Kobe Bryant put on a show Wednesday night that would've sold out regardless if anyone else was on the court. Beyond just lighting up the scoreboard, KB24 hit shots that stretched the limits of reality, and performed some aerial maneuvers that made David Stern wonder if the NBA should impose special rules on Kobe just to even out the playing field.

Bryant started hot right out of the gates. At one point, he hit ten consecutive shots on his way to a 20-point first quarter. He slowed down a little bit in the second, but that was mainly so he could get his teammates involved. And with Kobe torchin' the nets and getting triple-teamed everytime down the floor, the rest of the squad was wide open when he'd kick it out - just some good old fashioned basketball. Unlike game 1, Kobe did spread the ball around a little bit, ending up with a game-leading 10 assists.

The fourth quarter was another brilliant period for Kobe. Draining three-pointer after three-pointer and getting to the basket without any resistance, he ended up dropping 18 in the fourth and slamming the door shut on Denver. Kobe was pulled out of the game with about 3 minutes left after some extracurricular action with a Denver guard named 'J.R. Smith'. Wait, who? Apparently, this guy didn't like the fact that Bryant was the only one doing anything significant, so he decided that the way he'd get notariety around the league would be to be known as 'that guy who helped fuel Kobe's 49-point explosion.' So after KB24 chirped at him for a while and took him to school repeatedly, JR Smith had enough and started to get unruly. All this did was allow Kobe to hit technical free throws while Staples Center chanted M-V-P!

This game was a testament to the versatility of the L.A. Lakers. They win games when everyone is involved and shooting well, and they win games when Kobe decides he's gonna carry the load all by himself. Lamar didn't play particularly well,

scoring only 4 points and being benched most of the game in foul trouble. Gasol took a step down from his game 1 heroics, and Rony Turiaf didn't even suit up due to an injury sustained in practice. But that's OK since Kobe Bryant is the future. I don't mean that in the sense that he's gonna be the premiere player in a few years; he's been peerless for a few years already. I mean that his game is so advanced that there really isn't any defense for it - that defense hasn't even been developed yet! Read the following excerpt from NBA.com:

"Tonight, the way he was going, we probably could have put 10 people on the court and probably wouldn't have been able to stop him,'' said Nuggets star Allen Iverson, who wasn't bad himself, getting 31 points and six assists.

That just about sums up my point. I'm a Lakers fan first and foremost, but Kobe could've beaten both of the teams on the floor by himself Wednesday night.

Now the series moves to Denver, a place Kobe knows inside and out. A few years back, he spent a lot of time there in and out of courtrooms (and hotel hostesses). This time around though, Denver is so preoccupied with keeping the Cornrow Kids (Iverson and Carmelo) out of trouble that Kobe can relax. By the way, I'm not convinced that Carmelo Anthony isn't playing the games drunk. Forreal, I saw him smiling a couple times on the court during game 2. The Nuggets ain't have nothin' to smile about! Maybe he was just excited that Bryant was giving his team a free basketball clinic.

Until next time, stay hungry and stay humble. See you Saturday.

Horus

most valuble player - Kobe
wake up award - Lamar Odom
garbage time all-star - Coby Karl
sharpshooter award - Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton
sixth man of the game - Luke Walton

Playoffs 2008: The Boys are Back in Town!

2008-04-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

I'm such a huge fan of Lakers playoff basketball that I need a little bit of transition time to ease into the right mode, otherwise I just explode with hoops suspense and excitement. So this year, I decided to listen to the first half of Game 1 against the Denver Nuggets on the radio rather than watching it. Well, also the Pope was in New York City (my temporary home) giving a mass at Yankee Stadium and every broadcast station was covering the service, so I couldn't have watched the first half even if I wanted to.

Back to live action. The big story that developed out of this game was that of Pau Gasol. Undoubtedly the hero of the first half, Gasol was unstoppable inside. Whether it was post-play, mid-range jumpers, or one of several easy dunks; the bearded Spaniard was ballin’ outta control! With 36 points, 16 boards, and a handful of dimes, Pau outshined everyone during his Christening into playoff Lakerhood.

The Lakers played a better team-game than anything I’ve ever seen them attempt. In addition to scoring almost 130 points, the Lake Show also had 33 assists. Now that’s ball movement. I guess it’s easy to rack up assists when everyone on the floor is hittin’ shots. Even unlikely heroes, like the team-nominated ‘Most Disappointing’ player of the season, Luke Walton, made a gang of first-half baskets to compliment Gasol’s scoring spree. Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, and Vladamir Radmanoviv all stepped up to the plate and drained the big shots that we’ve come to expect from them. It doesn’t feel like the Lakers are trying to lose any of that end-of-season momentum that helped them surge through the Wild Wild West and take the number one spot.

Lamar Odom, who recently got his own signature Nike shoe in a Lakers colorway, was another inside presence that the Nuggets had no answer for. Lamar had 14 rebounds and 17 points in the opening game of the series, but beyond just adding to the Lakers’ point pool, the nature of Lamar’s scoring was nothing less than demoralizing. He must’ve had half a dozen wide open dunks or layups. Now, Lamar isn’t know for his explosion or creativity in penetration, so when he’s consistently getting to the rim uncontested, Denver’s gotta know they’re doing something wrong. Nuggets - get a clue.

Now, I don’t know what type of person I’d be if I tried to provide in-depth analysis (not really) of a Lakers game without mentioning the best basketball player of the millennium: Our own Kobe Bryant. Well, you saw that same game I did, and you know Kobe struggled in the first half. He only had four points and he got himself into early foul trouble. Usually, with KB24 going ice cold, I might be a little worried about the Purple and Gold, but in the playoffs, it’s no secret that Kobe’s gonna get his. Okay, okay, I can admit that Kobe takes shots that not even the most faithful of fans can stand behind. Yeah, I revere him, and even I’M amazed at the variety of crazy shots he pulls out of his hat. At the same time though, this guy’s got a bag of tricks that transcends known rules of basketball, laws of physics, and boundaries of the imagination. With that said, Kobe can toss up any shot from anywhere, and still be free of criticism from your humble author.
Moving right along, it seems as if at halftime Kobe decided playtime was over, and it was time for him to do work. Scoring 28 in the second half, KB24 stretched the Lakers’ lead from 2 to 20, and reminded everyone that even though the tide may ebb out west, when you come to L.A., bank on Kobe going off on you.

I think it all comes down to the Nuggets’ lack of defense. They let the Lakers score at will and that was an offer the Lakers couldn’t refuse. It seemed like a well-executed Triangle Offense versus a watered-down version of Muhammad Ali’s ‘Rope-a-Dope’ defense. The only difference was that Ali had a knockout punch at the end. Unfortunately, there was no 15-point knockout shot for Denver.

In every facet of the game, the Lakers not only dominated Denver, but also sent a stern message to the rest of the association. The rest of the series should be interesting, but I’m feeling like the Nuggs are about to get swept. Never too late for a little spring cleaning in L.A.

Horus