Honey, I'm Home!

Ok... no need to make this any weirder than it has to be. After what we'll call a "hiatus", one that saw, among other things, the acquisition of Pau Gasol, 2 (TWO!) trips to the Finals, heartbreak and humiliation in Boston, Kobe's 61 at the Garden, Game 7 against the Rockets, and rightful return of the NBA title to LakerWorld, I am back! 

Rather than focus on what's passed (although no one should hesitate to continue celebrating title #15!), there is plenty to get to in the coming weeks. In less than one week, the Lakers (and the rest of the league) will take part in the NBA Draft, with the world-champions holding the 29th, 42nd and 59th picks, and in less than two weeks, the like of Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza will become free agents, presenting Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak (more on him very soon) with some interesting decisions.

I wish I had been able to check in all along, but, hey, life happens! I had to settle for the frequent frustration and ultimate jubilation of watching the Lakers' return to the top, and Kobe's vindication from the "yeah, but" losers. Now, if everyone will kindly direct their attention to the future, there is still plenty of Laker talk to get to...

Bynum Banged Up vs. Grizz

Andrew Bynum went down last night following a relatively mild collision with Kobe Bryant. Ordinarily the diagnosis of a sprained knee would suffice, but in Bynum’s case, it’s difficult to keep from assuming the worst. While hoping for the absolute best for Andrew Bynum, it’s difficult to keep from thinking back to last season, when he dislocated his left kneecap, again after running into a teammate (last year it was Lamar Odom), again against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Lakers went on to get the win, their sixth in seven games, topping the Grizzlies 115-98, but one can’t help but worry about their championship aspirations if Bynum is sidelined for a significant period of time- especially if it extends into the postseason. An MRI has been scheduled, with the results expected before the Lakers take the floor Monday night in New York, and the specter of another playoff run without Andrew Bynum must be haunting the Lakers.

Rooting interests aside, hopefully all basketball fans are also hoping for a speedy return to the floor for Andrew Bynum, who looked to be elevating his game to a new level recently, averaging 20.3 points, 8.1 rebounds (13.8 in his last five games) and more than 2 blocks in his last twelve games.

Bynum Breaking Out?

After emerging as a potential force in the paint last season, Andrew Bynum looks ready to dominate. After a string of solid performances, Bynum torched the Clippers for a career-high 42 points, on just 24 field goal attempts, on Wednesday night, and followed up that performance with a rock-solid 23-point effort (on just 12 FG attempts) in a blowout win against the Washington Wizards the following night, tossing in 29 rebounds and four blocked shots in the two games, just for good measure. The most exciting aspect of the back-to-back performances, from the Lakers’ perspective at least, is that Bynum doesn’t seem to be playing over his head.

What’s happened in the last two games is not an anomaly, nor has it been absent all season. It just hasn’t happened with this magnitude or with the consistency that many predicted before the season. However, the last two night have given us a glimpse of what Andrew Bynum is expected to become, and looks to be on his way to becoming. A great set of physical tools, combined with his increased physical maturity, added game experience and the tutelage of a legend have Andrew Bynum on the path toward becoming the latest dominant big man in Lakerland.

A legitimate 7-footer, Bynum has done a fantastic job of adding muscle to his once-skinny frame, becoming noticeably more imposing, now tipping the scales at a solid 285 pounds. This strength allows him to hold his own against virtually any NBA big man, but it’s the set of supplemental skills he’s developed that point to Bynum becoming a special player in the near future. Bynum’s combination of length (he has a 7’3” wingspan), soft hands and athleticism (33” vertical leap) are a rarity in man of his size, and have provided his tutor, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a full complement of tools with which to work. And that work is paying off, as the skills that Andrew Bynum has developed have Kareem’s fingerprints all over them.

As valuable as Bynum’s size and athleticism may be, what’s now giving him the look of a great big man are his footwork, passing and movement without the ball- hallmarks of Kareem’s dominant career. No longer does Bynum look like “Bambi on ice”, as did in his first two NBA seasons- he’s now identifying the spots on the floor that he wants to get to, getting there, establishing position, and making strong, confident moves once he receives the ball. Rather than allowing him to rely on his considerable, albeit raw, physical assets, Kareem has worked with Bynum, who’s build is very similar to his own, on refining his footwork and always maintaining his balance, which, combined with his ever-improving play without the ball, both on the strong side and the weak side of the floor, have helped Bynum develop a smooth jump hook, a potential go-to move, and to find opening in the paint for easy shots.

Not only has Bynum made great strides with regard to getting his own shot, he’s also improved his passing, both in terms of vision as well as touch. Though he’s not there yet, more than any aspect of his game, Bynum’s passing from the post is reminiscent of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who’s widely regarding as one the league’s best-ever passing big men. In an offense so predicated on effective ball movement, Bynum’s ability to find the open man along the sideline, on the perimeter, and cutting down the lane has added another vital dimension to the Lakers offense. With his improved passing, combined with that of Pau Gasol, another excellent passer, the Lakers boast a pair of top-flight passing big men, which keeps defenders honest, and forces far more single-coverage in the post, since neither man has a problem looking over double-teams to find the open man.

After showing flashes of his potential last season, only to be derailed by a dislocated kneecap, Andrew Bynum looks ready to ascend to the next level. While his consistency hasn’t immediately return this season, it’s obvious that Bynum possesses every tool necessary to become a truly dominant big man, and given the way he’s used those tools over the past 48 hours, he seems to be learning how to harness his power.

Less than 18 months ago, Kobe Bryant was livid that GM Mitch Kupchak didn’t send Bynum to New Jersey in exchange for Jason Kidd. It’s probably safe to say that Kobe’s never been happier to be wrong. Few, if any, GMs would even consider that trade today. And who would blame them?

What A Difference A Year Makes

Was it really just a year ago that the Chicago Bulls arrived at Staple Center, at the height of the Kobe Bryant trade hysteria? Feels like that was a lifetime ago! After an offseason filled with talk of a potential trade for Kobe Bryant, the Bulls arrived in Los Angeles on November 18 during their annual "circus roadtrip", amid a flurry of rumors centered on Kobe's "impending" relocation to the Windy City. It was about then that the wave finally broke.

It's been said about the stock market for years, “buy when there’s blood in the streets”. This will likely hold true in the current economic downturn as well- when there is seemingly no hope, when the outlook is the most bleak, and it looks like there is nowhere but over the cliff, one day, things stop getting worse. Faced with the nightmare of persistent trade demands from the best player of the post-Jordan era, the Los Angeles Lakers, and Kobe in particular, were booed off the floor following a 95-93 home loss to the Houston Rockets in their season opener. The Lakers world was in flames, and there was NO catalyst for a recovery- it was clearly the beginning of the end for Kobe Bryant with the Lakers.

Then, inexplicably, glimmers of hope began to appear. Two days after their deflating home loss against Houston, the Lakers went into Phoenix and proceeded to clobber the heavily favored Suns by 21 points, leading by as many as 33 points in the 4^th quarter. It was a comprehensive “team” victory, with eight players finishing with at least eight points (five in double-digits), Vladimir Radmanovic led the team with 19 points (on just 8 shots!), Kobe grabbed 11 rebounds to go with his 16 points, on just 15 shot attempts, and Andrew Bynum, in just 23 minutes off the bench, began to justify the organization’s faith in him, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, while hitting on seven of his ten field goal attempts. It was the kind of victory that, at least temporarily, heals all wounds.

Two nights later, the Lakers looked to build on their emphatic win in Phoenix, when they faced another quality opponent, this time the Utah Jazz at home. The Lakers turned in a performance very similar to the one they’d produced against the Suns, even scoring an identical 119 points, albeit in a much closer game. Though Kobe Bryant did lead the way this time, scoring 33 points, he did so on just 19 shots, leaving plenty of opportunity for the Lakers’ suddenly intriguing supporting cast, who rose to the occasion again. Kobe led six players in double figures (and Radmanovic scored 9 points), with Derek Fisher (19) and Bynum (15 points and 9 rebounds in just 19 minutes) providing major support. However, the real catalyst in the win, which saw the Lakers trailing by a point after three quarters, was Jordan Farmar, whose stat line (12 points, 4 assists in 17 minutes) does not do justice to his impact. It was Farmar who started the fourth quarter with a rebound, and driving assist to Bynum, followed by three made field goals (one was a three-point play), and a pair of assists to Kobe and Ronny Turiaf. Maybe it was naive optimism, but it was during this that it seemed possible that “something cool is happening here”.

The Lakers won three of their next five games, but with Chicago coming to town on November 18, the trade rumors persisted, as the Bulls were included on Kobe’s short list of “acceptable destinations”, and they had several talented young players that could comprise an enticing package. The uncertainty surrounding the situation raised the level of speculation surrounding the Lakers-Bulls matchup to near-comedic levels, making the actual game an afterthought, and perhaps rightfully so, given the 106-78 thumping dished out by the Lakers. However, it was during the game that powerful messages were sent, by both sides. In yet another balanced attack, the Lakers saw six player score in double-figures, with no one scoring more than Kobe Bryant’s 18 points. Again, Bynum and Farmar played significant roles, scoring 14 points each (Bynum added 10 rebounds, Farmar had 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals), with Luke Walton, Vlad Radmanovic and Chris Mihm also scoring in double-digits. Though the Lakers’ supporting cast had been showing Kobe for two weeks that grass was not necessarily greener, this was their moment. It was as though the Lakers’ younger players were collectively saying “Them? You’re demanding a trade so you can go play with them?”

As for the Bulls, well, their core simply cemented in GM Mitch Kupchak’s mind why he did not want to trade Kobe Bryant, and definitely why he didn’t want to trade him for a combination of these guys! Of the Bulls’ players who’d been rumored to be part of a potential deal, the then-untouchable Luol Deng did not suit up due to a back injury, while Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, Ben Wallace, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah combined to score 37 points on 14-for-39 from the field.

In the 12 months since the Lakers and Bulls last met in L.A., the Lakers have amassed a regular-season record of 57-23, become the deepest and most talented team in the NBA, thanks to adding Pau Gasol without having to surrender any key pieces, and have made a trip to the NBA Finals, and look poised to return. On a side note- would anyone trade the Lakers supporting cast for the ENTIRE Bulls’ roster today?

And the Bulls? They’ve posted a record of 36-47 in their 83 regular season games since that night. On the bright side, they did win the one postseason competition in which they participated. Ok, so it was the draft lottery, but still!

One year ago tonight was the moment that it all hit the fan for John Paxon and the Bulls- not only had he created a massive distraction for his young players, he’d just watched the bottom fall out of the trade value of the core of his young, highly-regarded roster. Had the lucky bounce of a ping-pong ball not delivered Derrick Rose to Chicago, John Paxson’s ineptitude and mismanagement of what was once the best stable of young talent in the NBA would now be reaching Isiah Thomas levels.

Lakers' "Ghost" Haunting the NBA

Almost a year ago, after tours in New York and Orlando, Trevor Ariza returned to Southern California, where he’d played his high school ball, winning a state championship, and played his lone year (2003-04) of NCAA basketball at UCLA. Ariza, a second-round pick (43^rd overall) of the Knicks in 2004, spent 3+ seasons with the Knicks and Magic, playing sparingly, putting up nothing-special numbers on series of nothing-special (a generous assessment) teams. There was never any doubt about his athleticism, but not many predicted that Ariza would emerge as the second-coming of Michael Cooper.

The November 20, 2007 deal that saw the Lakers sent a package of Brian Cook, a seven-footer with a good outside shot (but not good enough to justify his lack of improvement in any other area) and another athletic defender, Maurice Evans, to the Orlando Magic, in exchange for Trevor Ariza, hardly had the look of an impact move. While the Lakers were getting younger by acquiring Ariza, then just 22 years of age, Evans (29 at the time) had been playing very well in a similar role as the team had run out to an unexpectedly strong start. Why rock the boat? As it turns out, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak (to whom I owe several apologies!), knew exactly what he was doing! Ariza was not a younger, more athletic version of Mo Evans, the departure of Cook freed up floor time, which was well-spent, as it was during these minutes that the emergence of Andrew Bynum took place.

Despite losing much of 2007-08 to a broken foot, Ariza brought a level of speed, athleticism and defensive intensity to the 2/3 position that is matched by only one other Laker- Kobe Bryant. It is exactly this that has made Trevor Ariza so valuable; while Kobe Bryant can match Ariza in terms of both physical tools and defensive prowess, he is also counted on to be the Lakers’ most dominant offensive player. Trevor Ariza makes it possible for Kobe to not have to guard the opposition’s best offensive player, protecting him from foul trouble as well as fatigue from having to play the most challenging role at both ends of the floor.

But as good an on-the-ball defender as Ariza is, it is his ability to find the ball and make plays coming off the weak side that truly set him apart. It's this talent that has led Lakers' coach Phil Jackson to call Ariza "the Ghost", saying that "Sort of a stealth player. Just all of a sudden he shows ... and he's gone. He's a blip and he's away." Not only is Ariza as good as there is in the NBA at coming from a ballhandler’s blind side (2.2 spg), he's an excellent rebounder (5.2 rpg; ~10.6 reb/48 minutes) as well. Also, he’s proven to be a solid, and ever-improving, offensive player as well, averaging 10 points a game, while shooting better than 50% from both the field (51.2%) AND 3-point range (54.5%), and not giving away possessions (.7 TO/g).

Following a trade that turned very few heads at the time, Trevor Ariza has turned out to be an outstanding find for the Lakers, contributing defensive intensity and incredible athleticism to what may already be the NBA’s deepest and best team- all while flying under the radar.

Memo to John Paxson

Dear Mr. Paxson,

You blew it! Everything your franchise has been working toward since the retirement of the man who legitimized you as anything more than a mildly effective spot-up shooter, you've doused with lighter fluid and torched.

I understand it’s fun to be “loaded with young talent” and an “up and coming” team every year, but you were given the opportunity to trade for the NBA’s best player at price you could afford, and you… passed? For what? Luol Deng? You mean the same Luol Deng that passed on you by turning down a 5-year, $50 million contract extension? While Deng is clearly an excellent young player, even of he sticks around, he will never come close to having the impact of Kobe Bryant, both on the floor and in the cash register.

Since the end of the Michael Jordan era in 1998, the Chicago Bulls have focused on accumulating young talent and freeing up loads of cap space, all with an eye toward making a bold move to attract superstar talent returning to title contention in the NBA.

Heading into the season, your rumored trade for the NBA’s best player, Kobe Bryant, seemed inevitable. For a package consisting of some combination of Ben Gordon, Tyrus Thomas, Ben Wallace, Kirk Hinrich (but NOT Luol Deng!), plus cash and draft picks, the Bulls were on the doorstep of acquiring the best player of the post-Jordan era. However, as was the case with Pau Gasol, and Kevin Garnett before him, Kobe Bryant proved to be just a mirage- the latest in a series of attempts by the Bulls to complete their return to the NBA’s elite. After a decade of planning and scheming for a way to attract a top-flight NBA show-stopper to the Bulls, you not only failed to grab the best opportunity that will EVER present itself to you, you succeeded in turning the Chicago Bulls into a joke. Congratulations, you have officially supplanted the Knicks as the NBA’s “Team Who Cried Superstar” most often without acquiring an actual game-changing playmaker.

For all of the young talent on the Bulls, this is still a flawed team plagued by chronic issues like their slow starts to every season, as well as the lack of both an inside scoring threat and a bona fide “go-to guy”, not to mention the improvement of several teams at the top of the Eastern Conference. If these issues weren’t troublesome enough, a whole new series of obstacles are poised to slam the window shut on the championship aspirations of this Bulls’ era:

• Both Luol Deng and Ben Gordon turned down 5-year, $50 million contract extensions before the start of the season. The ultimatum that is presents is simple- pay one (or both) of these solid #2 players superstar money ($13+ million/year), or turn back the clock to the 1999-2000 season.

• After years of hoarding cap space, the man you finally elected to make a huge commitment to, one-time defensive stopper and rebounding specialist Ben Wallace, is a complete bust and looks to have aged about a decade in a little over a year. In addition to having lost his game, at a price tag of $44 million over the next three seasons (including 2007-08), he has NO trade value until he becomes Theo Ratliff 2.0 during the 2009-10 season, with his $14 million salary poised to come off the books.

• Your other big-money man, Kirk Hinrich (owed $47.5 million thru 2011-12, including 200-08), is an inconsistent, foul-prone (3.33/game for his career) point guard, who’s not much of a shooter from the field (41.1 career; 37.3% in 2007-08).

• Finally, for all the talk of highway robbery that circled around your trade of Eddy Curry to the New York Knicks, what do you really have to show for it? Well, you paid Tim Thomas to go away (he thrived elsewhere), I think Mike Sweetney and Jermaine Jackson parked my car last week, Tyrus Thomas is a very nice player (but’s he’s Shawn Marion without a Steve Nash), and Joakim Noah will go down as one of the most useless top-ten picks in recent memory. Hell, at least Curry’s good for double-figure points!

So let’s get this straight, in your time running the Bulls, you didn’t trade a guy who wouldn't re-sign with you in order to acquire the planet’s best player, you threw gobs of cash at two flawed and overrated players, and you traded Eddy Curry (an underachiever in his own right) for a package of 5 players, only two of whom are on your team today- and they’re giving you a stellar 11.6 points, 8.6 rebounds per game?

Man, you are a terrible GM! Lucky for you Isiah Thomas is still running amock in New York. Otherwise, the NBA might be focusing on what a joke you’ve turned the Bulls into!

Opening Night Rematch In Houston

Lakers (3-3) @ Houston Rockets (6-2)

November 14, 2007, 9:00 PM Eastern (8:00 PM Pacific); Shown nationally on ESPN

Toyota Center- Houston, TX

A day after suffering their worst loss of the season in San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers are in Houston for the second half of a brutal back-to-back. The Lakers will be looking to avenge their opening night defeat at the hands of the Rockets, when they were beaten 95-93 at Staples Center. That night, the Rockets led by double-figures for much of the second half, before blowing a 12-point lead in the game’s final 1:28, before being saved by a Shane Battier 3-pointer with just a few seconds left. The Lakers come into tonight’s game sporting a solid 3-3 record, which includes quality wins against two Western Conference contenders (Phoenix and Utah). The Lakers will need to secure a win against the Rockets tonight in order to avoid losing three of four games, and to maintain any early season momentum that they may have built up with their solid early season play.

After a loss against the Spurs last night in the season’s first “measuring stick” game, tonight’s game offers the Lakers another opportunity to measure their progress in a road game against another of the Western Conference contender.

Lakers’ Notes

Based on the assumption that Kobe and Tracy McGrady offensive numbers will effectively cancel one another out, it is imperative the Lakers control the tempo of this game from the outset and not allow the Rockets to establish Yao Ming’s inside presence early. The Lakers will need to speed up the game’s tempo, which will reduce Yao’s impact at both ends of the floor- particularly on defense, where not allowing him to fully set up on defense will provide opportunities to draw fouls against the Rockets’ big man. Since the Lakers do not have a big man capable of consistently battling Yao in the low post, it will take a group effort, led of course by Kobe Bryant, to take the ball hard to the basket at every appropriate opportunity.

As always, the Lakers will have to turn in a balanced offensive performance, looking to create early, high-percentage chances for interior players like Andrew Bynum Ronny Turiaf and Kwame Brown. Finally, ball movement in the halfcourt will be key, as the Lakers, who are shooting under 30% from 3-point range, will need to find open shooters around the arc when they have good looks available..

Defensively, the focus will have to be (as it always is) on limiting the number of quality looks for Tracy McGrady (Maurice Evans will be huge here) and Yao Ming and making every offensive opportunity as difficult as possible for them. However, in doing so, it will important not to leave the Rockets outside shooters, of which there are a few (Battier, Luther Head, Mike James) alone on the perimeter- as they did with Peja Stojakovic in their loss to the New Orleans Hornets, getting burned for a ridiculous 10 3-pointers.

Injuries continue to plague Lamar Odom, who in just his second game back from a shoulder injury, tore a tendon in his right (non-shooting) pinkie. Though he’s in some pain, Lamar expects to start tonight in Houston. In addition to Odom, Kwame Brown is still bothered by bursitis in his right heel, which limited him to just 14 minutes in San Antonio Tuesday night. The Lakers’ starting lineup should feature Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt, with Lamar Odom, Ronnie Turiaf and Kwame Brown up front.

Rockets’ Notes

The Houston Rockets, who have gotten off to an impressive 6-2 start this season, are also finishing up a back-to-back set, having lost in Memphis to the Grizzles on Tuesday night, 105-99, despite 63 points from Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. McGrady, whose performance allowed him to take over the NBA’s scoring lead at 29 points per-game (Kobe’s at 28.3), made sixteen of his twenty eight field goals and added four rebounds and four assists in the losing effort. While they will obviously ride their their two superstars, the key for the Rockets (much like it is for the Lakers) will be to get some consistent performances from the supporting cast, who had only player in double figures (Mike James, 10 points) and shot just 37% (16-43) from the field. Despite Rick Adelman’s reputation as an up-tempo, offensive-minded coach, the Rockets will need to look to slow down the tempo of the game, allowing Yao Ming’s presence in the paint to have greater impact at both ends of the floor.

The Rockets come in without any significant injuries and should field a starting lineup of Yao, Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes up front, with Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston in the backcourt.

What should we look for tonight?

Remember that the Lakers led Rockets for much of the game on opening night, despite playing without Lamar Odom in the midst of swirling Kobe Bryant trade rumors. Not only is Odom now back in the Lakers’ lineup, the team’s collective attitude, not to mention the increased balance in the offense, has improved dramatically in over the past two weeks. Also, with Houston’s next three games coming against the Spurs (in San Antonio), Phoenix and Dallas, there is a very real possibility that the Rockets may be looking past this game. Just as the Lakers found themselves in a classic “trap” game against New Orleans last week, the Houston Rockets are staring down the barrel of a “trap” game Wednesday night. Look for the Lakers to play well against Rockets once, this time having enough in the tank to pull out the win over Yao, McGrady & Co.