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.

A Legend's Take on the Lakers

In yet another outstanding article published yesterday, long-time Lakers’ insider and the organization’s official biographer, Roland Lazenby discusses a recent phone conversation he had with former Lakers’ assistant Tex Winter. One of the best basketball minds around, the 85 year-old Winter shared his thoughts on the evolution of Kobe Bryant and the current state of the Los Angeles Lakers. The comments from Winter are accurate and optimistic, and at the same time very candid in their calls for self-assessment and self-improvement- the kind of constructive advice one can expect from a caring and observant grandparent.

With regard to Kobe Bryant and his trade repeated requests, Tex opined the time has come for Kobe to stop pushing for a trade and to realize that remaining with the Lakers is clearly the best move for him. Winter went on to say that while he likes the talented young roster of the Chicago Bulls, “Frankly, I’m not sure how much he’d be able to help that club.” As the conversation shifted to his brainchild, the famed Triangle offense, Winter expressed the opinion that the offensive system he’s spent a good deal of his life developing is still as effective as ever. Tex goes on to say that Kobe Bryant’s physical and mental abilities make him the best player for the Triangle in the NBA, “And he knows it. I wish he would concentrate on playing the game and making his teammates better and not worry about all this other stuff.” Winter was also eager to praise Kobe for his maturity and dedication to the team concept in the early season, citing Kobe’s recent praise of Andrew Bynum’s work ethic, renewed dedication on the defensive and, most importantly, his willingness to play with in the offense.

Winter goes on to say that the Lakers’ offensive development will hinge on two things- greater attention to detail with regard to Triangle fundamentals (constant movement and precise passing and cutting), and improved passing from their big men. Tex mentions that of all the Lakers’ big men, Andrew Bynum has shown the potential to be the best passer out of the post (it helps to learn from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest passing big men in league history).

Winter, who suffers from painful shingles in his chest, is not currently with the team, but watches many game from his home in Oregon, had some additional observations on Kobe & Co. He says the Lakers’ could reach the next level, provided Andrew Bynum continues to work at his game with a high level of passion and dedication. He also says that Kobe needs to realize that the Lakers are terribly far from being the competitive team he so badly wants.

With Kobe’s dedication to being a part of this team, along with the improved play of the team’s younger players, the tension surrounding the Lakers has begun to subside a bit. Roland Lazenby’s insightful article about his chat with Tex Winter reveals two extremely encouraging realities in LakerLand- first, this team is better, and closer to contending, than many realize (and that comes from someone who knows!), and second, it’s nice to know that while Kobe is hopeful that his friend and mentor, Jerry West, will return to the organization he brought to prominence (man, would be great, or what?), there’s another caring set of eyes watching over him, with his best interest at heart.

Kobe Coming Around On Andrew Bynum?

In what has to be one early season highlights for the energetic and potentially surprising Lakers, the new, young-teammate-friendly Kobe Bryant praised his 20-year-old teammate, Andrew Bynum, for his effort in the young season. "He's working really hard in practice and before practice, and I see a lot of improvement in him," Bryant said. "The more he plays, the more his feet get wet, the more he gets acclimated to the type of conditioning that he needs to play at this level, but he's doing a fantastic job."

Of course, this is the same Andrew Bynum that was the target of some less-than-flattering remarks from Kobe Bryant in the off-season, after the Lakers refused to include Bynum in a trade for New Jersey guard Jason Kidd before last season’s trade deadline. In realizing that A) Bynum will be in L.A. for the time being, B) He [Kobe] will also be in L.A. for the time being and C) Bynum does actually have some pretty serious game, Kobe is taking steps to help the Lakers’ young center, both on the floor, where he is noticeably taking more of a mentor role with Bynum, talking to him and giving suggestions between plays, and off the floor, with sincere and encouraging words about his development. The only thing better than a talented, hard-working young player? A talented, hard-working young player being pushed toward success by the league’s most talented and hardest-working player!

Derek Fisher 2.0?

The 1996 NBA Draft will forever stand out in the minds of Lakers’ fans as the day Kobe Bryant entered the NBA, drafted by the then-Charlotte Hornets who proceeded to trade him to the Lakers 15 days later. The Lakers had their own selection in that draft as well, using the 24^th overall pick in the first round to draft an unheralded point guard out of the University of Arkansas, Little Rock- some guy named Derek Fisher. Fisher went on to spend the first eight years of his career with the Lakers, teaming with, among others, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and Robert Horry to win three NBA championships (2000-02).

Fast forward to the 2006 NBA Draft. A decade after drafting Derek Fisher, the Los Angeles Lakers, picking 26^th, again used a late first-round selection to add a point guard to the roster- this time selecting Los Angeles native Jordan Farmar from UCLA. After a decent-but-mostly-uneventful rookie season in which he averaged 4.4 points, 1.9 assists (vs. just 1 turnover) and just over 15 minutes per game, Farmar dedicated himself to improving his game and his conditioning as much as possible the off-season, even joining some fellow NBA players in Bora Bora for some intense yoga sessions. He reported to training camp ready assume an increased role with the Lakers and wasted little time in showing off the improvements he’d made over the summer, more than doubling his scoring and assist averages in the preseason, in only about 5 more minutes per game. This improvement looks to have carried over to the beginning of the regular season as well, with Farmar averaging 7 points, 2.6 assists (down from about 4 in the preseason, although his assist/turnover ratio is an impressive 2.6:1) and shooting just under 50% from the field (up from just 42% as a rookie) in just under 20 minutes a game. And frankly, Jordan Farmar’s statistics do not do justice to the quality of his play and the strides he’s made as an NBA point guard! Jordan Farmar’s rather modest 12 point, 4 assist stat line is dwarfed by the incredible role he played in sparking the Lakers to their November 4 victory over the Utah Jazz. Watching that game, you’d swear he had 12-and-4 in just the fourth quarter!

So what’s the significance? What’s the connection between Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar? Well, consider Farmar’s on-court demeanor and style of play, the fact that he, like Fisher, seldom, if ever makes a mental mistake. Though Fisher wasn’t necessarily a deadly outside shooter, if Kobe was not an option, most Lakers fans preferred that Fish take the big shot. And though Fisher never put up eye-popping, Steve Nash-type assist numbers (his career high is just 4.3 apg), but it seemed like he was always there to make the key pass.

Again, the importance? Two days after the ten-year anniversary of the 1996 NBA Draft, the Lakers seem to have duplicated the feat by drafting the man who looks poised to become the next Derek Fisher!

Fish's Return Is Paying Big Dividends

Man, it’s great to have Fish back!

His selflessness, character and leadership made Derek Fisher perhaps the most beloved member of the great Lakers’ teams of the Shaq-Kobe era, and his return to the organization brought with the promise of a veteran leader, both on the floor and in the locker room, for an inexperienced team mired in controversy and looking for stability. Through the team’s first six games, Fisher’s contribution to the team is apparent, as he’s not only averaged more than 12 points, 3 assists and a steal in his 27 minutes per game, but also helped the Lakers dramatically transform themselves from “impending train wreck” to “potential sleeper” in a mere two weeks. Needless to say, every member of team deserves his share of credit for the improved attitude of the Lakers, but anyone familiar with the Lakers’ previous title-winning teams will concur that it’s very likely that Fisher played a significant part in the turnaround.

Odom’s Return Also An Important Bounce-Back Game

Lakers (2-2) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (0-3)

November 9, 2007, 10:30 PM Eastern (7:30 PM Pacific)

Staples Center- Los Angeles, CA

Following two outstanding wins, the Lakers were bought back down to earth on Tuesday night by the New Orleans Hornets, 188-104. The Hornets were led by the red-hot Peja Stojakovic (10-13 3-pt) and brilliant playmaking of Chris Paul, who notched 21 assists. Tonight’s game at home against the winless Minnesota Timberwolves is vitsl on two fronts- first, tonight’s game marks the return of one of the Lakers’ top playmakers, Lamar Odom, who has been nursing a shoulder injury. Also, tonight’s games provides an excellent opportunity for the Lakers to get back on the winning track after stumbling against the Hornets. This is particularly important considering the brutal schedule that Kobe and Co. will be facing over the next ten days, when they will travel to San Antonio and Houston before returning home to face the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls.

Lakers’ Notes

Expect the Lakers to be ready for this game as they try to erase the memory of Tuesday night’s disappointing loss. Odom’s return will provide an extra spark for the team, as well as another top-notch talent on the floor. The Lakers will also be looking for continued strong play from their young support cast- Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Ronny Turiaf in particular. With the team not scheduled to play again until Tuesday night in San Antonio, tonight’s game is an excellent opportunity to go all-out for a win and to reintegrate Lamar Odom into the squad. While an easy, double-figure win should be in order, expect Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher to log some extra minutes on the floor with Odom, as the club looks to prepare for its upcoming Texas trip.

Kwame Brown, who is bothered by a sore right heel, will miss his second straight game on Friday night. Expect him to return against the Spurs, but sitting out the last two games will end up giving him nine days rest. Also, Luke Walton, who missed practice this week with a sore hamstring, will likely move to the bench with the return of Lamar Odom. As a result, the Lakers’ starting lineup should look like this: Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt, Odom and Ronnie Turiaf at forward and Andrew Bynum in middle (it’s about time!).

Timberwolves’ Notes

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team in transition, and while no one is expecting a lot from this young team in 2007-08 (and maybe rightfully so, as they’ve started 0-3), the Wolves have been competitive in each of their three losses, havng yet to lose a game by double digits. Also, Al Jefferson is an absolute monster in the paint. Big Al is well on his way to being one of the best big men in the NBA, averaging 19 points and 11.7 rebounds unfortunately for the Wolves, they don’t have many other major offensive threats on the roster, although their balanced attack does feature FIVE other double-figure scorers (Rashad McCants, Greg Buckner, Ryan Gomes, Theo Ratliff and Craig Smith). If the Timberwolves are going to really challenge the Lakers, it is going to have to be in the paint, where Jefferson, Ratliff and Smith should be able to get some work done against the Lakers’ front line.

What should we look for tonight?

If the Lakers are properly motivated for this game, it really shouldn’t be close. Minnesota is an extremely young that is just beginning to rebuild and should not be able to push the Lakers too hard. Also, the return of Lamar Odom, along with Tuesday night’s loss, should provide more than enough motivation to come out and really take care of business tonight. Look for the Lakers to cruise to a double-digit win in this one.

Trap Game: Lakers Try to Avoid a Letdown

Lakers (2-1) vs. New Orleans Hornets (3-0)

November 6, 2007, 10:30 PM Eastern (7:30 PM Pacific)

Staples Center- Los Angeles, CA

The Lakers are riding an impressive two-game winning streak, beating both the Suns (in Phoenix) and the Utah Jazz by double figures over the weekend. The biggest concern coming into this matchup will be to avoid an emotional letdown after having knocked off two of the top contenders in the Western Conference in three days. As great as the last wins were, they will only take on real significance if the Lakers can use them as a springboard to strong start to the season.

The quality of play tonight should be relatively high, as the unbeaten Hornets, led by the supremely gifted Chris Paul, lock up with the Lakers. With just one game on the NBA schedule on Monday night, and neither of these teams playing in it, both teams should be relatively fresh and ready to go from the opening tip.

Lakers’ Notes

For the Lakers, this game has letdown written all over it. Though they may not be in the class of the Suns and the Jazz, the Hornets are definitely not to be overlooked. They pretty loaded with talent and a likely playoff team in the loaded Western Conference It will be very important for the team’s leaders (Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher) to preach consistency to the younger members of the team, reminding them that two quality wins don’t automatically make you a contender.

As the Lakers look to continue their streak of balanced offensive performances, it will be vital to create some early open looks for Vladimir Radmanovic, Luke Walton and Derek Fisher, as well as some quality opportunities in the post for Andrew Bynum. With Kobe likely to be guarded by Morris Peterson (he, of the Toronto Raptors’ defense in Kobe’s 81-point game) or David West or Rasual Butler, it’s pretty reasonable to pencil him in for at least 30 points, but it will be more important for Kobe to get his teammates rolling as well.

Defensively, the New Orleans Hornets present one of the biggest challenges of the Lakers’ early schedule, as they feature an elite point guard with a full compliment of diverse weapons. Led by Chris Paul, the Hornets offense is not only highly skilled, but among one of the most versatile in the league They feature threats in the paint (Tyson Chandler and David West), in the mid-range game (West, Peja Stojakovic, Rasual Butler), and on the perimeter (Peja, Butler, Morris Peterson), not to mention the issues created by Chris Paul’s (or Bobby Jackson’s) penetration. The best strategy for dealing with the New Orleans offense is three-pronged: 1) attack Tyson Chandler (he may block a few of your shots, but he will commit some fouls), 2) make Chris Paul be the Hornets’ primary weapon by giving him open jump shots rather than driving and passing lanes (and staying at home any time he does beat his man), and 3) if you have to give defensive help in the paint, DO NOT LEAVE PEJA STOJAKOVIC! When he’s healthy, which he is right now, Peja is still the deadliest spot-up shooter in the NBA and should NEVER be left alone on the perimeter.

In addition to Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown will be out of lineup Tuesday night with an injury to his right heel. As a result, the Lakers’ starting lineup should look like this: Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt, Luke Walton and Ronnie Turiaf at forward and Andrew Bynum in middle.

Hornets’ Notes

Led by Chris Paul, the NBA’s future-best-point-guard, the New Orleans Hornets are putting together a very strong start to their 2007-08 season, with consecutive blowout wins over the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trailblazers (sure these are bad teams, but the Hornets really took care of business), and an impressive 93-88 road win over the Denver Nuggets. The Hornets have gotten some stellar play from Chris Paul (18.7 ppg, 9.7 apg, 6.3 rpg, 3 spg) and one of the NBA’s best young big men, Tyson Chandler (12.3 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 1.7 bpg; can you believe he’s only 25 years-old?) and one of the NBA’s underrated offensive players, David West (16 ppg, 7.7 rpg). Hornets’ coach (and 3-time world champion as a Laker) Byron Scott also has a collection of viable, but certainly not spectacular options on the bench, with Bobby Jackson and Rasual Butler ready to step in on the perimeter and Melvin Ely and second-year center Hilton Armstrong backing up Tyson Chandler in the paint.

The Hornets are not nursing any notable injuries and should field a starting lineup comprised of Tyson Chandler, Peja Stojakovic and David West up front, with Chris Paul and Morris Peterson in the backcourt.

What should we look for tonight?

Tonight’s match-up with the Hornets could end up being the Lakers’ biggest test of the young NBA season. Like the Jazz, the Hornets feature a talented and intelligent point guard who runs the show flawlessly. This game sets up as a classic “trap” game for the Lakers- they’re feeling great after back-to-back wins over quality Western Conference opposition. With the Lakers’ next game at home against the winless Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night likely to result in another victory, if they can avoid a letdown tonight, they will go into next week’s Texas Two-Step (11/13 @ San Antonio, 11/14 @ Houston) riding a four-game winning streak, with a chance to make a real impact on the early NBA season. Look for tonight’s game to be entertaining and free-flowing, with neither team able to open up much of a commanding lead. Expect the final margin to be no more than five or six points. The Lakers’ level of focus will ultimately determine which side of that margin they’re on.

Something's Happening Here...

There’s something happening with the Lakers. Three games into the season is clearly too early to make any bold proclamations about a team’s fate over the long run, but the about-face performed by Los Angeles’ Lakers’ over the past week, in the face of constant distractions, has been as nothing short of phenomenal. A young team with a disgruntled superstar, who’s been called selfish by his detractors in the best of times, has gelled into a selfless, cohesive unit, seemingly overnight. Kobe suddenly seems to trust his teammates- and they’re proving themselves worthy of his trust. All of a sudden, this is a pretty dangerous team!

The off-season was dominated by Kobe Bryant’s trade demands, the organization’s statements about its apparent willingness to trade him, the subsequent in-house feud between Kobe and the Lakers’ front office, with the media there to document and magnify every non-event. The start of the regular season did nothing to diminish the chaos and the Lakers turned in an opening night performance against the Houston Rockets that, despite a brilliant comeback in the final 90 seconds, could best be described as uninspiring. Against this backdrop, the team’s next two games of the young season would consist of a trip to Phoenix and a visit to Los Angeles from the Utah Jazz, yet another Western Conference contender. It was hard to see anything but a disastrous start to the season for the Lakers. That’s when (for now at least!) the worm began to turn.

In the two days following the Lakers’ season-opening loss, while everyone was speculating that it was only a matter of “when” and not “if” with regards to a possible Kobe Bryant trade, a funny thing happened- Kobe’s rumored suitors saved the Lakers’ locker room. On Halloween, Mark Cuban announced that his Dallas Mavericks, one of the three destinations on Kobe’s “wish list”, would not be pursuing a trade for the Lakers’ superstar. The following day, John Paxson, GM of the Chicago Bulls’, the most frequently rumored destination for Kobe, announced that the Bulls were also putting an end to their pursuit of Kobe. These two events didn’t put an end to all the turmoil in LakerLand, but they allowed the Lakers (and Kobe Bryant in particular) to relax and make basketball their primary focus again.

The night following John Paxson’s statement, November 2, the Lakers took the floor in Phoenix as heavy underdogs against a Suns team that had thoroughly dominated them in the teams’ first-round playoff matchup last spring. Few, if any, expected the Lakers to be competitive, let alone victorious in Phoenix, which made their spectacular blowout win over Suns, in which they led by as many as 31 in the fourth quarter, an absolute shocker. If that weren’t enough, the fact that no Laker scored as many as 20 points and Kobe Bryant led the team not in points, shot attempts or minutes played, but assists, made the evening feel particularly significant.

The Lakers returned home to face the Utah Jazz, one of the NBA’s top teams, two nights later. The Jazz, who are extremely versatile on offense, not to mention a much stronger rebounding and defensive team than the Suns, figured to bring the Lakers back to Earth. In a much more competitive game than the contest in Phoenix, the Lakers and the Jazz locked up in a very entertaining game that really tested both teams. Kobe Bryant led six Lakers (SIX!!!) in double figures with 33 points (he also added 5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks), with fellow starters Derek Fisher (19 points, 5 assists), Luke Walton (10 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists) and Ronny Turiaf (10 points, 4 rebounds) joining him with double-digit points. However, the biggest impact from the Lakers’ supporting cast was by two of the team’s young reserves, Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar. Despite fouling out in the fourth quarter, Bynum was almost unstoppable, making six of seven shots on his way to 15 points, while adding 9 rebounds in just 19 minutes. Also, with Derek Fisher on the bench in the second half, Jordan Farmar was able to step right in and take command of the team, scoring 12 points, handing out 4 assists and helping spark the Lakers to 73 second half points and a relatively easy 10-point win.

Needless to say the Lakers must manage to build on this early-season success by continuing this run of outstanding play against the remainder of the league as well. Their next two games, both at Staples Center, will see the Lakers take on Chris Paul the 3-0 New Orleans (which should be quite a challenge), and then the winless Minnesota Timberwolves. With the schedule poised to take a far more difficult turn in the coming weeks, it is very important that the Lakers take advantage of every winnable game they play. However, regardless of what happens in the short term, the 2007-08 Lakers have shown that despite not having many household names, there is certainly a good amount of talent on this team. If they continue to play the same brand of passionate, selfless basketball we saw over the weekend, this team could exceed everyone’s expectations.

Don’t look now, but there’s something happening in LakerLand…

Riding High, But Here’s Another Test: Lakers vs. Utah Jazz

November 4, 2007, 9:30 PM Eastern (6:30 PM Pacific)

Staples Center- Los Angeles, CA

The Los Angeles Lakers (1-1) are coming off a dominating win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night- their first of the young season. They return home on Sunday night to take on the Utah Jazz (2-1), one of the NBA’s most impressive teams in the season’s first week, and a serious contender in the loaded Western Conference. Like the Suns, the Jazz matchup with the Lakers comes as the second half of a back-to-back. On Saturday night in Salt Lake City, the Utah Jazz hosted the Golden State Warriors and, despite falling behind by double figures in the first quarter and a 38 point explosion from Al Harrington, cruised to a 133-110 victory.

Tonight’s matchup at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles is another opportunity for the Lakers to prove their ability to 1) play a well-rounded and balanced team game and 2) test their ability to compete with the Western Conference’s elite.

Lakers’ Notes

In the aftermath of their huge win in Phoenix, the Lakers will try to build up some positive momentum heading into the season’s second week. Again, the Lakers will be without Lamar Odom, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury. While we can reasonably expect Kobe Bryant’s output on offense to exceed 16 points, it will be vital for the Lakers bring the same philosophy into Sunday night’s game that they did to the game against the Suns. With Utah’s front line featuring elite rebounder like Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko, it will be important for the Lakers to put forth an extraordinary effort on the boards. Phil Jackson will also look to get as many players as possible involved in the offense early in the game in an effort to build on the outstanding effort of the supporting cast in Phoenix.

The Lakers’ starting lineup should resemble the unit that took the floor against the Suns- Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt, Luke Walton and Ronnie Turiaf at forward and Kwame Brown in middle.

Jazz Notes

With the possible exceptions of the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons, the Utah Jazz has been the NBA’s most well-rounded and dangerous team. In their first three games of the young season, the Jazz have blown out the Golden State Warriors twice by an average of 22 points, with a tough loss to the Houston Rockets (behind 47 points from Tracy McGrady) sandwiched in between. On offense, Utah boasts an incredible amount of versatility, with a starting lineup that features one of the NBA’s top frontcourt players in Carlos Boozer, a dealy outside-shooting big man in Mehmet Okur (not much worse than Dirk Nowitzki, just doesn’t get nearly the publicity), one of the league’s top point guards, Deron Williams and talented second year swingman, Ronnie Brewer. There is not a significant drop off for Jerry Sloan when he looks to his bench, as he has a more-than-capable replacement for each of his stars, with Matt Harpring, strong second-year power forward Paul Millsap, Gordon Giricek and point guard Jason Hart.

What should we look for tonight?

Like the Suns, the Jazz have a variety of perimeter weapons to go along with a dominant inside presence, and a talented and intelligent point guard to orchestrate the attack. This is a scenario in which the Lakers cannot afford a let down- it is vital that they communicate on defense, attack the boards and get a number of players involved. If the Lakers maintain the mentality they took into the game against the Suns, this should probably be a very competitive matchup. Expect a more aggressive game from Kobe on the offensive end, as well as an increased role for Andrew Bynum- he playing well enough in Phoenix to warrant a bigger role on this team. Whether the Lakers are able to pull it out will depend on two things- their ability to compete with the Jazz on the glass and the need to limit the number of easy looks Carlos Boozer gets from 15 and in.

Just What the Lakers Needed

No turmoil. No trade talk. No in-fighting. For one night, all was good in LakerLand. Better than good, Friday night was a glimpse of everything the 2007-08 Los Angeles Lakers are capable of. Coming off a disappointing home loss to the Houston Rockets in their season opener, the Lakers walked into the US Airways Arena and proceeded to completely humiliate the heavily favored Phoenix Suns in their home opener, hammering them by a score of 119-98 (and trust me, it wasn’t even that close!). After falling behind 8-2 to start the game, the Lakers outscored the Suns 31-12 in the lasy nin minutes of the opening quarter and never really looked back, leading by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter.

How exactly did the Lakers succeed in dropping the hammer on the Suns? Rebounding and an unselfishness and balanced attack. Sure, they were on fire from the perimeter, making 22 of 42 attempts (52.4%; 56.5% overall) from 15 feet and beyond, including 8 of 13 3-pointers (61.5%), but the Lakers aggressive rebounding and offensive execution are what did the Suns in.

In disposing of the Suns, the Lakers only required 28 minutes and 16 points from Kobe Bryant, though he did play a huge part in the win adding 11 rebounds (3 offensive), a team-high 4 assists and 3 steals. Vladimir Radmanovic, yes THAT Vladimir Radmanovic was the team’s top scorer Friday, leading five Lakers in double figures with 19 points on just eight shot attempts (he made all four of his 3-pointers and all three of his free throws). In addition to Kobe and Radmanovic, Derek Fisher (14 points, 7-9 FG), Andrew Bynum (14 points; more on him in a second) and Sasha Vujacic (12 points, 2-3 3-pt, 4-4 FT) cracked double figures for the Lakers. All in all, this was a decidedly “un-Laker-like” offensive performance.

The other area where the Lakers dominated the Suns on Friday was on the boards, outrebounding Phoenix 54-34 (11-9 on the offensive glass) and holding Amare Stoudemire to a single rebound. Despite the strong rebounding efforts of Kobe and Kwame Brown (9 rebounds; 3 offensive), the Lakers were led on the boards by the man whose performance perfectly summed up the team performance- Andrew Bynum. The Lakers’ 20 year-old center came off the bench on Friday and in just 23 minutes, scored 14 points, making seven of his ten field goal attempts, grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds and handed out 3 assists. Man, it looks like this kid can really play!

As for the Suns, it looks like there could be some cause for serious concern. Their shortcomings against the Lakers are the issues that could plague this team throughout the season. Although his ineffectiveness on Friday was a rarity, Amare Stoudemire still seems unable to avoid foul trouble, and the Suns have only Brian Skinner and Sean Marks to back him up in the paint. Steve Nash also had a tough game against the Lakers, turning the ball over five times while handing out just three assists, which wound up hurting Shawn Marion, Grant Hill and Raja Bell, who combined for just 31 points on the night. That the Suns were not able to replace Nash’s production with back-up point guard Marcus Banks, who was just 1-of-6 shooting in 15 minutes (although he did have four assists), is also problematic as Nash’s minutes will need to managed in order to reduce the risk of injury on his chronically sore back and to keep him fresh for the NBA’s stretch run and the post-season.

To be clear, this is unlikely to become the standard performance from the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but it is a resounding example of this team’s potential. The Lakers turned in a dominating performance against a top-tier contender, albeit one on the back end of a back-to-back, by getting several members of the team rolling on offense early in the game, and by crashing the boards aggressively and not allowing the Suns’ fast break to get rolling. Was this performance a fluke, or will it have a lasting impact on the Lakers and catapult them to a strong start to the season? We don’t have to wait long to find out. Sunday night, the Lakers will host another Western Conference contender, the Utah Jazz, at Staples Center, as they will be returning home to face another challenging Western Conference matchup.

Second Attempt At A First Win

November 2, 2007, 10:30 PM Eastern (7:30 PM Pacific)

U S Airways Center- Phoenix, AZ

In Tuesday’s season opener, a miraculous comeback almost resulted in an upset win for the Lakers’ the Houston Rockets, but came up just a bit short.

Tonight, at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers will face off with the Phoenix suns in their home opener. Phoenix kicked off its season last night in Seattle. Despite being heavily favored heading into the game, the Suns’ 106-99 victory against Kevin Durant and the Supersonics was anything but easy, with Phoenix trailing for much of the game, including facing a 3 point deficit entering the fourth quarter.

Lakers’ Notes

With the Kobe Bryant trade talks dying down (at least for the moment), the Lakers can finally focus on basketball. With Lamar Odom still nursing an injured should, as well as a slight concussion suffered in a car accident on Tuesday, Phil Jackson’s starting lineup should resemble the unit that took the floor against the Rockets- Kobe and Derek Fisher in the backcourt, Luke Walton and Ronnie Turiaf at forward and (hopefully) Andrew Bynum in middle (although it will likely be Kwame Brown once again).

In order to have success on offense, the Lakers will need to look to the gameplan that allowed them to have success against the Suns in the 2005 Playoffs- try to control the tempo with their halfcourt offense, keep feeding the post, and only look to run when the opportunity clearly presents itself. Another aim of this strategy will be to attack Amare Stoudemire, who was very foul-prone early in Thursday night’s game in Seattle, much like he was last spring in the Suns’ playoff series against the Spurs. Until he shows the ability to avoid early foul trouble, this will be an area opposing teams should look to exploit against the Suns. The low post attack should not be confined to only Amre Stoudemire. The Lakers need to use Kobe, Fisher and Luke Walton to make the other members of the Suns, particularly Steve Nash, Leandro Barbosa ad Grant Hill, play defense on the low block. In addition to the fact that not one of these guys is a defensive stopper (Nash is actually a liability), they are probably a little tired. This is the second game of a back-to-back- and the first ended after 10:30 PM (Pacific Time) last night and took place 1,500 miles away.

Suns’ Notes

The Phoenix Suns did not look sharp for the first three quarters of their season opener. They did succeed in putting it all together in the final quarter against Seattle to come away with the 9-point win, but they clearly did not storm out of the gates. Granted, their style of play is such that as long as one guy is hot from the outside at a given time, they can hang some huge numbers on the scoreboard. On the injury front, both Leandro Barbosa is suffering from sore ribs and both Boris Diaw and Raja Bell are nursing sore ankles, but all three played at least 25 minutes last night without showing any ill-effects. Don’t look for the Suns to change anything in their gameplan. Regardless of the opponent, Nash & Co. will look to do what they always do- run early and often and move the ball until someone has a clean look from the outside. When that gets old, they’ll run some more, this time looking for Barbosa, Hill or Shawn Marion on the wings. The only way to stop them is to get back early on defense, find a man and guard him (even if it’s not “your man”) and keep your long-range misses to a minimum.

Look for the Suns to start Nash and Raja Bell in the backcourt, with Marion, Grant Hill and Stoudemire up front.

What should we be looking for tonight?

This is exactly the kind of game in which the Lakers have pulled many an upset before- they look out of sync, no one is really paying any attention to them on the court, Kobe is mad and the Suns took a late flight home following a hard-fought game last night. Expect another close one tonight. Also expect another big game from Kobe tonight- he’s just in one of “those” stretches where he looks like he’s shooting for 40 every night. Whether the Lakers are able to pull it out will depend on two things- their discipline in sticking with the half court game and their commitment to getting back early against the Suns’ break.

A Golden Opportunity Squandered Against Houston?

Despite trialing by double figures late in the fourth quarter, and playing without Lamar Odom, the Lakers pushed one of the Western Conference’s top-tier teams to the limit before falling by just two points. Whether it was the fumbled rebound between Luke Walton and Kwame Brown that bounced into the basket or Kobe Bryant’s eight missed free throws (his 9^th miss was intentional), the Lakers’ miscues cost them the opportunity to start the season off on the right note.

This issue is doubly important when the team’s early season schedule is taken into account. Starting tomorrow night in Phoenix, the Lakers will play seven games in the next two weeks, only one of which (11/9 vs. Minnesota) they really should win easily, and another (11/6 vs. New Orleans) that should be very hotly contested. The remaining five games over this stretch are against the NBA’s best: 11/2 @ Phoenix, 11/4 vs. Utah, 11/13 @ San Antonio, 11/14 @ Houston, 11/16 vs. Detroit.

Consider that if the Lakers cash in their home games against the Timberwolves and the Hornets, they’ll still need to beat two legitimate contenders just to be at .500 through eight games- that illustrates the enormous difference between 0-1 and 1-0. Granted the schedule has not done the Lakers any favors, but this team is not good enough to squander opportunities against good teams.

Paxson Pulls the Bulls Out of the Kobe Sweepstakes

For the moment, it looks like Kobe Bryant will remain a Laker.

In the interest of preserving the sanity of the players on his team, John Paxson, general manager of the Chicago Bulls, the leading candidate in the Kobe Bryant Trade Sweepstakes, stated that the Lakers’ superstar will apparently not be heading to Chicago.

Just a day after Mark Cuban withdrew his Dallas Mavericks as a possible destination for Kobe, and the news of a supposedly discussed three-team deal in which Kobe would have joined the Bulls, free-agent power forward P.J. Brown (in a sign-and-trade) and shooting Ben Gordon would go to Sacramento, and the Lakers would receive Ben Wallace and Ron Artest, the Bulls have taken their name out of the running for the NBA’s best player.

Undoubtedly, there are more details to come. But one thing is certain- if the Bulls are out of running for Kobe, there is no reason to believe that a trade is imminent.

So maybe, just maybe, we can take a short break from the Kobe trade talks?

Let's See What We've Got

It’s time to stop protecting Andrew Bynum- let’s throw him into the fire and see what we’ve got. By now everyone knows that last season the Lakers’ belief in Bymun’s potential as a franchise center led them to pass up the opportunity to acquire Jason Kidd, drawing the ire of Kobe Bryant and contributing, at least in part, to his desire to leave the Lakers. The Lakers’ front office made an executive decision and now the team has to live with it- but let’s start living with it already! Bynum is entering his third year, he’s visibly bigger and stronger than last year, he showed some flashes of his potential last season and had a very impressive preseason this year (He wasn’t terrible in his 19 minutes on Tuesday night either- just 4 points, but 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and NO turnovers). What more are we waiting for? Name Andrew Bynum the starting center, start giving him some serious minutes and let’s see what the kid can do. Not that it was a conscious decision at the time, but dynamic duo of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss indirectly chose Andrew Bynum over Kobe Bryant last season. Time to start living with that decision.

Note: Apparently Bynum was late in arriving at the arena on Tuesday night, understandably leading Phil Jackson to bench him for a good portion of the game as punishment. However, let’s hope we’re not in for a season’s worth of 19-minute outings for Andrew Bynum.

Derek Fisher Looking Like the Lakers' MVP

For all the talk about his mental and emotional impact on the Lakers, Derek Fisher’s on-court contribution could be even bigger in 2007-08. Entering the season, Fisher’s return to the Lakers was supposed to be as much as a mentor to the team’s young players and stabilizing influence in the locker room as a full-time point guard, but after his 17-point, 4-steal, 1 turnover performance on Tuesday night, it looks like his acquisition could pay its biggest dividends in the form of his on-court production. With Jordan Farmar not quite ready to take over the full compliment of responsibilities that go with the position and 2007 first-round selection Javaris Crittenton still in need of quite a bit of seasoning before he can become a regular contributor, the Lakers may look to Derek Fisher to play 35+ minutes a night and score 12-15 points per game.

What Does Kobe Know That We Don't?

Until the last 2 minutes of the Lakers' season opener against the Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant played like he had one foot out the door. To be clear, this is not to insinuate that Kobe “mailed it in” and didn’t give maximum effort on Tuesday night, rather that he seemed somehow detached from the rest of the Lakers, as they did not all share a common fate or common goals. It started in with Kobe getting booed by fans at Staples Center during introductions (on opening night??? Things are not right in LakerLand!), and lasted until the Lakers’ frantic fourth quarter comeback, when all seemed right again. In the interest of both the Lakers’ and their fans, the Kobe situation needs to be figured, and soon. While the Lakers’ most business savvy move would not be to trade Kobe right now, after just one game it’s obvious that the relationship between Kobe and Lakers has deteriorated to the point where the team may not have much choice.

As If There Wasn't Enough To Think About In LakerLand

This just in:

http://www.tmz.com/2007/10/31/laker-lamar-odom-crashes-injures-woman/

The thoughts and prayers of everyone in LakerLand go out to the woman who was injured in the accident. Wishing her a speedy recovery!

The Season Opener

Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Lakers still had Kobe Bryant, but not lamar Odom, as they tipped off the 2007-08 season with a 95-93 loss at Staple Center against the Houston Rockets. After leading for much of the first half, the Lakers were outplayed in the third quarter, trailing by as man as 14 points. Trailing by 12 points with nine minutes remaining, the Lakers looked to be fading fast and on the verge of getting blown out in their home opener. Despite stemming the tide over the next 7:30, a bucket by Yao Ming with 1:36 remaining had the Lakers trailing by the same twelve point margin, 92-80.

At that point, thanks to some outstanding defense by the Lakers, along with some poor execution by the Rockets, the Lakers launched what was shaping up to be a miraculous comeback. After a 3-point play from Kobe Bryant made the score 92-83, Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar executed a beautiful trap on Tracy McGrady, with Farmar coming away with the ball and kicking it ahead to Kobe on the right wing. Kobe buried a 3-pointer to pull the Lakers to within 6 points with more than 1:25 remaining. The Rockets turned the ball over again on their trip down the court, as Derek Fisher stripped the ball from Yao Ming. Fisher got the ball ahead to Farmar, whose layup cut the Rockets’ lead to just four points. With 35 seconds remaining, Jordan Farmar fouled Houston’s Mike James, putting the career 80% free throw shooter on the line for two shots. Rather than ice the game, James missed both free throws to continue the Rockets’ implosion. The rebound went to Kobe Bryant, who made a driving layup at the other end, makingt he score 92-90. Following a time out, the Lakers capped off the rally by forcing Rafer Alston into yet another Houston turnover in the corner. After Derek Fisher’s steal with 22 seconds left, Kobe brought the ball up the court and found Fisher on the right wing for the game tying (if only his foot hadn’t been on the 3-point line, but behind it!) jump shot from Derek Fisher! 92-92!!!

Sadly, this is where the night peaked for the Lakers. With 13 seconds remaining, Tracy McGrady brought the ball up the floor for the Rockets and found Shane Battier a few feet behind the 3-point line on the right wing. With the clock winding down and a hand in his face, Battier put up a high, arcing 3-point attempt that found its mark- Rockets lead, 95-92 with 2.5 seconds left. After a timeout, Battier took an intentional foul on Kobe Bryant before he could attempt a game-tying 3-pointer (an effective, obvious but seldom-used strategy- seriously, why don’t more teams do this?) with 1.5 seconds remaining. After making his first free throw, Kobe intentionally (and beautifully) missed the second attempt, managed to get his own rebound, but had his shot blocked from behind by Rafer Alston as time expired.

The Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant (surprise!), who scored 45 points, although he made just 13 of 32 field goal attempts and 18 of his career-high 27 free throw attempts. Kobe also added 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals to his stat line. Derek Fisher was also a huge contributor for the Lakers, scoring 17 points on 6-9 from the field and getting 4 steals. For the Rockets, other than the obvious hero Shane Battier, the team’s superstar duo of Tracy McGrady (30 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) and Yao Ming (25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocked shots) was the driving force behind the victory.

This Date In Laker History

October 28, 1973- As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA journeyman big man and shot-blocking specialist Elmore Smith blocks 17 shots in a 111-98 home win against the Portland Trailblazers- an NBA single-game record which still stands today.

Smith led the league in blocked shots in 1974 and 1975. Smith's 4.85 blocks per game in 1973-74, the first season blocked shots were officially recorded in the NBA, is the third highest in league history.

In addition to the Lakers, Smith's NBA career, which lasted from 1971-1979, saw him play for the Buffalo Braves, Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers. As a rookie, Smith averaged 17.3 ppg and 15.2 rpg and was named to the NBA's All-Rookie Team. A solid contributor, Smith averaged a double-double (13.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg) over the course of his career.

However, more significant than any of his on-court contributions to the Lakers, Smith was also part of the four-player package (Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Myers were the others) sent to the Milwauee Bucks after the 1974-75 season in exchange for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Hey, Who Are Those Guys With Kobe?

Enough about Kobe Bryant! Well… at least for today. With all talk about the Lakers this offseason focused on Kobe’s future, it’s easy to forget about all the other players on roster. While Kobe is obviously still the focal point of this team, the supporting cast’s ability to make plays will ultimately determine just how far this team goes.

So just how good are these guys? A breakdown of the non-Kobe Bryant Lakers roster:

In The Backcourt

• Jordan Farmar- Last season’s first-round pick had minimal impact as rookie (15 min/gm, 4.4 ppg, 1.9 apg), but Farmar is a solid floor leader who’s played extremely well in the preseason, averaging 9.5 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in just 19 minutes per game. Preseason stats, though generally worthless, can be useful in identifying the emergence of second and third-year players. If his preseason play is for real and Farmar can play at this level for 25 minutes a night, he’ll be a big part of this team.

• Derek Fisher- His veteran presence on and off the floor, championship experience, as well as his relationship with Kobe Bryant will prove invaluable to the Lakers. Toss in the fact that he still has some game (10 ppg, 3.3 apg in 2006-07), and Fisher could be one of team’s most valuable players in 2007-08.

• Sasha Vujacic- After three seasons with the team, Vujacic hasn’t managed to develop into anything more than an occasional contributor. What’s worse, it’s unclear exactly what type of player he is- he’s not a pure point guard or a pure shooting guard, and his all-around game isn’t not good enough for him to be a combo-guard. This is probably his last season with the Lakers.

• Javaris Crittenton- Crittenton, the #19 overall pick in the draft, didn’t exactly fill a need on the roster, but he’s an exceptional athlete that could grow into a star. He definitely needs more experience and improved consistency on his jump shot, but Crittenton has a chance to be a contributor for the Lakers as the season goes on.

• Coby Karl- Despite the similarity in their first names, if “Coby” gets anyhere close to as many minutes for the Lakers as “Kobe”, the season is a lost cause.

In The Frontcourt

• Lamar Odom- Odom is the Lakers’ #2 option on offense and an almost ideal basketball player. He’s tall, unselfish and incredibly skilled. At his best, Odom’s stat lines are similar to those that Magic Johnson would produce in his prime- unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have kept him from ever fulfilling his potential for more than a few games at time. Other than Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom is the Lakers’ most attractive trade target and is frequently mentioned in trade rumors. Ideally, the Lakers will be able to acquire a third quality player to team with him and Kobe, but the reality is that Odom may have to be dealt in order to bring another star to Los Angeles.

• Luke Walton- Walton is NBA rarity and a real asset to the Lakers- the quintessential intelligent role player signed to a reasonable long-term contract. There won’t be many (or any) games where he carries the team, but he can be counted on to play composed, mistake-free ball and chip in 12, 5 and 5 (points, rebounds and assists).

• Ronny Turiaf- One of the most energetic and likable players in the NBA, Ronny Turiaf is reminiscent of Kurt Rambis, only with more talent. As the Lakers’ only true power forward, Turiaf will be counted on to come off the bench and guard some of the West’s best big men and to hit the board (particularly the offensive glass).

• Brian Cook- There’s a lot to like about Cook. He’s a good outside shooter, capable of putting up 25 or 30 points on a given night, he normally plays within himself and he has a very reasonable contract. The biggest problem with Brian Cook is that he’s REALLY one-dimensional- not much versatility on offense and little-to-no defense or rebounding. With that said, his value as a spot-up shooter is justified by his cap-friendly contract.

• Maurice Evans- The most underrated member of the Lakers. Evans is an explosive athlete whose effort level is off the charts. He can make on both ends of the floor and, on any given, he blow up for 30 points on any given. Expect an outstanding season from him in this, his contract year. The Lakers will be smart to keep him.

• Vladimir Radmanovic- An off-season mistake from a year ago. Radmanovic is a serviceable offensive option, but his game is almost a mirror image of Brian Cook’s, at 160-170% of the salary. Radmanovic’s outside shooting range, which extends beyond the 3-point line, could make him an attractive target at the trade deadline for a contending team in need of outside shooting. That is, if the 3 years and more than $19 million left on his contract after this year doesn’t scare away potential suitors.

In The Middle

• Andrew Bynum- He may be most famous for his indirect role in almost trading for Jason Kidd and for being the object of Jim Buss’ man-crush, but the fact is that Andrew Bynum looks like he’s going to be a pretty good NBA big man. At only 19 years old (his birthday is tomorrow; Happy birthday, Andrew!), he’s just learning the NBA game and has already shown the ability to play effectively against NBA competition. At 11.8 ppg, he’s the Lakers’ #2 scorer in the preseason and by far the team’s top rebounder, averaging 8 per game. Who know how good Andrew Bynum is going to be, but at least it looks like he’s going to be pretty good!

• Kwame Brown- A big body in the paint who should chip in about 9 points and 6 rebounds a game- not bad of a #1 overall pick in his 7th year, huh? Actually, Kwame should be traded by the deadline, as his $9 million deal expires at season’s end. This cannot come soon enough. Hopefully he can produce 5-8 good games for the Lakers this season. How is this guy not better than he is?

• Chris Mihm- Although missed all of last season with an ankle injury and entering this season as the Lakers’ 3rd option at center, Chris Mihm is a more-then-serviceable center. In 2005-06, when he was healthy, he averaged more than 10 points, 6 rebounds and a blocked shot per game. He seems to be close to 100% now, averaging 5.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in less than 13 minutes per game in the preseason. Despite the talk of Chris Mihm be the odd man out at center, his contribution this season will likely exceed expectations.

The 2007-08 Lakers are a team that is shrouded in question marks. Will Kobe Bryant finish the season as a Laker? Can the front office make any moves to get him some help? (More on this here) Will any of the team’s young players elevate their game to new heights? If so, who?

This Laker team could win anywhere from 25 to 50 games this season (40-45 is a likely estimate), but one thing is clear: there is a collection of young talent here that, given the opportunity, could mature into a solid NBA team in the not-too-distant future.

Appeasing Kobe

With the NBA season about to tip off and Kobe Bryant still a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, it may be worthwhile to examine a new question facing the team’s front office- what can be done to appease Kobe and build a contender in Los Angeles?

Admittedly, I did log some time on ESPN.com’s NBA Trade Machine while developing this article, but my intension with this article is not to propose specific deals, but to identify the Lakers’ tradable assets, salary cap situation, areas of need and players from around the league that would fit in well in Los Angeles alongside Kobe (rather than in place of him).

First, the pertinent cap info (based on all contracts currently on the books). The 2007-08 Lakers’ payroll comes in just a shade over $70 million, which is about $15 million over the $55.5 million (about) cap for this season. With Kwame Brown and Maurice Evans contracts set to expire after this season, the team’s 2008-09 cap number drops to just over $51 million, at least $4 million under the cap. After next season, Lamar Odom’s huge cap number ($13.5M this year, $14.6M next year) falls off the books as well, dropping the team’s 2009-10 payroll to just under $38 million (61% of which is accounted for by Kobe Bryant’s salary). Based on these numbers, the Lakers are not capped out going forward, and even have some flexibility under the salary cap after next season.

Now that we know the salary cap is not working against the Lakers in their quest to return to contention in the Western Conference, let’s take a look at the team’s non-Kobe trade bait:

• Kwame Brown- This has nothing to do with actually playing the game of basketball. Kwame, who is quickly earning the title of “Worst #1 Overall Pick in NBA History” (seriously, Kent Benson and LaRue Martin even have better numbers!), has contract that pays him $9.075M this year (who agreed to pay Kwame Brown $9M?!?!?!), thus making him a valuable asset to a team looking for cap relief.

• Lamar Odom- Odom’s is a versatile and unselfish player whose talent has never been called into question. Unfortunately, consistently playing with passion is an area where Lamar could stand to improve quite a bit. Odom’s huge contract is more suited for a player who is his team’s #1 or #2 option. Sadly, Odom’s personality seems better suited to be a team’s third option. Ideally the Lakers will be able to add another star to the roster without having to move Odom, but his amazing talent and $14M+ contract (which expires after next season) will make him a pretty coveted player on the trade market.

• Andrew Bynum- Yeah… about that… Bynum is young, talented (but raw) and a bargain by NBA standards ($2.1M this year, $2.8M next). It’s hard to say whether we can actually consider Bynum among the Lakers’ tradable assets, considering Jim Buss’ infatuation with him led to the Lakers passing up an opportunity to acquire Jason Kidd for fear of giving up Bynum.

• Brian Cook- Though he’s pretty one-dimensional, dollar-for-dollar ($3.5M each of the next three years; the third is a player option) Cook has to be considered one of the NBA’s better outside-shooting big men. His shooting ability, along with his youth, could make him a contributor on a contending team.

• Vladimir Radmanovic- Another outside shooting big man. Radmanovic has a richer contract than Cook ($24M remaining over the next four years), but he is a more effective rebounder and a legitimate 3-point threat.

With a salary cap situation that is anything but bleak and a lineup of assets that could draw some serious interest from a variety of teams around the league, it is conceivable that the Lakers could address their single biggest need, a strong inside complement to Kobe Bryant, without having to mortgage the entire roster, opening the door for them to maybe crack the top half of the Western Conference. It should be noted that if they could address this need without having to part with Lamar Odom, they would have to be considered a legitimate contender to win the West.

Given the flexibility of the Lakers’ roster and their ability to participate in talks for a variety of very talented players, it is entirely possible that the Lakers could swing a deal that will settle Kobe’s concerns about the team’s future and return them to upper tiers of the NBA. (I realize that I just allowed for the possibility of Mitch Kupchak, the least inspiring man in the NBA, making a bold transaction that actually helps the team. Please, just let me dream!)

Looking up and down NBA rosters, there are plenty of talented frontcourt players that, for one reason or another, could be available on the trade market. So who’s out there?

• Josh Smith- Smith has developed into one of the league’s top shot blockers (2.9 bpg), a very effective rebounder (8.6 rpg; 2.3 off. rpg) and is an absolute terror in the open court. However, the Hawks don’t seem too eager to give him a contract extension (he’ll probably command $8-10M/year), and may look to deal him this season.

• Andres Biedrins- Another young, emerging frontcourt player in search of a contract extension. Like the Hawks with Smith, the Golden State Warriors are taking their time in deciding Biedrins’ future with the team. With Baron Davis and Mickael Pietrus in line to receive extensions before him, Biedrins solid offensive game, along with his shot-blocking (1.9 bpg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg, 3.1 off. rpg) could very likely be available.

• Jermaine O’Neal- The obvious one. He and Kobe have been lobbying for the opportunity to link up in L.A. for months. J.O.’s game has not slipped too far from the level it was at when he was considered an MVP candidate. Although he is foul (3.4/game) and turnover prone (2.9/game), O’Neal is still threat on offense (19.4 ppg, 77% FT), on the boards (9.6 rpg, 2.2 off. rpg), and a beast in the lane on defense (2.6 bpg). Once the Pacers’ denial about being in a rebuilding phase wears off, O’Neal will be available via a trade.

• Shawn Marion- Marion is the least likely member of this group to wind up on the Lakers, but it should be noted that when he made his trade request, he mentioned his desire to play with Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. As intriguing as that pairing would be in L.A., it is not likely that the Suns would willingly loosen the stranglehold they’ve got on the Pacific Division, especially by helping the Lakers.

• Brad Miller- May be just the kind of big man the Lakers need- solid on the boards, 20-foot range on his jump shot, and an outstanding passer from the high post. With a youth movement/rebuilding era about to begin in Sacramento, the Kings may actively shop Miller (and the 3 years, $34M remaining on his contract) around the league.

• Ron Artest- When he’s right in the head, Artest is one of the NBA’s best, and an ideal fit in Los Angeles. With the Kings looking to get younger and end this era in the team’s history, Artest is unlikely to end the season in Sacramento. He would provide the Lakers with the inside scoring and defensive toughness that could take the team to the next level. Ok, I can’t resist! I have to suggest one deal! How about a Kwame Brown for Ron Artest swap? It’s a win-win proposition- the Lakers get to add a third quality player to their roster without sacrificing any on-court production, and the Kings get to jumpstart their rebuilding phase by dealing away the volatile Artest in exchange for a good-sized, expiring contract.

Could any of these players be moved in an effort to settle Kobe Bryant’s concerns about the Lakers’ commitment to winning? Absolutely! Will any of these players wind up suiting up for the Lakers in the near future? Possibly. But the one most important fact to take away from this is the fact that the Lakers are NOT capped out and do have the ability to bring in other quality players in an attempt to contend once again.