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- Aug 11, 2006
Yo, Reggie Miller just said on NBA TV, Lakers will challenge the Bulls 72-10 record
I think they can
I think they can
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I just wanna quote this for emphasis, because i feel like this is one aspect of this team that is often overlooked.Originally Posted by holdenmichael
This team doesn't lack in mental toughness (best road team + won Conference & NBA Finals on the road).
[h1]Quiet summer suited Lakers' Kobe Bryant[/h1]
Kobe Bryant says he feels better than ever. Just what the rest of the NBA wanted to hear.
Coming off his first NBA Finals MVP performance, the Lakers' 11-time All-Star did something different this off-season: nothing.
No Olympic obligations. No international basketball duties. Just a lot of downtime.
He went with his family to France and also did promotional appearances for Nike throughout Asia. He picked up a basketball a little before his 31st birthday in August. It seemed as if an eternity had passed.
"The season ends so abruptly. You're used to going every day, and then it stops," Bryant said. "So you're kind of looking around for stuff to do."
If boredom was the punishment for not playing ball, Bryant's now feeling the reward.
"I feel fresher, healthier, as healthy as I've felt in a long time," he said. "I haven't had a chance to take a month and a half off in quite some time."
A year ago, Bryant and Pau Gasol were given several days off in training camp to help them ease into practice after long runs with their respective Olympic teams. (Bryant helped Team USA win gold over Gasol's Spanish national team.)
Bryant didn't need to ease into anything this October.
"He's looked very good and carried the energy of the corps down the floor, up and down," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.
What's new, 'Drew?
Even though Kurt Rambis is gone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will have a lesser role in the development of Andrew Bynum, Jackson isn't worried.
"Just about everybody on my staff wants to have a piece of Andrew, so I think everybody will have something to say," Jackson said. "Particularly, my own focus is going to be in that direction because Kurt was really the guy that spent a lot of time with him, working on some of the details of this game."
Bynum, who turns 22 this month, has been bothered by Achilles' tendon soreness but is still running the court "pretty well," Jackson said.
"His conditioning looks good," Jackson said. "He's still getting acclimated to playing with other bodies around him in a crowd, which is always one of the things that happens to big guys over the course of the summer. They have all these moves they work on in the summer with nobody around and now there's a crowded lane, a crowded court. It makes it different."
Cuban vs. Artest
Someone definitely likes the Lakers' addition of Ron Artest . . . and not in a pro-Lakers way.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he "couldn't think of anything better" to test the Lakers' chemistry and possibly slow down their championship hopes.
"If you would have said, what one player -- and I'll get killed over this -- what one player would you like to see on the Lakers? Ron Artest," Cuban said in an ESPN radio interview in Dallas.
"Could you imagine? Ron Artest has got the ball, and Kobe's standing there, 'Throw me the ball.' Thank you, Ron Artest."
Quick hits
Training camp two-a-days end today, and the Lakers play their first exhibition game Wednesday against Golden State in Anaheim. . . . Jackson said he might not coach that game, though he appeared to be joking with reporters. Jackson sat out an exhibition game last season in Anaheim because of soreness in his legs. . . . Reserve center DJ Mbenga has been slowed by a hip flexor, limiting his practice time. "It happened this summer while he was training with the Belgian national team," Jackson said.
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/sp...009oct03,0,1321029.story
[h1]Lakers' Sasha Vujacic hopes for a fresh start this season[/h1]
"The Machine," as Sasha Vujacic was affectionately known by Lakers fans late in the 2007-08 season and into the playoffs because of his prolific shooting, mostly was broken down last season.
And so his goal for this season is simple.
"Just bring 'the Machine' back, that's all," Vujacic said after practice Friday. "I don't want to talk and then on the court don't do anything. I want to play up to my potential and help this team win as many games as possible."
So far during training camp, "the Machine" apparently still needs to be calibrated.
"He hasn't shot the ball with the accuracy that he's known for. His 39% [from last season] is 38% right now," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson cracked. "Aw, I'm just kidding. But he has not shot the ball well right now."
When told of Jackson's comments, Vujacic smiled but agreed.
"I just think it is the beginning of the training camp," Vujacic, a 6-foot-7 guard, said. "I kind of have heavy legs. But I'm not worried about my shot at all."
Vujacic, known as the team's best shooter, according to Jackson, shot a career-best from the field (45.4%) and three-point range (43.7%) during the 2007-08 season. He averaged a career-high 8.8 points.
The Lakers rewarded him with a three-year, $15-million contract in the summer of 2008.
But the Machine sputtered last season.
Vujacic made only 38.7% of his field-goal attempts during the 2008-09 regular season, but a respectable 36.3% of his three-pointers, although his scoring average dropped to 5.8 points per game.
Then he shot only 26.4% from the field in the playoffs.
He didn't score in the NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, missing all six of his shots.
And things didn't get any better for Vujacic in the summer.
He badly wanted to represent his country, Slovenia, in the European championships. But Vujacic suffered a minor left knee injury while training with the Slovenian national team.
That led to some controversy for Vujacic, who was dismissed from the Slovenian team. He said it was because of the injury; the team said he was cut.
"Everything happened for whatever reason," said Vujacic, who also mentioned that he doesn't plan on playing for his national team any time soon. "I think everything helped me to mature and realize how last season went. I analyzed everything and took my mind off things. I had to see what mistakes I was making and what Phil was bringing across to me during the season."
Vujacic also cut his locks, something Jackson suggested, even cracking that Vujacic spent more time fixing his hair than playing.
Vujacic acknowledged that he needed an attitude adjustment.
"Throughout the season, I was just stubborn," Vujacic said. "We all are grown-ups and we mature in different ways. We make mistakes. The only question is whether you are ready to admit them or not. I didn't have the best season last year and I'm looking forward to having the best season this year."
Link:
http://www.latimes.com/sp...009oct03,0,7102118.story
That pic of Sasha shooting free throws with his eyes closed
Originally Posted by CP1708
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watch for a few minutes of a game.Could you imagine Chris Paul havin to guard either Kobe or Ron Artest?Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still have coverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?It would be a double team nightmare.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
it comes with the territory as the nba champs
Originally Posted by CP1708
Cuban can kis my @#$.
Artest, so help me God, you had better be listening to every damn word these people are saying.
Celtics over here hangin empty banners, Nuggets sayin they the better team, Mavs folk talkin about things they know nothin about (winning) OC still not learnin his lesson from last years teachings........
82-0 16-0 I want it.
Last year we all wanted to see that lineup of Fish, Kobe, LO, Gasol, and Bynum. We never got it.
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watch for a few minutes of a game.Could you imagine Chris Paul havin to guard either Kobe or Ron Artest?Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still have coverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?It would be a double team nightmare.
I wonder what team is going to take shots at us next.
Originally Posted by LamarOwnsem
on offense, I just don't see where he fits in. I saw a lot of chucking from him
Originally Posted by CP1708
This season, Big game James mentioned us havin Kobe, Ron, LO, Pau, and Bynum out there all at once.For the love of God let me see that. That would truly be something to watch for a few minutes of a game.Could you imagine Chris Paul havin to guard either Kobe or Ron Artest?Or Tony Parker? Deron Williams? That would be a matchup nightmare. On our end we would be ok because we have basically 3 7 footers behind Kobe and Ron, so if CP3 drove in, we still have coverage. What's Paul gonna do in the paint vs Kobe or Ron?It would be a double team nightmare.
This...Originally Posted by Notorious 858
I've sat there a few times and didn't think it was woth the price.Originally Posted by TH0MAS CR0WN
Who here has sat in PR? did you like it?
The people that sit in these sections aren't passionate fans, the view is decent if your in the middle sections. All the food prices and drinks are 5x jacked up but the lines to the food stations and bathrooms aren't crazy like in the 300 sections during halftime and at the end of quarters. Lots of eye candy as far as chicks go that sit these sections. Also the restaurant at the premiere level is very expensive and you need a reservation to even sit down and have dinner before the game or during the game.