Bryant Suspended Following Latest Flailing

Kobe Bryant was suspended for tonight’s game versus the Milwaukee Bucks following review of a fourth-quarter elbow to Marko Jaric’s face.  During last night’s Minnesota game, Bryant was blocked, and then in attempting to draw a foul, hit Jaric with his elbow. 
 

The play did not draw a foul at the time, but review from NBA officials has deemed it deserving of a one-game suspension.
 

Of particular interest to NBA vice president Stu Jackson was that a nearly identical incident happened with Manu Ginobili earlier in the season.     
 

Kobe Bryant, Gerald Henderson and Grassy Knoll apologists will argue that Bryant was only trying to exaggerate a foul.  However, in both the Jaric and Ginobli cases the defender was blocking a shot coming from Bryant’s right side, going left.  Supposing Kobe was fouled or was trying to fake a foul, wouldn’t it follow that Bryant’s arm would be moved left, with the motion of the defender’s arm, instead of right, back into the momentum of Jaric or Ginobili?
 

Regardless, the Lakers will be short one more player in Bryant tonight.  They already have no defense, so with their offense serving a suspension, things don’t look good for the Lakers’ chances. 
 

StubHub.com will have plenty of great Lakers tickets for when this already-awful road trip ends, and Bryant and his “magic elbow” are back.
 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 7, 2007 - Post a comment

Lakers Lose it Over and Over Again

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves last night 117-107 in double overtime.  The defeat puts the Lakers into a three-game losing streak, and starts the team off 0-2 in their road trip. 
 

Missed inbound passes and missed free throws cost the Lakers dearly, who also missed Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, and Vladimir Radmanovic when their interior defense, rebounding and scoring came to a near standstill several times.
 

Kobe Bryant managed to score 40 points and snag a season-high 13 rebounds, although he could only score one three-pointer during the two overtimes. 
 

By Phil Jackson’s account, the Lakers “gave” the game away.  The Lakers’ players can little afford to be so generous these days.  Jackson, however, is hoping that his annual book-giving tour will help alleviate some of the team’s problems, though he should have given out books a few weeks ago. 
 

Some suggestions:
 

Radmanovic: Snowboarding for Dummies
GM Kirk Kupchak: For the Love of God, Do Something!
Kobe: The Last Season: A Team in Search of Its Soul
 

If you like watching basketball better than reading, check out StubHub.com for some Lakers tickets when they get back from the road.  Although if current trends continue, the Staples Center might just be as quiet as a library, anyways.  Bring a good book just in case.   
 

Permalink - Posted in General on March 7, 2007 - Post a comment