Utah Jazz fans want to see Kwame Brown in white and blue

Many Utah Jazz fans have been pondering the same concept lately: would Kwame Brown be a better fit for their team than the Lakers - and, if so, is Los Angeles willing to trade him in return for Gordon Giricek, Jason Collins or CJ Miles? Brown, who has been what some basketball critics are calling the most disappointing No. 1 pick in the draft last season, has been sitting out since November with knee and ankle injuries, according to an article published Tuesday, Dec. 11 in the Salt Lake Tribune.

In all likelihood, the Lakers would not consider trading Brown to the Jazz because a trade of that nature would mean that the Lakers may have to face Brown again in the playoffs and that could pose serious problems, according to the article. Chances are, Brown will be traded to the American East league while he continues to recover from his injuries.

Either way, the Lakers have continued to make it happen these past three games, with a winning streak and a big recent victory over the Golden State Warriors. If you still haven’t been to a game, be sure to get Lakers tickets at Stubhub.com!

Permalink - Posted in General on December 12, 2007 - Post a comment

Lakers quarterly season report: Andrew Bynum is ‘most improved’; Bryant ‘best overall performance’

As the first quarter of the NBA season comes to a close, the Lakers quarterly report - released Monday, Dec. 10 on the Lakers official Web site - awards Kobe Bryant with the best overall performance, as well as best performance in a single game for his efforts against the Denver Nuggets and best overall play for his one-handed ally-oop in last Sunday’s game against the Orlando Magic.

The report also detailed some of the season’s low point so far, with a tie between team members Luke Walton and Lamar Odom  for most disappointing performance. Walton, who had one of the most confident three-point shots in the league last year, has not returned to the court with that same confidence and his team mate Lamar Odom has turned in an equally unconvincing performance, with only 13 points, eight rebounds and two assists as the Lakers continue to count on him to step up his game - something he has been unable to do thus far, according to the article.

Unsurprisingly, The Lakers awarded the ‘most injured’ player to Kwame Brown, who has suffered a knee and ankle injury this season and has spent his second straight post playoff season on the bench, according to the article. The most surprising performance went to Jordan Farmar, who has been averaging ten points and three assists in just 21 minutes of play per game..

If you still haven’t made it out to a Los Angeles Lakers game, then be sure to book a pair of Lakers tickets right here and right now.

Permalink - Posted in General on December 11, 2007 - Post a comment

Lakers come out on top Sunday against Golden State Warriors

Kobe Bryant scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors, bringing the Lakers to a 123-113 win and propelling them to thei third consecutive victory and their 14 straight win over San Francisco, according to an article published on the Lakers official Web site. The team has a 16-1 record over the Warriors at the Staples Center since the facility opened eight years ago and are clearly not ready to step down from their dominant stance anytime soon.

The game was an overall success for the Lakers who remained ahead of the Warriors throughout most of the entire evening. Bryant also had six rebounds and eight assists- a personal season high - and was backed by teammates Derek Fisher with 15 points, Andrew Bynum with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Lamar Odom with 14 points, six assists and ten rebounds. The Lakers - a team that has had its ups and downs early in the season - now seems to be coming into its own and gaining momentum with a three-game winning streak, but fans aren’t holding their breath. Not too long ago, the team came off a four-game winning streak in mid-November, only to succumb to three subsequent losses.

But as the Lakers patiently await their next match up against San Antonio - a team that they fell to last month - team members have a three-day grace period to soak up the feeling of victory and get prepared for what the Spurs will have in store for them in Texas.

“They’re a team that prides themselves on their defense,” Bryant said of San Antonio and his team’s next battle. “It’s going to be a real test to see how much we’ve improved since the last time we played them”

If you still haven’t made it to a game this season, be sure to grab a pair of Lakers tickets at Stubhub.com!

Permalink - Posted in General on December 10, 2007 - Post a comment

Lakers rally on win against Denver despite Iverson’s 51-point game

The Los Angeles Lakers came out on top Wednesday against the Denver Nuggets, finishing 111-107, even after Nuggets’ Allen Iverson scored a season-high of 51 points on Denver’s home turn at the Pepsi Center, according to an Associated Press article published on the Lakers official Web site.

Denver’s Iverson, who had 30 points and ten assists in Thursday night’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, got a dose of the new camera and microphone system that the NBA implemented for all games televised on major networks ABC, TNT and ESPN, according to an article published Dec. 7 by the Tuscaloosa News official Web site. The system will also include other tactics by the NBA, such as interviews with coaches and players in between quarters and at halftime, as well as select players at each game wearing microphones and remote control cameras in the locker rooms at all times.  Denver coach George Karl spoke out about the NBA’s newest plan to delve home viewers into the game at a deeper level, declaring that he was only wearing the microphone because he had to - with Dallas coach Avery Johnson in agreement.

“What’s public, what’s private on TV?” Karl said.

Pistons coach Flip Saunders said he doesn’t know how strategy talks can be avoided in the locker room now that they will be televised and Pat Riley called it an invasion of privacy. As more and more coaches begin to speak out about the system, the NBA may be forced to reconsider their endeavor, especially if it begins interfering with the teams performances.

As for now, the Lakers are gearing up for games against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, followed by the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, Dec. 13. Don’t miss out on any of the NBA action and be sure to get a pair of Lakers tickets at Stubhub.com right here and right now before it’s too late.

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

Jackson speaks out against NBA’s latest plan; calls cameras, microphones ‘intimidating’

Lakers coach Phil Jackson spoke his mind Wednesday, Dec. 5, about a new camera system, implemented this week by the NBA, which will give TV fans a look into teams’ locker rooms during the 45-minute period before games and will also require mandatory microphones on coaches, according to an article published Wednesday by the LA Daily News.

The NBA is attempting to give fans a more up-close and realistic look at what the teams and coaches go through in preparation for games, according to the article. But coaches and team members worry that the new system may be intrusive and interfere with teams’ privacy and their ability to focus before match ups.

“It’s going to be real hard on us coaches,” Jackson said. “We do things in private. It’s an inner sanctum. For people to be in the inner sanctum, where emotions are high. Just having cameras watching you, you know, and your every moves. It’s big brother, it’s very big brother. It’s very intimidating.”

Up until now, reporters were given a 45-minute period with the teams in locker rooms and then were asked to leave during the 45 minutes directly before game time. Jackson, who said the system would put microphones and cameras in places that he considers to be off-limits, spoke out against the system, pointing out that it appeared that coaches had let NBA officials off the hook too easily during meetings over the summer (which he did not take part in because of surgery and illness). The Lakers coach said he planned to make the best of the situation and that he would encourage the team to use the system to their advantage.

A few Lakers team members also said they were concerned that the NBA did not get their opinion on the locker room cameras.

“I don’t think players are worried about what people are going to hear,” said forward Derek Fisher, who is president of the players’ association. “People know there are grown men in here. They come to the games and they hear profanity. A lot of the fans are the ones yelling the profane words. [But] There are certain things that should be left in the framework of the team.”

The NBA hopes the new system will give fans at home more of what they are looking for: a closer, more personal experience with the teams and individual players. But for many, nothing compares to being in the actual game atmosphere. If you don’t want to be stuck at home watching the next match up, be sure to book a pair of Lakers tickets at Stubhub.com!

Permalink - Posted in General on December 6, 2007 - Post a comment

Lakers rally to achieve cohesive unit before facing Denver

The Lakers, although equipped with 22 years of experience between NBA star Kobe Bryant and veteran Derek Fisher, are still the second youngest team in the NBA and it’s showing - the team has lost the last five of seven games and their season is off to a rocky 10-17 start. Now, with the possible absence of Ronny Turiaf in tonight’s game against Denver, the Lakers are looking to make improvements with its younger members to uphold more sound performances for their next few games.
“It’s important for them to see an example of how you have to hold your composure, hold your poise, don’t become desperate, don’t become angry, fly off the handle just because we’re struggling a little bit right now,” Derek Fisher said in a Dec. 3 interview with the Orange County Register. “It’s important that guys still see positivity. They still feel that there’s good energy going on with our team and that the things that are going on are correctable.”

Getting back to the basics, rookie Chris Mihm may go in for Turiaf, although he hasn’t been able to practice because of inflammation in his foot. Turiaf, who wasn’t a part of the Lakers 116-95 win Tuesday night against Minnesota, is expected to possibly be back tonight, but more importantly the team has been working on a sense of cohesiveness, according to Fisher.
“There are a lot of situations where we’re not covering for each other on the floor — we’re allowing guys to get beat defensively and not going over and helping,” he said. “That’s just an unwritten rule in this league — you don’t leave your teammate out there by himself. We’re doing that a lot right now, and that’s something we have to shore up if we have any chance to be successful this year.”Still haven’t seen a Lakers game? What are you waiting for? Now is the perfect time to grab a pair of Lakers tickets for tonight’s matchup with Denver or Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Check out Stubhub.com right now for great deals!

Permalink - Posted in General on December 5, 2007 - Post a comment

Fans, critics struggle to understand where Lakers are headed

Many basketball fans and critics appear to be questioning where the Lakers are headed this season. Will they kick up their performance, such as their powerhouse presence in games against Utah,Houston, Phoenix and Detroit, or will they start faltering on the same level that they have in games like this past week’s loss to the Orlando Magic? That is the question that some Lakers gurus are beginning to ask themselves, according to a Los Angeles Times article published Tuesday, Dec. 4.
As the  team searches for answers, its easy for them to identify exactly what’s going wrong: giving up 70 points int he first half against Utah or allowing 22 turnovers against the Magic, not to mention Kobe Bryant’s and Lamar Odom’s inconsistent performances when it comes to scoring and rebounds. But the real question that hangs over the team this season is: How will they fix it and more importantly can they?
“You’re not a good team until you can play the same way all the time,” Odom said. “Even when you’re not scoring the ball, you still have to play defense. We’ve yet to have that throughout the whole game.”

Lakers forward Luke Walton seconded that opinion and said he hopes the team can figure out how to get themselves to a level of consistency.

“That’s what’s so frustrating,”Walton said. “I wish it was something we could just go to practice and fix, but I can’t put my finger on it. We’re showing that we can play. It’s just that we’re not doing it all the time. If we want to be a good team, we have to do that.”

The Lakers are at 9-8 in the season as they prepare to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves today at the Target Center. The Timberwolves, who are at 2-13 in their season, fell to the Lakers 107-93 when the two teams faced off last month and Los Angeles appears confident that they can do it again.

For Lakers tickets visit Stubhub.com today!

Permalink - Posted in General on December 4, 2007 - Post a comment

Lakers fall behind Magic in weekend matchup

With a 15-4 start this season, the Orlando Magic are off to an organization best and kicked things into high gear Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers when the teams faced off at the Staples Center. The Lakers were not able to overpower Magic’s HedoTurkoglu, who sunk a three-pointer and spared a pivotal 9-0 run for the team, with  Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard contributing 18 and 17 points, respectively, to send Orlando to a 104-97 victory over the Lakers, according to an Associated Press article published at the Lakers official Web site.

The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant’s 28-point performance and Lamar Odom’s 19 points, struggled in the third quarter, trailing by ten points and then pulled ahead to secure a 73-70 lead, but ultimately fell in the fourth when Magic’s J.J. Redick made a three-pointer, two free-throws and a fifteen-footer in a little more than a minute and with less than ten minutes left to go in the fourth, according to the article.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, who last week signed a five-year contract to continue on with the team, has announced that this may not be his last contract after last week’s victory over Denver.
“I was in my 50s in the last era, I’m in my 60s in this era, and maybe I can go on into my 70s,” Jackson said in an Associated Press article published Nov. 30 at ABC News’ official Web site. “But I really don’t think so. I mean, I’m losing a step as I go mentally and physically. Being abreast of all these kids is not an easy task. I can hardly speak their language, but I’m trying.”

Jackson said the timing of his decision announcement hinged partially on his ailing heath this past summer and said

“The decision to return as coach, and the decision to be asked to return as coach, both had very little to do with Kobe Bryant and very little to do with the talent here,” Jackson said. “It’s about the proximity that I feel to this organization, the comfort I feel working for this organization, and the progress I think we’re making.”
What better time then now is there to see a Lakers game at the Staples Center or elsewhere? Jackson and the team are working hard to come back and you can see them fight for a win this week as they face off against the Denver Nuggets Tuesday, Dec. 4, and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Get Lakers tickets at Stubhub.com right here and right now before it’s too late!

Permalink - Posted in General on December 3, 2007 - Post a comment


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