Time Running Out for Andrew Bynum

Lakers’ center Andrew Bynum is the in the final season of his contract and if the Lakers don’t sign him to an extension by Oct. 31 he could become a restricted free agent next year.The big decision comes just a few days after Bynum’s 21st birthday, on Oct. 27. Bynum’s agent, David Lee, told the L.A. Times that thus far discussions with the team have been “few and not significant.” Leet continued on to tell the Times that he doesn’t understand why the Lakers are dragging their heels in signing Bynum a five-year extension, saying, “Andrew has taken everything the Lakers have thrown at him, including criticism. He doesn’t do anything to respond other than go on the court. He just goes on with his business.”

Lee and Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak are meeting in New York City today to work out a deal. Bynum stands to make $2.8 million this season and can sign a five-year extension worth up to approximately $85 million, although the figure won’t be officially determined until the NBA announces its salary cap for the 2009-10 season next summer. Currently the Lakers have no plans to offer Bynum a maximum deal as his health is still questionable and they want to gauge his on-court ability during the final five exhibition games. On Thursday Bynum offered an easygoing response on the ordeal to the Times: “I know that the Lakers take their sweet time doing everybody’s deals. I’m just going to be patient and keep waiting like I am.” See the full article at the L.A. Times website.
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Permalink - Posted in General on October 17, 2008 - Post a comment

15 on Lakers Roster to Start the Season

The Lakers considered carrying just 13 players early on in training camp, but now DJ Mbenga has earned a roster spot and Coby Karl is being pushed aside for rookie guard Joe Crawford. So it looks like the Lakers will open the season with 15 players, the maximum amount permitted by the NBA. Had the Lakers chosen to cap the roster at 13 they would have been able to pick up another player or two during regular season play. The team has made the decision to add two more players to the roster based on their play in training camp. Backup center Mbenga earned a spot and rookie guard Crawford got the nod over Karl, who was added to the team as an undrafted rookie free agent last season.

The Lakers currently have 13 players under contract who have a guaranteed spot on the team and guard Brandon Heath and forward C.J. Giles are hoping for a coveted spot as well. Crawford was drafted in the second round by the Lakers out of Kentucky with the 58th pick in the draft and in order for his contract to be guaranteed the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has to make the team. If Crawford, who has played in all three exhibition games and averaged 8.3 minutes and 2.7 points, doesn’t make the team, he will most likely play in the NBA Development Leauge for the Lakers’ D-Fenders team.

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 16, 2008 - Post a comment

(Along with Everyone Else) NBA Pre-Season Suffers Due to Economy

This year’s turn out for NBA exhibition games has been lackluster, despite the Lakers involvement.Last weekend for example, the Lakers were only able to fill half an arena even though they are the NBA’s star-studded team and the floundering economy is the likely culprit. Although the Lakers were able to secure an impressive 99% renewal for season-ticket holders (in spite of skyrocketing ticket prices), this month their exhibition games have been played to less-than-packed arenas in venues outside their hometown.

When the Lakers played Utah in Anaheim with arena was filled to two-thirds capacity and the game in Fresno against the Clippers was even less well-attended. As for Vegas, the arena (which is able to host over 18,500) hosted a crowd of 11,090.  Pre-season games used to be a less-expensive way for die-hard Lakers fans to see Kobe and Shaq in various cities, but with the financial downturn the team is seeing the effects. Even the presence of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum wasn’t enough to lure fans to this year’s exhibition games. The real season begins Oct. 28 against Portland and that is when the real test will come.

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 15, 2008 - Post a comment

Jackson’s Experiment Continues…

Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson continues to mix up the lineup during exhibition season, running Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Vladimir Radmanovic in and out, waiting to find a winning combination. Odom, for example, started at the Lakers’ first two exhibitions but came off the bench on Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings (in which the Lakers triumphed). As for the recently mended Bynum, he started against the Kings but came off the bench for the first two exhibition games. Ariza started the first two games but came of the bench Sunday, while Radmanovic started Sunday and remained a reserve the first two games. The only players who have started in all three exhibition games are Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol.

Jackson told the L.A. Times, I’m alternating a few guys out there together, see how they play.” Bryant backed his coach, telling the Times, “Phil is still playing with the lineup. It’s tough to really know what that lineup is going to look like, or what we want it to be while he still tinkers with it.” Odom is in the final year of his contract yet when asked about his preference to start he remained neutral about Jackson’s lineup experiment. “I’m not the coach. It don’t mater. I’m comfortable in my own skin,” Odom told the Times, concluding, “Everybody in this league knows I can play.” Does Jackson?

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 14, 2008 - Post a comment

Improvement for Odom

The Lakers beat Sacramento 94-89 in Sunday’s exhibition with Lamar Odom not playing starter (for the first time since ninth grade). Odom, who had four points and nine rebounds as a reserve, offered an interesting interview to the L.A. Times before the exhibition. Odom surprisingly seemed at peace with his reserve status and even apologetic for recent anti-establishments remarks he has made. Odom and Lakers’ Coach Phil Jackson have been at war in recent weeks, with Jackson publicly questioning Odom’s playing at the Lakers’ annual media day.

Odom told the Times it was his “alter-ego talking” last month, saying “Seriously. That’s Odom. Not Lamar. I’m being dead serious. I’m a good locker-room dude. I don’t want to be detrimental to the team, especially, like, how this is a championship-caliber team.” Split personality aside, Odom appears to be returning to the former friendliest Laker, who once dropped $40,000 during training camp to feed his teammates every day in Honolulu. Odom’s camp was refused a contract extension during the summer, with the Lakers choosing to defer until the end of the season, and there may not be a lot of money left over with a raise in the wings for Bynum and Bryant either opting out of his contract or re-signing at a higher price. To see the full article go to the L.A. Times website.

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 13, 2008 - Post a comment

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum: Imperfect Pair?

Yesterday the Lakers lost to the Clippers, 107-80, and although the game was only part of exhibition season it proves that the team has work to do before the real season begins. The main issue of Thursday’s game at Save Mart Center was that Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum were not an effective pair on the front court. During the nine minutes in which Gasol and Bynum were in the lineup at the same time (during which Gasol had four points and Bynum one) the Lakers were flat out outplayed by the undermanned Clippers.On one play Gasol’s attempt to pass to Bynum for an alley-oop dunk failed, with the ball bouncing off the front rim instead.

Clippers power forward Marcus Camby was sidelined with the flu, thus Bynum and Gasol mainly faced off Chris Kaman and Tim Thomas. Of what went wrong Thursday, Gasol told the L.A. Times, “We have to figure out how we’re going to do [this] together. We have to bring more intensity out there and bring more intimidation–dominate more in rebounds and stuff. We lose speed, but we should gain in strength and size.” Here’s to hoping they figure it out before the real season starts!

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 10, 2008 - Post a comment

Jackson Says Odom Isn’t Playing Basketball

Lakers’ Lamar Odom is feeling the wrath of coach Phil Jackson, who says the veteran player is playing a game other than basketball. Jackson’s experiment with Odom in the pre-season isn’t faring well, as the versatile plater had five fouls at Tuesday’s exhibition game against Utah (which the Lakers lost). As a primary ball-handler on offense and a small forward on defense, Odom’s fouls outnumbered his points and assists. Odom was in the starting lineup but his stats (other than his fouls) were insignificant, bad news since Jackson recently suggested he may come off the bench.

Odom had three points, five rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes and assistant coach Kurt Rambis told the L.A. Times that Odom “didn’t seem focused out there,” calling his game “fair to middling, maybe poor.” Jackson’s wasn’t so diplomatic with his words, telling the Times, “He looks like he’s either curling or doing some other kind of sport. He’s not playing basketball.” Snap.

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 9, 2008 - Post a comment

Bynum’s Back! (Well, almost)

After suffering a knee injury last January, Andrew Bynum is back on the court. The Lakers’ center received a standing ovation at Tuesday’s exhibition opener as he walked out to the theme of “Welcome Back, Kotter” blaring on the loud speaker. Although the Lakers lost 99-90 to Utah at the exhibition, Bynum showed some promise his first time back on the court in a 15-point, eight-rebounded effort at the Honda Center. This was the first game for Bynum since January and although he backed down Mehmet Okur, pinned Paul Millsap down (on the way to converting a three-point play) and dunked off a feed from Derek Fisher, the center also had two blocked shots and four turnovers in 24 minutes.

Lakers’ assistant coach Kurt Rambis told the L.A. Times that Bynum showed both “some really good things” and “some things that he definitely needs to improve upon.” Of the tings Bynum could use some work on are anchoring the defense and running the floor to both ends, according to Rambis. The starters for the exhibition were Fisher, Bryant, Gasol, Odom and Ariza, with Bynum as backup, but he didn’t mind coming off the bench, telling the Times, “I really just want to start the real season and get back to it.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 8, 2008 - Post a comment

Lakers Fans Still Pony Up for Tickets Despite Tough Economic Times

Lakers’ season-tickets holders renewed for the upcoming 2008-09 NBA season at 99% rate despite the current economic crisis. This percentage would be impressive during a flourishing economy, so during the current floundering market it comes as a surprise that fans are ponying up the cash for luxury items like Lakers season tickets. As for the league as a whole, season-ticket renewal averages across the NBA this season are currently at about 79% percent, with some teams having trouble collecting from fans.

This is proof of the extreme loyalty of Lakers fans, who remain faithful in their team and are expecting them to take home the title this season. Last season the Lakers were within two victories of winning an NBA championship and fans are hoping that the team will make it up this year. The Lakers are preseason favorites to win the championship and that is exactly why the team had no trouble collecting from fans, even though the economy is in the tank and ticket prices skyrocketed during the offseason. Fans like the omnipresent Jack Nicholson will pay $2,500 for courtside seats (up from $2,300).

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 7, 2008 - Post a comment

Chris Mihm Healthy Again

Lakers center Chris Mihm is healthy after three surgeries and seemingly endless problems with his right ankle. Mihm, who used to be the Lakers’ starting center, is finally fit and “playing above the rim” after the years of frustrating health issues. Of his recently repaired right ankle, Mihm told the L.A. Times, “I’ve been running around with a smile on me face. That hasn’t happened in two years.” (The 29-year-old Laker missed the 2006-07 season and played in only 82 games in the last three seasons).

Mihm’s surgeries include  two on his right ankle (one reconstructive) and one on his right heel and the Lakers center also underwent three weekly sonar-wave treatments last season (with no end to his pain). After removing a screw from his right ankle in February, Mihm returned home to Austin, Texas over the summer and worked out at his alma mater (Texas). At the conclusion of the off-season, Mihm found himself at his healthiest in years, and finally able to play above the rim again. He is in the last year of a contract worth $2.5 million and coach Phil Jackson told the Times its “hard to determine” what Mihm’s role will be in the 2008-09 season.

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Permalink - Posted in General on October 6, 2008 - Post a comment


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