Real Deal

iBoldin mentioned Dante Hall. Perfect example of why Hester shouldn't get in just yet. A player can erupt for a few years, then completely fall off the map. That wouldn't be Hall of Fame worthy.

Well, I understand why and all...but you've proven to be a top 2-3 team in the NBA, so you might as well be extremely satisfied with a win over a contender, even if it's without their best. One more win, one less game to worry about.

Probably 10 pounds. I haven't hit the bench since my eye surgeries.

LMAO, I was going to comment at the half, but I seriously just started cracking up at the post-padder. Gonna consider a suspension...

They should consider Pau Gasol a West center. I don't know why they didn't.

If you're looking for something THAT cheap, you'll probably need to hit up eBay.

Well, he could mold himself into a Dwight Howard, a player that makes up for the rest of the awful defense on his team by playing some of the best help defense over the last 10-15 years. Gortat is a nice on-ball defender, just not as intelligent helping penetration. Not much to say about the Suns' defense, though, except for the fact that he's correct.

I wonder what would happen to the universe if you put LaMichael James, LeBron James and LeBryan Nash in the same room together.

Doesn't look like Lamar will make the cut, haha. Too much going on out West.

Dallas is going to get obliterated without Dirk. Crossing my fingers and hoping I'm wrong, though.

Did a couple of weeks (fourth and fifth weeks), but I need to get some sleep. I'll catch up to it ASAP.

*Swish* - 50 AboveLegit - 45 bigdog17k - 45 ChosenOne - 45 Cleveland's Finest - 45 Confidence - 45 MoeRoadKill - 45 Oliver P - 45 Lemon - 40 Lone Wolf - 40 TheHutch - 40 N.1.A.K. - 35 htown11 - 30 STATCity - 30 deestillballin - 25 Guru - 25 magicbalala245 - 25 Sun Tzu - 20

Ugly week. Ew. Confidence - 50 Dash - 35 headliner - 35 Lemon - 35 Check my Stats - 30 Oliver P - 30 STATCity - 30 TheGreatPoodhini1 - 30 TheHutch - 30 AboveLegit - 25 ChosenOne - 25 Cleveland's Finest - 25 Cobb - 25 Guru - 25 htown11 - 25 MoeRoadKill - 25 Newman - 25 Sun Tzu - 25 bigdog17k - 20 magicbalala245 - 20 N.1.A.K. - 20 Lone Wolf - 15 NBAMistress - 15

Near the end of the clip, you can tell she's handing it to him.

Beat the rookie record tonight, put up 30 points and 12 rebounds. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20101229_UTA@LAC

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20101229_UTA@LAC

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20101229_DEN@MIN

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20101229_GS@ATL

LOL, that was bad ass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP2dvmEUvJ8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP2dvmEUvJ8

To add to this, when Bryant is taking less than 20 shots and the Lakers are winning games, the less amount of shots go up PARTIALLY BECAUSE they are winning. It's sort of fool's gold. Also, it says a little about the other guys hitting their shots and showing they can contribute. When we are down by 10 late in a game, for instance, and the others aren't getting the job done, Kobe tries to catch fire. Five or six shots bumps the total up from 15 to 21. We lose, and it's something to talk about. Otherwise, when we are winning comfortably, Bryant will try to facilitate, or he'll get an extended amount of rest. Wins, 16 shots or less... vs. GSW (27 min) @ LAC (31 min) @ WAS (23 min) vs. MEM (26 min) @ TOR (34 min) @ PHI (36 min) vs. POR (25 min) Again, I'm not saying he's not at fault because he has shot poorly this season (especially in those losses), but I would like to include the entire story before we start to crucify him. Let's not forget...the aggressive Kobe (the one that ran off 11 of 12 games of 30+ points) shot 19 or more shots in every single one of those games (19 in two of those 12, actually), and it was the biggest reason why the Lakers actually found their way into the Finals, after draining his knee. With Bryant still playing like he's hurt, he has to stop shooting so much, BUT that requires Gasol to play more aggressive, to actually play like a post forward, and for guys like Ron, Fisher and Blake to start hitting their open shots. Otherwise, Kobe will fire away until he retires.

He's playing horrible defense and missed 6-7 free throws in the process, wasn't getting to the line at all in the previous two games and was killed on the glass against the Bucks, didn't keep Bosh off the glass in the Heat game. He also missed the first month and a half of the season (probably a total of two months when you add it all up), mainly because he didn't get the surgery on time (all his choice, he wanted to go to the World Cup instead). I have no sympathy for him. Some Lakers fans still consider him our future, so he needs to stay healthy and start making basketball his top priority and showing us he can be a franchise player and a starting center we can depend on.

All of them. They are all too soft, inconsistent, injury-prone, or just bad players for these first two months of the season.

I agree with everything said in the initial post (won't dig into the rest yet), but you guys have to realize that Bryant isn't taking shots away from Pau. He's trying to make up for it. Read this line before you begin to call me out for sticking up for him: I'm not sticking up for him fully. I think he's chucking. I think he's taking too many shots. But, he's not taking them away from Gasol. It's Pau that is shying away from the low post. He's trying to be passive, trying to get to the high post too much. I don't know if Phil is telling him to do this OR if he's doing it because he's hurt (hammy?), but it's an issue. It's not complacency, it's ignorance. The Lakers will lose in the playoffs, first round or Finals, if they have to lose HCA to every team they play in May/June.