Sky

Fisher has value as a leader, as the good cop to Kobe's bad in chemistry, in rising up to help win key playoff games How much is that worth? Lakers have decided it's worth less than 4M. Things to factor in Pro: trust of coaches and teammates, leadership, clutch play, Kobe listens to him, can defend slower physical guards, good for being a key piece in a finals win each of last two years. Con: bad regular season play was markedly worse than 2008-09, can't play more than 20 minutes per in 2010-11 or risks Horry 2003 burnout, can't defend speed for even tenths of a second, bad in transition and finishing, shooting percentage is dropping. Old. The other thing I add is we just saw a contract drive. Luke contract drive, rewarded, sucked ever after. Sasha contract drive, rewarded, sucked ever after. I don't think Mitch wants to go for the contract drive threepeat with Fish, particularly given how much Fisher dropped in the regular season. They want him back, but for what they expect him to be able to do in 2010-11 post contract drive. They also want to limit their risk, hence the one year offer. Fish wants two, both for the money, and to be locked in as union president in the lockout season. There is room for compromise but I think there's a ceiling. Somewhere around 2 years totaling 7 million or under, 1 year at 4. If Fisher absolutely insists on 2 and 10 imo his days as a Laker are over. As for if they had Blake do they win. I think they are better. He's a real point, he can throw low post entry, he can manage games, run transition, see the floor, play intelligent angle D, he does everything better than Fisher on a skill basis and is six years younger. Fish is more clutch, a better leader, Blake is a much much more skilled point guard. He'll make the bigs more effective. He can get them the ball where Fisher can't, because Fisher is and always has been a 2 playing 1.. I think Fisher will be re-signed, but I don't think he'll be that happy about the money. He'll start but Blake will see more minutes and Blake could very well close.

Artesticle - Raja doesn't have the handles for 1. He's a decent passer they can try him at 1 a la Harper but Harp had more skills to play that position.

Big appetites around here but not much reality with Buss wanting to cut payroll. They keep Fisher, probably around 3. Shannon leaves if he gets more money or a longer deal. Farmar is gone. DJ and Powell likely gone. The picks make the club and that just leaves three roster slots. Crittenton at vet min at 1. Raja Bell at 2/3. And a vet min big, preferably a center. That's it. B-b-b-but that means the 1's are Fisher, Critt and Sasha, that sucks! Yup. Welcome to Buss' world. They're only going to carry five guards. They have no intention of using the full MLE. In likelihood they will only spend two vet min contracts, one on Critt, one on a big. Only one free agent will be signed for more than vet min. That's Raja in the clubhouse. Bell or Blake not both, and if one of the fa's is Critt that makes it Raja. Buss is expected to go cheap we need to calibrate our expectations accordingly.

I'd like to see them take Warren if he drops. I'd also take Jerome Jordan ahead of Zoubek, lot more upside. if they want a refrigerator though, Zoubek can work. Based on who they invited to work out it seems that Mitch is seriously looking at taking two bigs, lots of centers and 4's. Very few points in the workout list: Collins, Heurtel, Randle, Reynolds, that's about it.

This is a business. That business lost 20-25M in profit. Odom may well go as a result. No Skip. They can do far better than that. No Half Man/Half Balsa, not what they need and he melts too often under pressure.

Skip's a street baller, that's never going to happen in LA. Plus given how Skip played in the finals, Lakers would have no interest. He's not their type of 1. Raja fits, defense, plays 2 and 3, 40+ from 3, all for under 2.5M. They do need to address 1 first, but if Buss has his way they do that with Crittenton for the minimum, or as part of an Odom trade to cut the payroll down. Heilser's article in tonight's Times is a MUST read. Lays everything out in HD clarity. Boiled to its essence it's this: Lakers 08-09 made 40M profit Lakers 09-10 made 15-20M profit Buss is panicky about that and wants the payroll slashed NOW Ergo the 2-3M proposed cut for Jackson But Phil's ego says 3 straight finals, b2b rings, no pay cut So it's on Buss, if he insists on the cut that's it, Phil retires and Byron or BShaw replaces him. Part of the payroll cut may include dealing Odom The plan all along was to finance Gasol by dumping LO But then LO played his way into a new deal For Buss to get back to his expected profitability, no Jackson, Odom dealt, minimal FA dollars

Snake - Star calls have been a part of the NBA since the fifties, that's never changing. You can make the case, be perfectly logical and persuasive, doesn't matter. Star calls are never going away. Never. I wish they would but I also wish I was with a leggy bikini model on the beach typing this on a laptop. Rewarding flopping, that's unlikely to change as well. However what they can change is to implement a fine/suspension system for flopping to be monitored by the league reviewing game tapes. Work it like the tech system in the playoffs. Set a fine rate for a given number of flops, and another rate for how many flops leads to a one game suspension. If everyone knows that number going in, and knows the league is reviewing ti on game tape no one can complain. Refs with too much power, no avoiding that in the NBA. There is no alternative. Again what you are calling for is logical but wildly impractical. Stern isn't doing away with star calls when he manufactures a star-driven league.

Snake - Soccer has the difficult call on a tackle agreed, difference to me is basketball has more judgment calls in a tighter space, soccer has less judgment calls in an open field. Therefore not that comparable. Soccer refs are higher quality in their judgment and demeanor, there are no soccer ref divas but there are in the NBA. Thing is Pandora's Box is open and will remain so, it's not as if you can take the soccer ref demeanor and transplant it into the NBA. League refs will develop a healthy ego as a function of the stage. You can't undo that. I agree with your theory but it's not practical. Flopping, well take a look at what that shameless Italian did. A dive on zero contact, complete with grabbing the ankle and writhing in agony on cue. I will be watching closely to see what happens to Guido. I expect nothing will. NBA vs. international boils down to NBA stars getting upset when they don't get star calls overseas. Another case of correct but impractical application to the States. On Stern changing, the ultimate in impracticality. The Emperor will make certain he maintains control of the Empire. Cuban called for more ref accountability, transparency in playoff game assignments, all things that need to happen. Darth fined him into the Stone Age.

N4Sheed - Well it's Bucher saying Sheed will start so I guess we can't rely on that. I think starting Wallace is the right way for Boston to go because lately Bynum is only effective in the first quarter. Start Baby and LA has a big size advantage at 4 and 5 at the same time that the Lakers force it inside to get the bigs going. They'd get easy looks to open the game and that can get LA rolling. I think Doc can start Baby to open the second half because Bynum is rarely effective then, but first half would be a bad idea imo.

Sheed named the starter for game 7.

I'm all for fining flops or having the league keep track of them on video review and too many triggers a suspension like the tech count in the playoffs.

Soccer has music in-game all the time, it's just supplied by the fans singing or the intensely annoying vuvuzuela beehive that makes listening to the World Cup intolerable. I sat next to the Brazil section at US-Brazil in Palo Alto for the World Cup and they were singing, dancing, playing percussion all game. For some of them it was more about the party in the stands than the game on the field. And that's my criticism of your point, not all soccer fans are all about the game only. Some are there for the atmosphere and live in that vibe. The only difference NBA v soccer is the fans supply the music in soccer. Why is that an important difference if your goal is focus on the game only? Referees. Soccer has less volume of calls, less judgment calls. Judgment is involved in making the call of course, but it's perfunctory. Offsides is pretty basic compared to charge/blocking. Also have a larger field and more space to see a play develop. You can't compare the two. Though I would love to see yellow cards and red cards in the NBA, it would be a hoot. Red card Sheed and watch him go nuts. We'd see cards torn, refs decked, fun stuff. Flopping. It's worse in soccer. Hard tackle and the guy writhes on the field like someone needs to get an ambulance out there right now. Player sees the ref isn't buying it and miraculously Ambulance Man is back up and ready to play. The NBA has Paul Pierce pulling that. Soccer has a busload of bad actors. As a Warriors season ticket holder I can tell you that the entertainment can work, but more during time outs than in-game, the Flying Dubs (dunks off trampoline) always fire the crowd up. Usually at Oracle the fans start a chant and then the music kicks in to support it, not the reverse. I get your point that the NBA in-game can tend to manufacture atmosphere and in soccer it's more organic since the fans are passionate, unified and drunk. But a single focus just on the game isn't true for either sport.

Perkins tore his ACL and PCL, enterered Staples today on crutches with a heavy brace. Definitely out for game 7.

Yes and no Real. Depends on who's doing the running and how many Celtics are back. Fisher can't run transition, worst starting 1 in the league at it, Farmar is too selfish in transition, so is Sasha, so is Shannon. Kobe is hit and miss, Artest lacks the ball skills for it. As long as Gasol or Odom is running the break fine, otherwise it's a risk. Doc had them focus on getting back tonight. They usually had three commit to getting back quickly. Doc will need to find a rebounding solution. Rondo and Pierce are the most likely candidates. Sheed hasn't been a consistent rebounder for years, partially a function of his camping out high. Baby can be a good rebounder, but as a young player he needs his ego fed first, without points his engine doesn't run at full capacity. Artest will likely fall back to earth some, but I think game 5 was the low point, he won't revert to that. He has more confidence at home. Boston will certainly play better in 7, especially Pierce imo, but without Perkins it's a steep climb. Team that has won the glass has won the game. C's are older and two straight games with one days rest plus no Perkins will hurt their defensive energy second half. WEEI reporting that Perkins couldn't bend his knee leaving Staples and it's increasingly likely he won't play. Sheridan: The official word on Kendrick Perkins came from Doc Rivers, who said "it doesn't look great" for the Celtics to have their starting center available for Game 7. The unofficial word came from a well-placed Celtics mole, someone in the know who was a heckuva lot more definitive: "He's done."

When Artest steps up that opens the floor for everybody. It's when he misses or hesitates that the triangle flow sputters. Guy that needs to step up to help the spacing is Fisher, no 3's in the series. Twilight Zone that he has more layups than treys. Woj (Yahoo) saying a source close to Perkins says it doesn't look good for him to play in 7. Bucher claims Perk will give it a go. I'd take Woj's word on that, but either way Perkins very likely won't and can't be effective. Boston loses boards, help D, shotblocking, a body on Gasol, and adds strain on Garnett. Sheed and Baby aren't great rebounders. So I think Boston will need to game plan for Rondo to crash the glass hard. LA needs to keep Rondo and KG off the glass. Trapping worked on Pierce tonight they need to keep doing that, key is the bigs recovering. It'll be tight for 7, both clubs will bring it. Provided LA works hard to get back in transition D, blocks out and keeps the ball moving in the halfcourt I like their chances to close with Kobe and Pau in the 4th. Missing a starter is death to the legs in the second half, I think that'll be the difference.

X-Phylez - No, he needs two to be ejected. Kendrick Perkins has sprained MCL and PCL ligaments in knee, with an MRI on Wednesday to check for tear, league sources tell Yahoo! Sports. MCL and PCL would be difficult to play on, you'd have no control. Even if Perkins tries to play he won't be effective.

If Sheed gets a tech it carries over to next year. That looked really bad for Perk, grabbed the outside of his knee which would indicate ligament damage. He can try to play, but Bynum is trying to play on a ligament tear and is having a lot of trouble, basically can't play in the second half. Looks like at best a similar fate awaits Perk, I'd be surprised if he plays, his knee buckled and that looked really bad.

Poe - You're absolutely right that Bynum's health will be key. They're going to drain his knee again and his doc in New York is going to have a look at it as well. Drew wants to play, but no one can know how his knee will react. Odom has to be prepared to be physical or the Lakers are at risk. Boston has more big depth but that can change if Sheed gets tech #7. While Perk can contain his emotions to avoid the 7th I'm not sure that Sheed can, he's just too impulsive. Gasol and Kobe will be really helped by the two day rest. I expect both to be back in a big way and that will help both close in the 4th on both ends. Boston gets the rest too, but LA can't win without Kobe and Pau close to 100%, barring another Fisher miracle. One thing I'm hoping for is that Kobe's legacy is on the line here and his game rises accordingly. You want to become the greatest Laker ever you have to slay the green dragon. Otherwise Magic will likely always be ahead of him. It's the final step in Bryant's ascendance - and he knows it. So hopefully, from a Laker fan perspective, Bryant's baby sky moment is approaching. He needs a legacy game, winning game 5 in Boston can accomplish that.

Jackson explained why he did what he did in today's press conference. He said that since Mbenga hasn't played for a long time he's lost a competitive edge and is "kind of vacant." Thing is by not trusting him to begin with Jackson created that. Anyway, Phil did say he will play Powell and now recognizes the need to go with a deeper rotation in games where the players on the floor are gassed. So to his credit he recognizes he goofed. Jackson left gassed players on the floor and Boston scored on seven straight possessions as a result. You can't just let that ride. As for the regular season, Phil likes to avoid time outs to let players figure it out and I agree with that philosophy. Where I disagree is that he pulls the bench so late that the lead starters built is gone by the time they return. On one hands you can argue that builds mental toughness, but one of the Lakers biggest flaws in recent years is mental stamina. Bringing starters back after the lead is eliminated can create mental exhaustion. This team only plays hard for as long as absolutely required and not a nanosecond longer. Therefore leads aren't maintained and teams make runs. LA is incapable of keeping a team down. Part of that is just the NBA, teams will make runs, part of it is also LA's lack of mental stamina.

Poe - I haven't posted here most of the year. Fans will tend to blame anything but players and turn to coaches or ref whining, etc. So it's fair game to call folks out on that. But I sincerely believe that Jackson made a mistake in this one. You raise a good point that Jackson has other motives at work. He's not just managing a game but a series and that can be lost in a focus on the immediate now. Bynum sits for series purposes. I get that and agree with it. But not using what's left on your bench as you are getting absolutely shredded defensively due to gassed players and no anchor is just being stubborn, particularly when you have a shot blocker on that bench. There is no larger motive at play there, it's just a function of his priorities and biases. He chose to let Rome burn. I disagree with that choice. There are many authors in a loss. The main one in this one is time. LA was gassed, road game after one day's rest and Gasol is tired, Kobe doesn't have the same lift or acceleration and both make mistakes tired. Pau becomes a spectator on D, Kobe makes way too many turnovers, Odom puts on the invisibility cloak, etc. It's not just on Jackson by any means, but he did make a key contribution to the defeat. This is the last game with more than one day's rest. LA has to seize the opportunity that comes from it. Gasol has been the Laker in these playoffs who has benefited most from rest, followed by Kobe. Both need to play focused smart basketball in traffic to carry them to a game 5 win. I have confidence that they can do it.

Poe - 10 rings doesn't mean Jackson isn't infallible or beyond criticism. Look, Boston shoots 67% from the floor in the 4th. Scored on seven straight possessions. And nothing was done. Sorry but I'm gong to look to the sideline after that. Phil is a legendary coach but as Laker fans well know he's also stubborn and that has come back to bite them.

Ivy - What changes is that Mbenga can swat, which changes Nate's game, which changes the game itself. Mbenga is a liability on O but he can anchor on D. On a night when Odom gave them nothing, Jackson had to look at alternatives but couldn't see past his offense-only biases. Real - Phil is a fan of managing the score. Since the LA bench is so inept, Phil uses a lead in place of a bench. Dangerous game as you keep putting your starters on the floor in situations where they have to win on every possession. They play hard to generate a lead and then you put the bench out there, they lose the lead rapidly and the starters lost everything they just worked so hard to establish. Part of that is on Jackson, part of it on Kupchak for having such a woeful 7-12. LA has paid a heavy price for no draft picks for years. That's where 7-12 is replenished and instead it's gone bone dry.

Real - Here you go. My take on game 4. http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/4094/game4.jpg Loss is mainly on Jackson. His refusal to play Mbenga in the 4th was a costly mistake. You have a team on fumes getting nothing from the bench. Nate is beating you in DP, Bynum can't play, Gasol is Mr. StayPuft. Time for DJ. He could give them what they lacked: energy, boards and swats. Boston goes 10-15 in the 4th. Why? Fumes. Why? Coach who values offense so heavily he won't value defense for its own sake even when it's needed to save the game.

Payback time. http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/6198/boston2010.jpg

1. Lakers 2. Lakers 3. Celtics 4. Celtics 5. Lakers 6. Celtics 7. Lakers 3 correct = 30 PTS 4 incorrect = -40 PTS series winner = 10 PTS 0 PTS