Lkr Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 It was an odd time for a players-only meeting -- minutes after a blowout victory over Portland -- but the Los Angeles Lakers felt they needed to clear the air. So, according to sources, team leaders Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher gathered everyone together in the Lakers' locker room Monday night and tried to set the tone for the second half of the season. Their message was clear: Trade rumors do not matter; your feelings about management or the coaching staff don't matter; all that matters is that the 14 men in that locker room support and believe in one another. If they stay together and stay on the same page, they can get to where they want to go as a team. Since the Lakers' impressive 103-92 victory over the Blazers took place before the meeting, it's hard to tell what effect the talk will have, but the Lakers seem to believe the meeting was productive and that the club is making progress. The reference to trade rumors obviously concerned Pau Gasol and the non-stop chatter that he may not be a Laker after the March 15 trade deadline. Bryant came out in strong support of Gasol after Sunday night's awful loss at Phoenix, saying that while he doesn't want Pau to be traded, management should either move him quickly or announce that he's staying in Los Angeles. "It's just tough for a player to give his all when you don't know if you're going to be here tomorrow," Bryant said. "I'd rather them not trade him at all. If they're going to do something, I wish they would just (expletive) do it. If they're not going to do it, come out and say you're not going to do it." General manager Mitch Kupchak responded to Bryant's criticism by issuing a statement that essentially said that while he understands times are tough for Gasol, the big man is still on the block. "To say publicly that we would not do this would serve no purpose and put us at a competitive disadvantage," Kupchak said. "Taking such a course of action at this time would be a disservice to ownership, the team and our many fans." Kupchak's statement, released shortly before Monday's tip-off, probably had a lot to do with the players' postgame powwow. But there are other issues as well. Some of the Lakers are having trouble adjusting to Mike Brown's coaching style, which is a sharp contrast to Phil Jackson's. Some players are upset about what they perceive to be an ever-changing rotation and the up-and-down distribution of minutes, sources said. Others aren't liking the long practices and shootarounds, while still others have bristled at Brown's heavy-handed approach, as opposed to Jackson's more laid-back style. Read more: http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7597757/los-angeles-lakers-kobe-bryant-derek-fisher-call-players-only-meeting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobe24 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Looks like things will get interesting lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sħãlïq™ Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Great story but... uhm: ...minutes after a blowout victory over Portland...A 'blowout victory'? It started out as a blowout victory, it seemed like it would end as one, and it could've been. Just like the Lakers could have won 6 or 7 titles within 10 seasons. The Clippers could've beat the Warriors last night. Ryan Gomes could've made a better inbound pass to CP3. Somebody could've prevented the 9/11 attacks... COULD. 'Could' is not 'is'. 103-92 is not a blowout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Make It Naaaashty Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Damn don't get all emotional and shit shaliq..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayes1 Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 haha he mad! :glasses: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballorama Posted February 22, 2012 Report Share Posted February 22, 2012 Great story but... uhm: A 'blowout victory'? It started out as a blowout victory, it seemed like it would end as one, and it could've been. Just like the Lakers could have won 6 or 7 titles within 10 seasons. The Clippers could've beat the Warriors last night. Ryan Gomes could've made a better inbound pass to CP3. Somebody could've prevented the 9/11 attacks... COULD. 'Could' is not 'is'. 103-92 is not a blowout. LOL bro if anyone watched the game it was a blowout, points in the end against the Lakers bench shouldn't take away from the margin of victory.. then again you are being a bit picky on one word in the article lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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