[amanda hor$t]

definitely a rebuilding year...

haven't caught a full game yet but been following the laker girls reality show

[jayhawkfan0024]

As a KU fan I'm happy Xavier Henry is getting some minutes especially on Lake Show!

[bmw1racer]

Lakers got hammered again, this time by the Mavs.

It's gonna be that kind of season...

[tigermack]

Rebuild year. Nash should have retired. Gasol can't do it all... needs some help. IDK where that Laker team went after the first game...

[Bowser330]

Just in case any of you gents were wondering what players make, HoopsHype has it all laid out in a pretty easy format...

http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/la_lakers.htm

This year I am just hoping the Lakers make the damn playoffs.

NEXT year though, we could be back in serious contention....only $12M guaranteed leaving $70M in 2014 for contracts of a few top shelf players and some great role players.

[bmw1racer]

Lakers blow yet another big lead, but win, 99-98, mostly due to the free throw bricks put up by one Dwight Howard... LOL.

[MediaArtist]

It wasn't just Howard, the whole rockets team was clanging at the free throw line. In the 2nd quarter between Howard, Lin, and Parsons, they missed 7 straight.

[SaMaster14]

What a game last night! Lakers might not win too many this year... but they definitely have the potential to upset quite a few teams! Can't wait for Kobe to come back, but it really is fun watching this current squad!

[MediaArtist]

This current squad just seems so much younger and fresher than last year. Farmer, Young, Johnson, Meeks add a lot of the young energy that the Lakers were simply lacking last year.

Yeah they make a lot of mistakes, especially Wesley Johnson, and Nick Young, but I can already see the effect on fast breaks and defensive stops this far into the season.

When Kobe comes back, they'll get the leadership and offensive potency he offers, the Lakers will surprise in how far they go this season IMO.

[Litos]

those douche holes named Johnson and Blake killed us yesterday.

actually, it was the Rockets FT shooting that did us in.....

[bmw1racer]

Lakers lose to the Pelicans (ridiculous name ), 96-85.

[tigermack]

Anthony Davis, damn, kid is beast, did you guys see him run the floor?

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by tigermack

Anthony Davis, damn, kid is beast, did you guys see him run the floor?

It's that monobrow.

[Bowser330]

Lakers getting beat up pretty bad by timberwolves.....

[MediaArtist]

Kobe participating in full practices now.

Only a matter of weeks IMO before we get Black Mamba throwing daggers on opposing teams this season.

[lukasbmw]

Originally Posted by UMBC2015

You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Kobe will be ready for opening day, or the first couple of weeks. As he has stated in multiple interviews, and as his doctors have claimed, he is well ahead of schedule.

Hey UMBC2015, did you delete your post? I can't find it????

Didn't you tell me that "I had no idea what I was talking about" when I said that Kobe would be back until Christmas? Didn't you tell me Kobe would be back for opening day?

LOL LOL LOL

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap...turn-To-Lakers

Read the above article. Looks like my Christmas prediction will be pretty accurate. But it's not like I know anything about sports. LOL.

[squishy]

Lakers on a roll! Won 5 of their last 6. AND we should have Kobe back hopefully by next weekend!!

Best thing about this season is, we can play some young guns who were lost since they entered the NBA, like Wes Johnson, Xavier, and Herky Jerky, and hopefully see which ones perform well, and sign them to lengthy contracts. Best way to build a core, with these guys and Kobe, then add on pieces as we see fit.

I honestly think we are one definsive-minded big man away from being letitimate contenders! Our only glaring weakness is, opponents score wayy too easily inside the paint. We can cover the perimeter fine, but need help inside.

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by squishy

AND we should have Kobe back hopefully by next weekend!!

That might not be a good thing: The team's been sharing the ball well with multiple players in double figures and a different player has led the team in scoring each game... With Kobe back in the mix, the team dynamic will definitely change.

[Nkc]

Yeah if he comes back, he's definitely gonna make things worse for the team. Everyone is going to adjust for his playing style again and the ball will not move around effectively anymore. But hey, people would rather watch a losing team with Kobe than a winning team without the ball hog.

[squishy]

Originally Posted by Nkc

But hey, people would rather watch a losing team with Kobe than a winning team without the ball hog.

According to who? I completely disagree. While Kobe is fun to watch, there is nothing more fun than winning. People watch the NBA for entertainment, and Kobe entertains. Add on winning, and it's even better. Simple.

While I agree some adjustment will be necessary to implement Kobe in D'Antoni's system, and the team's overall dynamic will change, I don't think there will me much of a difference from what we're seeing right now. Right now, we just don't have a "go to" guy late in games, and when our offense comes to a standstill. Nick Young might have taken that role as of late, but he can only play so many minutes. Plus, he's a streaky shooter, as we saw this past week. Shot the ball very well against Washington and Brooklyn, but struggled against Detroit. For the most part, you know what you're getting with Kobe, as far as points and shot attempts go.

Also, Kobe adds an entirely new element to the current Lakers squad that we aren't seeing right now. Opponents will prepare their game plan centering around Kobe, when he returns. They know better than not to, as we've seen the past 17 years. This will allow others to open up their game: shooters like Meeks and Wes to get open looks, and Pau to assert himself in the post. We will definitely see double teams with Kobe on the ball, which will allow others to get open off the ball.

If D'Antoni can manage his player's minutes and positions well, we may vastly improve from what our record and stats indicate as of right now. By that, I mean if Nick Young takes a 6th man role, if Wes Johnson can use his length to pick up the slack on rebounding and take care of all the dirty work along with Hill, and if D'Antoni takes a defense-minded approach to coaching. If not, this season might go down the drain real quick with Young and Kobe fighting for shot attempts, and Pau standing behing the 3-pt arc.

[MediaArtist]

"Yeah if he comes back, he's definitely gonna make things worse for the team."



Unless Kobe comes back as a hobbled old man who can't hit 20 foot fade aways anymore, him coming back is NOT going to make things worse for the team.

How will having a go to scorer, lock down defender, and double-team drawing guy make the Lakers worse?

As someone who saw Kobe personally lead us through 2 championships recently, and remember when he and Shaq did it 3 times, I know Kobe coming back will only make things better.

[squishy]

Jordan Farmar out four weeks with torn hamstring.

Nash is returning to practice this week, so we could have Nash and Kobe on Friday for the Kings. Still, Farmar's absence will greatly hurt our bench production, our one significant strength.