News 'n Views - Mar 2016: D'Angelo Russell affair just the latest sign the Lakers are losing their identity
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:22 am    Post subject:

Byron Scott says benching D'Angelo Russell prepared him to start
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

The head coach doesn't regret his decision to take away Russell's starting role.

D'Angelo Russell has been on a tear since returning to the starting lineup. The Los Angeles Lakers' rookie point guard has averaged 21.8 points, 5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and a scorching 55.3 percent from behind the arc since re-entering the starting lineup six games ago against the Chicago Bulls. Russell even dropped a career-high 39 points against the Brooklyn Nets.

This success has led many to ask why Russell wasn't starting sooner, but if Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott had it to do over again he would make the same decision. Scott told reporters before the Lakers' Friday night game against the Atlanta Hawks that Russell's bench stint better prepared Russell for the starting role and helped him "grow up," according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.

As many have noted, this is playing the results over the process a bit. Did Russell's time on the bench prepare him to play well? Or is it simply Russell gaining more experience from having more games in the NBA under his belt?Russell himself credited "opportunity" multiple times during his walk-off interview following his explosion against the Brooklyn Nets, and he's not wrong.

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:25 am    Post subject:

After Game Videos - Hawks at Lakers
by lakersnation.com

Byron Scott Stands By D'Angelo, Expects More From Nick Young

D'Angelo Russell On The Attention, Standards Of Being No. 2 Pick

Nick Young Encourages D'Angelo Russell's Celebrations

Larry Nance, Jr. Talks Dunk On Al Horford, Progress With Knee
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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:26 am    Post subject:

Larry Nance Jr. Dunks Right On Al Horford (Video)
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Larry Nance Jr. took flight on Friday night to drop the hammer right on top of Al Horford

There’s a good chance that the Los Angeles Lakers are going to make a strong push to try and sign current Atlanta Hawks big man Al Horford this summer in free agency. He’s a player who would make a ton of sense for the Lakers going forward in addition to being incredibly talented. Rookie Larry Nance Jr. definitely isn’t working as part of a free agent outreach program, though.

On Friday night as the Lakers and Hawks faced off, Nance got the ball about 15 feet out on the left wing with Paul Millsap on him. The Lakers rookie ducked his shoulder and got around Millsap. When Horford slid over to try and protect the rim, Nance simply just rose way up over him before bringing down a thunderous one-handed jam right in Horford’s grill:

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:27 am    Post subject:

Al Horford says Julius Randle will be 'a great player'
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Strong praise for Julius from one of the most versatile big men in the NBA.

One of the few bright spots in the Los Angeles Lakers' 106-77 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks was the strong play of Julius Randle. The sophomore power forward scored 16 points on 7-14 shooting and snared 10 rebounds in his 26th double-double of the season.

Randle's whole toolbox was on display against the Hawks, and fans of the Lakers weren't the only ones impressed with the performance. Hawks big man Al Horford offered some big praise for Randle, telling Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation that "[Randle] can shoot the ball now, he sprinted the floor, he's just a guy who is going to develop into a great player."

Horford's praise was spot-on. Randle was given the opportunity to fire away because the Hawks were packing the lane, and Randle made them pay (as much as you can make a team "pay" in a 29 point loss), making four of his seven shots outside of the paint. Randle even made one of his two three-pointers on the night, and in doing so demonstrated the type of confident stroke he will have to consistently display if he wants teams to respect him on the perimeter instead of sagging off into the lane:

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:23 pm    Post subject:

5 Bold Predictions for the Lakers Down the Stretch
by Taylor Smith - todaysfastbreak.com

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a rough go all year long and are currently in the midst of an eight-game losing skid. But enough negativity. Let’s try to look on the bright side of things (I said TRY) and come up with a few fun, bold predictions for LAL over the season’s final couple of months.

Kobe Bryant will have one more 40-point game

There are only 22 games left in the career of Kobe Bryant (21, really, as he’s slated to miss Tuesday’s tilt with Brooklyn), but I get the feeling that his farewell tour won’t be complete without one more vintage scoring effort from No. 24. Scoring 40+ may be a tall order considering he’s rarely playing even 30 minutes these days, but he did drop 38 on the T’Wolves about a month ago. It’s tough to find many wins down-the-stretch for a team with only 11 Ws all season long, but LAL does have two remaining games against the Phoenix Suns, who have quickly burst into flames as the league’s premier dumpster fire. The Suns are shamelessly tanking at this point, and they seem like the perfect prey for Kobe’s final scoring explosion.

If he’s able to keep his body intact, Kobe’s going for 40 at some point over the next few weeks.

Roy Hibbert will pick up one double-double

BOLD. The Lakers’ 7’2″ center’s career is basically flashing before his eyes at this point, as he’s set to hit the free agency market with his stock at an all-time low. He’s still not even 30-years-old, but his days as a viable NBA starting center seem like they may already be in the rearview mirror.

Desperate to prove he can still be a worthwhile rotation player, Hibbert will ERUPT for a 10-point, 10-rebound game sometime before the season is up. Sure, he only has two double-doubles all season long – and his last 10+ rebound effort was in mid-December – but Roy’s redemption is coming. Just look at the fire in these eyes.

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:24 pm    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 5, 2003
by nba.com

Like so many times before, Kobe Bryant provided fireworks and then Robert Horry closed out with a clutch shot.

Tied at 95 with Indiana, “Big Shot Rob” drained a 20-foot buzzer-beater to lift the Lakers, while Bryant pitched in 20 points to become the youngest player to score 10,000 in his career.

“I really can’t grasp what it means right now,” Bryant told reporters. “I had no idea the crowd was going to stand up the way they did. It was a little embarrassing, but it was a good feeling.”

Despite playing on a sore knee, Bryant also made it a double-double with 10 rebounds. His teammate, Shaquille O’Neal piled up 26 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, while bestowing praise on Bryant.

“It’s an accomplishment, especially for a guy that came out of high school right away,” O’Neal said. “He’s going to be a Hall of Fame player. I’m just glad he’s on my team.”

Bryant hit back-to-back shots in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers a 91-84 lead, but Indiana responded by scoring 11 unanswered points.

From there, Los Angeles turned to Derek Fisher, who hit layups on consecutive possessions before Horry finished things off.

Bryant saw his streak of 16 games with 30-plus points come to an end, but was satisfied with the victory over the Pacers, led by Jermaine O’Neal (28 points, 11 rebounds) and future Laker Ron Artest (17 points, 11 rebounds).

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:25 pm    Post subject:

By land or by air, getting to games can be difficult for Kobe Bryant
by Janis Carr - ocregister.com

Everyone knows the 405 freeway can be a difficult drive when trying to get from Orange County to Los Angeles. Add rush hour traffic and it’s enough to make any diehard Lakers fan skip the game.

Even if they commute by helicopter.

Kobe Bryant has said that traveling the 45 or so miles from his home in Newport Coast to Staples Center can be hard on his body. All that sitting. So most times, he takes a helicopter to the arena to save on the long commute.

But apparently that can be too hard, too.

Bothered by a nagging sore right shoulder, Bryant decided to stay home Friday instead of sitting on the bench during the Lakers’ 106-77 loss to Atlanta. Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson, both of whom sat out because of injuries, were on the bench in street clothes, though.

Coach Byron Scott was willing to cut Bryant some slack during his farewell season.

“You know, that’s a pretty good haul (from O.C. to L.A), even though I know he has a jet and a helicopter and all that other stuff to get here,” Scott said. “But we really haven’t talked about it. A lot of it’s just his feel. I think he comes sometimes to support his guys, sometimes he just stays home to get his treatment and get his rest.”

Whatever his reasoning was this time, the fans didn’t forget about the retiring star. Late in the fourth quarter and the Lakers down by 25, the crowd began chanting “Kobe, Kobe.”

“They just want to see Kobe and of course they want to win,” Brandon Bass said.

Bryant didn’t come to the rescue this time as the Lakers fell to 12-51.

Scott said he and Bryant haven’t discussed if and when he should come to the arena if he’s not playing. But he understands the fans’ frustration of paying for pricey tickets and not seeing Bryant, even on the bench.

“I do understand what you’re saying as far as the fans being here and everything, and believe me he understands that, as well,” Scott said. “He really does and he’s very sympathetic to that, as well. So I’m sure when he’s able, when he’s not playing, he’ll be here to make sure he supports his teammates and just so the fans can get a look at him.”

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:09 am    Post subject:

Nick Van Exel says Kobe's competitiveness made his teammates better

Kobe's former teammate also remembered early signals that Bryant would be a workaholic.

When Kobe Bryant came into the league, Nick Van Exel was a fourth year veteran in the midst of a 13 year NBA career. 20 years later, Bryant is now in the midst of a season long farewell tour celebrating his Hall of Fame career, and Van Exel says that while he wouldn't have predicted this level of greatness from Kobe so early, there were signs that his constant drive to improve would make him a special player.

"I'm sure people around here have seen him grind, grind, grind, and the kid was like that when he came into the league, his work ethic, his drive, it was unbelievable," said Van Exel, now head coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League. "He's always been a real competitive person from day one."

Van Exel recalled one of the Lakers' first tastes of Bryant's competitive drive.

"I do remember one time we were having a shootaround, and in the shootaround we were just walking through the plays, just trying to figure out the defenses as you're walking through them," said Van Exel. "And [Kobe] was going really really hard at Eddie Jones, and we all just started laughing. And he was the only one not laughing, like the coaches was laughing, everybody.

"[Kobe] was not laughing. So finally, Del [Harris] had to tell him 'we're not going 100% yet!''

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 3:10 am    Post subject:

Brown could miss rest of season
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

After a relatively healthy season, injuries are finally starting to catch up to the Lakers.

In the last week, Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson have gotten hurt, and Kobe Bryant’s nagging pains have been bad enough to keep him out of three of the past four games.

Rookie Anthony Brown can be added to the list of the injured when the Lakers host the defending champion Golden State Warriors on Sunday afternoon.

The Orange County native, who played at Ocean View High in Huntington Beach and Stanford, was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right foot Saturday morning.

The Lakers announced the rookie, who averaged four points and shot 31 percent from the field in 29 games, will miss a minimum of four weeks.

With 19 games remaining before April 13, Brown could be out the rest of the season.

After the Lakers led the NBA in games missed with injuries each of the last two seasons, a tally that peaked with 339 last year, their players combined to miss just 40 to injury through Friday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Brown’s injury only further complicates matters for Coach Byron Scott, who had to piece together new lineups Friday with Clarkson, Williams and Bryant out.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:08 am    Post subject:

Steph Curry skeptical he could ever top Kobe’s 81-point game
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The question made Stephen Curry smile and shake his head. He showed the same disbelief many have when they watch him play.

The Golden State Warriors’ guard and defending regular-season MVP has seemingly made any shot at any angle and from any distance. But he cast serious doubts on accomplishing something else even more miraculous.

Could Curry ever break Kobe Bryant’s career-high 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors nearly a decade ago?

“Not a chance,” Curry told Los Angeles News Group. “There’s a reason why people are still talking about that game to this day. It’s so special.”

Yes, Bryant’s career game still represents the NBA’s second-highest scoring performance behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. But Bryant does not consider the milestone special enough to think his record will remain sacred.

Said Bryant: “It’s just a matter of you have to believe it’s possible.”

The Lakers (12-51) enter Sunday’s game against the Golden State Warriors (55-5) at Staples Center with Curry doing what was once considered impossible.

He has averaged a league-leading 30.7 points per game despite playing only 33.9 minutes per contest. He has ranked first this season in posting 30-point games (29), 40-point games (11) and 50-point games (three). He shattered his own single-season three-point record (293) still with 22 games remaining.

According to NBA.com, Curry has made 3-pointers from basically anywhere, including the right corner (53.3%), the left corner (45.3%) and at the top of the key (46.5%). Very few can guard Curry no matter the distance, including shots from 10-14 feet (54.5%), 15-19 feet (39.7%), 20-24 feet (48%), 25-29 feet (45.9%) and 30-34 feet (58.3%).

Could all those numbers add up to what Bryant did on Jan. 22, 2006?

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:10 am    Post subject:

Duke's Brandon Ingram figures to be quite a catch for some NBA team
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

The trips to Atlantic Beach started at 6 a.m., just before the sun rose over the northeastern part of North Carolina.

Brandon Ingram would sleepily get into his grandmother's car, study the tree-lined flat lands on Highway 70 and arrive at the pier to start catching whatever saltwater fish found the bait attractive. They'd eagerly pull up spots and mullets and occasionally small sharks that would be released faster than you could say the name of the local watering hole, the aptly named Tackle Box Tavern.

The spots were a particularly good treat. They were only about as big as a person's hand, not large enough to be filleted, but easily dipped in batter and pan-fried with the head chopped off and tail still intact.

These are the days Ingram remembers as a child from the tough part of Kinston, a little over an hour from the Atlantic Beach haven.

Life will soon change dramatically for the soft-spoken teenage Duke star, who talks about fishing as effortlessly as he moves around the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium, his skills as a freshman making him the likely No. 2 pick in the NBA draft behind Louisiana State's Ben Simmons.

Ingram hasn't declared for the draft, a mere formality at this point, meaning the Lakers will take a long look at him if the lottery balls fall their way and they end up with the second pick.

Lakers scouts will see a player with three-point touch who rebounds steadily for a 6-foot-9 small forward forced to play power forward because of attrition on Duke's roster.

They'll see someone who can handle the ball with long arms and drive proficiently to the basket with a facial feature that might remind them of one of their former players — sleepy-eyed Sam Perkins.

They'll also notice Ingram's physique. It's thin. Very.

Ingram, listed at 190 pounds, knows it. The main critique of his game is his frame.

"I definitely hear that a lot," he said, adding that he gained muscle since arriving at Duke, eating often at the athletic department-sponsored dining area and lifting weights three to four times a week.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 8:11 am    Post subject:

Who should the Lakers select in the second round?
by Ben Rosales - silverscreenandroll.com

With all of the hullabaloo surrounding Los Angeles' top-three protected first round pick, there has been relatively little focus on the team's sure-to-be-retained second round pick. Ben Rosales and guest Jerry Khachoyan break down the options available to the team at the spot, and what philosophies or calculus might lie behind the team's decision-making.

That the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to add significant talent in this year's upcoming draft has been a key topic of discussion since the team's struggles became evident, but the vast majority of discussion has centered around their top-three protected 2016 first round pick. Mind you, this is for good reason, as Ben Simmons, Brandon Ingram, and your next favorite prospect of choice could be tremendous, if not franchise-changing, additions to the team's burgeoning core of young players.

However, for a front office that has made notable hay lately with late first and second round picks, the Lakers' certain retention of their second rounder currently slated at #32 is another topic worthy of discussion. Indeed, such spots are often held to be exceptionally valuable, offering veritable first round prospect talent without the restrictions of the rookie scale salary guarantees. The pick that the Lakers make at this spot will very likely not be franchise-affirming, but it could have a significant impact on the team's rotation moving forward.

With this in mind, I have enlisted the services of Jerry Khachoyan, who comments frequently on Lakers-related material on Twitter and occasionally writes for Lakers Outsiders, to go over the Lakers' options in the second round at #32. In addition to the Lakers, Jerry and I frequently discuss college-level prospects largely in a Lakers-centric context. To wit, Jerry was kind enough to invite me to the Lakers' practice facility in El Segundo to watch the draft last season (I might have stolen the team's 2003-04 conference championship trophy after seeing it sitting forlorn in a forgotten corner) after he won an online contest offering tickets and access, so we've been invested in this type of draft talk for quite a while now.

In the following discussion, we'll explore not only the likely options available to the team in the second round, but the team's past history in this area of the draft, approaches and strategies to invoke at this stage of the Lakers' rebuilding process, and how certain draft options could fit into the context of the Lakers' existing core. A good deal of our discussion uses the resources at Draft Express, namely their big board and mock draft, as a means to establish context for our talking points, both of which are fluid and subject to change as time goes on. This noted, a snapshot of our impressions at this point of the season right before tournament play opens is valuable and the overarching points of our discussion will very likely find purchase moving forward. Without further ado:

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:40 pm    Post subject:

How the Lakers pulled off the biggest upset in NBA history against the Warriors
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Breaking down how the heck that just happened.

The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the world on Sunday afternoon, defeating the defending champion Golden State Warriors 112-95 on national TV. Almost any team beating the Warriors this season can be called an upset, Golden State's loss dropped them to 55-6, still leaving them with a solid chance to surpass the Chicago Bulls 72-10 mark for the best regular season record ever.

However, the Lakers victory over this historic Warriors outfit was not any "ordinary" upset. It was mathematically the biggest upset in NBA history. According to the Washington Post, "A team with a winning percentage as poor as that of the Lakers had never before defeated a team with winning percentage as high as that of Golden State."

The completely unexpected result left everyone with one simple question: how exactly did the purple and gold just win that game? Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott outlined one of his theories after the game:

Byron: "Sometimes you've got to challenge their manhood to get some type of response. And the response we got tonight was a great response."

With all due respect to Scott, the Lakers "manning up" did not appear to be the main reason they won. Their result on Sunday can be chalked up to four primary factors:

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:41 pm    Post subject:

Lakers blow-out Warriors. Yes, really.
by lakersoutsiders.com

In a bizarre turn of events that is seeing me type something I never expected to, the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. This is not a typo, nor is it a cruel joke I am playing on our readers.

No, the Lakers beat the Warriors – blew them out, even – in what may go down as the greatest regular season upset in NBA history. And yes, free tacos were had by the Lakers faithful as the home team held on for the 112-95 win.

It is fair to say there is not a whole lot to take away from this game. The Warriors were clearly out of sorts and speculation about how they spent Saturday night in Los Angeles ran rampant as it became clear they were about to lose to one of the worst teams in the league. The sharpshooting Dubs were a hilariously bad 4-30 from behind the three point line on Sunday. Their 20 turnovers (compared to the Lakers’ 13) was perhaps the biggest key in the loss. Even nearly undefeatable MVP Steph Curry struggled, taking 20 shots to accumulate his 18 points.

Yet despite the noticeable sloppiness and struggles from the Dubs, the Lakers deserve plenty of credit as well. In a team-oriented game that saw Los Angeles giving their best effort of the season, nearly every Laker shined at various moments.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:43 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Supplies Guidance In Win Over Warriors
by Joey Ramirez - nba.com

Two days earlier, Kobe Bryant was having trouble simply moving his sore right shoulder.

“(Before) last game, I was riding in my car and if I reached out to turn on the radio, I couldn’t move my arm,” Bryant said of the injury that has sidelined him for three of his last four games. “It’s not a good thing.”

But Bryant nonetheless suited up for his final matchup with the defending-champion Golden State Warriors, and — with his mind rather than his body — guided his Lakers to a 112-95 throttling against a team that entered with 55 wins in 60 games.

Bryant shot just 4-of-14, including misses on all five of his 3-point attempts, while sitting the entire fourth quarter. But he was instrumental in his 24 minutes off the floor, constantly barking advice at his young teammates from the end of the bench.

“He’s very aggressive with his words,” said D’Angelo Russell, who finished with 21 points. “I can’t really say what he was saying, but it was very aggressive. But he got the bigs to push up and the guards to push up (defensively on pick-and-rolls) and play tougher. Kobe did his thing.”

Despite being saddled with a large hot-and-cold pack wrapped around that ailing shoulder, Bryant was able to get his team focused in against an opponent that has feasted on opponents’ miscues and lethargy during its historic campaign.

“He led us,” Julius Randle said. “Like I said, it was important that we locked in for a full 48 minutes, because (the Warriors) are so explosive as a team. Any time (Bryant) thought there was any little slippage or whatever, he was on us.”

The Lakers may have been facing the defending champions, but that was nothing new for Bryant and his 2010 title teammate, Metta World Peace. Both provided the type of knowledge that the Lakers had hoped they would pass on to the next generation.

“Kobe kept us on our toes,” Russell said. “He was coaching us the whole game from the sideline. Metta (too) — they were doing a great job of coaching us on the sideline, telling us to push it when you got it, (saying) ’Don’t wait.’ It worked.”

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:43 pm    Post subject:

Lakers wear Kobe Bryant-themed socks vs. Warriors
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

The outcome defied logic. The reasons also seemed head-scratching.

But there apparently marked one significant reason why the Lakers somehow delivered a 112-95 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday at Staples Center.

“The power of the socks,” Kobe Bryant joked.

Instead of willing his team with clutch baskets, Bryant instead helped his team with comfortable inspiration. The Lakers wore Bryant-themed socks produced by Stance, the NBA’s official on-court sock provider. The Lakers wore a pair of socks called “The Final,” which entailed a set colored purple, gold, white and black with a reference to Bryant’s jersey number. That included the number “2” on the right sock and the number “4” on the left sock.

“It’s got to be the socks,” Bryant said. “It’s cool. To play as many years in the league, it’s cool to do stuff like that.”

There marked two others sets of Bryant-themed socks not worn in the game.

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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:46 pm    Post subject:

After Game Videos - Warriors at Lakers
by lakersnation.com

Lakers Beat Warriors, Biggest Upset In NBA History

D'Angelo Russell After The Lakers Upset The Golden State Warriors

Kobe Bryant's Interesting Message To Draymond Green

Kobe Bryant Gives Klay Thompson His Game Worn Jersey
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2016 10:47 pm    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 6, 2016
by nba.com

Trailing by 14 midway through the final quarter, Kobe Bryant did’t panic. Instead, he methodically dissected New Orleans to lead the Lakers on a 20-0 game-ending run for a 108-102 victory.

“I believed we were going to win it the whole time,” Bryant told the media. “The most important thing for me was to bring my teammates along with me. I had to force the game upon them a little bit and change the momentum and get everybody believing we could do this together.”

Bryant piled up 42 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds, while shooting 14-of-21 from the field and 11-of-14 on free throws.

But it was far from easy for Bryant, whose team fell behind by 19 at halftime after a 39-20 second-quarter shellacking.

Los Angeles didn’t gain much traction in the third, but it erupted in the final frame.

Bryant scored 18 in the fourth quarter alone, including a layup that tied the game at 102 with 1:34 left. Then he came right back down and splashed a 10-foot fadeaway for the go-ahead score.

The Lakers held their hosts scoreless for the game’s final 6:46, outscoring the Hornets 33-9 in the fourth.

In addition to Bryant’s brilliance, the Lakers received a strong outing from Dwight Howard (20 points, 15 rebounds, four blocks), who had a key swat on Robin Lopez’s game-tying shot with 27.1 seconds left.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 6:55 pm    Post subject:

There’s hope in the Lakers’ process
by Will Reeve Jr - todaysfastbreak.com

The Los Angeles Lakers have been led astray by Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak. They’re a franchise so lost in free agency that LaMarcus Aldridge gave the team a second shot as a dry run of sorts to figure out how to even reach the modern player — out of apparent pity.

With their strategy the franchise is destined to struggle for years to come. Shoot, even ESPN’s Doug Kezirian (an ardent Lakers fan) has gone on record stating that this squad likely won’t win another championship in his lifetime.

Byron Scott is so completely out of touch with today’s game and players that it’s a wonder he’s still coaching any team in 2016.

That about sums up the current state of this Lakers franchise right?

Wrong.

I get it. Fan is short for “fanatic.” The Lakers have an intrinsically impatient and somewhat spoiled fan base where championships had become as regular as a visit to the dentist. That said, it’s beyond time to hit the refresh button on the line of thought that’s following this team and see the state of the franchise for where it’s actually at.

The team likely won’t be competitive without (at least) one established veteran star, but while the future looks terribly bleak to even some of the most trained eyes in broadcast, print and/or online media — the long-term hope is very real (and Scott has indeed been part of this) in Southern California.

That said, it’s on the fans to choose to see what’s right before them.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:00 pm    Post subject:

After Practice Videos - Mar. 7, 2016
by lakersnation.com

D'Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson Envision Backcourt Of the Future

What's Led To D'Angelo Russell's Increased Confidence?

Jordan Clarkson On The Lakers Upset Over The Warriors

Marcelo Huertas Advises D'Angelo Russell To Stay Humble


Last edited by lakersfreak on Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:58 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:01 pm    Post subject:

How will L.A. Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson grow as backcourt duo?
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The promotional pre-season posters featuring D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson suggested the Lakers viewed them as part of their long-term future. Byron Scott’s recent decision to pair them together more suggested the same thing.

But nothing captured their potential more than in Sunday’s upset win over the Golden State Warriors when Russell and Clarkson played better than the NBA’s best backcourt.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson went a combined 13-of-40 from the field and 1-of-18 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Russell and Clarkson posted numbers the Splash Brothers usually drench their opponents with, including a combined 46 points on a 7-of-13 mark from the perimeter.

“One game doesn’t solidify anything, but it obviously gives us some direction when you look at these two young guys,” Scott said. “If they get that mentality and continue to gain some experience, we can have something special.”

The Lakers (13-51) sounded intrigued about Russell and Clarkson carrying that effort into Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic (27-34) at Staples Center.

“You have to create your own style of play with your personnel,” Russell said. “We try to do a little bit of everything.”

Since starting for the last eight games, Russell has averaged 19.9 points, 5.0 assists, and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 49 percent from 3-point range. During that same stretch, Clarkson has posted 17.85 points, 4.8 6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists, while going 50.5 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from 3-point range.

The Lakers have gushed about Russell’s vision, playmaking and promising outside shooting.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:03 pm    Post subject:

Jordan Clarkson is OK with being outside the spotlight
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

Meet Jordan Clarkson, the forgotten Laker.

He wears jersey No. 6. He's from San Antonio. This is his second year in the NBA.

It's easy to overlook him because he falls so deep in the attention-getting pecking order of the Lakers. This is somewhat bizarre because he's their best player.

The Kobe Bryant goodbye tour usually carries the day, followed closely by the ever-present monitoring of the Lakers' young players — D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr.

It's sometimes amusing to hear what Nick Young says after games, not to mention his dubious shot selection over any particular 48 minutes, and you can't disregard Metta World Peace for entertainment value on and off the court, if he ever plays.

This is about where Clarkson falls into place, rarely grabbing headlines on a team that's 13-51.

Something new happened Sunday. Clarkson had another strong effort and this time everybody talked about the game itself.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:04 pm    Post subject:

Julius Randle has a knack for rebounding
by Broderick Turner - latimes.com

Collecting rebounds has been Julius Randle's constant this season for the Lakers.

And in many ways, Randle has made it a simple chore: See the ball. Go get the ball.

He went and got 14 rebounds against Golden State on Sunday to go along with 12 points, his 27th double-double of the season.

"I have a pretty good sense on the offensive glass and the defensive glass where the ball is going to go," Randle said. "My main thing is I've just got to hit my man and once I get him out of play, I can just go get it. I can use my speed and my agility to go get the ball."

The way Randle has scooped up rebounds has reminded Lakers Coach Byron Scott of an old-time rebounding phenom.

"He's got a Dennis Rodman mentality," Scott said about Rodman, who led the NBA in rebounding seven consecutive seasons. "When the ball goes up there, he just has that mind-set of, especially defensively, that it's his. So for the most part, if the ball comes in his area, it is his."

It's really a stretch to say Randle is his listed height of 6 feet 9, leaving him smallish for a power forward.

He has small hands, doesn't really have long arms and has some bounce to get off the floor, but it's not like Randle is some super leaper.

"When he steps on the floor, if you play him 25 minutes or more, it's a double-double," Scott said. "I think 90% of the time, it's a double-double. He's that good as far as rebounding the ball."

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:05 pm    Post subject:

Byron Scott unsure of Kobe Bryant’s health
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

The smile on Kobe Bryant’s face suggested he felt just fine when the Lakers took a team photo on Monday at the team’s facility in El Segundo. It also marked a stark contrast to the unapproachable demeanor Bryant had during the team photo in the 2013-14 season during Mike D’Antoni’s final season.

But Lakers coach Byron Scott did not receive any insight on how Bryant’s sore right shoulder felt for one specific reason.

“We never really talked about the shoulder,” Scott said. “That was my mistake. I forgot to ask him about it.”

Meanwhile, reporters naturally ask about Bryant’s shoulder all the time. He played 25 minutes in Sunday’s win against Golden State before sitting out the fourth quarter. It currently appears unclear if Bryant will play when the Lakers (13-51) host the Orlando Magic (27-34) on Tuesday at Staples Center.

“I just said, ‘Are you all right, everything good?'” Scott recalled saying. “We took our pictures today and everything. There was some autograph stuff he had to sign. I talked to him briefly for another two or three minutes. Through all that, I forgot to ask, ‘How’s the shoulder doing?’ How do you think you’ll feel for tomorrow?’ But I’ll talk to him later today or early tomorrow morning.”

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:06 pm    Post subject:

TDIKH: March 7, 2003
by nba.com

Getting four points from your bench isn’t so bad when you have Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

The duo combined to score 70 in the Lakers’ 106-96 victory over Minnesota.

O’Neal piled up 40 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks while shooting 16-of-25 from the field. Meanwhile, Bryant did his part with 30 points and seven assists.

Though six Lakers reserves combined to shoot just 2-of-11 while Minnesota shot 50.7 percent as a whole, the Lakers managed to hang tough behind O’Neal and Bryant.

They were also able to rack up plenty of extra possessions due to 16 offensive rebounds against only five turnovers.

Los Angeles took a 10-point halftime lead before its stars kept the Timberwolves at bay in the second half, as O’Neal scored 14 points in the third quarter and Bryant added 11 in the next.

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