Lakers in the News 7/31/15: The NBA Finals That Never Was: Kobe vs. LeBron

 
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:19 pm    Post subject: Lakers in the News 7/31/15: The NBA Finals That Never Was: Kobe vs. LeBron

Lakers Must Balance the Roster Before 2015-16 Training Camp Begins
by David Murphy - bleacherreport.com

As it currently stands, the Los Angeles Lakers have 14 players on an intriguing but unbalanced roster.

Adding one final contract might help the equilibrium, but it’s more likely management will use the tried and true process of multiple training camp invites as an audition process.

The Lakers will head to Honolulu in the fall for the first time in nearly a decade, holding camp among the swaying palm trees and azure seas. Team president Jeanie Buss made the announcement, per Lakers.com:

Quote:
Hawaii has been like a second home to the Lakers since my father first took the team there in 1988, The love and support we’ve always received from the people in Hawaii has meant so much to us over the years, and we’re thrilled to be returning there next fall and seeing so many of our loyal fans.


An island sojourn is a great way to kick off the season for a team that has stumbled so badly in recent years. It’s the dawning of a new age for a storied franchise—let the Hawaiian genesis begin!

But there’s still the matter of an uneven depth chart to deal with before the action starts.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2535406-los-angeles-lakers-must-balance-the-roster-before-2015-16-training-camp-begins


Last edited by lakersfreak on Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:09 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:21 pm    Post subject:

Is Julius Randle a star?
by Noah Camarena - isportsweb.com

The Los Angeles Lakers have been in constant search of a star to replace the declining Kobe Bryant for the past few summers. They have found themselves selecting in the lottery of the NBA Draft the past two summers and have swung out in their pursuit of big-name free agents like Carmelo Anthony, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan just to name a few. Even though the Lakers have been unable to add an established star to their roster, they might not have to look much longer to find Hollywood’s next big thing.

Back in the 2013 NBA Draft the Lakers selected Julius Randle out of Kentucky with the seventh overall pick. Randle seemed poised to star in his first year in the league and help the Lakers get back to the playoffs in the competitive Western Conference.

http://isportsweb.com/2015/07/30/los-angeles-lakers-is-julius-randle-a-star/
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:23 pm    Post subject:

Lakers will not pursue free-agent guard J.R. Smith
by Fox Sports

It sounds like the setup to a bad joke: J.R. Smith, Nick Young and Kobe Bryant walk into a gym for the Los Angeles Lakers, but there's only one basketball.

Chaos ensues.

But rumors linking Smith and the Lakers started to spring up this week from parts unknown, giving Los Angeles fans cause for concern and the rest of the country the potential for a nice case of schadenfreude.

Fortunately for Lakers fans, Mark Medina of the LA Daily News reports that Los Angeles will not be signing Smith:

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/report-lakers-will-not-pursue-j-r-smith-073015
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:25 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant: Critics Can’t Touch This
by Jonathan Asaad - todaysfastbreak.com


With Kobe Bryant set to remain as a member of the Lakers for at least one more year, Los Angeles’ young core of D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson are fortunate to share the same locker room with an all-time great this upcoming season. Many basketball fans and pundits, however, understandably believe Bryant’s ball-dominant ways will impede the growth of the Lakers’ prospects.

Last season, Bryant shot an inordinate amount of shots amidst a turbulent season for LA. The Black Mambas pitiful 37 percent mark from the field didn’t deter him from attempting 20 shots per game, which was widely considered to be a retrograde contribution to the Lakers’ worst season since moving to Los Angeles.

However, Bryant’s performance last season (before he went out with an injured shoulder) left fans with reason for optimism. In his last seven games of the season, Bryant’s assists per game spiked to 8.1, and his exorbitant shot attempts dropped to 13.5. Although he’s been plagued with criticism for being a greedy shooter, it isn’t outlandish to believe that Bryant can evolve into more of a facilitator and carry this distributing-trend into next season, aiding his developing young teammates. After all, Bryant has proven his ability to metamorphose throughout the course of his enitre career.

As a meticulous student of the game, Bryant constantly works to evolve his style – and basketball pundits follow suit with their sharp criticisms. As Bryant’s game has adapted, so has his uncanny knack for subverting the criticism he’s received over the course of his illustrious career.

https://www.todaysfastbreak.com/nba-west/pacific/los-angeles-lakers/kobe-bryant-critics-cant-touch-this/
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:29 pm    Post subject:

Special Olympics hoops with Lakers front office; will you join them?
by Debbie Sklar - mynewsla.com

The LA Lakers will participate Thursday in the 2015 Special Olympics World Games being held in the Southland.

An estimated 100 Laker staff members will watch basketball games at Galen Center near USC including team President Jeanie Buss.

It’s part of the Games’ Fan in the Stands program, a volunteer effort to recruit groups of 10 or more people to support athletes during the competition.

http://mynewsla.com/sports/2015/07/30/laker-staffers-watching-basketball-games-thursday-at-special-olympics/
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:08 am    Post subject:

The NBA Finals That Never Was: Kobe vs. LeBron
by Paolo Santamaria - hoopshabit.com

The two icons of our generation. The two most debated players of our era. The supposed successors to the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson rivalry. The two greatest players to… never meet in the NBA Finals.

Since LeBron James made the NBA Finals in 2007, every Finals since then has included either Kobe Bryant or LeBron, but never both of them. In 2009, many thought that would change. It was more than just a media narrative; for all intents and purposes, it was a statistical likelihood.

LeBron James had just led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a franchise best 66-16 record and won his first MVP award, posting averages of 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game on 49 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent from three-point range.

Kobe Bryant also had a spectacular season after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the Finals in 2008, before falling short to the Boston Celtics in six games. He boasted averages of 26.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game on 47 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc.

Moreover, his Lakers finished 65-17 and landed the first seed in the West, eventually surging through the Orlando Magic in the Finals to capture their first title since 2002 and Kobe’s first since Shaquille O’Neal‘s departure.

https://hoopshabit.com/2015/07/31/nba-finals-never-kobe-vs-lebron/
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