Lakers in the News 12/21/15 - 12/27/15: Kobe on leading All-Star voting: 'What the hell?'
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:52 am    Post subject: Lakers in the News 12/21/15 - 12/27/15: Kobe on leading All-Star voting: 'What the hell?'

Lakers' lottery-draft position has some variables
by Mike Bresnahan - latimes.com

This might be the strangest pause in the Lakers' schedule, three full days on the road between games.

They'll practice twice in Denver and finally play the Nuggets on Tuesday before heading home.

With so much time between box scores and so few accomplishments this season, it seemed reasonable to update the odds for their most popular event in May the last two years — the NBA draft lottery.

The Lakers' 2016 first-round draft pick is top-three protected, so they keep it only if they finish among the top three after the lottery. If they don't, they forfeit the selection because of the Steve Nash trade. (Phoenix originally acquired the pick in 2012 but traded it to Philadelphia earlier this year.)

If this seems familiar, it is. The same pick last season was top-five protected and the Lakers kept it after moving up to the No. 2 spot on lottery night.

This can easily turn into another awkward season where Lakers fans cheer for their team to lose, if it hasn't already happened.

What's at stake?

The prize is Louisiana State freshman Ben Simmons, a 6-foot-10 forward who can pass like a point guard and rebound like a center. He averages 18.7 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He also leads the team with 22 steals and 14 blocked shots.

In order, here are the three likeliest outcomes for the Lakers the rest of this season, with an eye toward the lottery.

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Last edited by lakersfreak on Sun Dec 27, 2015 5:09 pm; edited 14 times in total
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:53 am    Post subject:

Julius Randle downplays frustration with limited playing time
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

A blank expression formed on Julius Randle’s face as he sat on the bench. He was well on his way toward another double-double performance. He had exuded his dependable strengths with his overwhelming power. He had shown glimpses of his potential with his first NBA career 3-pointer and a left hook shot.

But there Randle sat on the bench with 6:01 remaining of the Lakers’ eventual 107-87 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday at Staples Center. He looked dejected as he stared straight ahead as he sat alone on the bench during a timeout. He finished with 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. But one can only wonder how much more Randle would have produce had he played longer.

“I don’t make decisions with playing time,” said Randle, who only played the final 3:46 because center Roy Hibbert fouled out. “The thing that I always tell you guys is I control what I can and I go out there and play hard. I let our coaches decide who’s in and who’s not.”

Lately, Lakers coach Byron Scott has decided to bring Randle off the bench despite the Lakers’ No. 7 pick of the 2014 NBA Draft representing part of their long-term future.

“He’s a rookie to me,” Scott said, noting that Randle only played one game last season before breaking his right leg. “He still has to play basketball the right way, with swinging the ball, setting screens, rolling to the basket, running on the break and getting back in transition. He has to master all those little things to be good in this league.”

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 7:59 am    Post subject:

Kobe Bryant misses games to recover from every dunk
by sbnation.com

Kobe Bryant dunking in his 20th year of his NBA career is definitely something to marvel at—but it's not good. Sure, the immediate fanfare after Kobe dunking deserves celebration but it should also carry with it some apprehension.

It turns out that a dunking Kobe is actually a very bad thing, especially for fans that want to watch Kobe's next game. In the last three times that Bryant has dunked, he missed the next game.

Kobe threw down a vintage slam on Houston Rockets center Clint Capela on Thursday, invigorating fans everywhere with the thought that old Kobe still has it. He does, but he needs some rest so he is sitting out the next game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Prior to that, he dunked against the Pelicans at New Orleans on January 21st and against the Indiana Pacers on January 4th at home. He only took a a game off after Indiana, but his season ended in New Orleans after a torn rotator cuff.

Can we create a special 'DNP-dunk' injury report for the Black Mamba?

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:00 am    Post subject:

Byron Scott does not want Kobe dunking anymore
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Scott's reasons for wanting his star to pass on taking the most efficient shot in the game make sense.

It took 27 games, but Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has finally found a type of shot he doesn't want Kobe Bryant to take. After Bryant missed the Lakers' Saturday loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a shoulder injury he possibly sustained while dunking against the Houston Rockets the game before, Scottt that he does not want his 37-year old shooting guard throwing down on anyone else this season.

"When the adrenaline is flowing, it's real hard to tell a guy ‘Don't dunk,'" Scott told Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News after the Lakers' Sunday Practice. "That might have been his last one. But he knows himself more than anybody. But me personally, I don't want him to dunk no more. I'll tell him to save it for Game 82. Then he can dunk again."

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:02 am    Post subject:

Nike to Release Kobe Bryant's 11th Signature Shoe Come January
by Eric Yee - lakeshowlife.com

Nike to release what is assumed to be Kobe Bryant’s 11th and final signature shoe come January

Every year Kobe Bryant and Nike release a brand new signature shoe, usually alongside other side models, and this year is no different.

Since switching over from Adidas to Nike in 2003, Kobe Bryant has released 10 signature shoes and will release his 11th and final shoe come January 9, 2016.

Straight from Kobe himself, the shoe will utilize an improved, stronger flyknit material and a combination of technologies including Nike Free, Zoom and Lunar.

The shoe is always an extension of the athlete, in this case, you know for the years I’ve been with Nike, it’s an extension of myself. The shoe must be something that is going to help me perform better. If it doesn’t do that we’re not going to create the shoe.

Much like his other shoes, the Kobe XI features a low-top, soccer-styled silhouette and continues to push the boundaries in the basketball world.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 1:03 pm    Post subject:

Magic Johnson criticizes Lakers following 40-point loss
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Magic has had enough of these Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday. This in and of itself is not surprising, the Thunder are a much better team than this year's iteration of the Lakers. Still, the stats were dispiriting: the Lakers shot just 34.9% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range while allowing the Thunder to score 50 of their 118 points in the paint in a 40 point loss. The game had so little positives for the Lakers that Time Warner Cable Sportsnet chose the halftime show as their "Play of the Game."

There are plenty of words to throw around after such a disappointing loss. Lakers head coach Byron Scott called his team's effort "pathetic" and called his young players "scared" (which they denied). Rookie point guard D'Angelo Russell fired back, blaming the Lakers' offensive system for some of their struggles. Former Lakers point guard and Magic Johnson was so taken aback by the blowout he didn't have anything to say at all:

Laker Nation: After losing to the Thunder by 40pts yesterday, for the first time I'm at a loss for words. lol

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 1:04 pm    Post subject:

Judging Roy Hibbert’s Impact This Season
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

When the Los Angeles Lakers failed to land a big name free agent, the team had to act quickly to somewhat salvage their off-season as most big-name targets had already signed. The first move the team made was trading for big man, Roy Hibbert. Coming off a disappointing season and entering a contract year, the potential for him to re-discover his All-Star form was enough to persuade the Lakers to take the chance.

Entering the season, Hibbert was very adamant that his focus was strictly on the defensive end, which made sense as it has always been his strong suit and the Lakers sorely needed a rim protector.

Through 26 games the returns on Hibbert are still to be determined. He has been unable to turn around the Lakers defensive woes, but that likely has as much to do with the rest of the team being lackluster on that end as anything Hibbert is or isn’t doing.

Overall, his numbers are relatively underwhelming, but he does seem to be making an impact in ways that can’t be measured both on and off the court.

So we asked our panel of experts if they believe Roy Hibbert has been better, worse, or exactly what they expected. This is what they had to say:

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 1:05 pm    Post subject:

D-Fenders lose, but Black shows how he could help Lakers
by Harrison Faigen - silverscreenandroll.com

Checking in on the two currently in the D-League, plus an update on the progress of Robert Upshaw.

Los Angeles Lakers' frontcourt reserves Tarik Black and Ryan Kelly were assigned to the team's D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, last Friday. The two played well in their first game with the D-Fenders, with Black going 17 points and 12 rebounds and Kelly pumping in an efficient 28 points with 12 rebounds of his own.

The two assignees did not fare quite as well in their second outing of their current D-League stint. Kelly scored 23 points, but needed 20 shots to do so, and struggled late in the game with the referees swallowing their whistles when the Duke product tried to draw fouls.

Black managed another double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds on 6-12 shooting to go with his two blocked shots, but missed a layup with 6.7 seconds remaining in the game after an offensive rebound that would have pulled the D-Fenders within 2 points. Instead the team was forced to foul and lost to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers 125-119.

Black still managed to show on a couple possessions where he could have value for the Lakers as a backup, mostly as a pick and roll big:

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 3:08 pm    Post subject:

Tarik Black helping the Lakers? Not on Byron's watch. He'd rather go with Sacre.
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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:41 pm    Post subject:

Here's why the Lakers' offense sucks
by Drew Garrison - silverscreenandroll.com

The Lakers are terrible on offense, and the numbers drive that fact home

The Los Angeles Lakers are bad for a variety of reasons. They're giving up the second-most points in the NBA at 108.8 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com, while scoring the second-least points (96.8). Both are serious issues, though it's the offensive system that most recently came under fire from D'Angelo Russell. A 40-point loss causes boiling frustration, and the locker room showed a glimpse of it after being called "scared."

But what are the Lakers doing on offense? The eye test doesn't show any particular system that keeps the team in rhythm, instead looking more like a muddled mix of draining isolation attempts, ineffective pick-and-roll sets and wasteful elbow touches that lead to contested shots. It's more than just Kobe Bryant chucking; they're a team that consistently struggles to generate easy scoring opportunities.

To begin painting the picture of what the Lakers' offense is, we'll start with looking at play type frequency, via NBA.com:

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:42 pm    Post subject:

Kobe rules out playing overseas after retirement
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

Through the endless grind accumulated from nearly two decades of NBA excellence, Kobe Bryant remains determined to finish out the 20th and final year of his NBA career.

For starters, Lakers coach Byron Scott said Bryant will likely play when the Lakers (4-23) visit the Denver Nuggets (11-16) on Tuesday at Pepsi Center after missing Saturday’s loss in Oklahoma City with a sore right shoulder.

But how about Bryant playing elsewhere after his retirement? That becomes a different story.

“I would have loved to play overseas for a season. But it’s not going to happen,” Bryant said Monday in an NBA-sanctioned conference call that included 124 reporters from 24 different countries and territories. “I wish I could’ve done it. But I can’t. The body won’t let me. That is fine.”

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:43 pm    Post subject:

Kobe can envision Olympic finish
by Bill Oram - ocregister.com

Kobe Bryant will retire from the NBA after this season, but his playing career won’t necessarily end right then and there.

He said Monday that getting a chance to join USA Basketball at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro would be a “beautiful” thing.

One thing he won’t do, however, is continue his career with a European club, as some had speculated before his retirement announcement last month.

“I would have loved to play overseas for a season,” Bryant told a group of international reporters on a conference call. “But it’s not going to happen. … My body won’t let me.”

Injuries limited Bryant to 41 games over the past two seasons, and after appearing in 23 of the Lakers’ 27 games this season, he is nursing a sore shoulder.

The Lakers (4-23) listed Bryant as probable to play tonight in Denver.

While Bryant might have liked to follow his father Joe Bryant’s career path in Europe, Bryant said he would still be interested in chasing a third Olympic gold medal.

“It’s not something that I’m absolutely pressing for,” he said, “but being a part of the Olympics is such a beautiful experience.”

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:44 pm    Post subject:

Kobe On Top Players He Has Faced In Lakers Career
by Dan Duangdao - lakersnation.com

With Kobe Bryant officially announcing he will retire at the end of the 2015-16 Los Angeles Lakers, the five-time champion has been able to reflect on his accomplishments.

Since making his announcement, Kobe has received chants and standing ovations from fans around the world to show their appreciation. While he is dealing with a sore shoulder, the farewell tour is expected to continue as the Lakers take on the Denver Nuggets.

Following practice in Denver, Kobe was asked about the top players he has faced in his 20-year career. The Lakers superstar mentioned Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Clyde Drexler according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:

Kobe's top players: Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Clyde Drexler.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:45 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Lists Toughest Teams He Has Played In His Career
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

With 20 seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant has faced off against some of the best teams the league has ever seen.

Multiple playoff battles against excellent teams has produced plenty of rivals for Kobe, but a few teams have stood out in his eyes.

According to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, Kobe listed the five toughest teams he has faced, and there are some expected names:

Kobe’s top 5 toughest teams he played: Spurs in playoffs, Kings in early 2000's, Celtics in 08 Finals, Pistons in 04 Finals, Bulls w/ MJ

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:46 pm    Post subject:

Kobe intrigued with Ben Simmons’ potential
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

With the games becoming unwatchable with every loss, Lakers fans have played a parlor game in recent years.

Instead of making travel arrangements for the Lakers’ championship parade in Los Angeles, those fans have calculated the likelihood that the Lakers will strike it rich in the NBA draft lottery in May.

With the Lakers nursing only a 3-23 record, all eyes have narrowed in on LSU freshman Ben Simmons, a 6’10 versatile forward that averages 18.7 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He also has posted a team-leading 22 steals and 14 blocked shots. That has already sparked considerable attention from one prominent Lakers player.

“He’s a fantastic player,” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said on Monday in an NBA-sanctioned conference call with international media. “He obviously has a tremendous amount of potential.”

The Lakers currently have a 19.9 percent chance at the top pick by virtue of having the NBA’s second-worst record. But Bryant’s question marks have less to do with the Lakers’ draft odds and more to do with Simmons’ DNA.

“It’s just a matter of what he wants to take on,” Bryant said. “It’s not about handing over keys and things of that nature. It’s really about the player that’s here. Do you have the attitude that winning championships is your only mission and your only goal? If you don’t win a championship, the season is a failure. If you have that attitude, the city will absolutely love you and you’ll get this team back to playing and winning at a level that it’s accustomed to.”

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 21, 2015 8:47 pm    Post subject:

TDIKH: December 21, 2000
by nba.com

From the very start it was clear that this was Kobe Bryant’s night. The then-22-year-old sunk each of his first nine shots on his way to a 45-point night and 99-94 win over Houston.

Bryant poured in 18 of his points in the first quarter alone, but the Lakers were still tied with their hosts at 74 heading into the final period.

The Rockets brought their deficit down to one point with 30 seconds left, but then Bryant took over once again. He hit shots on back-to-back possessions to bury Houston.

Bryant was hitting from all across the floor, finishing 20-of-26, while the Lakers shot 54.9 percent as a team in their fourth straight win.

Shaquille O’Neal also had a stellar night with 25 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, including a dish to Bryant for his final bucket.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:13 am    Post subject:

Quote:
“He’s a rookie to me,” Scott said, noting that Randle only played one game last season before breaking his right leg. “He still has to play basketball the right way, with swinging the ball, setting screens, rolling to the basket, running on the break and getting back in transition. He has to master all those little things to be good in this league.”


Strange thing, I agree with Scott. Especially what concerns setting good picks and rolling to the basket.
But this should also mean that the work is cut out for Scott to teach Randle all that and draw respective offensive sets.
_________________
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Lakers depth chart

PG Johnson / Goodrich
SG Bryant / West / Scott
SF Baylor / Worthy / Cooper
PF Mikkelsen / Hairston / McAdoo / Gasol
C Chamberlain / Abdul-Jabbar / O'Neal / Mikan
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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 7:40 am    Post subject:

30 Greatest Scorers in Lakers History
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Ranking the 30 greatest scorers in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant is retiring at the end of the 2015-16 NBA season and the Los Angeles Lakers will say goodbye to one of the greatest players to ever suit up in the purple and gold. The success that Bryant has brought to the franchise over the past two decades is almost immeasurable, but he’s also done it while having a tremendous amount of individual success.

There’s no skating around the fact that Kobe’s success as an individual over his 20 seasons in the NBA has largely been derived from his scoring ability. In his prime, he was one of the few players in the history of the Lakers and this history of the league itself that was liable to go off for 50 points on a given night. However, he was just another player on the long list of great scorers in the history of the franchise.

Over the years, there aren’t many teams that have seen the amount of legendary talent come through that the Lakers have. Subsequently, they’ve seen some of the most prolific scorers in NBA history wear the purple and gold. This all begs the question, though, of who the greatest scorers in Lakers history are.

This look at the greatest scorers and ranking them doesn’t take into account their entire careers, but rather just their time with the Lakers. Therefore, things like tenure with the team in addition to how they scored with the team are all factors in determining these rankings.

Without further adieu, these are the 30 greatest scorers in Lakers history.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 10:01 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: December 22, 2009
by nba.com

In a duel between two of the century’s greatest scorers, Kobe Bryant put on a display that a young Kevin Durant was not ready to match.

Bryant dropped 40 points on Oklahoma City by shooting 14-of-26 from the field and 12-of-14 at the line, leading the Lakers to a 111-108 victory — their 16th in 17 games.

The Thunder led by 12 early in the game, but L.A. exploded for a 34-21 third quarter.

Though Durant (11-of-19) racked up 30 points of his own, he fouled out late in the game, leaving Russell Westbrook to attempt a game-tying 3-pointer, which was off the mark.

“The Lakers are a championship team that we were playing,” said Westbrook, who finished with 21 points and 13 assists. “So you’ve got to play perfect against them.”

In spite of playing with a sore knee, Bryant also racked up eight rebounds and six assists, while Pau Gasol added 15 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks.

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:04 am    Post subject:

Kobe turns back clock in victory over Denver
by Mark Medina - insidesocal.com

The last time he had stepped on a basketball court, Kobe Bryant traveled back in time by throwing down a one-handed dunk and sending teammates and fans alike in a frenzy. Bryant returned five days later, and did nearly the same thing.

But the magic Bryant performed did not hinge on one play. It hinged on basically everything. The Lakers secured a 111-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at Pepsi Center by posting a complete game, tying a season-high 31 points on 10-of-22 shooting and five assists in 32 minutes. After Denver (11-17) reserve Will Barton posted 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting in the first half, Bryant defended him in the second half and limited him to one field goal.

“I’ve been watching him doing it since I was a little kid,” Lakers forward Julius Randle shrugged. “It’s nothing new.”

But it actually is new.

Bryant is 37 years old. He has come off this season fighting rust stemmed from playing a combined 41 games the last two years with overlapping injuries to his left Achilles tendon, left knee and right shoulder. He has fought the pain stemmed from Father Time’s unforgiving punch. But after missing Saturday’s game in Oklahoma City nursing a sore right shoulder, Bryant stepped on the floor here playing as if nothing ever happened to him.

“I can’t explain it. I don’t even try,” Lakers coach Byron Scott. “Seriously. What he did on both ends of the floor was amazing.”

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:05 am    Post subject:

Kobe's vintage performance fuels 111-107 victory
by Drew Garrison - silverscreenandroll.com

Kobe Bryant turned the clock back, giving the Lakers a vintage performance and much-needed victory

Kobe Bryant's return was a triumphant one as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Kobe mixed it up with some fantastic passing to complement a vintage scoring performance, hitting an array of baseline jumpers and leaning on his footwork for a game-high 31 points.

The Lakers found themselves in a 20-point hole against the Nuggets in the first half, allowing 64 points through the first 24 minutes. Will Barton was on an absolute tear off the bench, notching 23 points heading into halftime as the purple and gold looked out of sorts on both ends of the floor.

The second half was a different story for the Lakers, though, who came out swarming on defense and played much better offense. Kobe seamlessly switched between facilitating and scoring, but it was his fourth quarter daggers that will serve as the lasting memory from this one. Bryant's tightly contended jumper to seal the game late could only leave the bench celebrating while Roy Hibbert shrugged it out:

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:07 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: December 23, 2007
by nba.com

Kobe Bryant became the youngest 20,000-point scorer in league history in the most “him” way possible by dropping 39 points toward a Lakers victory at Madison Square Garden.

On a 3-pointer early in the third quarter, the 22-year-old beat Wilt Chamberlain by 12 days for that title.

Bryant scored 12 points in the first, and it looked like it would be a cruise for the Lakers, who led by as many as 25 in their 95-90 win.

But New York’s Jamal Crawford caught fire and scored all 30 of his points in the second half, bringing the Knicks within one point with a minute left. But Bryant was ready to strike back, hitting a 14-foot jumper to open the lead back up.

The Knicks had a chance to tie but Jordan Farmar sealed victory by stealing their inbounds pass and taking it back for a dunk.

The Lakers had 18 assists to New York’s seven, while holding the Knicks to 39.5 percent shooting. But the home team had significant advantages in free throws (27-13) and offensive rebounds (17-8) to keep it close.

However, it had no answer for Bryant who shot 14-of-28 with five 3-pointers, while also flirting with a triple-double with 11 rebounds and eight assists.

It was truly a one-man show for the reigning scoring champion, as no other Laker finished with more than 13 points or double-figure rebounds.

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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 9:48 am    Post subject:

5 Reasons Luke Walton Should Be Lakers' Next Head Coach
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Whatever it takes, the Lakers need to make Luke Walton the next head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers almost surely aren’t going to fire head coach Byron Scott before the end of the 2015-16 season. That’s incredibly unfortunate considering that, by the calculations of multiple factions of Lakers fans, Scott has been deserving of a firing for quite some time. However, all signs point to him sticking around for the remainder of the season.

However, that might not actually be the worst thing for the future of the franchise—as crazy as that may sound considering all of the negative things that Scott has done for this team. While the remainder of the 2015-16 season could be grueling for fans to suffer through, the end result of waiting out Scott until the end of this season could very well be the Lakers having the chance to hire the coach that would save the franchise and usher them into the future: Luke Walton.

Walton is currently serving as the interim head coach of the defending champion Golden State Warriors. You may have heard that they’ve had an okay start to the 2015-16 season. While the infrastructure for the Warriors was set into place by Steve Kerr last season, Walton has only run with it and helped coach Golden State to levels of success legitimately never seen before in the NBA.

With Kerr returning sometime in the future and the job almost surely still being his with the Warriors, Walton is going to be one of the hottest head-coaching candidates out there. Considering that Walton is a former Lakers player and what he could mean for the development of players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and others, the Lakers would be foolish to not hire the 35-year-old.

Not that it takes much convincing to say that someone not named Byron Scott should be head coach in Los Angeles, here are five reasons why Walton is the perfect man to take the helm of the Lakers and lead them to success with this young core of players in a post Kobe Byrant era.

Continued....
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A Mad Chinaman
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Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 11:18 am    Post subject:

lakersfreak wrote:
5 Reasons Luke Walton Should Be Lakers' Next Head Coach
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Whatever it takes, the Lakers need to make Luke Walton the next head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers almost surely aren’t going to fire head coach Byron Scott before the end of the 2015-16 season. That’s incredibly unfortunate considering that, by the calculations of multiple factions of Lakers fans, Scott has been deserving of a firing for quite some time. However, all signs point to him sticking around for the remainder of the season.

However, that might not actually be the worst thing for the future of the franchise—as crazy as that may sound considering all of the negative things that Scott has done for this team. While the remainder of the 2015-16 season could be grueling for fans to suffer through, the end result of waiting out Scott until the end of this season could very well be the Lakers having the chance to hire the coach that would save the franchise and usher them into the future: Luke Walton.

Walton is currently serving as the interim head coach of the defending champion Golden State Warriors. You may have heard that they’ve had an okay start to the 2015-16 season. While the infrastructure for the Warriors was set into place by Steve Kerr last season, Walton has only run with it and helped coach Golden State to levels of success legitimately never seen before in the NBA.

With Kerr returning sometime in the future and the job almost surely still being his with the Warriors, Walton is going to be one of the hottest head-coaching candidates out there. Considering that Walton is a former Lakers player and what he could mean for the development of players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and others, the Lakers would be foolish to not hire the 35-year-old.

Not that it takes much convincing to say that someone not named Byron Scott should be head coach in Los Angeles, here are five reasons why Walton is the perfect man to take the helm of the Lakers and lead them to success with this young core of players in a post Kobe Byrant era.

Continued....
Many reasons why Luke won't be leaving the Warriors any time soon - most of them are logical and conducive to his upcoming career as a HC
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Omar Little
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Joined: 02 May 2005
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 23, 2015 1:02 pm    Post subject:

A Mad Chinaman wrote:
lakersfreak wrote:
5 Reasons Luke Walton Should Be Lakers' Next Head Coach
by Cody Williams - lakeshowlife.com

Whatever it takes, the Lakers need to make Luke Walton the next head coach

The Los Angeles Lakers almost surely aren’t going to fire head coach Byron Scott before the end of the 2015-16 season. That’s incredibly unfortunate considering that, by the calculations of multiple factions of Lakers fans, Scott has been deserving of a firing for quite some time. However, all signs point to him sticking around for the remainder of the season.

However, that might not actually be the worst thing for the future of the franchise—as crazy as that may sound considering all of the negative things that Scott has done for this team. While the remainder of the 2015-16 season could be grueling for fans to suffer through, the end result of waiting out Scott until the end of this season could very well be the Lakers having the chance to hire the coach that would save the franchise and usher them into the future: Luke Walton.

Walton is currently serving as the interim head coach of the defending champion Golden State Warriors. You may have heard that they’ve had an okay start to the 2015-16 season. While the infrastructure for the Warriors was set into place by Steve Kerr last season, Walton has only run with it and helped coach Golden State to levels of success legitimately never seen before in the NBA.

With Kerr returning sometime in the future and the job almost surely still being his with the Warriors, Walton is going to be one of the hottest head-coaching candidates out there. Considering that Walton is a former Lakers player and what he could mean for the development of players like D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and others, the Lakers would be foolish to not hire the 35-year-old.

Not that it takes much convincing to say that someone not named Byron Scott should be head coach in Los Angeles, here are five reasons why Walton is the perfect man to take the helm of the Lakers and lead them to success with this young core of players in a post Kobe Byrant era.

Continued....
Many reasons why Luke won't be leaving the Warriors any time soon - most of them are logical and conducive to his upcoming career as a HC


Like most of life, getting hired as a basketball coach is a timing situation. Luke may have the best buzz of any guy out there right now, and this summer will likely be the time to capitalize.
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