don't be like everybody else and underestimate the lakers!
 

i'm highly looking forward to them at least in the 2nd round of the playoffs! i think their front line is fine if a bit creaky w/ vlade who although is hurt now has only missed a handful of games the last six years, brian grant: a solid defender, and frickin lamar odom who was one of the only bright spots of the olympics and has beautiful scotty pippen magic wingman potential written all over him! also w/ odom, we can use him to back grant and medvedenko or slide him over to point guard if chucky's not workin out! anyway, i don't care about how good the west has gotten, because i just think back to kobe's streak of 40 plus point games and his stats when shaq didn't play and smile.

They will get to the first round and get bumped off. The West HAS gotten a lot better and the Lakers have gotten a lot worse.
Sorry man but when you lose the most dominate big man in the league your team just ain't gonna be as good.

They won't make the playoffs. San Antonio, Dallas, Sacramento, Denver, Minnesota, Utah, Houston, Memphis, & maybe even Portland & Golden State will be ahead of the Lakers this year. I'm not trying to hate, I just think that they will need a season or two to take all the new puzzle peices & make them fit together right.

I've already posted my thoughts about the Lakers (and the rest of the Western Conference) here. But, my basic summary is not enough at the 1 or 5 positions, which are the most important positions in today's league. I think LA finishes no higher than 5th in the West, probably loosing in the first round.

Oh, and believe me, I've been watching Golden State enough for the past four years to know that no matter how they look on paper at the beginning of the season, they'll find a way to eff it up. Don't count on them winning more than 30-32 games this year. Especially with a rookie coach instilling a whole new defensive and offensive scheme, and new pieces at PG and Center. (Okay, Foyle isn't a new piece, but he barely played last year).

trust me......the lakers will not win 40 games....too hard in the west

i just hope this thread is still up when they're going into game 3 of the 2nd round of the playoffs. y'all are forgetting kobe.

You're forgetting Shaq. Part of the reason Kobe is consistently in the top 3 in scoring averages is because he's always had Shaq to draw defenders into the paint, leaving Kobe relatively free for a midrange to deep shot. Vlade and Brian Grant certainly aren't going to attract that kind of attention, leaving defenders free to help out on Kobe. If the Lakers play Odom at the 4, he'll certainly draw defenders, but I don't think Odom can consistently play the 4 out West. (Of course, I thought the same thing about Andrei Kirilenko last year).

That being said, I still think Kobe is going to have a huge year, and will probably have higher averages than ever before. But, only because he doesn't have to defer to Shaq in the triangle. After Kobe and Odom, whose gonna score on that squad?

I'm not forgeting him. I'm just not bowing down in worship of him thinking he's the next Jordan and he's not. Again the Lakers lost THE most dominate player in THE most important position in the game. And in case you didn't remember they Lakers STILL lost with him you think they will repeat or improve upon that performane without him?

agreed. lakers lack frontcourt size to compete in the west, and are thin in terms of backcourt depth. will have to battle either memphis or utah for the 8th spot...and i doubt the lakers could edge out either of them.

The West is still to strong for them IMO. Vlade is washed up, Grant is a defender, but a defender in the East is entirely different then in the West.

Bottom Line: almost everyone in the West reloaded this offseason, and the Lakers let go of the most dominating center in the NBA so that Kobe could stop feeling "tired of being a sidekick."

They don't have the depth, and they most definitely don't have the leadership now.

i love not havin one single person agree w/ me... don't worry, they're putting this kind of stuff up on the chalkboard and getting fired up! they'll be throwing chairs before long! bring it on! everbody loves a comeback!

Nobody agrees with you because you are wrong.

Y'all are forgetting Chris Mihm!
CHRIS MIHM BABY!

jinx I can't take you or your entire post seriously, Just by the fact you mention Medvedenko by name, or Odom at point guard. You have an outdated front court, and a virgin back court that is largely one dimensional. The biggest think that is missing is Shaq and his presence. Brian Grant is not a legitimate center, he is a midget with a bad weave, and Vlade is the fucking tinman. Every night the Lake Show will get crushed on the boards. And then there's Kobe. Give him the ball, oh please give him the ball. I hope that the playoffs weren't a just a one time thing, the ego on this man... he thinks he is god's gift to basketball, him and his ego is the reason why the lakers didn't win it this year, anyone remember his pull up left handed 20 foot fade away???

they're old. kobe is their only player still in his prime and dominant and he couldnt even do it with shaq so i really dont think he can do it by himself

I don't think you could find a bigger Laker fan than me and even I know the Lakers are going nowhere this year. No Shaq No Ring.

I just hope that the Heat knock the pistons on their rears.

Even with all the talent they had last year the Lakers couldn't win a championship because they had no teamwork. Their talent pool has dwindled to just Kobe this year.. and while they might be able to squeak into the playoffs, they won't be able to play as a team so.. again they will lose. (Unless, by some miracle, Kobe learns how to pass)

kobe's been known to knock out a triple double before... and if i remember correctly, his assist numbers go way up in all the games he's played while shaqless!

Ok. Even if Kobe plays TWICE as well as he did when Shaq was gone, the Lakers will not be even close to the best team in the league. Didn't you learn ANYTHING from the finals last year? Pure talent is not the most important factor in going all the way in basketball. It's teamwork. However, you must also have the talent to go along with said teamwork. Last year, the Lakers showed they did not have it. This year, even if they somehow, in some way manage to play like a team better than anyone, they still will not win it all, or even close. They have no middle presence worth mentioning... I still can't believe you think Kobe + anyone will win a championship.

Anyway, come back when the Lakers either barely squeak into the playoffs and lose in the first round, or don't even make them. Yeah. Then we'll see if you've learned anything.

Not to mention the fact that Kobe does not play team ball. He is in it for himself, and he has shown that time and time again. When his coach told him he was taking too many shots, the baby took only a few in a game. What a pussy. How are the lakers going to pull together as a team, when their supposed leader doesn't care about teamwork? Luke fricking Walton going to lead the team? Give me a break.

ok, its' obvious they're a real longshot this year for a championship. i said in an earlier post i see them in the 2nd round of the playoffs. thats the average of where i see them landing... unless karl malone comes back to them! but anyway, i see them contending for another championship in 2 or 3 years after they successfully use all the cap space they've cleared up and they replace their creakiest players with more talented ones for the high salaries. i don't understand why you hate the lakes so much, espi... they handed you a championship by disintegrating in front of your eyes!

Lakers: They still have Kobe. And with the possible exception of Pau Gasol, there probably wasn't a better player in the world this summer than Lamar Odom. -espi in another post.

there you go! i couldn't have said it better myself! also you listed them at 6th going into the playoffs in you're own projection! that puts them not against the wolves or the spurs.... 2nd round baby! here we come!

Don't see it happening man... sorry.

Kobe is gonna account for 90% of the lakers points, and it sure won't be enough to get the W's.

Wait, so you think they're going to finish 6th in the western conference, but the only teams they cant beat in the playoffs are Minnesota and SA? Heh. This is pointless.

What about the Suns bro? GS over the Suns? :crazy:

Like some have said, no enough at the 1, 4 and 5. Vlade is old. LA Just aren't big enough. Who starts at PF for LA? If you guys can get Malone to play some at PF if he wants to come back it's a lil diff. In the East you could get away with Odom playing PF but not in the West.

Should be one of more interesting things to watch for this season. wouldn't it be fun to see the Lakers as the CLipper bitch for once. Now that would be funny. :)

GO SUNS!

I don't think they're finishing sixth... you do, espi... that was your quote. i'm thinkin 5th or even 4th.... which would be even better for the playoff picture.

after watching him in the preseason, those words shall ring ever so true as the season marches on.

no Shaq and no Phil = no championship. I dont think they will be a top four team in the west this year, I think Kobe will hurt more than help, actually.

LOL...high_jinx, you keep putting words in my mouth. Or at least attributing comments made by others to me. espi != Nimbletoe ;)

In any case, you're right, I did pick Lakers as sixth in the West, but that doesn't necessarily mean I would pick them to beat anyone in the first round. I think the Lakers have an advantage over some of the other middle tier Western Conference teams because they're the Lakers - they have the Aura and Mystique that seems to take away the confidence of some other teams. (Maybe Jack on the sidelines is too intimidating for some).

I was gonna do a Dr. Jack-style breakdown of a playoff matchup between the 04-05 Lakers vs. the 04-05 Mavs (the first round as it matches up in my previous rankings), but I think the Mavs are just too much up in the air for me to make any head-to-head player/position comparisions between the two teams. Especially since I don't know where Rudy T plans on plugging in his pieces.

*If* the Mavs play better defense this year, *if* Jason Terry can pull off the pick and roll, *if* Erick Dampier manages to play 75-82 games this season, *if* Stackhouse can come off the bench and not pout about it, and *if* Dirk Diggler steps up his production this year, they'll be pretty good. Probably too good for the Lakers. But, check back with me around the all star break, and I'll do the breakdown for you.

If you think the Lakers are going to finish 4th, you are going to be one sad, sad lakers fan this season. But hey, you keep thinking what you want. Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.

I just wanted to applaud this statement. So elegant and precise.

ok there, lil' buddy... you just go ahead and get ahold of me now if you need some help with your little draft cheat seat before our big day on the 30th. if you wait till the all star break it'll be too late.



oh, and oops on the nimbletoe thing. my bad. i've made my mistake for the year.

Yep... you're a Lakers fan.

I don't need help with my draft from someone that actually lists Mendevenko as a legitimate option in the Lakers rotation. ;)

Hey everyone, I am new to the board and just saw this Lakers thread. I have been a Lakers fan since I was a kid and am probably the least excited about this season as I have been about anyone I can remember. I just don't think they will be very good at all. They might be more fun to watch (if you don't mind watching them lose) but they won't be as good. I really hate that Kobe and Shaq were so selfish that they couldn't get along for the good of the team.

Until somebody knocks off the Pistons, I'll have to be a shameless homer and say it's theirs to lose. ;) Honestly, I think there are a bunch of very good teams and any one of which could give the Pistons a run for their money. So, I think it'll be a close race the entire season, but I have to go with Detroit.

As for the Lakers, it's a definite 'maybe.' All other things aside, Kobe Bryant is a terrific player and for better or worse it's his team to lead. He might end up carrying them into the playoffs, but they are clearly not the same team that dominated the NBA a few years back.

What about the Suns people. 4 and 0 in the preseason. 41pt thrashing of the Jazz.

Lakers will struggle.

We don't speak of this.

I've also been thinking, the Laker's can no longer afford to play grab ass during the regular season. They are going to have to play every game.

Pistons are 1-3 in the preseason... the way I look at it, teams that play their starters more then their 2nd string have either retarded coaching staff, a brand new team that the starting core needs all the time they can get together, or they are just flat up embarrased about their bench :P

True my friend but unlike the Lakers :) whom had Kobe playing 44mins in an OT loss :lol: and brian cook was the second leading scorer :lol: we're playing our starters as much as the next team and we're still impressing. I'm not getting carried away with our performances yet but i think it's a good sign that the chemistry is there with our new team.

Suns are on the rise again :thumbsup:

Ticket, Alien, Predator, Wally World, and dare I say Kandi man > all

Oh, don't get me wrong. The Suns look very promising this year. They're my third favorite team, behind the Pistons and Magic.

you laugh now, but i'm here to proclaim that that guys the real deal! he's like a 6'10" michael redd!

lets see how much you laugh when he drops 20 on stoudemire before he gets a hand up!

I think it should be mentioned that the Lakers have been playing without Kareem Rush, Luke Walton, Slava Medvedenko, Vlade Divac, and Devean George for the preseason. You can't play guys like Neil Yanke (who?) for more than 10 minutes in a game because they are unlikely to make the team anyways. That was by far the most minutes Rudy has had Kobe play. He has kept Kobe at 30 min max otherwise. Kobe is learning his way in a new offense, and being the most critical component to the team, he should be in there a 'good' amount of the time. By the way, during the Lakers 3 peat they always sucked in the preseason. They even went winless in the '99 preseason, then started the season with something like 12 straight wins and went on to the title. Preseason means little as an indicator of regular season play.

Kobe is to make this team work. Brian Grant is a good but limited player. Vlade is pushing 36-37, I don't think he has much left. Lamar Odom is ok, but suffers from the same shooting inconsistency that plagues most of the young stars in the game.

The lakers playoff fate is Kobe's fate. If he doesn't let the other players play they might not even make the playoffs. His m.o. id when things get bad to try and take over. Belive me things will get bad this year. If Kobe doesn't rely on his teamates, it will be ugly.

Lamar Odom will never be a star with Kobe on his team. They have similar games that require them to have the ball in there hands. And from looking at the past I think Kobe will win out.

After another excellent preseason game, I am so excited for the new season to start. All you skeptics have NO clue what you're talking about. We have amazing depth, skill and energy. You're not gonna know what hit you.

thank you hal! its not about the quantity of support, it's about the quality! it's amazing how few supporters showed up to this thread after 2 pages have gone by. you fair weather fans should be ashamed of yourselves. but after seeing a handful of preseason games, i cannot believe how well the gary payton trade came together with last years leftovers. don't worry, the bandwagon will be there for you to jump on later this year. you're all going to have to bust out your car flags that you stashed in your garage after the shaq trade! c'mon, i know you got 'em !

Preseason... You are actually gauging the success of your team on Preseason games?

Like I said, we'll see how well the Lakers will be now that they actually have to play 82 games in a season.

This made me laugh at the office, got some funny looks. Just saying! When I think Kobe, I don't think team. Medvedenko? Cmon.

I personally think the Lakers make the playoffs, be actully be competitve, and have a chance at making a run.. very unlikely. They don't have enough size, and if they can play as a team with the speed and ability to run, they could actully be quite good. But, again, I don't think Kobe can push his ego aside long enough to give this team that kind of chance.

With that said, the Lakers will probably be a 6 or 7. Spurs, Wolves, Rockets, Kings, Memphis, Denver, Lakers, Phoenix.

Hal, preseason games are a complete joke, they mean absolutley nothing, even more considering in 7 games, they played 6 games against teams there were sub .500 last season. Two of those were against two of the least competitive teams in the NBA for about, oh, the last 2 decades. I would hope the Lakers have enough talent with Kobe and the Miami stars to overcome those kinds of teams.

We'll see what happens after 82 games that count, and the stars are playing 35+ minutes a game. But, I do think the Lakers make the postseason.

The Lakers have a good team, but I do not see them winning a lot of games just because the lack of teamwork on the captain of the team.
If he can play in team, they will get more wins.
Odom is a great player, as well as Caron Butler.

I'm making the claim right now, the Lakers will not be above .500 this season.

Geez, that just tells me that none of you have seen a minute of their preseason games.

I saw them loose in overtime to Golden State, with Kobe playing 44 minutes and scoring 35 points.

Reality check Hal, Preseason means dick. It's going to be fun watching the Lakers having to play a full season for a change with a shot hoarding cancer as the franchise.

a couple quotes for y'all....

Denver Coach Jeff Bzdelik, when asked about the Lakers' chances this season: "Do not, do not, do not underestimate the Lakers."

thats what i've been tryin to tell you! see the title of this thread?!

and hal, i KNOW your gonna love this one ...

"The Minnesota Timberwolves are no longer pursuing Karl Malone because they firmly believe he would re-sign with the Lakers if he decided to play again, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Malone said last month he would return to the Lakers if he decided not to retire..."- from today's L.A. times

what then huh? what about the lakers then?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm waitin' for all the nay-sayers to apologize right now. You know who you are and you know you were wrong.

Dude it was one game. So if we apologize now and the Lakers don't make the playoffs do you apologize for making us apologize?

...



hahahahahahhaha



Wooo, they beat Denver with a career game from the fearsome CHRIS MIHM!! Sorry Pistons, hand over the trophy now, this season is done.

it was only one game. but they did really well. great teamwork all around. spanking Denver like that is no easy task. i'm excited to see how the lakers do. i was one saying i think the lakers could possibly make it beyond the 1st round of the play offs before the preseason even started. that's just my opinion. i am a lakers fan, so what would you expect. but the lakers will definitely be above .500 this year. and i'm sure they'll make the playoffs too. i think they'll take the number 5 spot, at worst maybe 6.

Alright.. don't say I didn't warn you.. THREE TIMES.

... Ignoring the fact that Voshon Leonard went down early... yes, spanking Denver like that isn't easy.

Lenard did not go down 'early' .. far from it. The game was already out of reach. Please dont detract from a perfectly valid WHOMPING.

Apologize for what? I hope your not talking about the same type of ass-whooping they are getting from the Jazz tonight?

They have 23 points tonight with 1:53 left in the first half, and they are down 20. It's early. But they are getting out hustled, outplayed, out-everything by the Jazz tonight.

Sorry, but this will be the killer for LA's season. No middle presence, no size. Boozer and Kirilenko probably aren't even the top 5 best front-court in basketball, and the Lakers cannot do anything. If they can't figure out how to win the paint against the Jazz, they may never win a game with the T-Wolves, Sacramento, or the Spurs. I really didn't think they'd be that ineffective in the paint against a team with alot of size, but this ineffective against a team with a _little_ size?

EDIT: Yes, it's early, yes they can win. So, save it. :) However, it's not pretty for them tonight. Time will tell though.

Well they almost lost by 30 points. As expected Kobe put up nearly 40 points, didn't do dick for them.

But hey that Denver win was nice right?

that was pretty bad huh? You'd lose too if you were defended like that on the second of back to back games.

and after you're plane came in at 3 am followed by you watching the election till 5 a.m.

i'm not gonna excuse them, that was a bad game... they will have those. but even tonite there were points where they almost came back, and when # 8 is on your team and you're down by 15 or less goin into the 4th... you have a shot at every single one of those games.

You guys got an excuse for everything. I also gotta say that jinxie here is puttin way too much faith in Kobes skillz... Hes good but not that good. In those 4th quarters hes gonna push himself hard, too hard, probably making matters worse than they already are.

Face it, its gonna be a very long season for Kob... er, I mean the Lakers...

At best, the 2004-05 Lakers resemble the 1985-86 Bulls. Kobe will score a ton and probably get them to the playoffs, but they'll go out in the first round. Chris Mihm in the starting lineup for any team (including the WBNA) is a very bad thing.

Kobe hater...I mean Mojo :)

If you watched the game you would have noticed that the rest of the Lakers were doing crap at the beginning. Kobe got them opportunities in the first 20 minutes of the game and they didn't convert. Kobe did what he had to do to try to get them back in the game and thus started to pour on the scoring. He wasn't being the "shot-hoarding cancer" you've called him by any stretch.

As for the team they played, Utah, they are a very good team and the Delta Center has never been kind to the Lakers, especially on the back end of a back to back. Friday's game against the Spurs will be a nice measuring stick. If the Lakers get blown out, then us Laker fans will need to realize that it may be a long season.

The lakers are a great eastern conferance team. That said kobe is not good enough to carry a team all by him self. rudy t is not that good of a coach.


They are not going to play team ball no it will be kobe ball and that wont work. I am not a pistions fan but they and my pacers play the game the right way and its why they are successful. Face it the days of laker domianted ball are gone and will be till kobe grows up.

your pacers are gimpier than a post-billyclubbed nancy kerrigan.

hahahahahaha


do have to agree that they have had some injury issues though but you know what when your deep and trust in bird man well you get 12 guys that can play and when the system is simple and fundemental well you get double ot wins on opening night.


thats right you take kobe away form the lakers and they suck even more ah but you take reggie and tinsely an foster and o the rest of teh starters with ron all by himself and we still can play admit it its the system

um laker fans hello ....were is the smack talk guys ....what lost to the best team in the nba and at home to lol ....funny how losing quiets them up.

Hmm, losing to San Antonio is nothing to be ashamed of. People that think that the lakers are going to be great this year are nuts. People that think they're going to blow this year are nuts.

They have one of the best players in the league in kobe, and decent depth. Remember, they're playing right now without George or Divac. But they don't have the offensive firepower, or the size to compete enough in the west. I think they'll make it into the playoffs, but go out first round.

i agree nimble toe .....they are good enough to beat other teams that rely on altheic ablity but not good enough to beat a team that acutally plays like one. good this year not great.

so based on the lakers team, if they dont make the playoffs it means one thing...
that dwayne wade is better than kobe bryant. (no it doesnt mean the east is worse than the west....shut up. Go HEAT!)

I don't think so. Yes, it does mean the east is worst than the west. Miami wouldn't have even made the playoffs last year with a 42-40 record. They probably would have had 30 wins if they played in the west. Wade was the 3rd leading scorer on that team anyways. When Shaq injures himself here soon you'll see how good Wade is compared to Kobe.

i was kidding

If we lose to the hawks, then you can harp on us all you like, but I don't think you're gonna be seeing the quality basketball that we're capable of until December. We're missing several players and we're a completely new assemblage of players. If you're expecting a win over San Antonio (granted, we made 'em WORK for it) then you're absolutely nuts.

what missing 3 starters um kind of like the 3 and 0 pacers right


o expect the pacers were missing 3 starters and 2 people on the beech so they had a 7 man rotation and wht do you know ron and company got the job done. no i dont think the lakers are going to play great basketball they are going to be the kobe show all season with kobe scoring tons of points and the lakers only winning againist other teams that play isolation basketball.

Umm.. hello.. please wake the hell up. Stop being a hater. Indiana beat Chicago, Boston and Cleveland. That's hardly a day's work combined. Indiana also still has their core players. The Lakers lost to Utah and San Antonio, two teams that could mop the floor with Indiana at this current stage, so pleaaaaaaase stop irritating me with this blind Laker hating crap. Give this team time to get to know eachother and you're gonna see exactly how good they are.

Yeah and as good as they will be they will be like the 4th best team in the West at best.

Lakers will struggle to make the playoffs. IMO Kobe is a turd. :)








I told ya'll we'd be good.

GO SUNS!

The hacks only come out after the losses.. two of which happen to be on the second of back to backs.

I know its early in the season, but anobody starting to get the weird feeling that the Clippers will finish with a better record than the Lakers? As a Clippers fan, I would love to see that, but its definately too early to start getting optimistic. :)

ok i am going to respone to one thing that was said about my pacers and then i will shut up the pacers have been missing 3 starters for all but one of the games this season in the other one they were missing 4 and they are still 4 and 1 you do that to most teams and they would be lucky to have a win at this point.

Back to backs aren't an excuse. You talk about blind hate, but what about blind admiration? You have yet to admit the team even has faults. As for hacks coming out after losses, well, that may be true some of the time, but a lot of people knew LA wasn't going to contend as soon as Kobe got Shaq traded.

Fact is the Lakers aren't that good. Not Hate. Just Fact.

They'll struggle. They might be good next season but IMO they'll struggle this year. And now Kobe has an injury they'll really struggle.

Woah woah woah.
The pacers still have their core players?
Reggies out, of course he doesnt produce much anymore, but the oncourt leadership is huge. O'neals is dealing with injuries. Artest has been sitting and is dealing with minor injuries. Stephen jackson has played a grand total of 5 games with the team, and, being that everyone is so banged up, he's been playing with a consistantly changing lineup. Bender is out, foster is out, and anthony johnson is out.

Artest is sitting because he's so worn out from working on his rap album :lol:



Artest + Peja = Trade.

thank you cowman

i was begging to wonder if all the reports i had gotten on the pacers were totaly worng.

Did you guys see Ron Artest on sports center last night.

Advertising his Cd's from his car seat seemed cheap and nasty.

Good player... everything else... :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

tonight your los angeles lakers got beat by my orlando magic

dont mean to brag but after a 21-61 last season and a totally new squad, i need something to boast about.

Dude, don't kid yourself. Sure, kobe will lead this league in scoring, but they are going to be fighting for a 6-8 playoff spot, and even have a chance of not making the playoffs. Kobe's supporting case is nasty. And when the chips are down, sure Kobe will get his shots off, but Odom cant create his own shot, Brian Grant is a dinasour, and everybody else on that team is garbage. Laker brass is insane allowing kobe to run out shaq and phil and hand the keys to a guy accused of rape. Nice.

as long as the magic have a healthy grant hill, they are a damn good team. if the last quack to operate on him finally got it right, then they'll scrap for a finals spot in the east with indiana and detroit. it doesn't hurt that howards already a league leader in rebounds and r.o.y. candidate either.

i'm saying this to point out that the lakers are losing to good teams. there's no shame in that, especially while your adjusting to an entirely new team thats missing pieces. if you watch any of the lakers games in their entirety, you'll see stretches where they pass the ball around like no other team in the league. it's beautiful basketball, and as the season goes on, those stretches will.... stretch.

i love how they scrap too.... they get way more fired up when they need to..... i guess thats a reflection of rudy, who sometimes looks like an 80's wrestling manager, a la jimmy heart.

vlade's coming back in a month or so, and we could hear from malone any day now. the lakers are on the rise and any team playing them better bring their AAA game.

The lakers are going to have a hard time finishing higher than 6th, and the could miss the playoffs completely. Lots of people think Kobe is the next Jordan, but they forget that Jordan was constantly passing the ball to his teammates, getting them into the game. Who can forget John Paxon? Steve Kerr? The only reason they were there was so that Jordan had someone to pass to who could hit a wide open 3. Kobe hasn't shown much willingness to give up the ball, after the first game. He will lead the league in scoring, but for the Lakers to be any more than the 6th seed, he will have to lead the league in assists, too.

Can't wait to get back to North America and really start following basketball again!