*'11-'12 LAKERS Thread; 41-25* 1st Rd: DEN (go to 1st Rd. Thread)

[xsalvioutlawx]

It's indisputable that Magic Johnson continues to dazzle fans, with his storied player legacy, still surviving HIV and remaining involved in various business projects including a possible bid for the Dodgers.

He also divides Laker fans. As an analyst on ESPN, he predicted that the Celtics would win the 2010 NBA Finals and called for Lakers owner Jerry Buss to "blow this team up" even before their sweep to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals became official. And now there's this: Johnson predicts that the Lakers won't even make it to the 2012 NBA Finals.

"The Lakers are not the best team in the West," Johnson said on a recent ESPN roundtable segment. "Dallas first, Oklahoma City, second."

"Magic, you don't want Kobe getting more rings than you," ESPN NBA reporter Chris Broussard jokingly retorted. "That's what it is."

"No, he can get more rings," Johnson said with a laugh. "But I don't think he's going to get more rings with this current roster."

Some Laker fans will see this as blasphemous, while others will laud him for calling it like he sees it. With no rooting interest in any NBA team, Johnson's sentiments are exactly correct.

They have the talent and experience to compete for an NBA championship. But a compacted 66-game schedule does not favor a team sapped with basketball mileage and injuries, no matter how much rest they received during a prolonged NBA lockout.

There are personnel concerns too. Johnson, like everyone else, argues that the Lakers need to upgrade at point guard. Given the team's $91-million payroll, that could prove unrealistic. Johnson says Lamar Odom needs to scrap his reality-television show with Khloe Kardashian, and that Metta World Peace needs to, well, stop acting so goofy.

But don't count Johnson as believing that Mike Brown and Kobe Bryant will clash, pointing out that they have already "met several times." Instead, Johnson called on Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to ease Bryant's burden in carrying the team.

"What [Laker fans] want is a commitment to winning," Johnson said. "If Coach Brown can get them committed to winning and each other, that'll be an improvement to last year."

But possibly not enough to win the NBA Finals.

 

[freeze]

Originally Posted by Djoker33

What's going on with Kobe? Haven't heard anything about him since he hit that game winner in the Drew League. It's like he disappeared and went to train on the moon or something. Haven't read one story about his work outs or anything related to that in months!!

I've been thinking the same man.  I think he's just been training and rehabing. getting that knee right along with the rest of his body.  Brouchard said kobe had crazy bounce recently.  360 and under the leg dunks...but it is chris brouchard tho...so you never know..  Mamba coming.



Magic needs to #***

 

[la kb24]

lakers invite Jason Kapono to visit

http://espn.go.com/los-an...ent-shooter-jason-kapono

 

[orsrt8]

Espn Radio saying that the Lakers will start the season with a back to back to back.


12/25 - Bulls
12/26 @ Sac
12/27 - Jazz

 

[lokid40]

Lakers in talks for CP3???? Dwight next???

http://basketball.realgm....s_Hold_Exploratory_Talks

 

[moneymike9]

Originally Posted by ORSRT8

Espn Radio saying that the Lakers will start the season with a back to back to back.


12/25 - Bulls
12/26 @ Sac
12/27 - Jazz

Hopefully, this means the back end of our sked eases out a bit towards the playoffs....at least all those games are in Cali.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

If Orlando and New Orleans truly believe they are in competition with each other to trade for Bynum+filler, then it's a race to the bottom for both teams. The Lakers can come up real big.

 

[orsrt8]

Originally Posted by mogzz04

Originally Posted by ORSRT8

Espn Radio saying that the Lakers will start the season with a back to back to back.


12/25 - Bulls
12/26 @ Sac
12/27 - Jazz

Hopefully, this means the back end of our sked eases out a bit towards the playoffs....at least all those games are in Cali.

Exactly. Rather get it out the way now while these guys have lots of energy and ease into the playoffs. And like you said, all games in Cali. One hr flight to and from LA. Not a big deal there.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by xsalvioutlawx

It's indisputable that Magic Johnson continues to dazzle fans, with his storied player legacy, still surviving HIV and remaining involved in various business projects including a possible bid for the Dodgers.

He also divides Laker fans. As an analyst on ESPN, he predicted that the Celtics would win the 2010 NBA Finals and called for Lakers owner Jerry Buss to "blow this team up" even before their sweep to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 Western Conference semifinals became official. And now there's this: Johnson predicts that the Lakers won't even make it to the 2012 NBA Finals.

"The Lakers are not the best team in the West," Johnson said on a recent ESPN roundtable segment. "Dallas first, Oklahoma City, second."

"Magic, you don't want Kobe getting more rings than you," ESPN NBA reporter Chris Broussard jokingly retorted. "That's what it is."

"No, he can get more rings," Johnson said with a laugh. "But I don't think he's going to get more rings with this current roster."

Some Laker fans will see this as blasphemous, while others will laud him for calling it like he sees it. With no rooting interest in any NBA team, Johnson's sentiments are exactly correct.

They have the talent and experience to compete for an NBA championship. But a compacted 66-game schedule does not favor a team sapped with basketball mileage and injuries, no matter how much rest they received during a prolonged NBA lockout.

There are personnel concerns too. Johnson, like everyone else, argues that the Lakers need to upgrade at point guard. Given the team's $91-million payroll, that could prove unrealistic. Johnson says Lamar Odom needs to scrap his reality-television show with Khloe Kardashian, and that Metta World Peace needs to, well, stop acting so goofy.

But don't count Johnson as believing that Mike Brown and Kobe Bryant will clash, pointing out that they have already "met several times." Instead, Johnson called on Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom to ease Bryant's burden in carrying the team.

"What [Laker fans] want is a commitment to winning," Johnson said. "If Coach Brown can get them committed to winning and each other, that'll be an improvement to last year."

But possibly not enough to win the NBA Finals.

Magic is trying to motivate this Laker team. He's trying to insert any type of fire into this squad. He's probably trying to wake up Jim Buss. Magic is still very active with that organization and he wants us to win every year. Can he not be critical? He knows what he's doing. Someone has to knock some sense into the organization. 

 

[jja89]

Good Luck this Season

 

[mr j 858]

Originally Posted by mogzz04

Originally Posted by ORSRT8

Espn Radio saying that the Lakers will start the season with a back to back to back.


12/25 - Bulls
12/26 @ Sac
12/27 - Jazz

Hopefully, this means the back end of our sked eases out a bit towards the playoffs....at least all those games are in Cali.

Yeah the start of the season is front loaded with home games because of Grammy Awards being held at Staples Center in February. Then we we finish out late March and April with a bunch of home games.

 

[mr j 858]

Lakers Encouraged Kobe's Knee Treatment

When Kobe Bryant flew to Dusseldorf, Germany, this summer to undergo an innovative treatment on the joint in his right knee, it was not on a whim.

In fact, Bryant and Lakers Head Athletic Trainer Gary Vitti had been discussing the possibility of the treatment for over a year. It was with Vitti’s – and by extension that of the Lakers – blessing that Bryant made the 11-hour flight in June.

German molecular orthopedist Dr. Peter Wehling, the pioneer of the procedure, worked on Kobe himself.

As Bryant relayed to Vitti, it was a definitive success.

“Up until now, Kobe is telling me that he feels great,

 

[freeze]

any word on league pass?

 

[mr j 858]

Originally Posted by Freeze

any word on league pass?

Yeah after this season us LA, SoCal, SD, and Las Vegas NT'ers won't need to waste $180 a year for about 20 non nationally televised  games

But seriously though we should hear the details on how much it will cost when the schedule comes out tomorrow or closer to when the first pre season game is played on 12/19.

 

[freeze]

oh thats dope for you guys! you shouldnt have to pay extra just to see the home team.


ahhh yes those pre-season games should be fun, LA vs LA...

 

[ag 47]

When Dell Demps was hired as the New Orleans Hornets general manager, his plane landed at the city’s airport in the summer of 2010, and he stepped into the terminal with his bags, folders and the thrill of running his own franchise. He walked into the gate area, peered toward a television and squinted his eyes to read the bottom scroll on the screen. Chris Paul(notes) wants a trade, it read.

“Welcome to New Orleans,

 

[loveofthegame916]

Originally Posted by AG 47

.Bynum has privately been heard to say this offseason that he wants his own team

Source

Not sure if srs

 

[hybridsoldier23]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Andrew Bynum deletes Twitter account[/h1]
December 5, 2011 |  2:33pm



http://twitter.com/share?url=http:/...w Bynum deletes Twitter account&via=latmedina

http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2011/12/andrew-bynum-deletes-twitter-account.html#comments



Even when negative comments were directed his way, Lakers center Andrew Bynum often retweeted those messages.

It motivated him, reminding the 24-year-old that he faces concerns about his injuries, criticism over his maturity and doubts about his potential. But perhaps the feedback became overwhelming because Bynum's Twitter account was deleted Monday. Calls to Bynum's agent, David Lee, weren't returned, but the move coincides with Bynum's becoming the subject of trade talk once again. This time, it involves proposals that could land the Lakers either Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard or New Orleans guard Chris Paul.

This isn't the first time Bynum's name has been in the rumor mill. But the Lakers' had long resisted trade  offers, backed by Jim Buss' insistence that Bynum's inside presence, size and potential make him a worthy investment even through prolonged injuries. But Bynum and the Lakers start the 2011-12 NBA season at a crossroads. Though Bynum could be primed for his best season because of his full health and agility-driven offseason training, it remains unclear if he'll get the larger role in the offense he covets. Though the Lakers value his size, they are also looking to bolster their roster following their embarrassing 2011 playoff performance.

Ship his %%! out!

 

[azp]

with all these rumors flying around god i can't wait for these next few weeks to pass. it's almost unbearable haha

 

[PRIME]

I really hop LAL picks CP3 and Dwight.
Championships will be in abundance if they can actually pull that off.

 

[mrdieselfuel09]

Lakers wont get Dwight or Cp3, just flutter floating around. Mitch keeps his stuff on the dl. Wont happen.









I hope it does, though

 

[misterp0315]

If we somehow get CP3 and Howard in a blockbuster trade...

I will weep.

Can't understand how it would happen though.

 

[just blazed]

NBA teams can't sign free agents until Friday, but the Lakers met with Kapono and were close to a deal for one or two years and about $1.3 million annually.

The Lakers would sign Kapono for a minimum veteran's salary and wouldn't have to dip into their main free-agent tool -- a three-year, $9.4-million contract known as the mini mid-level exception.

Kapono, who turns 31 in February, has career averages of 6.9 points and 43.7% from three-point range but averaged a career-low 0.7 points and 4.6 minutes last season with Philadelphia.

The Lakers made a few runs at Kapono over the years and were hoping he would be cut by the 76ers late last season, in time to sign with the Lakers for the playoffs.


we have enough small forwards, but he could be a good addition with his shooting

 

[Coupé It]

Originally Posted by MisterP0315

If we somehow get CP3 and Howard in a blockbuster trade...

I will weep.

Can't understand how it would happen though.

Saddens me to say, but it can very well happen, I'm hoping it doesn't but they would not become the "Big Three". They would become the "Perfect Three"

 

[misterp0315]

Originally Posted by Just bLAzed

NBA teams can't sign free agents until Friday, but the Lakers met with
Kapono and were close to a deal for one or two years and about $1.3
million annually.



The Lakers would sign Kapono for a minimum veteran's salary and wouldn't
have to dip into their main free-agent tool -- a three-year,
$9.4-million contract known as the mini mid-level exception.



Kapono, who turns 31 in February, has career averages of 6.9 points and
43.7% from three-point range but averaged a career-low 0.7 points and
4.6 minutes last season with Philadelphia.



The Lakers made a few runs at Kapono over the years and were hoping he
would be cut by the 76ers late last season, in time to sign with the
Lakers for the playoffs.

we have enough small forwards, but he could be a good addition with his shooting



Better than Luke.