April 2008 Archives

Interesting turn of events in Phoenix this afternoon. This morning, SI.com's Jack McCallum reported that Mike D'Antoni would not be the Suns coach next year. And McCallum should know, having spent a whole season with the team during the 2005-06 season while writing the book, :07 Seconds or Less.

But this afternoon, reports out of Phoenix suggest it's not a done deal yet.

"I'd like to see him back," Kerr said. "I'd like to see us working together. It's been well documented we have some different ideas and different approaches. And what we have to do is talk and communicate and make sure we can get on the same page in terms of how this organization can get better, how this team can get better."

This might all be posturing though. D'Antoni is still owed a lot of money --$8.5 million over two years -- and it would have to be paid if the Suns fired him. Seeing as how D'Antoni is a good coach, and would have several potential suitors if he became available, the Suns may just be hoping he finds another job and leaves.

His comments to reporters Wednesday suggest that might be exactly what happens.

"I think we've just got to talk and I'm not going to be able to sit here and explain, guys," he said. "I hate to be abrupt but we'll all sit down and talk and evaluate everything and see where we are. I'd love to go on but I'll keep talking and kill myself."

The Lakers practiced this afternoon but several of the team's veterans took the day off to rest up. The team won't know its second round opponent until Friday night at the earliest, when Utah hosts Houston in Game 6 of their best-of-7 first round series. Utah leads 3-2

The Jazz had the best home record (37-4) in the NBA during the regular season, but were just 17-24 on the road. So if they can't close out Houston on Friday, the Rockets should have a very good chance in Game 7.

The Lakers were 3-1 vs. Utah in the regular season (including one big win in Utah) and just 1-2 vs. the Rockets.

Wow!

I know it's not Lakers related, but considering the wars the Lakers have had with the Suns and Mavericks over the years, I thought you all might be interested.

According to a report on SI.com, Mike D'Antoni is going to be taking the fall for the Suns first-round playoff ouster this season.

And in a widely-reported and expected move, the Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson after their second-straight first-round loss.

Looks like that TNT slogan --Win or go home -- was too soft. In the dog-eat-dog Western Conference, it's more like ``Win or be fired''

Houston just worked Utah to stay alive in their best of 7 first-round series, meaning the Lakers are going to have to wait around awhile before getting started on their second-round series.

If Utah had won tonight, the next round would've started on Sunday. But now Utah and Houston have to play again on Thursday, so at the earliest, the second round probably wouldn't start until early next week.

I just caught Carmelo Anthony's postgame thoughts on the series:

This time, he was a bit more composed, and pleased with his teammates effort:
``One thing I can say about tonight's game is that we left it out there. I think Kobe just took over in the fourth quarter and made some big shots.

``He just exploded at the end of the game, which is something he always does.''

Then he was asked whether this meant changes need to be made in Denver:

``I don't know. I'll leave that up to the front office. I don't make those decisions. I try not to get involved in that.''

At least according to a report in the Denver Post...

After Denver's film session on Sunday, Karl was asked about his job security, and conversations with the team brass. "There's never been any question of what you all have been talked about. Never. ... I've always had positive indications. You're with an organization four or five years, people are going to write (certain things). That's the nature of the beast today."

Karl has two years left on his contract.

Or the NBA's toughest defender, depending on how you see these things. But according to the always entertaining 82game.com, Derek Fisher just outflopped Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut to take the league's annual unofficial Vlade Divac Most Valuable Flopper award.

Fisher drew a league-leading 54 charges this year. Bogut drew 53. Third place went to Sacramento's Mikki Moore, with 51, Memphis Kyle Lowry and Portland's Joel Przybilla had 47, while Denver's Allen Iverson chipped in with 46. Who says the Nuggets don't play defense?

As it turns out though, Fisher was kind of lucky to win the award this year. Last year, Cleveland's Anderson Varejao drew a ridiculous 99 offensive fouls. This year though, he missed about half the season due to a protracted contract holdout and injuries.

In 2005-06, Phoenix Raja Bell won the award by drawing 76 offensive fouls.

Sorry, this was supposed to publish in the actual morning today, but there were some technical difficulties last night...

Anyway, here you go:

Elliott writes about the symbolic gesture sweeping the Nuggets would make, while Steve opines on the technical difficulties in finishing off a wounded opponent in today's Daily News

Steve Springer has an excellent feature on Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, which includes one of the funniest opening sentences you'll ever see in the hallowed pages of the LA Times.

Mark Heisler reminds Colorado fans that they still have the Rockies!

And Mike Bresnahan breaks down what could be a bad break-up if the Lakers take care of business tonight.

Over at the Orange County Register, Kevin Ding looks forward at a possible second-round matchup with the Utah Jazz and likes the Lakers chances.

While in Riverside, the Press-Enterprise to be precise, Brad Turner discovers some psycho-babble in the Denver weight room, with some assistance from super sleuth Phil Jackson.

The mood in Colorado is downright funereal, according to the Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman. But that doesn't mean it's George Karl's fault.

Forward Trevor Ariza was cleared to resume basketball activities and could play in the second round, if and when the Lakers finish off the Nuggets. Ariza, a lanky, athletic defender, has been out since Jan. 20 with a broken foot.

Forward Trevor Ariza was cleared to resume basketball activities and could play in the second round, if and when the Lakers finish off the Nuggets. Ariza, a lanky, athletic defender, has been out since Jan. 20 with a broken foot.

Elliott Teaford breaks down the adjustments the Nuggets will or might try to make tonight in the Daily News.

Steve Dilbeck tries to inspire the killer instinct in the Purple and Gold.

Mike Bresnahan expounds upon Kobe's motivation in the LA Times. Make sure you read all the way to the end for a little nugget on Ronny Turiaf... (apparently a case of tonsillitis is a good way to lose weight)

Bill Dwyre has a great column on the ups and downs of Denver coach George Karl

Kevin Ding reminds us how difficult it can be to turn a 2-0 series lead into 3-0 in the OC Register

Brad Turner wants Kobe to feed his inner beast in the Riverside Press Enterprise

While Chris Tomasson drudges up some bad memories for Nuggets fans in the Rocky Mountain News.

Denver coach George Karl was asked Friday what his defensive gameplan on Kobe Bryant would be in Game 3 this afternoon.

"I still like Kenyon (Martin) on him a lot. We have double teams on him, but we've kind of been saving them for fourth-quarter situations, close-game situations, which we haven't gotten to yet."

Kobe Bryant has been remarkably candid in his interviews with reporters the last few days, providing rare glimpses into his innermost thoughts and emotions. Friday, he was asked to compare the pressure he feels to win a championship compared to the runs he made with Shaquille O'Neal earlier this decade.

"It's different. The first one, I was so young, plus I was sharing that pressure with somebody else (Shaquille O'Neal).

``We both had the pressure to get it done, he more so than I. Now, the pressure is squarely on my shoulders to try to bring another championship here. It's something I've accepted. So I think I'm a little hungrier now than I was the first time.''

This video of the Nuggets rather unique pregame video has been making the YouTube rounds today. Apparently, George Karl and his assistants like to take their aggression out on each other before the games...

This video of the Nuggets rather unique pregame video has been making the YouTube rounds today. Apparently, George Karl and his assistants like to take their aggression out on each other before the games...

Ronny Turiaf is not here and will not play tonight in Game 2 vs. the Nuggets. He's been ill all week and it's not any better.

Look for DJ Mbenga and Chris Mihm to fill in for him with some minutes off the bench.

"In hindsight, that was my strategy. I'm getting my Phil Jackson on now -- I saw it all coming."

--Kobe Bryant, joking with reporters about his motivation for calling out general manager Mitch Kupchak last summer.

Now that we've been getting some of the blog issues resolved, we'll be posting with a lot more frequently in this space throughout the playoffs.

With such a long break between games, today was a pretty light day for both the Lakers and Nuggets. Big things to look for in tonight's Game 2, are the adjustments each coach makes. Look for the Nuggets to go big, with Linas Kleiza in the lineup in place of Anthony Carter, continue to mix in some zone defense, and try to be more physical with Pau Gasol. Look for the Lakers to try and get Kobe Bryant on track earlier in the game and slow the tempo down a bit, if Denver goes with a big lineup.

Anyway, here's a quick rundown of today's stories:

Elliott Teaford breaks down the chess game in the Daily News.

Jonathan Abrams explains how a new space-age treadmill is helping injured Lakers mend quicker in today's Times.

Mike Bresnahan checks in on the team's mood.

Brad Turner talks about the physical nature of Game 1 in the Press Enterprise.

Kevin Ding predicts that Derek Fisher could be th hero in Game 2 in the Orange County Register.

Benjamin Hochman reports on the Nuggets plan to use more zone defense tonight in the Denver Post.

Elliott reported today that Phil Jackson acknowledged, for the first time, that Andrew Bynum's return this season is ``remote.''

So we have to ask:

As Elliott wrote in his game story Sunday, the chess match has begun. Denver coach George Karl announced Tuesday that 6-foot-8 Linas Kleiza, who came off the bench to score 23 points in Game 1, will start in place of 6-foot-2 Anthony Carter in Game 2 against the Lakers on Wednesday night.

No word yet on whether he'll match-up with Kobe Bryant, or whether Kenyon Martin will, but it's obvious Denver has decided to go big in Game 2 to better match up with the Lakers front line, which consists of three players --Radmanovic, Odom and Gasol -- who stand 6-foot-10 or taller.

A lot was made of the Nuggets bus breaking down on the freeway on the way to Sunday's game. But the story is even better than you've read. Apparently, Lakers coach Phil Jackson passed by the Nuggets smoke-belching bus on his way to the game. He slowed down, saw what was going on, and that everyone was OK --he said -- and then sped off to the Staples Center.

This is Jill Painter here....
Just thought I'd post an interesting tidbit on the Denver Nuggets wild ride to Staples Center this morning. The Nuggets bus broke down, and players said they heard a pop, then saw smoke and some flames. They quickly got off the bus but had to stand on the freeway near an offramp for 30 minutes before the second team bus picked them up.
``You had a bunch of 7-foot guys on the rail on the highway,’’ Marcus Camby said. ``We were just hoping nobody got hurt.’’
Camby said a police officer arrived before the bus, which helped matters.
Asked if cars were honking their horns, Camby said: ``They were kinda rude. It was like, `Get out of our way.' It was definitely out of our control.''
That certainly didn't figure into Denver's horrific defensive performance in a 128-114 loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

This is Jill Painter here....
Just thought I'd post an interesting tidbit on the Denver Nuggets wild ride to Staples Center this morning. The Nuggets bus broke down, and players said they heard a pop, then saw smoke and some flames. They quickly got off the bus but had to stand on the freeway near an offramp for 30 minutes before the second team bus picked them up.
``You had a bunch of 7-foot guys on the rail on the highway,’’ Marcus Camby said. ``We were just hoping nobody got hurt.’’
Camby said a police officer arrived before the bus, which helped matters.
Asked if cars were honking their horns, Camby said: ``They were kinda rude. It was like, `Get out of our way.' It was definitely out of our control.''
That certainly didn't figure into Denver's horrific defensive performance in a 128-114 loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

This is Jill Painter here....
Just thought I'd post an interesting tidbit on the Denver Nuggets wild ride to Staples Center this morning. The Nuggets bus broke down, and players said they heard a pop, then saw smoke and some flames. They quickly got off the bus but had to stand on the freeway near an offramp for 30 minutes before the second team bus picked them up.
``You had a bunch of 7-foot guys on the rail on the highway,’’ Marcus Camby said. ``We were just hoping nobody got hurt.’’
Camby said a police officer arrived before the bus, which helped matters.
Asked if cars were honking their horns, Camby said: ``They were kinda rude. It was like, `Get out of our way.' It was definitely out of our control.''
That certainly didn't figure into Denver's horrific defensive performance in a 128-114 loss to the Lakers in Game 1 of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Well, kind of. Apparently, on the way to the game this morning, the Nuggets' team bus had an engine fire.

OK, just to review:

Dallas (50-31) is currently seventh in the Western Conference standings. Denver (49-32) is eighth.

The Mavericks play New Orleans tonight. Denver plays Memphis.

The playoff math is simple. If Dallas beats New Orleans, Dallas is the seventh seed. If Dallas loses and Denver wins, Denver is the seventh seed, by virture of its 2-1 record vs. the Mavs during the regular season.

Golden State (48-33) is out of it.

The Lakers will play the eighth seed in the first round of the playoffs, which start Saturday. The Lakers will most likely open Sunday.

The regular season is over and all the scribes in town waxed poetic on how surprising, wonderful and weird it all was.

So let's take an informal poll. At the beginning of the season, what did you really expect from the Lakers this year?

The regular season is over and all the scribes in town waxed poetic on how surprising, wonderful and weird it all was.

So let's take an informal poll. At the beginning of the season, what did you really expect from the Lakers this year?

Yes, this is a stunt, but it's pretty darn cool to watch Kobe Bryant jump over a moving Aston Martin.

The Lakers will make the playoffs and probably finish in the top four in the Western Conference, securing home-court advantage for the first round. They might even play the Suns again in the first round.
So, the last bit of intrigue heading down the stretch is:
When is Andrew Bynum coming back?
One possible answer:
Soon.
Bynum ran wind sprints at practice today for the first time since hurting his left kneecap Jan. 13. He had been running on the Lakers' low-gravity treadmill, but this was the first time he got on the court and ran with full impact. The $75,000 treadmill simulates low gravity conditions and removes much of the pounding of normal running, thus aiding the recovery of a player with a bum kneecap.
Phil Jackson said Bynum would join the team for its trip next week to Sacramento and Portland. Bynum will participate in practices and shootarounds, although how much work he does remains to be seen.
Sounds like he might be ready to play late next week. How much he plays and how effective he can be after such am extended layoff are questions for another day, however.

Pau Gasol practiced with his teammates and said his sprained left ankle was improved. He participated in all aspects of the workout and it sounded like he might play Wednesday against Portland.
Here are the highlights of his post-practice comments:
"It went better than the last couple of days. Took a nice step forward. Right now, I'm a little sore but I'm feeling pretty good. I'm pretty confident. I'm feeling better and better."
A reporter wondered about how tough it might be for Gasol to fit in with his teammates after sitting out since he was injured March 14 against New Orleans.
Gasol responded: "It's going to take a little bit of a struggle individually and, I guess, team-wise also because we're all going to be out there. Hopefully, we're going to overcome those little adjustments and those little struggles we're going to face and still be effective and productive."