Lakers in the News 11/09/15 - 11/15/15: Jordan Clarkson Has Been Impressive So Far This Season
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 9:29 pm    Post subject:

D'Angelo Russell gets playing time in fourth quarter, to his delight
by Broderick Turner - latimes.com

It has been D'Angelo Russell's casual approach to the game that has so mystified the Lakers' coaching staff.

They would all like to see him "speed" up his way of playing and practicing, Lakers Coach Byron Scott said, and that in turn could help prevent Russell from seeing so little playing time in the fourth quarter of games.

Russell started strong against Orlando on Wednesday, had a little lull and then finished the game in the fourth quarter, showing the Lakers some signs of improvement during their 101-99 loss to the Magic.

Russell had 14 points on six-for-15 shooting, two-for-five on three-pointers. He also had six rebounds and three assists.

"This is more about winning," Russell said. "You get your shot whenever you want it, but you got to know when to take it and when to move the ball."

Russell had been frustrated because he had not played in the fourth quarter of a few games.

But Scott reinserted his rookie back into the Orlando game with seven minutes left, giving Russell the playing time in the fourth he has yearned to have this early in the season, in his career.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-report-20151112-story.html
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 2:06 am    Post subject:

D’Angelo Russell given more opportunities in 101-99 loss to Magic
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

With the game appearing to come down to a single possession, Lakers coach Byron Scott turned his head toward the bench. He motioned for rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell to check in for a chance to close the game out.

That move may have quieted the criticism for how Scott has developed his prized No. 2 draft pick thus far in crunch time. But as the Lakers demonstrated in their 101-99 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday at Amway Center, the Lakers’ fortunes go beyond Kobe Bryant’s durability and Russell’s overlapping growth and learning curve. It also comes down to single possessions.

Magic center and former USC standout Nikola Vucevic canned a game-winning jumper over Lakers center Roy Hibbert with 1.5 seconds remaining. Lakers guard Lou Williams airballed a jumper on a broken play with 25.5 seconds left before a shot-clock violation voided Hibbert’s putback. Nearly 10 seconds earlier, Magic forward Tobias Harris blocked Julius Randle’s eight-foot jumper.

“We let the game get away from us and we took an eye off our guy,” said Bryant, who missed his second consecutive game because of back stiffness. “We had some easy opportunities to stay in the game.”

The Lakers (1-7) squandered those chances by allowing Orlando (4-5) to shoot 13 of 28 from 3-point range and conceding 23 rebounds. But after sitting in the entire fourth quarter in three previous games, the 19-year-old Russell thought of only one thing as he steered the controls.

“I’m built for this,” Russell said. “If I get the opportunity to capitalize on stuff like that, I’ll definitely do it.”

As Russell found out, that does not happen overnight. He posted a career-high 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. But Russell also shot only 6 of 15 from the field, committed three turnovers and allowed Magic guard Shabazz Napier to post a career-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting and three assists.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20151111/lakers-dangelo-russell-given-more-opportunities-in-101-99-loss-to-magic
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:29 am    Post subject:

LaMarcus Aldridge - Kobe Bryant best part of Lakers' pitch
by Eric Pincus - latimes.com

Kobe Bryant was the "best part" of the Lakers' free agent pitch to LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Yahoo Sports.

The Lakers were one of many teams pursuing the former Portland Trail Blazers power forward, who ultimately chose to sign with the San Antonio Spurs instead of teams including the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Lakers.

"I've known Kobe for years, living out of Newport Beach," said Aldridge. "He knows my kids. I've seen him with his daughters. We've always had a cordial relationship. I was kind of mad about how it got spun around that it was him that I had problems with -- when actually he was the best part of it."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lamarcus-aldridge-kobe-bryant-lakers-pitch-20151112-story.html
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:15 am    Post subject:

lakersfreak wrote:
LaMarcus Aldridge - Kobe Bryant best part of Lakers' pitch
by Eric Pincus - latimes.com

Kobe Bryant was the "best part" of the Lakers' free agent pitch to LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Yahoo Sports.

The Lakers were one of many teams pursuing the former Portland Trail Blazers power forward, who ultimately chose to sign with the San Antonio Spurs instead of teams including the Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Lakers.

"I've known Kobe for years, living out of Newport Beach," said Aldridge. "He knows my kids. I've seen him with his daughters. We've always had a cordial relationship. I was kind of mad about how it got spun around that it was him that I had problems with -- when actually he was the best part of it."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lamarcus-aldridge-kobe-bryant-lakers-pitch-20151112-story.html
Spinmasters strike again - Sorry Steven A. Smith
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:29 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: November 12, 2000
by nba.com

Fresh off their first championship of the 2000-02 three-peat, the Lakers had stumbled out of the gates to a 3-3 record.

But L.A. built up some momentum behind 37 points and 10 rebound from Bryant, who led the defending champs to a 105-99 victory.

The Lakers led by 10 with 4:34 left in the game before Shaquille O’Neal fouled out. The big man had a middling offensive game (14 points, five rebounds), but dominated defensively with six blocks.

The Rockets — who had seven players in double figures, including Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon (13 points) — immediately cut their deficit to four less than a minute later.

But Bryant took over from there by scoring all of the Lakers’ last six points.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/tdikh/1112
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:09 pm    Post subject:

thanks for all your hard work lakersfreak!
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:11 pm    Post subject:

Back Court Remains Coin Flip
by Damon Taylor - lasportshub.com

The Lakers future back court must figure out their roles if they both want to be successful together.

Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell both have been playing with each other since Russell was drafted in June.

However, the chemistry is a struggle right now, due to the lack of knowing each others’ game — but I am optimistic about it improving.

For instance, against the Miami Heat, Russell made a few passes to Clarkson that resulted into turnovers.

It’s evident that Clarkson wasn’t ready for those passes.

It can be concerning at times, but I believe the chemistry will improve every game.

Clarkson is pure scorer and he knows how to get to certain spots on the floor and that is great.

As a matter for fact, he’s leading the Lakers in scoring this season and field goal percentage.

However, there are a few things I will like to criticize when it comes to Jordan Clarkson.

At times he is out of control when he goes to the basket; he needs to have two gears to his game.

Also, he goes one on one a little too much.

http://lasportshub.com/2015/11/12/la-lakers-back-court-experiment-pass-fail/
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 4:58 pm    Post subject:

Lou Williams Stunting the Growth of LA's Young Guards
by Anthony Yassa - lakeshowlife.com

Lou Williams was by far the flashiest of the Lakers free agent acquisitions.


Coming off an impressive campaign in which he earned the Sixth Man of the Year award, Sweet Lou gave the Lakers much needed credibility in the off-season. Williams has done basically what was expected, and although his shot hasn’t been falling as consistently as he’d like, he has gotten to the line often enough to put up impressive scoring numbers.

In most seasons this would be a valuable contribution to the team, but this season is very different than most for the Lakers. The goal this season should be to develop the team’s talented young trio into the stars the organization believes they can be. This goal is only going to be accomplished by allowing those young players to learn on the job. The rookies need to be allowed to experiment, make mistakes, and most importantly have the ball.

Lou Williams has proven to be a bit of an obstacle on that front, particularly the last part. When Williams is on the court the offense runs through him, often to the detriment of his partner in the backcourt. Jordan Clarkson in particular has shared the court with Williams quite often, and has seen his freedom to run the offense suffer.

D’Angelo Russell has seen Lou Williams stunt his progress in a slightly different way. For the last few games, Byron Scott has chosen to allow Williams to close games in favor of Russell. Even if one chooses to ignore the obvious fact that his strategy is failing, as the Lakers are 1-6 in large part due to late-game collapses, the strategy is still counter-intuitive.

As a very young rookie, Russell needs experience more than anything else. Experience in late-game situations is arguably even more important than playing time during the rest of the game. The fact that Byron is giving those crucial minutes to Williams should not be taken lightly, as it could have a serious impact on the Lakers long-term plans.

http://lakeshowlife.com/2015/11/12/lakers-lou-williams-stunting-growth-las-young-guards/
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 5:04 pm    Post subject:

Byron Scott Won’t Play D’Angelo Russell ‘Just Because He’s The No. 2 Pick’
by Corey Hansford - lakersnation.com

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Byron Scott has come under a lot of scrutiny recently for his handling of second overall pick D’Angelo Russell. The rookie sitting out the fourth quarter in three of the Lakers’ eight games so far has been a particular source of frustration for fans.

Scott, however, insists that he is doing this to help Russell’s development. According to ESPN’s Baxter Holmes, Scott refuses to just throw Russell out there before he is ready, regardless of his draft position:

“I’m not going to throw him to the wolves, per se, just because he’s the No. 2 [overall] pick."

http://www.lakersnation.com/byron-scott-wont-play-dangelo-russell-just-because-hes-the-no-2-pick/2015/11/12/
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:36 pm    Post subject:

lakeshowlife.com is a credible news source now? Come on.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:08 pm    Post subject:

Kobe gave Dwyane Wade’s son the most Kobe-esque advice
by Alysha Tsuji - usatoday.com

Dwyane Wade’s 13-year-old son, Zaire Wade, had a pretty awesome Tuesday. First, Zaire got to play on the same court as his dad for a school exhibition game held at American Airlines Arena, as reported by WPLG-Miami.

Zaire told the reporter, “Maybe in a few years I’ll get to here permanently.”

Then, after that, he palled around with Kobe Bryant before the Miami Heat faced off vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers legend even offered Zaire some words of advice.

Kobe "We talked about his son's game a little bit. I asked him how many times he shot the ball. Dwayne said not enough. I said If you're going to be like Uncle Kobe, you need to shoot a lot more. And Dwayne said See! I told you. So we had a nice little laugh about that."

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/11/kobe-bryant-gave-dwyane-wades-son-the-most-kobe-esque-advice#cx_ab_test_id=18&cx_ab_test_variant=cx_behav&cx_art_pos=1&cx_navSource=arttop&cx_tag=behavioral&cx_rec_type=behavioral&cx_ctrl_comp_grp=true&cxrecs_s
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:07 pm    Post subject:

Lakers rookie Larry Nance Jr. handles success, struggles
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

His motor stayed running, even when Lakers rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. initially sat on the bench.

His aggressiveness stayed high, even when Nance Jr. broke his nose after Julius Randle accidentally elbowed him in practice. His sense of humor stayed intact, even when Nance Jr. forgot his hotel room number when the Lakers stayed in New York amid their weeklong trip.

Through it all, Nance Jr. has emerged as a promising development amid the otherwise sour start to the Lakers season. They are 1-7 entering Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks (4-4) at American Airlines Center. After sitting the first four games, Nance Jr. has averaged 6.8 points on 70.6 percent shooting and 4.3 rebounds in 18.3 minutes in the past four road contests.

All of which led Nance Jr. to provide more laughs instead of rookie platitudes.

“If there was one place I would’ve liked to play my first couple of games, it would’ve been at Staples Center,” Nance Jr. said. “I made sure I gave [Byron Scott] a piece of my mind about that.”

Nance Jr. was joking, of course. Beyond his expected energy and leaping ability, Nance Jr. has also emerged with a dependable jumper. Nance Jr. made all six of his shot attempts in Wednesday’s loss in Orlando, including his first career 3-pointer.

“I love the energy he plays with and I love the calmness he plays with,” Scott said. “He’s starting to feel confident that he can shoot it.”

Nance Jr. attributed his quick growth to making between 250 to 300 jump shots a day and starring for all four years at University of Wyoming.

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20151112/lakers-rookie-larry-nance-jr-handles-success-struggles
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 7:35 am    Post subject:

D'Angelo Russell has been surprisingly good on defense for the Lakers
by Drew Garrison - silverscreenandroll.com

D'Angelo Russell is going to be challenged on defense every night. He's going to earn more minutes under Byron Scott by taking up that responsibility and becoming a positive on that end of the floor for the Los Angeles Lakers. That's no small task for a 19-year-old who's now a starting point guard for a professional team after one year of college, but he's been surprisingly good on defense so far.

It's a relief to see positive signs this early from him considering defense was one of the big questions marks hanging over his head as a top prospect. While he had great measurables and a physical profile that projected well, his lateral quickness and foot speed left many wondering how long he'd be a liability on that end of the floor before he could balance out as a defender.

Luckily, he's already showing good things individually, even if the Lakers as a team are struggling defensively. It's been much more noticeable over the back-to-back, where Russell was lined up against both Goran Dragic and Elfrid Payton.

Here's an example of him sticking to Payton's hip on a drive while contesting a shot in the paint:

http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2015/11/12/9724292/la-lakers-dangelo-russell-defense-film-analysis-wow
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 9:19 am    Post subject:

D'Angelo Russell or Byron Scott, whose side are you on?
by Bill Plaschke - latimes.com

He was Hollywood's newest child star, D'Angelo Russell strutting across Southern California television screens on NBA draft night in late June wearing the cutest red sport coat with gray lapels and red bow tie and oversized gold Lakers cap.

His new coach, Byron Scott, was so impressed with the No. 2 overall pick, he immediately compared the kid to Magic Johnson.

"The last guy I saw that, I played with, was Earvin, with knowing how to get guys in certain spots," Scott said.

A month later, after Russell had spent the Las Vegas Summer League imitating a broke Midwestern tourist hanging out at a blackjack table at dawn, Scott offered a different sort of poignant evaluation.

"Let me make this very clear," Scott said. "Russell is not Magic Johnson."

Uh-oh. You saw this happening. You knew this was coming. Take a 19-year-old point guard who was drafted too high and put him in a sideline huddle with a 54-year-old coach whose patience has run too thin and it's an equation that has quickly become a question.

Who you got, the kid or the coach?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-scott-dangelo-plaschke-20151113-column.html
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 11:36 am    Post subject:

lakersfreak wrote:
D'Angelo Russell or Byron Scott, whose side are you on?
by Bill Plaschke - latimes.com

He was Hollywood's newest child star, D'Angelo Russell strutting across Southern California television screens on NBA draft night in late June wearing the cutest red sport coat with gray lapels and red bow tie and oversized gold Lakers cap.

His new coach, Byron Scott, was so impressed with the No. 2 overall pick, he immediately compared the kid to Magic Johnson.

"The last guy I saw that, I played with, was Earvin, with knowing how to get guys in certain spots," Scott said.

A month later, after Russell had spent the Las Vegas Summer League imitating a broke Midwestern tourist hanging out at a blackjack table at dawn, Scott offered a different sort of poignant evaluation.

"Let me make this very clear," Scott said. "Russell is not Magic Johnson."

Uh-oh. You saw this happening. You knew this was coming. Take a 19-year-old point guard who was drafted too high and put him in a sideline huddle with a 54-year-old coach whose patience has run too thin and it's an equation that has quickly become a question.

Who you got, the kid or the coach?

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-scott-dangelo-plaschke-20151113-column.html


Shut the hell up Plaschke. By framing the article as Byron VS. DLO, he makes it seem as if the goals of the two are mutually exclusive. He is stirring up controversy to sell more papers and just adding more pressure on a young squad.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 11:48 am    Post subject:

Julius Randle leaned on mentors, faith to overcome injury
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The seconds felt like minutes. The minutes felt like hours. As each moment passed, Lakers forward Julius Randle remained motionless.

Randle’s mother, Carolyn Kyles, had just watched in horror as her son’s NBA rookie season ended only 14 minutes after it began. Randle drove into the lane. His right leg buckled. And then Randle lay on the court, screaming in pain that he broke his right leg while the Lakers’ training staff and paramedics attended him.

Kyles raced from her seat nearly adjacent to the entrance tunnel into a Staples Center hallway. Moments later, Kyles saw Randle from afar on a stretcher where she began hearing his cry for help.

“He sees me and starts screaming, ‘Mom!!! Get my Mom!!!” Kyles recalled in a recent interview with Los Angeles News Group. “I dropped my purse and ran to him so I could hold his hand. I needed to make him strong.”

Nearly a year later, Randle showed as much strength mentally as he has demonstrated physically with his 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20151112/lakers-julius-randle-leaned-on-mentors-faith-to-overcome-injury
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:44 pm    Post subject:

Numbers show just how bad the Lakers have been this season
by foxsports.com

Just how bad are the Los Angeles Lakers?

Well, besides starting the season 1-7, which is tied for the second-worst record in the league, the team has managed to trot out the league's second-worst defense and a bottom-10 offense. Frankly, there is nothing they're doing well right now, and not much hope that things will change anytime soon.

Playing Lou Williams over D'Angelo Russell may upset Lakers fan, but that's not a major issue -- Williams is probably the better player by a slim margin, but neither player will change the team's fortunes this season.

The bigger issue is the roster construction -- the Lakers simply lack talent -- and, to an extent, Byron Scott's schemes.

Over at Silver Screen and Roll, Harrison Faigen dove into the team's stats and figured out just how bad they've been:

http://www.foxsports.com/nba/story/los-angeles-lakers-numbers-show-how-bad-they-have-been-this-season-111315
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 2:19 am    Post subject:

Julius Randle doesn't look at home at Dallas
by Broderick Turner - latimes.com

It was not the best homecoming for Julius Randle.

His Lakers team dropped a 90-82 game to the Dallas Mavericks and his play wasn't that good either.

Randle missed seven of his nine shots and turned the ball over six times. He did have 10 rebounds.

"Regardless, I don't care where we're at, I just want to get the win," Randle said. "It's upsetting."

Randle, who grew up outside of Dallas and attended Prestonwood Christian High in Plano, Texas, played in American Airlines Center for the first time Friday night.

But he did attend Mavericks games when the Lakers came to town.

"From sixth grade on, I pretty much came to every Lakers game they played," Randle said.

Randle recalled how he had courtside seats when he watched Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Lamar Odom play for the Lakers against the Mavericks.

"I watched those guys and was going crazy," Randle said, smiling. "I was sitting next to [Dallas owner] Mark Cuban's wife It was fun."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-report-20151114-story.html
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 2:21 am    Post subject:

Lakers' slow process of improvement continues in 90-82 loss to Mavericks
by Broderick Turner - latimes.com

The return of Kobe Bryant still didn't change the course the Lakers have been on during this five-game trip, or the entire season for that matter.

They are on a losing path, the Dallas Mavericks winning, 90-82, Friday night at American Airlines Center to hand the Lakers a fourth consecutive defeat, completing a 1-4 trip that left their record at 1-8.

But Lakers Coach Byron Scott maintained that he saw progress throughout the trip, and not just because Bryant was back after missing two games because of a sore back.

Scott liked how his young group of Julius Randle (six points, 10 rebounds), D'Angelo Russell (nine points, six rebounds, five assists) and Jordan Clarkson (21 points) competed against the Mavericks.

Scott even liked the way Bryant (19 points) kept the young core from getting down afterward.

"I thought our youngsters are learning, they are getting better," Scott said.

"We're not reaping the benefits of that right now, but I think in the long run we will. . . . As a whole, I thought we did a really good job on this trip of competing. And that's the key. We've got to continue to do that."

Bryant's last pervious game appearance was Sunday in New York. Then his back issues forced him to miss games at Miami and Orlando.

But when he started Friday's game going four for four from the field, it looked as if the time off had been good for the 37-year-old Bryant.

"It wasn't really time off. My back was hurting," he said. "But I was able to do some things, stretching my back and also do some things to strengthen my legs. It felt good."

The 6-foot-6 Bryant even had a moment in the second quarter when he tried to defend 7-foot, 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki in the low post. But Nowitzki ducked around Bryant for a layup that left both players smiling at each other.

"Just two old guys having fun," Bryant said.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-mavericks-20151114-story.html
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 2:22 am    Post subject:

Mavs’ Wesley Matthews thanks Kobe Bryant for support
by Mark Medina - dailynews.com

The instantaneous feedback seemed reassuring. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant contacted Dallas guard Wesley Matthews shortly after rupturing his left Achilles tendon last March, the same injury the 37-year-old Bryant suffered nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

But instead of offering countless tips on defying Mother Nature, Bryant preached something that does not usually describe the Lakers’ star.

“Patience,” Matthews said in an interview with Los Angeles News Group. “It’s amazing to hear that from somebody like him, who obviously has the drive and work ethic that most people don’t.”

Even before the former Trail Blazer healed his injury, the Mavericks signed Matthews to a four-year deal worth $80 million. Matthews made good on Dallas’ investment by returning for opening night. Though Matthews posted only eight points on 2-of-11 shooting in the Lakers’ 90-82 loss to the Mavericks on Friday at American Airlines Center, he entered the game averaging 10.9 points per contest.

“He looks good,” Bryant said of Matthews. “When we saw him in L.A., he was very, very happy with the way he was moving and seemed really comfortable. That’s a tough thing to go through.”

Bryant returned from his Achilles injury in eight months, only to need season-ending surgery on his left knee six games into the 2013-14 season. Bryant then played 35 games in the 2014-15 campaign before tearing the rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

“He’s one of those guys who on any given night can turn back the clock. But Father Time is undefeated,” the 29-year-old Matthews said. “It’s sad to see to see him go through as many injuries as he has.”

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20151113/mavs-wesley-matthews-thanks-kobe-bryant-for-support
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 7:06 am    Post subject:

TDIKH: November 14, 2000
by nba.com

It was a sight that Lakers fans quickly grew used to during the purple and gold’s three-peat years.

Coming off of their first championship together, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal teamed up to sprint past Denver, 119-103.

O’Neal paved the way with 34 points (16-of-21) and 19 rebounds, while Bryant held his own by contributing 31 points (12-of-23, 6-of-6 free throws) and nine assists.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/tdikh/1114
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 7:39 am    Post subject:

Byron Scott Continues to Prove the Fans Right
by Anthony Yassa - lakeshowlife.com

Things have been rocky since Byron Scott arrived in LA, and it might be time for him to take more of the blame for the Lakers slow start.

Laker fans were quick to turn on Byron Scott, whose rigid and firm attitude can come across as prideful and stubborn. His first season with the Lakers was not a success, as the team lost a record number of games. Many of the teams issues were out of Scott’s control, with a roster decimated by injuries and filled with clashing playing styles. Despite this, fans were unhappy with the way Scott used what was given to him, and it’s starting to look like they were right.

While it’s true that fans can overreact, Byron Scott’s coaching ability is becoming increasingly suspect. This season Scott’s rotations have been consistently poor, with players seemingly pulled from the game as soon as they gain any sort of rhythm. Scott has also been consistently willing to place the blame on his players, and even call them out in the media, but he very rarely admits to being out-coached. The problem with that is, he is almost always out-coached.

The offense Scott has implemented in Los Angeles has been consistently un-watchable, with contested jumpers the main staple of the offense. Scott has proven to be resistant to change, as he has refused to adjust to the motion heavy and pick and roll oriented game plans that are dominating the league. Instead he runs an offense that negates his players strengths by taking the ball out of their hands and reducing movement and screens.

While Byron definitely bears much of the blame for the ineffective offense, the Lakers defense is an even greater blight on his record. As a self-proclaimed defensive coach, the fact that the Lakers have been consistently terrible on that end of the floor speaks volumes about his performance. The Lakers appear to be unprepared for their opponents, allowing players to get to their favorite spots on the floor seemingly at will.

http://lakeshowlife.com/2015/11/12/lakers-byron-scott-continues-prove-fans-right/
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 7:40 am    Post subject:

Alpha wrote:
thanks for all your hard work lakersfreak!


welcome
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:34 am    Post subject:

lakersfreak wrote:
Byron Scott Continues to Prove the Fans Right
by Anthony Yassa - lakeshowlife.com

Things have been rocky since Byron Scott arrived in LA, and it might be time for him to take more of the blame for the Lakers slow start.

Laker fans were quick to turn on Byron Scott, whose rigid and firm attitude can come across as prideful and stubborn. His first season with the Lakers was not a success, as the team lost a record number of games. Many of the teams issues were out of Scott’s control, with a roster decimated by injuries and filled with clashing playing styles. Despite this, fans were unhappy with the way Scott used what was given to him, and it’s starting to look like they were right.

While it’s true that fans can overreact, Byron Scott’s coaching ability is becoming increasingly suspect. This season Scott’s rotations have been consistently poor, with players seemingly pulled from the game as soon as they gain any sort of rhythm. Scott has also been consistently willing to place the blame on his players, and even call them out in the media, but he very rarely admits to being out-coached. The problem with that is, he is almost always out-coached.

The offense Scott has implemented in Los Angeles has been consistently un-watchable, with contested jumpers the main staple of the offense. Scott has proven to be resistant to change, as he has refused to adjust to the motion heavy and pick and roll oriented game plans that are dominating the league. Instead he runs an offense that negates his players strengths by taking the ball out of their hands and reducing movement and screens.

While Byron definitely bears much of the blame for the ineffective offense, the Lakers defense is an even greater blight on his record. As a self-proclaimed defensive coach, the fact that the Lakers have been consistently terrible on that end of the floor speaks volumes about his performance. The Lakers appear to be unprepared for their opponents, allowing players to get to their favorite spots on the floor seemingly at will.

http://lakeshowlife.com/2015/11/12/lakers-byron-scott-continues-prove-fans-right/


Great article. Literally noone looks good in this offense. Valid points about defense and being seemingly unprepared for opponents. Outcoached is too nice to describe Byron getting smacked every game.
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PostPosted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:34 pm    Post subject:

ReaListik wrote:
lakersfreak wrote:
Byron Scott Continues to Prove the Fans Right
by Anthony Yassa - lakeshowlife.com

Things have been rocky since Byron Scott arrived in LA, and it might be time for him to take more of the blame for the Lakers slow start.

Laker fans were quick to turn on Byron Scott, whose rigid and firm attitude can come across as prideful and stubborn. His first season with the Lakers was not a success, as the team lost a record number of games. Many of the teams issues were out of Scott’s control, with a roster decimated by injuries and filled with clashing playing styles. Despite this, fans were unhappy with the way Scott used what was given to him, and it’s starting to look like they were right.

While it’s true that fans can overreact, Byron Scott’s coaching ability is becoming increasingly suspect. This season Scott’s rotations have been consistently poor, with players seemingly pulled from the game as soon as they gain any sort of rhythm. Scott has also been consistently willing to place the blame on his players, and even call them out in the media, but he very rarely admits to being out-coached. The problem with that is, he is almost always out-coached.

The offense Scott has implemented in Los Angeles has been consistently un-watchable, with contested jumpers the main staple of the offense. Scott has proven to be resistant to change, as he has refused to adjust to the motion heavy and pick and roll oriented game plans that are dominating the league. Instead he runs an offense that negates his players strengths by taking the ball out of their hands and reducing movement and screens.

While Byron definitely bears much of the blame for the ineffective offense, the Lakers defense is an even greater blight on his record. As a self-proclaimed defensive coach, the fact that the Lakers have been consistently terrible on that end of the floor speaks volumes about his performance. The Lakers appear to be unprepared for their opponents, allowing players to get to their favorite spots on the floor seemingly at will.

http://lakeshowlife.com/2015/11/12/lakers-byron-scott-continues-prove-fans-right/
Great article. Literally noone looks good in this offense. Valid points about defense and being seemingly unprepared for opponents. Outcoached is too nice to describe Byron getting smacked every game.
Interesting article considering the following

Byron's rejection of implementing a motion offense
During most of the game, the ball is moving (as seen during practice, so shared by Big Game James). Fourth quarters/crunch time (with or without Kobe) has turned into a series of ISOs

Not maximizing players' talents
One wonders how any coach could use any other general approach
Clarkson has been scouted and limiting his favorite P&R action and is developing counters and when to use them
Randle has also been scouted and going through the same process as Clarkson.
The same with DLO
Byron has taken RKelly out of the rotation and the RKellyy/Bass combination that was disastrous
His system has limited Swaggy's "extended" ISOs that were stagnant and ineffective
He is starting to use Nance and MWP that has made the defense much better
He is trying to find out what are the strengths of the players on the roster and in what combination(s).

The defense has become better
The offense has become less effective as opposing teams have scouted the Lakers and forcing them to adjust - a hard task given the many really Okies that dominate this roster

When the players are missing assignments and/or playing "hero bar" - hard to know what is the greater culprit of inefficiency - rookie mistakes or bad system

Is Byron the right coach and/or will be coaching next season - don't know
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