Bleacher Report - Articles by Andrew Rafner

To Lakers, Shannon Brown Is No Surprise

Andrew Rafner — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:16:05 -0400

I love and hate surprises.

I hate surprise birthday parties, everyone lying to you and then jumping out and yelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!” while you stand there with a Tyler Hansbrough deer-in-the-headlights expression, completely unaware that you have just been had by your closest friends and family.

I hate the surprise of getting sick. One day you are feeling perfectly perfect and then, like a freight train hitting you at full speed, your throat is raw, your eyes are scratchy and your stomach feels like it is riding the Viper at Six Flags while the rest of your body stays put.

But then there are the pleasant surprises of life. The ones you don’t quite see coming; the ones that blindside you and leave you smiling and nodding your head in disbelief at the randomness and spontaneity of life.

Falling in love, finding the perfect song for the summer, finding a ten-dollar bill on the sidewalk, Shannon Brown.

These are the good surprises.

Back in February when the Lakers shipped off Vlad Radmanovic to Charlotte, little to none of the talk surrounded Shannon Brown; we were all too twitterpated over the arrival of Adam Morrison and his pube-stache and OneTouch Ultra.

Nobody seemed to care that the Lakers were also receiving the 2003 Illinois Mr. Basketball, a title that has previously been won by the likes of Kevin Garnett, Shaun Livingston, Derrick Rose, and Darius Miles (okay, lets not forget former Laker Brian Cook, winner of the 1999 award).

Most Laker fans viewed Shannon Brown as simply a throw-in to make the trade work. Another cast off in a short career seemingly filled with them.

Brown was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 25th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, but was quickly lost in the shuffle after the Cavs second round pick, Daniel “Boobie” Gibson, made a name for himself during the 2007 Playoffs when he erupted in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals for 31 points, 19 of which he scored in the fourth quarter.

To Shannon, it seemed as if his NBA career was over before it had started. In his first two NBA seasons with the Cavaliers, Shannon only played in 38 games, averaging a little over 11 minutes per game.

His third season didn’t prove to be any more fruitful. In 2007-2008, he only appeared in six games for his hometown Chicago Bulls before his rookie contract expired.

Shannon remained resolute, signing with the Charlotte Bobcats at the beginning of this season, and with the faith of coach Larry Brown, Shannon began to show shades of what would eventually come to pass. The best game of his young career came ironically against the Lakers, ten days before he joined them.

In 22 minutes off the bench, Brown scored 14 points and drew late contact from Kobe Bryant in overtime that fouled him out, an event that Kobe has regarded as perhaps the reason the Lakers did not achieve the league’s best record, all thanks to the efforts of Shannon Brown.

We all should have known the second that Shannon Brown flew through the air and blocked Flip Murray of the Atlanta Hawks that Mitch Kupchak had found someone very, very special.

As Shannon’s playing time increased, and eventually eclipsed that of Jordan Farmar, we have begun to see perhaps the next evolution of Laker point guards. In many ways, Shannon is a hybrid of Jordan and Derek, strong enough to battle the Deron Williamses of the league, yet springy and bouncy to no end.

But it is what Shannon Brown brings off the court that makes this writer a real fan of his. It is that infectious smile, that wide-eyed, unspoiled “just happy to be here” mentality that makes him a joy to watch. He is everything that is good about basketball, rising from obscurity to crack the rotation in the midst of a playoff run.

And the best part, the best thing about it is that we have only begun to peel off a corner of the wrapping paper of the Shannon Brown present, it is only going to get better from here.

Shaquille O'Neal: The Ex-Girlfriend

Andrew Rafner — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:00:23 -0500

Section 316 is a weekly essay series by TheLakersNation.com Writer Andrew Rafner. Each Friday Andrew will explore a theme relating to the deeper world of Lakers basketball. This week’s essay…

The Ex-Girlfriend

You made a skirt from an old tablecloth,
and I hope your new boyfriend thinks its real cute,
and sometimes I wish that I could just chop off the chunk of my life that I wasted on you
- Paul Baribeau

There are two pretty distinct paths you can choose to travel during the course of a serious breakup.

You can:

A) Let them hang around and sadistically hope their life crumbles to dust before your eyes.

B) Let them simply disappear, allowing for unnerving moments of overwhelming curiosity and discontent.

Granted, there are inherent flaws and variables within these two courses of action, but in reality, it is the best we have done as far as breakups go (Especially in 2009, where, like it or not, you are going to be faced with some stupid mini-feed, status update telling you some nugget of information you wish you had not seen about your scorned lover).

It is easier to let them simply cease to be a part of your world. Let them drift off. Try and forget they ever existed.

Unfortunately, break-ups in the NBA force you into watching your former mates every move… and that is not fun.

Over the last five seasons, this has been the plight of the Lakers, forced to watch their ex-girlfriend Shaquille O’Neal, find the man who is everything they were not, marry him, have kids and move into a quaint suburban home.

The life they expected to live with him.

Except they didn’t.

And just as quickly as it happened, the miracle was over for the ex: divorce, pathetic one-night stands, maybe a bout with alcoholism, and before they knew it, the ex-girlfriend returned with Louis Amundson, Alando Tucker, Goran Dragic and Jared Dudley by his side.

And it was at this moment that I found my closure with the Lakers ex-girlfriend.

It was just sort of… sad.

It didn’t undo the pain of watching him hold the O’Brien Trophy alongside Dwayne effing Wade in Miami and it didn’t make the Tell Me How My Ass Tastes rap any more tolerable. It didn’t make all those pitiful nicknames cute.

It just made me sad, sad that a man who once brought so much joy to the franchise has fallen so far.

I would never wish what has befallen Shaquille O’Neal late in his career on anyone. Not even my ex-girlfriends.

Lamar Odom's New Sweatshirt

Andrew Rafner — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:12:30 -0500

Section 316 is a weekly essay series by TheLakersNation.com Writer Andrew Rafner. Each Friday Andrew will explore a theme relating to the deeper world of Lakers basketball. This week’s essay:

The New Sweatshirt

And his coat is torn and frayed,
It's seen much better days
Let it steal your heart away
-The Rolling Stones

I have this black sweatshirt.

I have worn it to the point of decay. It has a couple holes on the elbows, the pockets are ripping off the body and the drawstrings on the hood have frayed at the ends.

And although I do cherish the warmth and pseudo-security that I get from putting it on at some point each day, the time had come for me to purchase a replacement.

So, this past week, I mustered up enough courage to head over to the local vertically-integrated, Downtown Los Angeles-manufactured, disgustingly-hipster-elitist clothing store with all intentions to put my old, tattered black hoodie to rest.

When I finally got home and it was time for me to put on my new sweater, I just couldn’t do it. It felt wrong. I even washed it a couple of times in hopes that I could somehow rid it of its foreign newness.

It didn’t work, and at this very moment, I am writing this essay wearing my beat-up, faded, holey hoodie, while its freshly washed counterpart hangs in the closet.

I don’t know when I will start in with the new sweater-era, but for some crazy weirdo reason, this quandary reminds me of Lamar Odom.

For the past 10 years, Lamar Odom has played basketball in his beat-up, faded, holey hoodie, while a brand-new one hung pristinely in his closet.

Now, you may know his sweater by a different name: potential.

Since Lamar Odom was a standout at Christ the King High School in Queens, NY, he was touted as God’s gift to basketball in the new millennium. He was a multi-skilled hybrid that could reinvent the game with his spindly frame and natural talent.

This prognostication continued while Lamar attended the University of Rhode Island, while he was a Rookie with the Clippers, and over his first five seasons with the Lakers: Lamar Odom could be GREAT.

Unfortunately, that Lamar Odom doesn’t exist. He never really did.

Unlike the Kobe Bryants and LeBron James’ of the world, Lamar Odom’s cosmically bestowed talent and potential are not viewed by him as a gift, but as a burden.

A cruel joke.

Giving a man with such intrinsic generosity the power to be so deadly and offensively potent should not have happened…but it did.

Giving a man who possesses such emotional vulnerability a career in which he is expected to valiantly lead his comrades should not have happened...but it did.

We all know of the tragedies Lamar Odom has experienced so far in his young life, but for someone who should be so damaged, he is not. He remains seemingly unscathed, neither being bruised nor conversely inspired by these tribulations.

So what do you make of a man like Lamar Odom?

What do you make of a man whose fleeting moments of passion late in fourth quarters have quickly become more thrilling and heartwarming than that of his teammate, Kobe Bryant?

What do you make of a man whose entire career has been predicated and stunted by his inability to fully assert himself, suddenly and shockingly putting together a stretch of the five best and most complete games of his career?

For 10 long seasons, and possibly even longer, Lamar Odom resisted becoming who he was destined to be. Now, suddenly, and surprisingly seamlessly, he has realized that all he needed to do was take that leap and just make it happen: To just suck it up, and put on that new sweater.

Maybe the moment has finally come. Somewhere in between halves at the Boston Garden on that Thursday night, Lamar Odom put on his new hoodie, and much to his surprise, it was just as warm and just as safe, it didn’t have any holes and sure enough, the drawstrings were not frayed at the edges.

It felt good to be aggressive and assertive. It felt good to play without pretense. It felt good to wear the new sweatshirt.

With the possibility of another Playoff run without Andrew Bynum becoming more and more likely, Lamar Odom’s basketball life will be forever defined by these next four months.

He has the chance to erase every negative word the pundits have ever spoken; he has the chance to etch his name in Laker lore forever.

He has the chance to become not the prototype for a new breed of NBA player destined to change the way the game is played (that burden now rests with Golden State’s Anthony Randolph), but the NBA’s archetype for redemption and albeit late, self-realization.

Lamar Odom has the tools to accomplish this, not because of his physical acumen, but because of the fortitude of his character: a man who fought greatness tooth and nail, only to serendipitously fall into it.

Who Dost Thou Chris Paul Rolleth Off? Not Tyson Chandler

Andrew Rafner — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:27:23 -0500

The New Orleans Hurrrrrrrrnets are one of the most unique teams in the NBA.
No, not just because they have Chris Paul zipping around the court like Isaiah Thomas redux. No, they are so puzzlingly intriguing because of their stellar lack of a coherent offensive scheme.

Option A: Chris Paul dribbles up court, comes off a Tyson Chandler screen on the elbow, cuts to the basket for an easy layup.

Option B: Chris Paul dribbles up the court, comes off a Tyson Chandler screen on the elbow, Chandler cuts towards the hoop, CP3 finds him for an effortless lob.

Option C: Chris Paul dribbles up the court, finds Tyson Chandler conveniently setting a perfect screen on the elbow, Paul flashes to the lane and finds David West for a boring 15-footer.

Option D: Chris Paul dribbles down court, meets...wait for it...Tyson effing Chandler at the elbow, defenders miraculously collapse on the key, Paulie finds Peja Stojakovic/Rasual Butler/Morris Peterson/James Posey/one of the Hurrrrrnets other spot up shooters for a three.

Now, besides Chris Paul, who is the other constant in the Hurrrrrrrrnets (lack of) offense?

That is right! The newest member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tyson Chandler!

The Hurrrrrnets netted themselves two big expiring contracts today by trading the cornerstone of their post offense for the expiring deals of Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith.

Let's just hope Sean Marks can set a mean screen.

For the Thunder, the acquisition of Chandler means the squad could take a giant leap forward in the latter half of this season heading into next.

With the Durantula being all spindly and weird (I was going to say he is like Alex Mack, turning into the puddle of metallic goo in order to find seams in the defense, but I thought it might fall flat), and Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook showing limitless potential, add in Tyson Chandler and their potential draft pick in June and the Thunder are scary...in about three years time.

Andrew Rafner is the editor of the forthcoming TheLoveofNBA.com blog, he is headed to the barbershop later today and asking for the Robert Pack.

Mount Sterling: The Los Angeles Clippers Monument to Failure

Andrew Rafner — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:24:12 -0500

Growing up in Los Angeles, it is no secret the city has conflicting feelings towards its Clippers. I am not even sure the city of Los Angeles would even go as far as to claim the Clippers as their own.

I once believed that the Clippers were the Lakers' younger brother—and a way weirder younger brother at that.

One is a born winner. The other toils in the gutters of life. One is full of charisma. The other has about as much personality as a desk lamp. One brother has tons of famous friends. The other has Frankie Muniz and a guy who drives around town in a red, white and blue car.

I don’t believe that anymore.

It is disrespectful to the Lakers to even consider that the Clippers share the same blood lines.

When thinking about the Clippers and how they differ so much from their fellow professional basketball team in L.A., look no further than their training facility.

Located in the plush Playa Del Rey neighborhood of Los Angeles, this monument to ineptitude, complete with neon lights and scenic palm trees, has been ground-zero for the Clippers injury-plagued 13-40 season.

Now, I get that it is commonplace these days for NBA teams to have training complexes, but for some reason, I get a little sad every time I see those blue and red lights beaming off the 405 freeway between Jefferson and Howard Hughes.

Why does it exist? What happens there? Does it resemble "Elanor Rigby" in any way, shape or form? Do people just weep as they walk in and out?

I am puzzled by the standard day-to-day operations of the NBA’s most pathetic and dopey franchise.

The Clippers broke ground on the complex in 2005, in the middle of their franchise's most successful and magical seasons. Yet, when the optimism faded and the Clippers once again became the Clippers, it seemed unimportant to finish the project, which suffered massive delays.

After finally opening in September of 2008, every time I see it I keep thinking to myself that there just should not be entire buildings dedicated to impotence and futility.

Andrew Rafner is the editor of the upcoming TheLoveofNBA.com, he wishes he could find an Xavier McDaniel jersey.

NBA Trade Deadline Super Deluxe

Andrew Rafner — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 19:05:29 -0500

Well kids, the NBA trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and again fans across the league are either celebrating their booty and/or mourning their losses.

OH GOD! The Raps got a washed up Shawn Marion for a washed up Jermaine O’Neal! Big trade!

Ric Bucher says that Ron Artest is going to get traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for that giant Chorizo!

As we all clamor and breathe for our chance to play GM, and to wear out that ESPN Trade Machine, nearly every February most of the speculative trade talk is met with, well, disappointment.

It is this swell of conjecture and postulation that makes me absolutely bat**** insane.

The only thing in this world that is acceptable to blindly muse about is "Lost." And even then you have no gad damn idea what you are talking about.

I flood various websites' message boards with tongue-in-cheek trade ideas to see what folks have to say.

Last night, I eagerly announced “The Pacers are trading Rik Smits to Phoenix for Wayman Tisdale!”

The response I got from trade talk-slaphappy fans: “I’ve never heard of those guys” or “It’s just two benchwarmer swapping squads.” Truth is, the Dunkin’ Dutchman hasn’t worn the Blue and Yellow uniform since 2000 and Wayman Tisdale is now a Jazz musician.

I got to thinking, what if the NBA Trade Deadline applied to the rest of the universe. What if I could make crackpot trade propositions! What kind of bizarre and irreverent ideas could I come up with!? How would I break these deals down?

The Deadline Deals

General Mills trades Boo Berry to Kellogg’s for Frosted Flakes:

A real blockbuster, I know.

Kellogg’s severs ties with their sugary version of Corn Flakes, and in return acquire one of breakfast’s spookiest cereals.

This deal might hurt the Mills’ “Sinister Cereal” big three, but just imagine a big heaping bowl of Count Chocula, FrankenBerry and Frosted Flakes teaming up for a morning run.

That’s a breakfast fit for a champion!

Apple trades Cover Flow to Microsoft for Minesweeper:

In 2006, Apple debuted Cover Flow with iTunes, the most useless way to view your album covers. In 2007, they integrated it into OS X Leopard. It even found a way onto my iPod!

Guess how many times I have used it?

ZERO!

Now Minesweeper on the other hand, I could conceivably waste hours playing the Windows classic.

I trade any pen I am handed for a pencil:

I do not like pens. Period.

They are smudgy.

They are not conducive to my positive penmanship.

Pencils however are my go-to utensil. They have a delete key and my handwriting looks a million times better when written in graphite glory.

The Laker radio broadcast trades Spero Dedes and Mychal Thompson to Laker television broadcast for Joel Myers and the rights to Jack Haley:

Spero and Mychal will join Stu on the perch, while that Wino, Joel Myers goes the AM airwaves.

I think Mychal would thrive in the “three-man” commentary setting, occasionally chiming in with a pun about Sasha (“That jumper by Sasha was VujaSICK!”), while Spero flawlessly calls the play-by-play and Stu sticks to his general You-do-what-you-do-and-you-do-it-so-well thing.

On the radio side of things, Joel is bought out and Jack Haley, who was included in the vein of Aaron McKie and Keith Van Horn, joins in name only.

With Myers and Haley out of the picture, the Lakers return to the days of the simulcast.

I can hear Stu’s voice now “…on the Lakers basketball network.” As you can tell, I’ve thought this one out long and hard.

The Phoenix That Will Not Rise

Andrew Rafner — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:52:09 -0500

In ancient Greek culture, the phoenix represents the spirit of renewal and rebirth. The legendary bird immolates itself and then miraculously rises from its own ashes, to live once again, free from the constraints of mortality.

It is also said that the mighty phoenix could heal anything with a tear cried from its eye, yet while the city of Phoenix weeps for their rapidly setting Suns, it seems as if resurrection is a much a myth as the divine phoenix.

A little more than a year ago, the NBA pundits and prognosticators recognized that the writing was on the wall in Phoenix when rookie Suns GM Steve Kerr sent shockwaves through the NBA by sending cornerstone Shawn Marion to Miami for the aging phantom of Shaquille O'Neal.

Four months later, Mike D'Antoni was fired and replaced by Terry freaken Porter in an attempt to relocate a defensive focus for a team that valued defense so very little.

As the 2008-09 season approached, and it became clear that their division rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers were all growed up, Steve Kerr hit the panic button once again, this time packaging D'Antoni favorites Raja Bell and Boris Diaw for Charlotte's Jason Richardson, a decidedly offensive player with very limited defensive prowess.

And then, last week as the reports began flooding into the major news outlets that the Suns were actively shopping Apostrophe Stoudemire, it became clear that Steve Kerr was not out to simply retool the Suns, he wanted to burn them to the ground.

Yet, the unceremonious dismantling of the most beautifully unorthodox and discordant experiments in professional sports history began far before these desperate and callow transactions.

Heck, it began when Steve Kerr was still the Suns color commentator.

Joe Johnson blossomed into an All-Star in his first three seasons after being egregiously low-balled during free agency. Rudy Fernandez, the Suns 24th pick in the 2007 draft, was sold to the Portland Trailblazers and has shown flashes of star potential.

The same goes for Boston's Rajon Rondo and New York's Nate Robinson, both of whom are rising stars and were once first round choices of the Phoenix Suns, given up for next to nothing without even being given a chance in the desert.

This weekend, the NBA All-Star circus pitches its tents in the city of Phoenix for what should be a celebration of all things NBA hosted by perhaps its best franchise to not win a title (although they were jobbed in 1976, but that is another tale).

The sad and chilling reality is that this weekend is a façade. It is a sham. It is but a super-minuscule version of the 1936 Berlin Olympics. “All is well!” cries Steve Kerr as Robert Sarver lights the fuse on the powder keg.

Apostrophe Stoudemire asserts that it is 60-40 that he will be in Suns purple and orange come Feb. 18, but with the Suns front office seemingly hellbent on removing nearly every vestige of the “seven seconds or less” Suns in shocking and heartbreaking fashion, it would be foolish for Apostrophe to not start packing his bags.

The sad and sobering truth is that the Phoenix Suns lit themselves on fire long ago and we are only a few days away from witnessing their final disintegration into dust.

The legendary phoenix is destined to rise from its ashes to live once more, rejuvenated and reawakened, but in Phoenix, Ariz., it appears that this once revolutionary franchise is doomed to toil and mire in their own destruction with no resurrection in sight.

-Andrew Rafner is the Editor of the forthcoming TheLoveofNBA.com blog. He is obsessed with Courtney Lee’s career trajectory and loves Al Harrington’s neck tattoo.

It's Magic Again in Orlando, Just Like 1995

Andrew Rafner — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:26:54 -0500

For the last three weeks or so, I’ve been trying to convince my family, friends and basically anyone who’ll listen that 2009 feels a whole lot like the mid-1990s.

The unbridled optimism pouring out of Washington, D.C., a super-friendly cast on the Real World, and a bitchin’ pair of acid washed jeans I just bought were the first clues to me this year was a resurgence of sorts of the bygone era of dirty grunge rock, Lisa Frank stationery, and Steve Urkel.

Then the NBA provided me with the irrefutable evidence that the year 2009 was in fact a crazy-ass remix of 1995: the rise of the Orlando Magic.

Back in ’95, with Michael Jordan geeking it out with the Double-A Birmingham Barons before returning to the Bulls at midseason, the 6-year-old Orlando Magic took the NBA by storm with their pinstripes, a dominating All-Star center, and plethora of spot-up jumpshooters en route to the NBA Finals before being swept by the Rockets.

Now, in 2009, with Michael Jordan nowhere in sight and the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Lakers solidifying themselves as the league’s top title contenders, the now 20-year-old Magic have again taken the NBA by surprise. The pinstripes are back, the Magic again have a dominating All-Star center, and everyone on the squad not named Dwight Howard is a lights-out shooter.

With the Celtics’ age and the Cavs’ injuries, the Magic are quickly becoming the trendy pick to come out of the East. And those singing the praises have good reason.

Howard, while still lacking any semblance of a developed or refined offensive game, is still among the league’s most dominating inside presences. Jameer Nelson’s blossoming into one of the premier point guards in the league, with his owl-like face and crunch-time fearlessness.

Former college Player of the Year and all-around gelled-up whitey J.J. Redick has somehow broken into the rotation (well, Mickael Pietrus and Keith Bogans are injured, but I just can’t get over the fact that Redick’s actually kinda sorta good) and has relished his opportunity, averaging nearly nine points per game in January.

Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis provide the perfect frontcourt complement to Howard, and rookie Courtney Lee shows promise and potential that sometimes freaks me the eff out. Seriously, he’s going to be a great player in this league, and soon.

Yeah, part of this 1995/2009 happenstance is somewhat wishful thinking on my part; and yeah, I do get sideways looks when I wear the acid washed jeans around town, but the 2009 Orlando Magic have what it takes to recapture the glory they brought to the 407 nigh on 14 years ago.

Sure, it may not be 1995, but it sure as heck feels like it.

“Vittiz” on Sale Now!

Andrew Rafner — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:24:08 -0400

From the creators of the Kobe/Gasol 08 bumper sticker.
TheLakersNation.com is proud to exclusively present the “Vittiz”.

When the fans found out about Kobe Bryant deciding to sacrifice pinky surgery to repair his hand for a shot at the NBA championship, we wanted to reciprocate the dedication right back to the reigning league MVP.

For the fans, from the fans, we have created the Vittiz. Exclusively made and available only at TheLakersNation.com, the Vittiz is a way for you to show the love, honor and support of his decision to play this upcoming season.

Sport the Vittiz in appreciation for the man who helped lead and give respect back to USA Basketball!

You can purchase the “Vittiz” and get more details at the new TLN Store!

Andrew Bynum Wasn’t a Natural Selection for Lakers

Andrew Rafner — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 01:20:46 -0400

This is the first of two parts taken from The L.A. Times...

The best of times were a memory and the worst of times had just begun in the spring of 2005, when the Lakers drafted 17-year-old Andrew Bynum out of high school in what seemed the maraschino cherry on the sundae of their dysfunction.

Dysfunction was a popular word around them after eight years of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, but those now seemed like the good old days.

O’Neal was gone. Jerry West was gone. Chick Hearn was gone.

Rudy Tomjanovich, hired to replace Phil Jackson, had come and gone, fleeing within months to be replaced by...Jackson, who had been gone but was back.

Owner Jerry Buss, who had let Jackson go and was obliged to rehire him, seemed out of touch, musing that his 34-48 team could be in the Western Conference finals in “a couple of years.”

In fact, Buss was more detached than ever, involving his son Jim in decisions, which, as far as Lakers fans were concerned, was like Jed Clampett turning the Beverly Hillbillies over to nephew Jethro.

The real heat was on General Manager Mitch Kupchak, whose challenge—build a dynasty from the ashes of the old one—was the NBA equivalent of “Mission: Impossible.”

Continue reading ‘Andrew Bynum wasn’t a natural selection for Lakers’

FB&G: Phil Jackson Talks Lakers

Andrew Rafner — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 11:40:44 -0400

Forum Blue & Gold: Phil Jackson met with the media on Friday in advance of the Lakers camp opening next Tuesday, and, as you expect from Jackson, he said a few interesting things. If you want to watch the entire press conference, the always-on-it guys at Lakers.com have the video up.

What follows are some highlights, followed by a few comments.

Question: “Have seen enough of Trevor to envision a role for him?”
Jackson: “I don’t hesitate to say that if this team doesn’t work out the way I want it to, Trevor may be a starting player. I may just insert him and convince Lamar to come off the bench if I feel it’s better for the team and we don’t feel as comfortable on the floor as I’d like us to feel. That’s a role I see Trevor playing for us. I think he’s going to be a person who does things defensively and offensively for us that are going to be big pluses for us.”

Question: “Would that be Plan B?”
Jackson: “I have to give that an opportunity. They deserve an opportunity.”

….Lamar is going to have to make an adjustment. He’s had an advantage at power forward the last couple of season, especially playing power forward in a guard slot offensively. So he’s going to have to make some adjustments and we’re going to have to see how he does with that.

That answers that question—Lamar Odom is going to get the chance to start at the 3-spot. If it doesn’t work, Ariza could step into that role. But Jackson is going to give the “start the best five” system a chance, and as an advocate of that I couldn’t be happier.

Offensively, that five (Fisher, Bryant, Odom, Gasol, Bynum) are going to score a lot of points. The question about that group is really tied to my mantra for the season—the Lakers will go as far as their defense takes them. How that group defends will be the key. The best part is, if it doesn’t work out, the fallback plan of starting Ariza with Odom off the bench should also be very good.

And, as has been suggested here, it looks like Odom will do plenty of ball-handling and play some point-forward. Again, I’m excited—I would love to see Odom and Gasol work the two-man game on the triangle’s weak side, with Gasol getting the ball in the high post and Odom cutting past him to the basket. That is going to be very hard to defend.

Question: “Any more specifics?”
Jackson: “I’d like to have Lamar in a role that’s kind of still on the ball. I want him to do some thing in organizing the offense. He’s also going to be played by small forwards instead of power forwards, which takes a little bit of an advantage away from him at some spots. Obviously, a big question is Andrew’s ability to get up and down the floor and have the stamina he needs to have in order to compete. The adjustment of Pau to play defensively away from the basket, which is a role he’s not used to playing. So those are three questions that could be answered, and that’s not even talking about our bench and how the bench is coming along and how they fit.

Jackson took a couple of digs at Andrew. Sometimes this stuff gets taken by fans as “Phil is down on Bynum,” but, really, this is how Jackson has motivated players as long as he has coached, with subtle jabs through the media. And it works.

By the way, the one dig I found most interesting was when Jackson was asked about Bynum keeping a level head while the contract talks are going on. Jackson said he’s not worried about Drew, but does have concerns about “some of the people around him.” Interesting. Jackson doesn’t say things like that on accident.

Question: “How will you fit Gasol and Bynum together?”
Jackson: “I think there’s going to have to be an understanding on this team that there’s going to be personnel that are going to be better off against some opponents and some styles of play. Whether we have a small team like Golden State with a center and four small forwards out there playing, guys are going to have to adjust and sacrifice to meet the demands of it game by game. But we’re going to have the potential for a very tall, lanky, strong front line and if they can learn to play defense together they’re going to be a very formidable opponent to score against. Offensively, how we get those guys together with the size they have and the abilities they have as starters, that’s going to be interesting to see.

What I’m going to ask Andrew to do in this offense is to rebound offensively and to set picks and to be a pivotal point in our offense. I’m not asking him to be a one-on-one scoring. He’s going to be a guy who’s going to shore up the defense, which I think is a pivotal aspect. Rebound, which I think is the second-most important thing in our offense. … Now we know Pau is a different animal on the post. He’s more of a polished scorer down there. To adjust the two of them on the floor at the same time and Lamar (Odom) at a wing spot is going to be our goal this year at training camp, to figure out to do that.”

I don’t think there are any surprises there; Jackson at points talked about Gasol needing his face-up and 15-foot jumper this season—again, things that have been talked about here. I like that Jackson is tightly defining Bynum’s role—defend, rebound, and the points will come. That is exactly what the Lakers were missing and need.

Question: “Will you have to monitor Kobe’s minutes more this season?”
Jackson: “Without a doubt. Pivotal players, I think anything under 35 minutes makes it tough for them to stay involved in the game, to play with the kind of energy to carry it back on the floor. So you can’t let a player sit too long. I think 38 to 40 is too much at this time.”

I’m less worried about the ultra-conditioned Bryant than I am Gasol, who also played a lot of hoops this summer. The more they can keep the minutes down for both, the better.

Phil Jackson Returns Relaxed, Ready, and Will Limit Kobe Bryant’s Minutes

Andrew Rafner — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:19:06 -0400

A lot of cool Phil Jackson news just hit, including him wanting to limit Kobe’s minutes to keep him healthy for the postseason.

A fellow fan and friend once told me, “I love Kobe so much I don’t want to watch him play (to keep him healthy).” I think that might be going on right now.

Yahoo: Don’t be fooled by Phil Jackson’s tan and relaxed demeanor. He’s still upset about missing out on another NBA title last summer.

“There’s still a little angst and anger there,” the Los Angeles Lakers’ coach told reporters Friday at the team’s practice facility.

The Lakers lost the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in six games in June, costing the Hall of Fame coach a chance at his league-record 10th coaching title.

Jackson appeared tanned, rested, and relaxed as he spoke with reporters about his summer of boating, swimming, and spending time with his grandchildren. He also spoke of possible changes that could help Los Angeles win another title.

Although the Lakers have the core of their rotation back from last season, Jackson said he’s not content with the status quo. Above all, he’s eager to see how well Andrew Bynum mixes with fellow seven-footer Pau Gasol.

Related: Kobe’s minutes to be reduced

Trevor Ariza May Start, Lamar Odom to Come off Bench for LA Lakers

Andrew Rafner — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:31:24 -0400

Special thanks to Travis J. Rodgers for submitting his take to the Lakers Nation and giving us the rights to post it on the blog. Once again, if you have your own take and want to see it on TLN, feel free to e-mail it to us at Articles@theLakersNation.com.

Recent rumblings have suggested that the LA Lakers are toying with the idea of sending starting Power Forward Lamar Odom to the bench. There are several considerations that recommend this move, but probably the biggest issue would be deciding who would start in Odom’s spot. The move with the highest potential payoff is promoting Trevor Ariza to the starting lineup. This move, however, is fraught with risk.

Lamar Odom came to Los Angeles for the 2004-05 season in the deal that sent out Shaquille O’Neal. He has played in more than 250 games since joining the Lakers, playing either Forward spot, initiating the offense on occasion, and filling in as the biggest man on the court in rare instances as well.

But Odom’s willingness to play whatever spot the Lakers have asked him to is too frequently outweighed by his unwillingness (or inability depending upon whom you ask) to remain aggressive as a scoring option.

With limited shooting from distance, and two behemoths manning the four and five spots for the upcoming season, Odom’s lack of aggressiveness could force management’s hand. He simply lacks a skill set that will allow a Small Forward to thrive in the current Lakers’ lineup.

This is precisely where Trevor Ariza becomes intriguing. While Ariza is not much of an outside shooter, a casual fan may not have noticed that in more than 200 games in his career prior to coming to LA, Ariza hit just four three-point shots in 28 attempts. This amounts to an incredibly poor percentage (14 percent) and an incredibly low shooting rate (one per 134 minutes of game play).

Meanwhile, Ariza hit five of 15 shots from the arc with the Lakers. That’s 33 percent and one shot per 29 minutes. These numbers come in a very limited sample size, but it is suggestive of Ariza’s willingness to make his game more dynamic and fit the team around him.

Apart from an otherwise unremarkable jump shot, Ariza is an efficient offensive player, who shot 52 percent from the floor largely on slashing moves to the hoop. A solid rebounder despite his lack of bulk, Ariza also uses his length to benefit in passing situations.

His ast/to ratio (nearly 2:1) was just slightly better than Odom’s, who, while touted as a skilled passer, is a poor decision-maker. So Ariza’s offensive game is at least adequate and arguably better suited for this team’s needs than Odom.

Ariza also adds increased ability on the defensive side of the ball. Odom is probably twenty pounds heavier, but Ariza is much more agile, uses his length better, and invests much more pride on defense.

None of this is to say that Odom is a poor defender. He has been shoddy at times, but for significant stretches last season he was above average. Ariza’s talent lies in the fact that he has relishes the role of being employed to cover opposing teams’ best players.

He is a timely shot blocker, an adept ball thief, and plays with full intensity. While fans frequently complain about Odom’s “coasting,” that label is wholly inappropriate for Ariza, who plays all out.

So where is the risk in moving Odom to the bench? His scoring, assuming he is not considered a first or second option, and rebounding would energize a second unit. There is, however, always a risk to moving a player from the starting lineup to the bench. Consider Luke Walton.

It may be said that he played so well as he did in 06-07 because he was in a contract season. That is true. On the other hand, it could be said that the move from being a starter in 06-07 (he started all 65 games he appeared in during 06-07) to losing the starting spot accounted for his epic decline. Walton shot 2.4 percent worse on FGs, 5.4 percent worse on threes, and 3.9 percent worse on FTs, and was roundly criticized by LA faithful.

With this in mind, the consequences of sending Odom to the bench must be considered. Playing as he does currently, he would be a huge lift to the second unit. Playing even more inefficiently, Odom would be an incredibly pricey disaster.

There is one further risk: Ariza’s health. In four seasons, Ariza has averaged 56 games per season. Over the past three seasons, that average falls to 50. He has not appeared in more than 60 games since his rookie season and appeared in just 35 last season.

Questions about a congenital defect in his foot, the same foot that caused him to miss three months last year, linger and make the likelihood of his appearing in a full season a slender hope. Add in increased minutes that come along with starting (he has averaged 18 minutes per game in his career) and the odds of a breakdown must be countenanced.

As with any roster tinkering, the pros and cons of moving Odom out of the starting lineup must be weighed heavily before committing to a move. He may not work out. And if he does not, consider Ariza the best fit given the surrounding team’s skills and skill gaps.

The potential reward is huge: Phil Jackson would have his Doberman on defense, a solid rebounder, a good slasher, and a fiery competitor. Next to Kobe Bryant, and with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the low post and veteran sniper Derek Fisher at the Point, the Lakers could be significantly better than they were last season. Yet for all Ariza’s potential as a difference-maker, the risk factor remains quite high.

Greg Oden on Andrew Bynum: The Blazer's Thoughts on a Potentially Great Matchup

Andrew Rafner — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:28:58 -0400

Lakers Blog: Some ESPN The Magazine work took me to a commercial shoot featuring some players from the Cavs and Blazers. One of them happened to be Greg Oden, and I managed to grab a few quick minutes with him to talk about Andrew Bynum.

The Lakers open the regular season against Portland, providing the first glimpse of a big man matchup theoretically poised to entertain for years. While Oden offered praise for Drew ("He does everything a good post guy is supposed to do"), I got the vibe that an “Oden-Bynum” analysis was a little cart ahead of the horse in his mind.

While acknowledging Bynum as a tough assignment (in a good way), he seemed understandably more concerned with simply getting an NBA game under his belt after a year recovering from micro-fracture surgery.

Plus, having met Oden a few times, he’s always struck me as a low-key guy not particularly comfortable hyping himself or events.

I imagine fans from both teams will pick up the slack for him.

The Lakers Cache: Great Moments in Los Angeles Basketball

Andrew Rafner — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:36:57 -0400

Originally Posted on www.thelakersnation.com

There are moments.

Defining moments that remind us why we love the things we love. Whether it’s the way she smiles or that perfect note of your favorite song, these moments elucidate who we were, who we are, and who we are going to be.

And then there are the Lakers.

Each and every one of us has our personal cache of these instances: buzzer beaters, alley-oops, championships, and heroes.

The moments that make you proud to be a fan.

The moments that make you say, “This is my team!”

These are my moments.

This is my Laker Cache…

10. The Chair Switch -

I was blessed to grow up during the Three-Peat in the early part of this decade. And, as every fan during that time, I was glued to my television set during each and every playoff game. My viewing partner and stepfather, Rob, initiated something I like to call “The Chair Switch”, and although it sounds like a forgotten Seinfeld episode, it was a hallowed and integral part of my formative Laker years.

If at any point in the game that the Lakers fell victim to a run or relinquished a lead, Rob would solemnly look at me and say “We gotta switch it up, bud.”

And before he could finish his sentence, I was sitting in another spot and he was standing at the opposite end of the room.

Worked every time.

Case in point, when Robert Horry sank his divine game winner, I was sitting upside down on the staircase and Rob was Indian style on an ottoman.

9. The Forum Fan Fest -

In 1997, Laker season ticket holders were treated to a day of fancy-free at the Fabulous Forum. Players were made available to the fans for pictures and autographs and as a nine-year-old, I was so excited, I could hardly contain myself. My meeting with my Laker heroes was short, but magical nonetheless.

I netted a 15-foot jumper. I sat high above the western sideline and recorded play-by-play with my father playing Stu to my Chick. I got to put on Sam Bowie’s warm-up (why his, I’ll never know).

8. The First Preseason Game -

Every October it happens.

Training camp ends and the Lakers finally suit up for the first time after the long and arduous off-season.

The game is usually awful and the Lakers usually lose, but it is the optimism and hope of the infant season that I feast on.

I love getting to know the new additions. To play the “Who will make the team?” game (Congratulations, Coby Karl!). In 2003 when the Mailman and the Glove made their Laker pre-season debut, I was absolutely giddy with laughter.

The first pre-season game of the 1996-97 season was the only time in my entire life I was able to get my father and my stepfather to watch a game with me.

Although they both deny it ever happened.

7. Halloween 2007 -

I had just gotten off of work on October 31, 2007. I had no costume. I was reeling from the Houston heartbreak the night before. As I contemplated my choices for getups, I was struck with a genius idea!

I rushed home, threw on my jersey and replica shorts, tied a black shoelace around my head and suddenly I was the Machine.

It was the best costume of all time.

As I cruised Santa Monica Boulevard, I kept hearing “Hey, look it’s Sasha!”

And for the record, I don’t like Sasha Vujacic because he has shaggy hair and a scruffy beard. I like Sasha Vujacic because I have shaggy hair and a scruffy beard.

6. “Why does Hayley get to go to the game?” -

It is a question for the ages, a question that I have never received a satisfactory answer to.

Whenever I find out my sister is going to a Laker game with my father I always remind her that she doesn’t care and that I’m the Laker child of record.

Although she thoroughly denies this, I still hold firm in my belief that she doesn’t care nearly as much about the team as I do.

She cares about how cute Chris Mihm is.

At this point, I see it as just a rite of passage for her to attend a game. She was devastated when Wally Szczerbiak was traded because she was banking on going to the upcoming game against the Sonics to see him in all his hair-gelled glory.

Now, without that bargaining chip, I own that seat.

5. Pau Gasol Sáez -

February 1, 2008, my cell phone rings.

I am sleeping way too late.

It’s my Dad.

I groggily greet him with a “Hello.” The other end is buzzing.“DID YOU HEAR!?” he excitedly exclaims.

I haven’t heard him this excited since the release of Jimmy Buffett’s last album.

I’m beginning to gain consciousness and sensing the fervor in his voice, I say “What’s up?” Being the kind of fan I am, he was shocked that I had not yet been briefed by my daily reading of Deadspin or visit with Wilbon and Kornheiser.

The titillation in his tone was enough.

Seriously, I was preparing for him to tell me he just won an inordinate amount of money or finally realized his dream and was forming a hardcore street dance crew.

Instead he uttered the second most beautiful sentence I have ever heard: “Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two First rounders for…guess who?”

How could he do this to me! THE SUSPENSE!! I didn’t want to guess, I wanted answers. My mind racing and heart palpitating, I asked him “WHO!?”

“What would be the best thing I could possibly say?” he asked, glib as possible. He loved stringing me along.

I decided not to speak.

My father then uttered the first most beautiful sentence I have ever heard, “Pau Gasol.”

I could not believe it, I had been scooped by my father and his close friend Rob Corn. It was a coup that I did not see coming. Blindsided, I stumbled to my Macbook and was greeted with the news.

4. The Return of Magic -

I never got to see Magic Johnson play before he retired in 1992.

Okay, that is not entirely true. Between 1988 and 1992 I was a toddler preoccupied with more pressing issues like teething and my woobie. Basketball was pretty low on my radar.

When he announced a valiant comeback in 1996, my eight year-old face nearly melted.

My hero, my Magic was coming back.

I had seen videotaped games. I had read his autobiography. I had worn his number 32 jersey.

On January 30, 1996 it happened. I walked (more like floated) into the Great Western Forum, and suddenly, there he was.

The venerable Lawrence Tanter made my dream a reality, his booming voice bellowed, “In his thirteenth campaign, from Michigan State University, number 32, Magic Johnson!”

The tears followed soon after.

Magic put on a show.

In his first game in four seasons, he nearly achieved a triple double with 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

3. Kobewatch 2007! -

I brought something special along for number 3 on my list.

The Wayback Machine. Yes. That Wayback Machine. Sherman, Mr. Peabody, the whole thing.

Lets travel all the way back to say… late May 2007.

A simpler time indeed.

I had just celebrated the Thirtieth Anniversary of Star Wars. LOST’s eason finale left me completely bewildered and as I sat in a Burbank airport lobby, waiting for my perpetually delayed flight, my whole world came crashing down.

Kobe wanted to be traded.

OUR KOBE!

The Kobe I had watched grow up from a grinning sixteen year-old kid into my infallible basketball God. It couldn’t be! I felt trapped.

Not breathing. Life ending. Laker mourning.

Over the next five months Kobe Bryant held this city, had this entire UNIVERSE hostage. Will they or won’t they? And if they do, who would the Lakers get in return!?

Local radio show hosts, and my personal heroes, Petros Papadakis and Matt “Money” Smith, decided to dispatch their minions all about Southern California to find reaction from places as varied as Raging Waters all the way to the former site of Santa’s Village.

After a hellish summer of parking lot videos and meetings in Spain, if some ghost of Laker Future (I like to imagine him as Chick Hearn in a flowing white robe) had told me that with roughly twenty games remaining, the Lakers would be battling for the top spot in the West, Pau FREAKIN’ Gasol would be the starting Center, Kobe would be not only content, but popping the word “LAKERS” on his jersey in fits of pride, and Andrew Bynum would be blossoming into one of the leagues premiere Big Men, I would have laughed at my ghastly guide and simply said “Quiet, you” at the notion that the fractured Lakers would make such a dramatic turnaround.

Wounds healed. Fences mended. Laker hope.

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.

2. Game 5 of the 2000 NBA Finals -

The only time I ever rooted against the Lakers.

I watched nervously from my booth at a local restaurant.

The Lakers were one game away from clinching their first championship since 1988. I would not dare speak it, but in my head was the unfathomable mantra “Let’s go Pacers! Let’s go Pacers!”

Why was I so against the Forum Blue and Gold?

I knew if they made it to game 6, I would be at Staples Center.

The Lakers lost 120-87. My night of treason yielded a 33 point drubbing.

I am not proud of my actions. Yet without them, my Number One would not exist…

1. The Championship (with Riots!) -

I had waited 12 years for this moment.

I had seen hundreds of games.

I had cried when they were bounced from the playoffs in years past, but this year my tears flowed as Shaquille O’Neal hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy high into the air.

As I leapt into my Dad’s arms (Kobe and Shaq-style) and screamed at the top of my lungs, teardrops of joy streaming down my face, I realized through everything, the Lakers would always be there.

That no matter what happened in life and no matter how much I changed, I would always love this team.

Soaked in confetti and hoarse beyond reason, we walked to the Team L.A. store to purchase our official Locker Room T-Shirts and Caps. Outside Staples Center however, pandemonium was setting in. Cars were set ablaze, fans were smashing windows and I stood fifty feet from a giant police officer yelling at me to “Get away from the glass, kid!”

I simply looked at him and put my hand up, and the officer obliged, giving me the most thunderous high-five I have ever received.

It was just that kind of night.

So those are my memories. My moments. My Laker Cache. The fun part of this is that every single member of the Laker family has their own list and their own stories.

Even Kobe.

Especially Jerry West.

Players are fans of this great game, too.

It is these moments that tie you to the squad and that define our fandom.

So now it’s your turn.

Reminisce. Digress. Recollect.

Los Angeles Lakers: Where Composure Happens

Andrew Rafner — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:17:07 -0400

“Just remember, the sweet is never as sweet without the sour”
-Brian “Vanilla Sky”

It has been a rough couple of days.

Four losses over the last ten games.

It’s not been like this for a while.

Frankly, I feel spoiled.

In this season that has been anything but predictable (Exhibits A and B: Shaq is a Phoenix Sun and the Nuggets scored 168 points on Sunday), the Lakers are again faced with an injury based on stepping on a teammate’s foot.

Is it a curse? Are the Basketball gods toying with our collective fan emotions?

The hope beings to simmer, and then, with the roll of an ankle, the Laker Nation bow their collective heads and weep.

Is that how fans act?

When hard times fall, Laker bashing is suddenly de rigueur!?

As a city, are we to cannibalize our heroes after a couple of losses? Does a moderate ankle sprain, kneecap subluxation or broken foot truly spell imminent death and despair?

If you really break it down, these seemingly “heartbreaking” and “season crushing” injuries have, in truth and in fact, yielded nothing but positives for this Lakers squad.

When Andrew Bynum’s kneecap decided to go left while the rest of his leg decided to go right, you know who ended up scoring on that play?

Pau Gasol.

Pau Gasol in Memphis blue and yellow.

Beautiful and poetic irony, no?

Without that injury and subsequent slam dunk, we are still complaining about Kwame Brown and his waffle-iron hands.

Without Trevor’s broken foot, we do not know Sasha Vujacic as a three-point assassin. And if you think he would have eaten those minutes had Trevor Ariza been healthy, you are sorely mistaken, my brother.

This recent freak accident will teach our boys in purple and gold a new lesson: the wretched stench of defeat.

They will not soon forget watching the Rockets’ Dikembe Mutombo hold up his fingers to signify their 22nd win in a row.

They will not forget this road trip.

It is a lesson they must learn.

On a recent radio appearance Vice President of Business Operations/Owner’s Daughter/Coach Phil Jackson’s Girlfriend/Best Person Who Ever Lived, Jeanie Buss said that Phil was pressing the word “composure” as the theme of this daunting road trip.

This is a woman of substance and valor.

In recent weeks the squad has been dogged by lackadaisical defense and mounting technical fouls. They did not look like the team that rolled to a 13-2 record in the month of February.

And then Pau stepped on Vlad’s foot.

As of right now, I am a firm believer that Phil Jackson is clairvoyant. Maybe it’s those Energy Muse necklaces he loves so much.

It’s about keeping one’s composure.

Toughing out these doldrums and disconcerting losses is the order of the day.
In an 82 game season, there are going to be heartbreaks. And there are definitely going to be moments of disillusion.

Just as we do not expect to hear Kobe talk about how disenchanted he is with Derek Fisher’s cold shooting or to hear Vlad Radmanovic talk about how “Luke Walton is the worst player ever”, neither should their fan base.

Remember this fact: these guys are doing something that you could never do.

Give them a break. Cut them some slack. If Luke drops a few passes or if Ronny botches a dunk, save the crucifixions for the religious reactive and boost them up.
Don’t tear them down.

It is about composure.

Not only for the players, but for the fans as well.

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