Lakers News: Latest on Ryan Kelly, Mike D'Antoni and More
It finally happened.
The 2014-15 Los Angeles Lakers picked up their first win of the season when they defeated the Charlotte Hornets 107-92 Sunday night. Kobe Bryant and Jeremy Lin led the way with 21 points apiece, and Carlos Boozer chipped in 16.
While it is just one win in what promises to be a disappointing season, Lakers fans were surely relieved to finally get off the schneid.
That first victory wasn’t the only news out of Los Angeles. Read on to see the latest updates on the Lakers.
First Win of Season
As mentioned, the Lakers are finally on the board, and it didn’t even take a superhuman effort from Mr. Bryant.
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times noted that it broke a historic losing streak, much to the delight of the fans:
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports pointed out what it meant for the Philadelphia 76ers. Considering the roster Philadelphia has put together has an eye toward the future and not this season, that zero in the wins column may stick around for a while:
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can parlay this first win into any type of momentum moving forward. The next seven games are absolutely brutal and feature road contests against the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks and home games against the Golden State Warriors and defending champion San Antonio Spurs.
Maybe the Lakers fans should just enjoy the win they got Sunday.
Ryan Kelly Update
The one downside of the Lakers’ victory Sunday was that it was accompanied by bad news on forward Ryan Kelly, via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
Kelly has only played in one game this season because of hamstring problems and saw seven minutes of action, but he has been practicing with the team in spurts and participated in the Sunday morning shootaround.
It probably will not be long before we see him back in the regular rotation since he was part of the shootaround, which will bolster the depth on the heels of the first win, especially since Julius Randle is out for the season with injury.
Kelly was a solid piece for the Lakers last season and averaged eight points a game. His ultimate value, especially when playing alongside a scorer like Bryant, is his ability to stretch the defense with his outside shooting from the power or small forward position.
He could be a matchup problem for some of the slower power forwards around the league.
Mike D’Antoni Still Looking to Coach
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times provided an update on former Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni:
"For those wondering what Mike D'Antoni has been up to…
The former Lakers coach has been spending time with the Charlotte Hornets, watching their practices and games while giving feedback to Coach Steve Clifford, a former Lakers assistant.
D'Antoni still wants to coach, after resigning from the Lakers in April, D'Antoni said.
"
Steve Clifford commented on his time with D’Antoni before the Hornets played the Lakers on Sunday, via Bresnahan: "I know this: He was in Charlotte for three days, and we had a great time. We talked basketball, like, two or three hours a day. He still has a real passion for coaching. I know that."
Los Angeles fans likely don’t have many fond memories of D’Antoni on the sidelines. He finished 67-87 in his two seasons at the helm for the Lakers, and the defense was always an issue. He eventually resigned after the team did not pick up his 2015-16 option.
Bresnahan also touched on the general disarray in Los Angeles during D’Antoni’s tenure when Bryant and Dwight Howard never fully adjusted to each other, Steve Nash dealt with injuries, and the team was dismantled by the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs.
Maybe a 1-5 start isn’t all that bad in comparison.
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