The Official Los Angeles Lakers 2012-2013 Season
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We will be fine...I don't think D'Antoni has any defensive schemes but I do think he will be smart enough to hire someone who does.
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Mitch Kupchak da GOAT
Bynum out til February while Dwight is inching closer to 100% while playing. -
We will be fine...I don't think D'Antoni has any defensive schemes but I do think he will be smart enough to hire someone who does.
d'antoni for this season is NOT hiring no one else.....he is keeping the same staff mike brown had until next season......nate mcmillian wont be on this team at least from what i read ................
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hmmm interesting moveWe will be fine...I don't think D'Antoni has any defensive schemes but I do think he will be smart enough to hire someone who does.
d'antoni for this season is NOT hiring no one else.....he is keeping the same staff mike brown had until next season......nate mcmillian wont be on this team at least from what i read ................
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Lakers Rumors: Team Exploring Pau Gasol, Josh Smith Trade
By Ramneet Singh | November 17, 2012
The Los Angeles Lakers are currently the most talented team in the NBA on paper and their starting five is surely the best in the league. The team is anchored by Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant, but Metta World Peace and Steve Nash will surely play an important role in the team’s success.
However, according to Sports Illustrated, the Lakers are looking to trade Pau Gasol, and as of this point they are targeting Atlanta Hawk Josh Smith. Rumors about a Gasol/Smith swap have been going on for quite some time, but no deal has ever gone through.
Sources say that the Hawks, at present, have no interest in parting with Josh Smith and Kyle Korver for Gasol. Or even Smith and lesser parts for Gasol. Positions can obviously change between now and the Feb. 21 trade deadline, but sources maintain that Atlanta has not been enticed in the least by the prospect of parting with the 26-year-old Smith — even as he heads into unrestricted free agency — for the 32-year-old Gasol. The Hawks, for the record, have also been telling interested teams that they value Smith and what he offers as a hybrid forward in an Eastern Conference that’s generally been getting smaller.
It’s likewise true, sources said, that the Lakers have had internal discussions for months about pursuing Smith, not only for his athletic gifts but also knowing that J-Smoove is one of free agent-to-be Dwight Howard’s closest friends in the game. But if that’s really who L.A. wants, there will have to be another team or two recruited into the deal to satisfy Atlanta’s demands.
Smith is one of the most athletic players in the NBA and he would make the Lakers’ front court a very powerful lineup. With Howard and Smith anchoring the paint, the Lakers would be a dynamic team on the defensive end and will be potent on the other end also. However, at this point it seems as though the Hawks are not interested in gasol -
WOW, Bill Simmons has been throwing that out there ever since we hired Antoni, did not think there was any truth to the rumor. Now, i am the biggest Pau Gasol fan, but damn, that would make so much sense.
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It's decent. Smith plays defense, rebounds and all that, but he has a terrible shot selection. He would basically be an improved version of Artest.
Also, doesn't Gasol have more range on his jumper than Smith? -
NothingButTheTruth wrote: »It's decent. Smith plays defense, rebounds and all that, but he has a terrible shot selection. He would basically be an improved version of Artest.
Also, doesn't Gasol have more range on his jumper than Smith?
U make some nice points. But ideally, in Antoni's offense, u want your PF to be way more mobile than Gasol is. It is the job of the offense to find him easy shots, which negates his terrible shot selection. Plus, those shots don't have to be threes. -
I been hearing about this since last year.... id do it if they threw in Korver
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? that.....what happens if Nash gets hurt, pau is perfect to run, but should play as center while dwight sits mainly, when Dwight is out there he does what he did 1st qtr last night wet open jumpers....josh smith does what Dwight does just worse and dumber lol.....pau needs to stay, until we see him with Nash extensively, can't blow it up before u even know how good or bad it is.
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P swayze166 wrote: »josh smith is does what Dwight does just worse and dumber lol.
LMAO....... -
Mitch Kupchak da GOAT
Bynum out til February while Dwight is inching closer to 100% while playing.
whew....dodged a bullet there
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Bynum has some setbacks because he went bowling.
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northside7 wrote: »Bynum has some setbacks because he went bowling.
smh -
SUNDAY Q&A: TNT NBA commentators Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal talk LakersThey chop it up every night in the studio. Sometimes they agree. Sometimes they disagree. Regardless of their take, TNT NBA analysts Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith always engage in spirited discussions about the league.
That's why it was a no brainer to reach out to O'Neal and Smith to provide their opinion on everything surrounding the Lakers. There's plenty to talk about, what with Mike D'Antoni becoming the Lakers' head coach, Phil Jackson getting passed over and Mike Brown getting fired.
Both O'Neal and Smith provided their candid thoughts on these topics and more in a roundtable discussion.
QUESTION: What do you make of the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni as their head coach?
SHAQUILLE O'NEAL: The Lakers said they were built for a championship run immediately, so I think people are upset they didn't make the logical choice in Phil Jackson. But D'Antoni is a fabulous coach. He's going to bring a lot of excitement back. Kobe Bryant is one of the best players of all time. Steve Nash is happy that he's back. He's going to bring a slight element of Showtime back.
KENNY SMITH: There were probably five or six candidates that were probably eligible with Phil Jackson leading the way. I'm not totally surprised at it. Mike D'Antoni has been on the Olympic team, has been around great players, coached Kobe and Dwight (Howard) before and has coached Steve Nash before. He's been on the staff. There's a familiarity with those guys. I think any player has enjoyed his style of play offensively. I think it could be a great fit.
QUESTION: What do you make of the Lakers' rationale that, aside from Bryant and Pau Gasol, the current roster would've had a difficult time learning Jackson's triangle offense?
O'NEAL: He gave you what, five championships this millennium alone? It's not hard to learn. When I played for him, we only had five additional plays. The good thing about Phil is you run it every day in shootarounds and practice. You meditate and think about it. Guys would be able to learn it.
SMITH: He gets a lot of discredit for coaching talent, but he always comes in when the person before couldn't coach the talent. There's something to be said. But you have to learn D'Antoni's system. There's only one guy who knows what D'Antoni's system is with Steve Nash. No one else played with that offensive flexibility. Phil would've had an advantage.
QUESTION: How does D'Antoni's offensive system fit with the Lakers?
O'NEAL: It's going to be good for Dwight (Howard). He's a great pick and roll big man. D'Antoni is an offensive wizard so he's going to keep everyone involved. He's the type that he's not going to yell at you for taking a shot. He just wants you to run hard and play hard. They're going to play with a lot of freedom out there.
SMITH: If you played 15 minutes in your older system, you'd only have three or four shots. His system, if you play 15 minutes, you'll get nine shots. Your offensive output doesn't become an issue in not getting enough touches or the ball not going in enough places. He eliminates that by the style of play.
QUESTION: How much concern, if any, do you have about the Lakers' veteran-laden roster playing at a faster pace?
O'NEAL: Being that he's not going to practice them a lot, he's going to want them to run hard in the game and guys are going to be loose. Trust me. It's not like when you play with certain people and they practice you five hours a day. Guys are going to be super loose.
SMITH: I don't think it's going to be an issue. When you increase the tempo, it actually helps you as you get older. You don't have to bang as much. All of a sudden, the double teams don't come as quickly because you're taking shots earlier in the offense. Dwight Howard won't get as double-teamed as much. With Kobe, you're not playing as much half court so he's not going head to head against a defense, he's going head to head against a particular player. It's kind of like what San Antonio did with Tim Duncan.
QUESTION: How fair is the criticism surrounding the defense in D'Antoni's system?
O'NEAL: I don't think it's fair criticism. I won three in a row with Phil. We never worked on defense, as when I played for the great Pat Riley. Phil gave us the ability to figure it out. Our defense always started from guys on our team that wanted to play defense. Championship teams win because of team defense, not because of one guy shutting down your guy.
SMITH: Because you're in transition, it's more difficult to play defense. The same way you want to get teams in 2-on-1 and 3-on-2 situations, you're in that. It is more difficult to play defense in that regard. But the fact is they have Gasol, Howard and Metta World Peace, who are three really good defenders. I don't think D'Antoni has had three defensive guys like that ever. You have shot blockers. That's the difference.
QUESTION: What do you make of the Lakers firing Mike Brown following a 1-4 start?
O'NEAL: I thought they were going to give him at least 10 games. But it didn't make sense to me that he has two of the best post big guys at the top of the key. If I was a coach, I wouldn't be doing that. I'd tell them whenever one big gets the rebound, the other has to be the first to get down the court. They're going to look at you first posting up instead of getting into a set. The Princeton offense is used for people with no talent.
SMITH: When I watched the Lakers in these first exhibition games and first five games, the grating thing to me is why are they using so much of the shot clock. To me, that was the obvious thing. When (Lakers GM) Mitch (Kupchak) hired D'Antoni, I go, 'He saw what I saw.' He wants to get more shots earlier in the shot clock, so he's going to get a guy that will make sure that happens. -
Houston tonight.
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good pass ? ! MWP dropped a dime to Pau
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Lookin good!
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Man, funny what consistent playing time does to a young player. Props to Morris for making the best use of it. Even when Blake is healthy, Morris should be the 2nd PG on the depth chart behind Nash.
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Man, funny what consistent playing time does to a young player. Props to Morris for making the best use of it. Even when Blake is healthy, Morris should be the 2nd PG on the depth chart behind Nash.
Agreed, Morris is looking good, hopefully D'antoni realizes that. Kobe with the trip-dub and he did it within the confines of the offense. Pau made the most of his touches. Very good game, I still dont like the opposing team shooting 50%
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Wait till D'Antoni and Nash are ready. Lakers bout to start beasting.
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Man, funny what consistent playing time does to a young player. Props to Morris for making the best use of it. Even when Blake is healthy, Morris should be the 2nd PG on the depth chart behind Nash.
Cosign even though he has a penchant for overdribbling he has a certain It to him and i like his defensive intensity.. Hope the young man keeps it up.
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ParallelRhymes wrote: »Kobe's had a great start to the season, hope he doesn't burn out
nash will come back in time to not let that happen, barring any injuries -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TRwgvhI-vA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-T5PkpBmDc&feature=youtube_gdata_playerThis discussion has been closed.