Lakers lost their swagger and now look staggered

There is too much talk about the Lakers needing a point guard. L.A. tends to forget about the "Showtime" era and the swagger that the Lakers once had. Bringing Dwight Howard to the team will revive that lost swagger.

Dwight Howard will bring Showtime back, period.

The Showtime Lakers meant having swagger, excellent basketball and likability. As a Lakers fan, do I like the current team? No. Does this team have swagger? No.

In a recent L.A. Times article, Jeanie Buss stated, "This year has been unusual...they should put a star next to it."

I take that response in two parts.

1. The roster is strange and the Lakers have lost their strut. It only takes one individual to bring back that confident prance as is evident with the Knicks in Jeremy Lin.

2. The Lakers should put a star in. The Lakers need to put a star like Dwight Howard on the team. Kobe cannot do everything alone. People also need to remember that the NBA is entertainment. Laker fans are not being entertained. Shannon and Lamar took a big chunk of that Laker entertainment with them this past off-season. 

Dwight Howard is an excellent player. Howard is charismatic; a commodity that the Lakers are currently deficient in. After you bring charisma to the Lakers, then you will find the proficient point guard.

Let's drop the idea of just getting a point guard. We need to rebuild with Howard and Kobe. Bring Showtime back.

Photo credit: Getty Images

The less Kobe scores the more Lakers win

This season the Lakers are 4-5 when Kobe puts up 20 or less points.

• Dec. 31st - Kobe scores 17 points - Lakers beat Denver 92-89
• Bynum - 29pts/13reb
• Kobe season high (4x) 9 assists
• Kobe shoots 33% (6-18 FG) 
• Jan. 1st - Kobe scores 16 points - Lakers lose to Denver 99-90
• Bynum - 18pts/16rebs
• Gasol  - 20pts/11rebs
• Kobe shoots 21% (6-28 FG)
• Jan. 16th - Kobe scores 14 points - Lakers beat Dallas 73-70
• Bynum - 17pts/15rebs 
• Kobe - 7 assists
• Kobe shoots 32% (7-22 FG)
• Feb. 3rd - Kobe scores 20 points - Lakers beat Denver 93-89
• Bynum - 22pts/10rebs
• Gasol - 13pts/17rebs
• Kobe shoots 30% (7-23 FG)
• Kobe - 9 assists
• Feb. 14th - Kobe scores a season low 10 points - Lakers beat Atlanta 86-78
• Bynum - 15pts/15rebs
• Gasol - 20pts/13rebs 
• Kobe shoots 28% (5-18 FG)

Is the success in the team winning when Kobe scores in low numbers (to his standards) a result of him sharing the ball more, him shooting poorly making other teammates jump in to help or the big men getting the touches they need to catch any kind of offensive rhythm?

Either way, anytime there's ball movement that leads to an equilibrium of points distribution the chances the team will get a w are pretty good.

Sources: Yahoo! Sports

Photo credit: Getty Image

Win Two 2012-13 Lakers Season Seats!

Here's a chance of a lifetime to win two 2012-13 Lakers regular season seats. You're almost obligated as a Laker fan to try your luck when an opportunity like this comes around.

I'm in! How do I enter?

Its quite simple actually. All you need is an appetite and a pen. First thing's first, find your local FREEBIRDS World Burrito eatery, then enjoy a great tasting made-to-order burrito, fill out the entry form on your receipt and drop it into their in-restaurant ballot box for your chance to enjoy every Lakers home game next season. Yes its that easy! One participant entry per day.

When does the contest start?

The SeatsHitTheFan Sweepstakes officially launches this Thursday, February 16th by none other than Metta World Peace, Commander-in-Chief of the Peace Corps. MWP will be visiting the Redondo Beach FREEBIRDS joint at around 3:00pm to meet fans, sign autographs and take photographs. Keep in mind that this sweepstakes ends 3/11/2012 so hurry!

Click here for official rules

About FREEBIRDS World Burrito

 
FREEBIRDS is known for its awesome burritos (plus burrito bowls, salads, nachos and more) and freedom of choice. Everything is made fresh with the guest’s choice of over forty ingredients including grass fed beef, hormone free chicken, or slow roasted pork carnitas topped with hand chopped veggies, roasted corn salsa, house made guacamole and signature sauces. Be it the backwards F logo, rockin’ interiors or made from scratch kitchen, the brand embraces its tagline, “It’s Not Normal.” FREEBIRDS operates 66 locations in Texas, California and Oklahoma.

LakerLiker has no affiliation with FREEBIRDS World Burrito. Promotional intent only.

Kobe's game winner over the Raptors

Lakers almost blew an 18-point first half lead, actually they were down by four late in the game but luckily for coach Brown his late fourth quarter Kobe offense worked this time. Kobe sunk a late 3-pointer and then stole the ball from a rogue Kleiza that led to a Metta lay up - assist Kobe. Kobe wasn't done there as he silenced the Canadian crowd with his baseline jay-eh. See video clip.
(excuse the poor audio quality)

Lakers end their Grammy Awards road trip with a 3-3 record, fittingly a mediocre record that sums up their mediocre season so far.

Game Highlights and Box Score courtesy of NBA.com

The Yellow Mamba strikes in New York

The Los Angeles Lakers look to win two in row from their grueling 6-game road trip (longest of the season) in Madison Square Garden but fail to study up on 2-year point guard Jeremy Lin who is averaging 25 points from his last three games coming into tonight's game. It's Lin-sanity for crying out loud. His name is plastered everywhere in NYC.

Everyone knows that Kobe likes to shine especially bright playing in MSG (averages 30pts) and rarely disappoints when given such a stage but tonight the Black Mamba was struck by a deadlier Yellow Mamba of the Jeremaspis Linepis serpent family.

Who is this undrafted Jeremy Lin kid? Its not expected that a basketball player from an ivy league school like Harvard prevail in the NBA right? Lin who is Chinese-American from Palo Alto, California has proven to be the next best thing since Yao Ming in just four games.

To give you some perspective of how well Lin is playing right now, in his rookie season last year he averaged just 3 points playing in only 29 games and only scoring in double digits in two of those 29 games.

Today, playing in his second season he's averaging (lets count his last four games) 28.5 points and 8 assists. Unbelievable! This goes to show that a superstar can be born when given quality minutes and trust from his coach. From being just another (very deep in rotation) scrub to now being 78% owned in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy leagues. Jeremy Lin is no fluke, he is the real deal.

Tonight Lin scores a game/career high 38 points and pretty much anatomized the Lakers like he did back in his Harvard lab days.  

In an ending note - The NBA has been deemed less "amazing" this season and should be very thankful that Jeremy Lin has single-handedly reawakened not just Knicks fans but all fans, particularly of the Asian community.

Photo credits: Getty Images

Philly to welcome their 5th all-time NBA scorer

On this 4th day of February 2012, Kobe Bryant needs just 50 points to pass Shaq as 5th all-time NBA scorer in regular season points.

The stage is set for Kobe to set his newest mark on treacherous territory. What a covert opportunity to make a personal statement in his native town of Philadelphia.

Kobe's Dad Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played for the Sixers back in the day and Philly expected their hometown high school superstar athlete to follow suit but evidently that wasn't the case. Many say this reason alone shouldn't have justified such hatred and that there's other reasons for their discontent.

SBNation.com talks about the other reasons here

If Kobe scores 25+ points tonight in Utah then there's a pretty good chance he'll become the 5th all-time NBA scorer on the very same stepping grounds that paved the way for all of this to happen.

Click here to see the top-30 all-time NBA scorers in total regular season points - NBA.com

Photo of Arenas when he got the call from coach Mike Brown

Original Photo: AP

Kobe/Okafor or Blake/Perkins?

Which dunk is better considering all factoring variables? I think they're pretty damn close in my opinion. Regardless, the Staples Center hosts the best dunks in the league!

Blake's dunk tonight over 6-10' Perkins is spectacular. I mean Blake jumps so damn high he actually throws in his dunks. Damn.

Kobe's dunk last year was on a bigger stage in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs over another 6-10' defender, Okafor.

What do you think? Is Blake's monster dunk tonight easily the best dunk ever at Staples Center?

Rookie Goudelock continues to play well

With every Lakers loss comes the careful eyes on bench production and usually all fingers point to the lack of contribution from second stringer players, specifically from the reserve point guards.

Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock are all employed at the one spot. Besides Fisher's iron man status and clutchness, this selection of point guards for the Lakers isn't all that impressive. Two inexperienced rookies, a very experienced veteran whose retirement door is coming a knockin' and a player who is in fabrication mode with his newly found shooting confidence, there is justifiable concern in the back court.

In a league that was once surplussed with superstar big men, it has now emerged into an advanced generation of quick elite guards. The NBA has been accustomed to taking the old familiar scenic route to the post season all these years but now a much faster league is taking a detour route on a newly developed stretch of highway with no speed limit. Same destination but with faster results.

The Lakers are unfortunately still taking the scenic route. Beyond a defensive role, I don't quite understand why Brown is still starting his veteran when matched with speedy teams. Fisher has started all season and is averaging just over 26 minutes a game. Fisher was criticized earlier in the season for not shooting the ball much but is shooting the ball more now. Despite his increase in FGA he's shooting 37% inside the arc and 32% beyond it which puts him at the bottom compared to his fellow ball handler's percentages. I think its time to put #2 as a #2 option.

Now to the premise of this article. It's known that Steve Blake has become Brown's second option at the point but with his Costochaondral fracture Goudelock or Glock to fans has been filling in just fine. Andrew Goudelock has surprised many people coming off the wood and has gained the trust from coach. In just two games (20+ minutes) he's averaging 13.5 points, shooting 55.6% in FG (10-18) and 62.5% behind the three-point line (5-8). Some would argue that Morris is quicker but he's failed to run this team effectively. Goudelock is a much needed contributor in a team struggling to balance the offense. Andrew just needs to learn a thing or two from Nash who leads the league in assists (179). Glock needs to create good shot opportunities, distribute the rock better and not take what often looks like wild shots that actually go in.

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-29

MWP, Glock, Fish help Lakers from losing four straight

Lakers even the season series (1-1) by beating the Clippers 96-91 but more importantly avoid losing four straight.

Today's match up was physical and scrappy. I don't care if it's premature for me to say this but I'm officially calling this series the new heated rivalry among the Lakers and Clippers. Both teams call Staples Center their home but only one team has the home crowd.

Tempers flew right from the get-go and they never cooled down. In fact, with six technicals and one ejection, tonight's game reminded me of an NBA finals two years ago against those pesky Celtics.

Clipper Reggie Evans is just dirty. I had forgotten about his nut hunting ways. He must've been digging deep in McRoberts shorts to piss him off into an ejection tonight.

Let's revisit Evans doing Kaman dirty and the TNT aftermath:

The Lakers shot better than the Clippers throughout the entire game which had me questioning why the heck were they losing? Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. LAL had 16 to end the game and Kobe led the way with his game high 7. Kobe is currently 3rd in turnovers but stands tall leading the league in points with 573.

This L.A. team has been watched under very careful eyes and I believe the general consensus describing the Lakers weakness falls within the 4th guy needing to step up and peck away. Tonight, the 4th guy(s) was/were MWP, Goudelock and Fisher. Turnovers could've been yet another headliner for the Lakers 4th straight loss but MWP, Glock, and D Fish had difference making games and were the reason for tonight's victory outside the usual big 3 production (Kobe 20pts; Gasol 22pts/10reb; Bynum 19pts).

Metta World Peace may not have appeared to be impressive in the points category but made a huge impact with his hustle. Metta had 2 steals and a team high/season high 7 assists. His high energy and muscle was needed, especially in a game where Kimbo Evan's was causing a ruckus.

Andrew Goudelock was huge coming off the bench. He led the second unit with 14 points going 5-8 inside the arc and 2-3 behind it. This was by far the biggest game of his young career.

Derek Fisher waited until the 16th game of the season to score in double digits and since then he's done it in every other game. His double digit point contribution regardless if they're in the lower mark are vital to this teams winning record.

Box Score courtesy of NBA.com

Game Highlights courtesy of NBA.com 

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-25