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The Knicks turn their back on Stephon Marbury

Why would Stephon Marbury be at a Lakers game?

Did you know he sat in Jerry Buss’s seat? Jerry is the owner, you know.

Marbury is living in Los Angeles, working out at a facility in Manhattan Beach and hiking in Runyan Canyon near Hollywood. This was the second Lakers game he’s attended this year. The first, rather famously, came in December when he sat courtside for the Lakers-New York Knicks game.

But there’s also no connection, Marbury said, between his

attendance Friday and the Lakers’ recent injury woes in the backcourt.

“No, there isn’t a correlation,” he said. “I gotta get out of my deal before I can do anything else.”

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Why would the Lakers want Stephon Marbury? Isn’t he a ball hog, a disruptive force on the team, a bad chemistry guy? Well, yes, yes, and yes.

Well, then why would the Laker even consider taking on Stephon Marbury?

Because sometimes it works. Because Stephon would know this is Kobe Bryant’s team. There was always doubt about whose team it was in New York.

Now think about it, with Kobe, Pau, Bynum, and Marbury? That is a lot of big time talent and you still have Phil Jackson to make it work.

Photo source Newscom

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Pau Gasol takes a seat to nobody when playing basketball in the NBA

In the world of “yeah we kind of figured”, Mitch Kupchak came out and admitted the Lakers kind of stole Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Really? And we just kind of thought the Lakers were lucky?

Originally the Grizzlies wanted more for Pau Gasol.

The deal included Kwame Brown and weren’t the Lakers aching to get rid of him, Aaron McKie, the long time NBA veteran role player, rookie Javaris Crittenton, and two future first round picks, and Pau’s brother Marc. As you can see, they picked him up for a whole lot of nothing. Even the first round picks will most likely be low first rounders and worth very little.

The Grizzlies were asking for Monkey King…err Sun Yue, but the Lakers talked them out of it.

The Lakers had a pair of second-round picks last year. Gasol was selected 48th overall, eight picks after the Lakers drafted Sun. The younger Gasol spent the 2007-2008 season playing in Europe.

In the end, the Lakers were able to hold on to Sun, primarily because of the scouting report that assistant general manager Ronnie Lester prepared for Kupchak, after Lester evaluated Sun in Singapore, a month before the trade was consummated.
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So now you have a Laker team of Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum.

Sun will be surrounded with Stars!

Photo source Newscom

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LeBron James is partying at the thought of all the NBA players available in 2009

Even with all the big name free agents in 2010, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in the group, the year 2009 could still be the year of the free agent.

Try this out for 2009.

Some of the Restricted Free Agents: Andrew Bynum, Marvin Williams, Jason Maxiell

Some of the players that can opt out of contracts: Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton, Hedo Turkoglu

True Free Agents: Shawn Marion, Andre Miller, Rasheed Wallace

So what about money?
Some teams are loaded depending on what happens.

Thunder 25 - 30 million
Trail Blazers 15 - 32 million
Grizzlies 18 - 24 million
Pacers 11 million
Heat 10 million
Bobcats 10 million

Plain and Simple, there will be lots of player movement in 2009 in the NBA.

story source espn

Photo source newscom

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Kobe and Vanessa Bryant at MTV awards. Nice

Back up a few years and we all wanted to roast Kobe for his little adventure in Denver. That is when we also first got a load of his wife and wished we were giving her that big fat make up ring. Just for the making up part.

Kobe no longer had the Shaq and seemed to be constantly arguing with Coach Phil Jackson and was soon to be seeking free agency. The Chicago Bulls failed to make a play for him and are now known as the Chicago Bull-lonies. Kobe went on to refuse an offer from the Clippers, because they are losers. Then all Kobe did was deliver the NBA finals to the Lakers and follow it up with an Olympic Gold Medal.

Now Kobe is so popular that he is more popular than Yao Ming in China.

Kobe continues down the path of greatness by putting off his pinky surgery, because it would cut into Team Laker time and this year could be a very good year. Kobe Bryant had already put off the surgery to play for the American Olympic Team. In fact, he is the Redeem Team icon and made the big shots in the 4th quarter of the Gold Medal Game against Spain.

So why put off the surgery?

Bryant believes that the Lakers need to establish early team chemistry and cohesiveness when the regular season starts, with Bynum in the lineup, because the Lakers played much of the second half of the 2007-2008 season and the entire playoffs without their injured 21-year old center.

source

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Andrew Bynum is ready and running

Andrew Bynum has been working out and his knee is fine.

This is a big year for Bynum. A contract year.

“I can’t wait, man,” Bynum said. “I think I’m the only guy who wants the season to start, like, tomorrow, you know what I mean? But I just can’t wait to play with the fellows. I haven’t done it in (nine) months, so I’m excited.”

Bynum is eligible for a contract extension that could pay him up to $80 million for five seasons, but he said he’s not thinking about anything but a successful return to the court.

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How is it the Lakers can go to the NBA finals and then get back a 7 foot center.

Like me, have you been trying to figure out how good this team can be with both Gasol and Bynum up front and Kobe Bryant in the backcourt?

source for photo newscom

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It is the Clippers.

It is the Clippers, still.

Yes, Baron Davis, one of my favorite players to watch has come to town, but it is still the Clippers.

Baron Davis shooting over Andrew Bynum of the Lakers

Image details: Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Lakers served by picapp.com

Clippers fans have to be bumming. They lost Elton Brand to the 76ers, because the Clippers upset his manager, David Falk. They lost Corey Maggette to the Golden State Warriors, can’t remember why. Maybe money.

Anyway, even with the signing of Baron Davis the Clippers will suck. Baron cannot carry them on his back all by himself.

It sucks to be a Clippers fan when the Lakers are just across town. Just off the top of my head the Lakers in my lifetime have had Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kobe Bryant.

The Clippers in my lifetime have had…the Clippers have had…well, uhh..oh..Elgin Baylor! Not as a player, though, but it still counts doesn’t it? Elgin is vice-president of basketball operations and very good at his job.

NBA Elgin Baylor factoid - From the 1960-61 to the 1962-63 seasons, Baylor averaged 34.8, 38.3 and 34.0 points per game, respectively. His 38.3 point per game season average is the highest for any player other than Wilt Chamberlain. Baylor, a United States Army Reservist, was called to active duty during that season, and being stationed in Washington state, he could play for the Lakers only when on a weekend pass. However, despite playing only 48 games on the season, he still managed to score over 1,800 points.

The 71 points Baylor scored on November 15, 1960 was a record at the time. The 61 points he scored in game 5 of the NBA Finals in 1962 is still an NBA Finals record. An underrated rebounder, Baylor averaged 13.5 rebounds per game during his career, including a remarkable 19.8 rebounds per game during the 1960-61 season — a season average exceeded by only five other players in NBA history. Baylor was a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection and went to the NBA All-Star Game 11 times.source

Baron Davis

Baron is one of the great penetrating guards of today. Somehow he can muscle inside or move fluidly inside for easy baskets, but he will miss big Elton Brand.

“Before you ask, there was never an underground handshake with Baron Davis,” Brand said Wednesday, addressing speculation that he’d given Davis some kind of commitment to return to the Clippers.

Today, we’ll find out if Davis feels the same way.

Davis is a two-time NBA All-Star (2002 and 2004). He averaged 21.8 points (12th in the NBA), 7.6 assists (6th in the NBA), 4.7 rebounds and 2.33 steals (3rd in the NBA) while playing in all 82 games for the Golden State Warriors during the 2007-08 season. Davis was just one of four players in the league last season to average 20+ points and seven+ assists (Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Chris Paul) per game.

Entering his tenth NBA season, Davis brings career averages of 17.1 points, 7.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.95 steals and 35.5 minutes per game.

source

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Could Ronny Turiaf be the newest Golden State Warrior?

Image details: NBA Finals Game 6: Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics served by picapp.com

The Laker machine is just as stable as ever, but they may have to lose a player or two. Don’t count the Lakers and Kobe Bryant out just yet.

The Golden State Warriors on Thursday signed Los Angeles Lakers forward and restricted free agent Ronny Turiaf to an offer sheet.

According to a report on the Los Angeles Times’ web site, the Warriors offered a four-year, $17 million contract to Turiaf, who averaged career highs in points (6.6), rebounds (3.9) and minutes (18.7) last season.

source

Give a hand to the Warriors. They lost team leader Baron Davis to the Clippers. Baron wanted to play with Elton Brand, but he skipped out and went to the 76ers on advice of his agent, David Falk.

The Warriors then signed Corey Maggette from the Clippers to a five year contract and now they are after Ronny Turiaf of the Lakers.

The Lakers still have the right to match the deal and keep Turiaf, but they are way over the Luxury Tax level and will want to keep Sasha Vujacic for his 3 point shooting. They stand to lose either Vujacic or Turiaf, unless something else happens.

For those Laker fans that are worried, remember that Andrew Bynum returns this coming season.

The Clippers will be…well, the Clippers, what else?

Meanwhile, Golden State will just as crazy a team as ever!

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Los Angeles won its first playoff game against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers and Kobe Bryant exposed the Denver Nuggets weakness on defense. That weakness would be actually playing defense, which Denver does not really want to do. It is more fun to shoot baskets.

Kobe Bryant telling Allen Iverson to guard him once in a while, it is embarrassing

Image details: Denver Nuggets v Los Angeles Lakers, Game 1 served by picapp.com

Pau Gasol was the high scorer. Denver sent out invitations for Los Angeles to score in the paint.

Lakers center Pau Gasol scored 36 points on 14-for-20 shooting, torching Nuggets counterpart Marcus Camby for a career high in points in the playoffs. Gasol also led the Lakers with 16 rebounds, eight assists and three blocked shots in 45 minutes.

“They had to leave me (open) a few times … and my teammates found me,” Gasol said. “I just had to finish down low.”

Bryant scored 32 points on 9-for-26 shooting, breaking free from the Nuggets’ defensive shackles after scoring only four points on 2-for-10 shooting in the first half.

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Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson each knocked down 30 and played defense for 2 or 3 possessions. It seemed like a lot to them.

Kobe Bryant

Meanwhile the Lakers Kobe Bryant announced Read more

NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.

The Rockets and Tracy McGrady could really use Yao Ming in the NBA Playoffs, but at least the Chinese will have Yao for the Olympics.

Check out this YouTube on his rehab.

With the aging of the Shaq, Yao Ming is the best true center in the NBA.

NBA Basketball special comment The NBA has gone to the more mobile power forward type centers like Amare Stoudemire or Dirk Nowitzki. Will Yao, Greg Oden, and Andrew Bynum and company bring back the true centers of old?

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Kobe Bryant takes aim at the Houston Rockets and Tracy McGrady

In a dream winning streak by an inspired team, the detractors will speak loudly again.

The Rockets are playing no one.

Recently they faced the Dallas Mavericks while Dirk Nowitzki sat out the game with a suspension.

Now they face the Lakers without Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

Gasol injured his left ankle during Friday’s first quarter in New Orleans. An MRI taken Saturday in Houston revealed a moderate sprain. He will be re-evaluated in a few days to determine a more definitive timetable for his return.

The Lakers, who also still are awaiting the return of injured center Andrew Bynum, likely will start Ronny Turiaf in Gasol’s place. source

How lucky can you get?

Well, evidently pretty lucky and you still have to win them.

Kobe would love to tag the Rockets with a loss, before the Rockets upcoming tough games.

The Rockets have won 21 consecutive games, the second-most in league history, but start their toughest stretch of the season Sunday. After the Boston Celtics visit Tuesday, Houston takes to the road to face the New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.

Bryant credited the Rockets for their winning streak but said it “means nothing to me.” McGrady isn’t so sure.

“I know Kobe,” McGrady said. “I know that’s where his head is. In his head he’s thinking, ‘If it’s going to end, it’s going to end with me.’ He’s a fierce competitor. That’s just who he is.”

This will be the 3:30 EDT game on ABC. It follows the 1:00 Detroit Pistons Chauncey Billups vs. Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets game also on ABC.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will you be rooting for Tracy McGrady?

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