The Los Angeles Lakers continue to dominate the Western Conference and stretched their winning record to an unbelievable 18 – 3 putting them a full 3 games ahead of the global cooling Phoenix Suns. The latest victim for the Lakers is coached by Laker Alum and new coach Kurt Rambis. Kurt is remembered by Laker fans for his hustle and dirty work to put the glue in the old Lakers. Still it would take more than hustle and glue for the Minnesota Timberwolves to take down the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers 104 Minnesota Timberwolves 92

And now for some game stats.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 20 points despite playing the final three quarters with a fractured right index finger. He made 8 of 18 shots and also had five rebounds and five assists in 33 minutes, guiding the Lakers to their 18th victory in 21 games.

Pau Gasol had 17 points and 20 rebounds, and Ron Artest added 16 points.

Al Jefferson led Minnesota with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Kevin Love, a former UCLA standout, added seven points and a team-leading 19 rebounds as the Timberwolves lost for the 20th time in Rambis’ first 23 games as their new coach.

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Kobe Bryant with broken finger

In typical Kobe Bryant fashion, he shrugged off the broken finger and made 3 out of 8 shots after the finger was splinted and wrapped. Seem too easy, you try and just hold onto a drink of water after breaking your finger. Not so easy, is it?

Kobe Bryant can play through injuries

The Lakers start on an extended road trip now and should be thoroughly tested along the way. Luckily for them it starts out kind of easy with games at Utah, Chicago, Milwaukee, New Jersey, Detroit, and Oklahoma City. The Utah game should be tough, but after that the Lakers should be favored in the rest of the games.

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While Blake’s brother attempts to land a National Basketball League job, Blake is voted to be the future Rookie of the Year by ESPN online. The Clippers are so fired up about Blake Griffin that they fired the human black hole, Zach Randolph. Even though it is hard to criticize any former Michigan State Spartans, Zach rarely gives back a pass to him in the post, even if he is double teamed.

(Full Disclosure: Your intrepid author is a Michigan State Spartan Alumni. Go Tom Izzo.)

The Clippers now can give Blake all the playing time he needs to develop into the star player many think he will become down the road.

Blake is so happy to hear he was voted pre season ROY

While the Clippers’ trade of Zach Randolph cleared the way for Griffin to step right in and get minutes, their new power forward has some history working against him: (1) only two of the past 10 No. 1 picks have won Rookie of the Year, and (2) no Clipper has ever won the award, despite the franchise’s near-permanent residence in Lotteryland. (The Buffalo Braves, the original incarnation of the Clips, did have back-to-back winners in 1973 and 1974: Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio.)

Those tendencies notwithstanding, most of our voters believe Griffin’s dominance at Oklahoma will translate into success in L.A.
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If Blake became even half as good as either Bob McAdoo or Ernie DiGregorio, the Clippers would be more than happy. Both players were stars in the NBA.

Other players in the running for the award include Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, Jonny Flynn, and Stephen Curry. Keep in mind, not a single NBA game has been played yet. These votes were largely based on reputation and summer league. Once the season does begin many more factors will play into the ROY vote, including amount of playing time granted and injuries.

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The National Basketball Association, run by Commissioner David Stern, really knows how to do it right. They will open the season on October 27th. According to the calendar on my computer that is a Tuesday, so maybe they don’t have everything perfect.

To start the season off with a bang the league has 4 games on that day including the San Diego Griffins…er Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Los Angeles Lakers. That would be L.A. vs. L.A. on TNT. (Which brings to mind, how can the NBA have two L.A. teams and the NFL has zero?) That game should be a fun one and a great introduction into the league for Blake.

The Lakers will make a total of 25 appearances throughout the season on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV, including both regular-season games against the NBA Finals runner-up Orlando Magic (Jan. 18 in Los Angeles, March 7 in Orlando).

Five games will be shown Christmas Day, starting at noon ET with the Miami Heat at the New York Knicks (ESPN); the Boston Celtics at the Magic (ABC); the Cavaliers at the Lakers (ABC); the Clippers at the Phoenix Suns (ESPN) and the Denver Nuggets at the Portland Trail Blazers (ESPN).

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Now if you want to catch a real game make sure you tune in earlier to the marquee matchup of the Boston Celtics with Kevin Garnett back and the Cleveland Cavaliers with the LeBron Tour before he leaves for the highest bidder.

LeBron James will open against the

This year the All Star game will be on February 14th, and hey, that sounds suspiciously like Valentine’s Day. How are we going to watch that game? Anyway that game will be held in the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys. Should be cool!

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The Lakers picked up Ron Artest and say what you want about the guy, he can be a terrific basketball player and the Lakers are hoping by surrounding him with strong minds and a solid coach and a winning tradition that they will be able to contain the rest of Ron Artest.

The ace in the hole for the Lakers would have been Lamar Odom. Only Lamar is thinking about going to Miami to play with Dwyane Wade, instead and he may do it for less money and more respect.

Lamar Odom to Miami?

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, because the Lakers will need Odom to repeat. No Odom and things get a lot more interesting in the West.

According to Wojnarowski, one source said that the Odom-to-Miami deal is “Close, but it’s not done.” It would be a huge pickup for the HEAT should they pull it off, and a huge loss for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant has said all along he thought Odom would end up back in Tinsletown, but now it’s pretty much anybody’s guess. Either way, he’s going to win some ball games, though it seems more likely the Lakers would give him the better shot at another ring.
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Image: Zuma Press

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Won’t anybody just keep this guy? What is he a travelling salesman or something? Quentin Richardson was traded again and again. Quentin Richardson has been traded 3 times in just recent history. First on draft night from New York to Memphis, then from Memphis to the Clippers, and now from the Clippers to the Timberwolves.

Quentin Richardson 3 jerseys ago

Hey, is it possible to belong to all the crummy teams in one year? It is amazing when you think about it.

The Clippers added 3 nobodies in Telfair, Craig Smith, and Mark Madsen and the TWolves get Richardson.

“We are really excited to add these three players to our team,” said Clippers general manager and head coach Mike Dunleavy. “This move really gives some much needed depth.”
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What he is really saying is they stink and with this trade they stink even more.

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Ok, the word is not supposed to be heck. It is really a place where bad people go and it is really hot. Actually in Dante’s version it was really cold. Anyway, Blake Griffin is going there.

Yes, the San Diego, er Los Angeles Clippers, one of the most confused franchises run by an often cheap owner have the number one pick and they plan on taking Blake Griffin. You swear this team could pick up Kobe Bryant and LeBron James and still find a way to screw it up.

Blake Griffin to the Clippers

As you may have guessed there is no love lost for the Clippers right here.

“The pick’s not going anywhere,” assistant general manager Neil Olshey said Monday.
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Hopefully they are not discussing Blake’s career with the Clippers as being a failure before it starts!

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Eric Gordon flashes to the basket

Eric Gordon was a dominating freshman guard in the Big Ten a year ago and now is fast becoming a dominating guard in the NBA for the San Diego Clippers.

So where is that rookie wall that all rooks hit?

Those two performances gave the former Indianapolis prep standout 129 points the past five games, the best stretch for a Clippers rookie in 26 years. The last Clippers rookie to score that many points in five games was Terry Cummings in March 1983, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“The more games you play, the more confident you get,” Gordon said. “It’s all about having fun for the most part.

“The rookie wall is all about when you’re playing so much basketball you get tired of it. If you just keep on learning and doing the things you need to do, everything will be good.”

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The Clippers have played more games than Eric Gordon played for Indiana played last year in the Big Ten, but Eric doesn’t care about none of that. He just concentrates on playing good team ball.

Gordon, who turned 20 on Christmas, has been strong for nearly three weeks. Over the past 10 games, he has averaged 19.6 points while shooting 46%.

His 31- and 32-point outbursts are his first consecutive 30-point games since his third and fourth games at IU.

Gordon exhibited the ability to shot the long ball as well as muscling smaller guards underneath. The Clippers had better hold on to this one!

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Man, today there was this crazy thought rolling through my head. What if the Pistons had kept Chauncey Billups and Iverson had stayed on the Nuggets?

Nowhere to go with that thought, so how about taking a look at how some of this player movement and coaching movement is working out?

Chauncey Billups from Detroit to Denver
Denver is 7 – 3 in their last 10 games and in 1st place

Allen Iverson from Denver to Detroit
Detroit is 4 – 6 and in second place.

Ron Artest from everywhere to Houston
Houston is 7 – 3 and in 1st place

Jermaine O’Neal from Indiana to Toronto
Toronto is 3 – 7 and dead last in the Atlantic Division

Rick Carlisle to coach Dallas
Dallas is 8 – 2 but only in 4th place in the Southwest

Terry Porter to coach Phoenix
Phoenix is 5 -5 and in second place behind the Lakers

Mike D’Antoni to coach the Knicks
3 – 7 and 4th place in the same division as the Celtics

Mo Williams to Cleveland
9 – 1 in the last 10 and first place over the Pistons

This is a fun one
Elton Brand from L.A. Clippers to Philadelphia
Baron Davis from Golden State to L.A. Clippers
Corey Maggette from L.A. Clippers to Golden State

76er’s 4 -6 3rd place
Clip’s 2 – 8 5th place
Warriors 1 – 9 but still in 3rd place

Which just begs the question, what if Chauncey Billups had never left the Pistons?
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Shaun Livingston takes a bite out of crime

Shaun Livingston played for the Clippers and destroyed his knee. The Clippers eventually renounced their rights to Shaun. Now Shaun is trying to latch onto another team as a free agent.

Livingston worked out in Portland on Friday, and two league sources believed the Blazers are the favorites to sign the ex-Los Angeles Clippers guard. Still, it is unclear whether Portland general manager Kevin Pritchard has been convinced enough to add yet another guaranteed contract to his roster.

Minnesota executives Jim Stack, Fred Hoiberg and coach Randy Wittman traveled to Chicago on Thursday to watch Livingston at Tim Grover’s Attack Athletics facility. The Wolves, sources said, were sold on the workout and want to sign him.

The Miami Heat are also still in strong contention for Livingston, a 6-foot-7 point guard. Livingston is planning to work out for Heat president Pat Riley early this week in Miami.

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Shaun Livingston is young and has a lot of potential. He was drafted straight out of high school and is only 23 years old.

If Livingston gets back to full strength, then some team is getting a steal. The Heat appear to be the favorites at this time.

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Ronny Turiaf says “Oh yeah, no more purple outfits”

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The Lakers reluctantly did not match the offer of the Golden State Warriors for Ronny Turiaf. He was a restricted free agent and the Lakers had the rights to match any offer.

The Warriors signed Turiaf, a restricted free agent, to a four-year, $17 million offer sheet last week. By rule, the Lakers had seven days to decide whether to match it. The three-year veteran from Gonzaga averaged 6.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 78 games with the Western Conference champions last season, making 21 starts.

The Lakers played much of last season without starting center Andrew Bynum, giving Turiaf the opportunity for more playing time than he would have had otherwise. But, Kupchak said, Bynum is expected to be healthy when training camp begins in early October, and Turiaf’s opportunities figured to be diminished significantly.

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Even without Ronny Turiaf, with Andrew Bynum coming back the Lakers are loaded, including Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

The Golden State Warriors lost Baron Davis to the San Diego Clippers, but signed Corey Maggette from the Clippers for what many are calling a draw.

Turiaf should see a lot of playing time with the Warriors.

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