Who would have thought that Steve Nash may have ended up a Raptor if not for coming to L.A. instead. Once a free agent last summer, it became clear that Phoenix was going in another direction, and may not have been the place for their MVP Nash any longer. Steve was heavily leaning towards his native Canada to sign a three-year deal with the Raptors worth $36 million. The Lakers thankfully got their ducks in a row and offered Nash an opportunity he could not refuse. Thankfully, it ended up in the Lakers’ favor, but it’s interesting to wonder what would have been with Nash in Toronto.
For those of you unhappy with Tuesday’s game and wondering if Dwight will be playing Friday, he will not. The Lakers will be without Dwight Howard once again as he continues his rehab from back surgery. Not only that, but forwards Jordan Hill and Earl Clark will also miss Friday’s game against the Kings. Even without those three, the Lakers have a chance to obtain their first win of the preseason.
For more news on the bench, Elizabeth Benson of Lakers Nation analyzes the progress thus far of the Lakers only draft picks this summer, Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom. Sacre has without a doubt made a splash, so much that Robert has made an impression on Lakers stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. Benson highlights his current talent starting these past few games. Darius is not without moments of his own, and she talks about those too. Make sure to read up on Benson’s post to see where the players are doing well, and where they can improve.
Wonder where your favorite NBA stars stack up in terms of MVP candidates?
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Lakers Nation News
Pre-Season Progress of the Lakers’ 2012 Draft Picks
Dwight Howard Must Embrace His Inner Dark Side
Lakers News: Dwight Howard Will Not Play Against Kings
NBA News: NBA MVP Odds for 2012-13 Season
Steve Nash on Signing With Raptors: ‘I Was Very Close’
NBA Rumors: Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian Nearing Divorce
Preseason Recap: Players Tired of Losing, Dwight Howard Back Soon?
Video: Kobe Talks About A-Rod After Loss to Utah Jazz
NBA News: Boston Celtics Sign Leandro Barbosa to One-Year Deal
Pau Gasol NBA Photo Gallery: Through the Years
ESPN Rumor States Lakers Will Make Move for LeBron James in 2014
Kobe Bryant Confident Antawn Jamison Can Lead Lakers’ Second Unit
Coach Mike Brown Using Different Approach for New-Look Lakers
Lakers News
The Lakers Bench and Their Reserves [LA Times]
Could Los Angeles Lakers Sign LeBron James in 2014? [SB Nation]
Steve Nash Was “Very Close” to Being a Raptor [ProBasketballTalk]
Another Reason Pau Gasol is Valuable to Lakers [OC Register]
The Lakers Can Sign Derek Fisher, They Just Shouldn’t [ESPN LA]
Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant and The Best NBA Odds in 2012 [SB Nation]
Kobe Gives his Buddy A-Rod a Needed Pep Talk [Lakers Blog]
Steve Nash, the Man Behind the Magic [Silver Screen and Roll]
Kobe Bryant Shows Respect to Ailing Referee Greg Willard [ESPN LA]
Jordan Hill (Back) Returns to Lakers Practice [Lakers Blog]
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers Full Highlights [SLC Dunk]
Antawn Jamison’s Preseason Struggles Don’t Concern Lakers [LA Times]
DJ Mbenga Arrested for Public Intoxication [Lakers Blog]
Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl [Silver Screen and Roll]
Lakers’ Rookies Learn to Play With Their Idols [OC Register]
LeBron to Lakers? Jim Buss is Excited to Pair Dwight with Some New Star in 2014 [Lakers Blog
Dwight Howard (Back) Won’t Play Friday in Vegas [Lakers Blog]
Metta World Peace Plans to Behave in Las Vegas, Kind Of [LA Times]
NBA News
NBA Plans to Enforce 90-Second Pregame Rituals Limit [ProBasketballTalk]
A Daring Exploration of NBA Names, 1946-Present [SB Nation]
Celtics Considering Adding Veteran to Roster. Maybe At Point. [ProBasketballTalk]
Celtics to Sign Leandro Barbosa … and That’s Fine [ESPN LA]
Kevin Love to Miss Time with Broken Hand [SB Nation]
Does Kevin Love’s Injury Impact the MVP Race? [Eye on Basketball]
Kings pick up contract options on Cousins, Fredette [NBA.com]
Eliminating Pregame Rituals Won’t Shorten NBA Games — But These Changes Might [Grantland]
Celtics Player to Celtics Broadcaster: Stop Being Such a Homer [SB Nation]
Harden and The Opportunity Gap [Hoop Speak]
Jarrett Jack of Golden State Warriors says He’s Received Warning About Flopping [ESPN]
Dirk Nowitzki Battles Knee Pain as Preseason Continues [NBA]
JaVale McGee’s Backpack is Misunderstood [The Basketball Jones]
