If someone told you that your favorite team was 0-8 going into regular season, how would you feel? Not only that, but your squad has All-Star players, Olympic Gold medalists, and GM poll winners.
Well, if someone told me that, I would be a little nervous,even shocked. But knowing that what I described above is my Los Angeles Lakers, I am feeling none of those things. Maybe a little nervous, but my anxiety stems mainly from the injuries that have irked the Lakers starting five. But if I was ever confident in a team to still blow my socks off after coming off a terrible preseason outcome, it would be this Lakers.
The preseason wasn’t for LA about winning. The point of these games is to experiment, and I am proud of Mike Brown for doing just that.
What fans should understand is Mike Brown’s lack of emphasis on winning and instead his focus on individual performance. The fragmented Lakers of the past few weeks gave everyone a taste, but didn’t give the game away. The turnovers, the transition points, the missed offensive rebounds, etc. It’s all a learning experience. Why not test the waters, play around a bit, and as a player see where your boundaries are on the court. Not only, the excitement of seeing guys like Robert Sacre surprise us all with his hard work and performance as a late round draft pick from Gonzaga gives everyone, including myself, this hope.
Despite my high impressions, Mike Brown did appear a little dismayed in a media interview today. As the coach, all eyes are on Brown to develop and thrive with the massive talent Kupchak and the Lakers front office gave him this summer. And I bet he feels the pressure.
Dwight, though, was more optimistic. The Lakers center made it clear in a post game interview that the success of this current Lakers team is a process. Howard reiterated that the goal is still to win a championship. He even made it clear that Lakers fans should not be expecting to see a newly revamped Lakers team come opening night on Tuesday:
Tell Laker fans not to get frustrated….I really didn’t expect to start playing this early….We don’t expect to win every game… but we do expect that by midseason everybody will have the offense down…but it’s a process.
Ramneet Singh of Lakers Nation wrote an insightful article today on the preseason. In it, he discusses what this year’s, and past year’s, preseason games have been like, and how the respective seasons have turned out. Although some are worried about this 0-8 record going into the first regular season game this week, Ramneet shows that there may not be much to worry about.
I was out the last two days, but I am not sure how I missed Shaq’s rap video that surfaced. In it, the former Lakers disses Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Dwight Howard. If you haven’t seen this clip, it’s a must. And if you already watched this on Wednesday, watch it again. I may be daring someone to perform this at an upcoming Karaoke night.
LN brings you another fancy piece of art for your iPhone, iPad, desktop, or whatever other gadget you have. This time around you can download a Magic Johnson wallpaper, recognizing one of the greatest Lakers ever to play the game.
Lakers Nation News
Panini America Releases Kobe Bryant Anthology Tribute Set
How Did the Lakers Perform Their Last 10 Preseasons?
Mitch Kupchak on Dwight Howard’s Recovery: ‘Exceeded My Expectations’
Antawn Jamison Must Quickly Improve Impact to Lakers’ Bench
NBA News: Shaq Calls Out Dwight, Wilt and Kareem in Rap
NBA News: NBA Commissioner David Stern to Step Down in 2014
Post-Game Video: Dwight Reflects on the Process to a Championship
Post-Game Video: Mike Brown Reflects on Preseason Struggles
Lakers Finish Winless Preseason With Loss to Kings in San Diego
Lakers News
Will Most Lakers Fans Have Time Warner Cable Sportsnet by the Start of the Season? [Silver Screen and Roll]
2012-13 Season Preview: The Bench [Silver Screen and Roll]
Video: NBA Season Predictions for the L.A. Lakers with Basketball Reasons [Silver Screen and Roll]
The Bright Spots of this Preseason [LA Times]
Dwight Howard Wanted Trade to Nets [ESPN]
Kings vs. Lakers Game Recap: Sacramento Adds to L.A.’s Preseason Woes [Bay Area]
Lakers: Robert Sacre Won’t Go Down Without a Fight [LA Times]
Kobe Bryant Could Miss Opener [ESPN]
Replacements Take Staples Center Stage [Daily News]
Minus Kobe, Lakers Fall to Kings to Finish Preseason 0-8 [OC Register]
Magic Johnson Believes Time Warner Will Reach Deals on Lakers Telecasts [Daily News]
Lakers Rookie Sacre Fills in Admirably for Howard [OC Register]
Changes to All-Star Balloting Won’t Affect Dwight Howard [Lakers Blog]
Robert Sacre Inches Closer to a Roster Spot [ESPN]
After 0-8 preseason, Lakers Focused on Big Picture [Lakers Report]
Kobe Bryant Stays Home, Dwight Howard Makes the Trip [LA Times]
Kobe Bryant Injury: Lakers Guard Could Miss Regular-Season Opener [Los Angeles]
Dwight Howard Wants to Reclaim Defensive Player of the Year [Lakers Blog]
Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak Sees His Window of Opportunity [Daily News]
NBA News
Stern’s Tenure, Which Will End in 2014, Was Transformative for NBA [OC Register]
Heisler’s Preseason NBA Power Rankings [Sheridan Hoops]
Tyson Chandler’s Knee Injury is a Bone Bruise; Listed as Day-to-Day [ProBasketballTalk]
Kevin Love: Spread Love for the Cause [NBA]
Would You Like Ray Allen to Lie? [Hoop Speak]
Charles Barkley knows a lot of euphemisms [The Basketball Jones]
Magic Johnson Sued for Firing Personal Flight Attendant [ProBasketballTalk]
Delonte West Done with Mavs [ESPN]
Owners Put Ads on Uniforms “on Back Burner” [ProBasketballTalk]
Shook Ankles: LeBron Dupes Two Wizards [Shaky Ankles]
Multinational Companies Lining Up to Cash in Big if American Gambling Sports Landscape Opens [Yahoo Sports]
Isaiah Thomas Injury: Kings Guard Exits Game After Rolling Ankle [SB Nation]
Commissioner Stern to Step Down in 2014 [NBA]
Tim Duncan Will Pimp Your Ride [The Basketball Jones]
David Stern was All Business, and That Was Good For The Game [ProBasketballTalk]
Board Approves Grizzlies Sale; Holt New Chairman [NBA]
A Timeline for David Stern’s Career with the NBA [Eye on Basketball]
