I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.

Another cross post from my stuff at Vujacic.net

It is rare that any one particular week in the NBA could be considered “easy”, but if there were an “easy” week, this would be it. After disposing of two adversaries from the Central Division last week and dismantling an exciting Seattle Supersonics team (see, I still won’t call them by their fake name. Consistency is important, folks.), the Lakers head into Thanksgiving week with two contests on the docket: Tuesday they will host the hapless New York Knicks (3-10) and will then make the 45 minute flight North to the Bay Area on Friday night for a date at Oracle Arena with the Golden State Warriors (4-8).

The New York Knicks are still trying to pick up the pieces from the upheaval that has taken place in their Front Office over the past seven seasons. A series of free agent gambles (Jerome James) and even worse trades (Eddy Curry, Larry Hughes) have made the once proud Knickerbockers a laughing stock in the NBA. Former Phoenix Suns’ head coach (and Kobe Bryant’s childhood idol) Mike D’Antoni has underwhelmed to say the least over his first season in the Big Apple, yet it has been speculated that many of the Knicks personnel decisions have been done under the auspices of the dreaded “Summer of 2010” free agent bounty. The Knicks will have more than enough salary cap room to go after the year’s most coveted prize, LeBron James, as well as perhaps another piece that can truly return the Knicks to national relevance. Unfortunately, it seems as if the dream of LeBron on Broadway is vanishing quickly, specifically due to the Knicks passing on L.A. native Brandon Jennings in favor of the plodding Jordan Hill. With Jennings, the Knicks would have an electrifying young guard to entice James and perhaps Chris Bosh. But, that is not how things happened, and the New York Knicks are looking at an indefinite period of charging an average of $80 per ticket for New Yorkers to come out and see a mediocre group that includes Jared Jeffries, Danilo Gallinari and Chris Duhon.

Looking towards Tuesday’s contest, the D’Antoni Knicks play an extremely up tempo style of basketball utilizing the speed of guard Nate Robinson and three-point shooting of guys like the aforementioned Jeffries and Larry Hughes. Fortunately, for the Lakers, they can run too. In fact, they are more comfortable in transition and running in the open court opposed to executing the methodical Triangle offense. Truth be told, Pau Gasol is one of, if not the best player over 7-feet at running the open court.

After the Knicks, the Lakers will have Thanksgiving Day off to stuff their faces full of turkey, cranberry sauce and all that Thanksgiving-y stuff before facing the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
The Warriors, are in many ways similar to the Knicks, in that they make awful personnel decisions and employ a run and gun offense that relies on quick guards and copious outside shooting. Last week, the Warriors unloaded their biggest headcase (and unfortunately, their best player), Stephen Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for two key figures in recent Laker history: Raja Bell, who is best known for his gallant defense and ability to seemingly always nail a dagger three in tense moments against the Lakers from 2004-07 while with the Phoenix Suns and former Laker himself, he of the floppy hair and snowboarding accident, the beardyfaced Vladimir Radmanovic. Radmanovic joins a Warrior roster already ripe with volume shooters who rarely play defense (see Corey Maggette, Steph Curry, Monta Ellis, etc.).

Much like their contest with the Knicks, the Lakers will get to really express themselves in the open court against the Warriors, utilizing their full arsenal of offensive weapons. One such weapon is our very own Sasha Vujacic, whose quick hands and lead guard ability are perfectly suited for the uptempo game of both the Knicks and the Warriors. You don’t notice it as much without the flying hair, but Sasha is one of the quicker players in transition that the Lakers have, and in these two contests, they are going to need to utilize his ballhandling skills while running the fastbreak. The Lakers used my personal favorite lineup, with Odom and Gasol in the frontcourt, Kobe slid up to the three spot and Sash and Jordan in the backcourt, to start the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Sonics (CONSISTENCY!), and I hope it is a trend that continues, because while Shannon Brown is electric and hoppy and springy and bouncy, he is severely deficient when it comes to ball distribution and with Sasha and Jordan running the second unit, the Lakers benefit from both their decision-making skills, as well as their experience running the Triangle.

Overall, this week should be fairly easy for the Sasha and the Lakers. Their biggest concern should be whether or not they have enough room for thirds and possibly fourths on Thanksgiving.

One Kiss Don’t Make a Summer

CROSS POSTED AT VUJACIC.NET! Go there and read it too!

So it turns out that the Houston Rockets biggest perceived weakness could actually be their greatest asset. The Rockets’ fleet-footedness and undersized bruisers combined with the Lakers second consecutive stagnant second half in as many games led to them taking Sunday’s contest at the STAPLES Center 101-91.

For the Lakers, the story of Sunday’s loss was all too familiar: a sufficiently undersized and undermanned Rocket squad short Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, utilize their bruising rebounders and lightning quick guards to overpower and outrun a hulking and methodical Laker squad. For all intents and purposes, the Houston Rockets are the direct antipodes of the Lakers, and on most nights, that kind of culture clash is going to result in a convincing win on one side. One style cannot share the court with another.  It’s like trying to mix Coca-Cola and Milk…just gross.

Ostensibly, the Lakers should be able to matchup fairly well with the Rockets, yet Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry bullied Lamar and Josh Powell (Andrew Bynum didn’t even try to match strength with the Rocket brutes…he just used his five inch height advantage and called it a night), the backcourt dream matchup of Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown versus the Rockets own pixie/combo guard duo of Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry never had enough court time to get as interesting as it really is (and believe me, it is VERY interesting), and the Sharpei-headed Shane Battier, known for his spirit-finger defense, spent most of the game on the bench due to non-Kobe-spirit-finger-defense related foul trouble, yet Kobe still had a wretched night from the field going just 5-20. All in all, it was a night in which the Rockets capitalized on every one of the intangibles in this growing rivalry. Mark my words, if these two teams meet once again in the NBA Playoffs, it could be the greatest 7-game early round series of all time (yes, better than the Bulls-Celtics of last year).

For Sasha, like a lot of his teammates, his shots looked good out of his hands, yet somehow seemed to rattle out at the last possible second. The good thing is, though, that Sash is once again actually taking shots. The Laker coaching staff has made no secret that their three-headed guard rotation is very much up in the air every single night, and if Sash wants his points, he is going to have to get them quickly (a concept Shannon Brown understands very well). Sash is primarily known as a three-point specialist, yet over the season’s first ten contests, he has only taken a total of 12 threes, connecting on six of them. At this point, the only thing that is stopping Sasha is Sasha. I’m not Phil Jackson, but if Sash is making open shots, the minutes will find themselves. It’s a confidence thing.

Going forward, the Lakers begin a week in which they will host the rebuilt Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, who are slowly transitioning out of the Rip Hamilton-era and into the Ben Gordon-era and the aforementioned Chicago Bulls who will take their 90210-esque interracial guard siblinghood of “Dixon” Rose and “Annie” Hinrich into the Stape on Thursday.

And please, don’t freak out over theses losses. Just like one kiss doesn’t make a summer, two losses to Denver and Houston don’t make an NBA season.

The Lakers Navy Endorses the Followng Couple:

MARIA SHARAPOVA AND SASHA VUJACIC.

That’s right. SbB is all over this one. There had been reports that the two had been seen together lately, but Tennis man, Matt Cronin kicked it up a notch earlier today stating: “Sharapova recently began dating the Lakers’ Sasha Vujacic. Now if she can only help “The Machine” get his deadly jump shot back.”

There’s still a little bit of fogginess regarding the seriousness of the relationship, but this Matt Cronin happens to be the Managing Editor of Inside Tennis Magazine, so there’s definitely some credibility there.

For the record, The Navy did not endorse the marriage of Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian, even though this picture wouldn’t have happened.

Now Sash just needs some minutes.

Sheikh Abdul-Jabbar

I stopped following Kareem on Twitter during the playoffs last season because it was just getting ridiculous, but I checked in again this morning, and upon some TwitPic lurking, found this picture of him in Abu Dhabi, Dubai:

Sick skull cap.

The Shootout: A Repost!

(Reposted from Sasha Vujacic’s Official Website, Vujacic.net. Get excited. Act like you know.)

It has become a rite of passage for me. Each October, as the Laker season ticket packages get mailed out, I eagerly await with my focus on one thing.

No, it’s not the vaunted Christmas day game, and no, I barely care if I manage to snag the game that falls nearest to my birthday. Besides Opening Night, the only must haves on my schedule of games is the hallowed and precious STAPLES Center Shootout.

For the last 5 years, the third weekend in October marks the start of the NBA Season for me. A glorious return to the seats I call home for 8 months out of the year where I return to greet the faces I reluctantly left in June. These four contests are much more than just perfunctory tune-ups before the regular season commences, they are a grand homecoming to our beloved Lakers as they return to their homecourt after an arduous (or in the case of this year, a joyous) offseason.

The STAPLES Center shootout is akin to the changing of the leaves back East to Angelenos; the true sign that Autumn has finally arrived.

After the Clippers disposed of the Utah Jazz in game one of Saturday’s festivities, the Lakers took the STAPLES Center floor for the first time since Game 2 of the NBA Finals, (Coliseum celebration and Forum game notwithstanding) to face their old nemesis, the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that still puzzlingly finds a way to stymie the Lakers at nearly every opportunity. Fortunately for the 15,000 or so on hand, the Lakers were able to overcome their visitors from North Carolina, albeit after squandering a double-digit lead that was whittled down to as little as two after former Laker and noted ice-slipper/liar, Vladimir Radmanovic drained a contested three with under 20 seconds left. With an opportunity to once again spoil a Laker party, the Bobcats had their inbound pass stolen by Jordan Farmar to all but seal an eventual Laker victory.

Saturday’s win for the Lakers was highlighted by a return to form for our favorite Slovenian who scored 11 points in 17 and a half minutes on 4-6 shooting, while also leading the team in the +/- metric as a +8 (the +/- statistic demonstrates the point differential when one specific player is on the floor). Aside from raw numbers, Sasha showed a comfortability with the ebb and flow of the game that had been missing in recent months.

Unfortunately, the fickle wind of an NBA contest can be harsh and unforgiving, for Sunday for Sash did not provide anything particularly novel to write home about.

The evening started innocently enough, as before the tip Sasha took to the microphone to address the Laker faithful, thanking them for their undying support and calling them the best fans “on the planet”.

After being pulled from his first stint off the bench prematurely, Sasha displayed some of his patented body language toward the coaching staff, throwing his arms up before finally taking a seat and indignantly throwing a towel to the ground to further exhibit his displeasure. Sasha’s only points came on free throws following two offensive 3 second calls and one technical against Clipper coach Mike Dunleavey, yet, for the second night in a row, led the game in +/- at a +15, which goes to show that while he may not have connected on his 3 field goals, his presence on the court was felt, specifically during the Lakers late second quarter push to cut the Clipper halftime lead to 3.

After that slow start, the Lakers grabbed the lead early in the third quarter and never looked back. Led by Shannon Brown, who tied Andrew Bynum for a team-high 20 points, and Adam Morrison played like he was back at Gonzaga, knocking down all four of his three-point field goals, en route to 14 big points and a 114-105 Laker win.

Going forward, it is important to recognize the contributions Sahsa makes to the Lakers when he is not scoring staggering numbers. His hustle and pesky defense will not always show up in the box score, so keep your eye on that +/- stat. Houston Rockets’ forward Shane Battier is heralded for his always high +/-, while not always turning heads with his offensive output.

Sasha and the Lakers continue their Preseason trek across Southern California, this time heading to the Inland Empire to face the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in Ontario before a two game series with the Denver Nuggets in Anaheim and San Diego on Thursday and Friday, before raising banner number 15 on October 27 against the Los Angeles Clippers. California, this time heading to the Inland Empire to face the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night in Ontario before a two game series with the Denver Nuggets in Anaheim and San Diego on Thursday and Friday, before raising banner number 15 on October 27 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

And there will be sorrow

An open letter to my former Homeland in response to this.

I wanted to stay quiet for as long as I could, but this “webseries” beckoned me out of silence. Not to say that the entire 3 minute video was anything short of a ritualistic beating, but there were a couple of points that need addressing.

1) You treat your staff like a pile of equine feces. There is zero dedication or passion involved in this website. In the past, this website was dedicated to bringing enlightened, Socratic conversation regarding the team we all care for so deeply. Now, it is a glorified news feed, and on the rare occasion that you do attempt anything outside the realm of copying and pasting a link, your feeble attempts are akin to the ramblings of a “gifted” eleven year-old. You once had a team of writers committed to providing intellect and insight, yet you wasted their talents like you waste bandwith.

2) Now, this one is simple; YOU DON’T HAVE OFFICES! AND YOU DEFINITELY DON’T HAVE INTERNS! And, while I understand that it is important to keep the illusion alive that you aren’t indeed a bunch of lovable misfits, you didn’t need to glob on the hair gel and make a sanctimonious three minute video that is so self-aggrandizing and pathetic, that it makes the LOdashian thing seem like the stuff of Fairy Tales. If nothing else, you have reinforced everything people hate about Laker fans: smarmy, arrogant and STUPID. Remember why you started this website: to create and harvest a community of fans that are united by their love of a team, not to become famous.

Your fame grabbing ways will not be tolerated. You will be vehemently monitored and consequently exposed for the callow and shameless self-promoters you are. You are the Z-est of the Z-list, so to speak. Talk about BASKETBALL, create INSIGHTFUL content and most importantly, realize that you have a responsibility to the people who have ignorantly decided to take your word as the gospel.

Let’s not pull punches here, TLN is, and has always been about how to make Kam, Jim, Chris and Shane famous. Anyone who stands in their way (yours truly) is swiftly censored and muzzled.

Not anymore.

Love and Kisses,
V_o

Say Hello to Thomas Kelati

The Ethan Ward of soon-to-be NBA obscurity.

The Bill- Bill Question: A Retrospective

So, almost one year ago, I wrote a story on another, more retarded website, warning the world about Ron Artest and his possible presence on the Lakers…one year later, it actually happened. In light of this recent acquisition, I am re-posting the story here:

There are few names in Professional Sports that inflict fear and general clamor into the hearts of all who speak their names. Were they not ridiculously gifted with physical prowess, they would be just another undiagnosed sociopath or schizophrenic.

By now we all know the names of these loose cannons whose off court/field antics are as notorious as the Unabomber or Tom Cruise: Chad Johnson, Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman and Terrell Owens to name a few.

And then there is Sacramento Kings Forward Ron Artest. The de rigueur trade commodity supposedly coveted by Laker fans citywide. The 28- year old Artest has, over the course of his award-winning career, played for three teams and has been seemingly banished from his last two.

The burning questions here are: Why can’t a player named the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year find a steady home? Why can’t a player who averaged 20 points per game last year be a star or even a superstar?

The answer is simple: Ronald William Artest, Jr. is bat**** insane. And not in that cute, crazy “I can only play piano in a sandbox” way that Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is. That is eccentricity. And not in the zany wacky way that Bugs Bunny has made a career out of. That is just hilarious. Ron Artest is frightening crazy. Psychopathic scary.

If the Lakers were to acquire Artest, most likely they would have to part ways with Lamar Odom, one of the leagues most talented and best human beings. They would most likely have to eliminate one of their core players who is so versatile and unique, the league may never see a player of Lamar’s capability again.

So if the Laker front office believes that subtracting Lamar and replacing him with Ron Artest is indeed the panacea and will ultimately boost the Lakers to a Championship, they might want to look at Ron-Ron’s track record and see what kind of dude they are bringing in.

I have my own thoughts, feelings, opinions, and gripes with the Ron-Ron question that seems to have permeated this website. There are so many incidents and stories about Ron Artest. I wouldn’t trust this dude to serve Kobe Bryant Gatorade, much less serve as starting Small Forward for my venerated Los Angeles Lakers.

Artest’s bizarre behavior began in his Rookie year with the Chicago Bulls when he applied for a job at a Downtown Circuit City in order to receive an employee discount for electronic equipment. To add to his lore, Artest once showed up to Pacer practice in a bathrobe after being denied a month off from playing in order to promote an album he produced. Absurd? Yes. Hilarious? Yes. Wacky? Sure. Professional? Not even close.

On November 19, 2004, Artest transcended the realm of cutesy games and entered Psychoville. With 45.9 seconds left in a game between the Pacers and the Pistons, Ron Artest fouled Piston Center Ben Wallace. Big Ben shoved Ron-Ron. The two began arguing and Ron retreated to the scorer’s table to take a rest. While reclining, the gears started turning in his head. Ron took a radio headset and pretended to give a radio interview while Detroit fan John Green threw a full cup of beer at the Pacer forward. That’s when things got surreal…

Enraged, Ron dashed up the four rows into the crowd and began wailing on a fan. Not even the fan that threw the cup. Artest went postal on a scrawny kid in a black polo with glasses. Ron was joined by teammates Jermaine O’Neal and Stephen Jackson (who is not the most mentally stable dude either) in savagely beating fans. Ron was suspended for the remainder of the season.

Never in history has there been such a breach of professionalism and obscene misconduct in sports. Revolting? Yes. Frightening? Absolutely.

It is not cute and it is not hilarious.

The Ron Artest question that plagues the Lakers Nation is not really a question at all.

It is an elixir brewed up by local newspapers and television pundits who somehow think that the Lakers NBA Championship aspirations are predicated on the addition of Ron Artest at any cost. This is not true. It is snake oil being force fed to you.

The bottom line is that Ron Artest is the wrong choice for this team; and not just because there are 50 Circuit City stores in the Greater Los Angeles area. Ron Artest is the wrong choice because of his mental unpredictability and questionable ethics.

To have Ron Artest wear the Purple and Gold of the Los Angeles Lakers and to see Lamar depart would without question be one of the most crushing and horrifying blows in Laker history.

Ron Artest is a recipe for disaster.

Just trust me on this one.

Originally posted July 12, 2008

Draft Day Journal

(The Lakers Navy would like to officially endorse Patrick Mills of St. Mary’s for Lakers draft considerations)

Well, Shaq’s a Cav, Dick Jefferson’s a Spur, and Fab Oberto’s been traded nine times in the last six hours. It’s draft day, and I’m excited. This post will be updated throughout the course of the day with all of the riveting draft news as it pertains to the Lakers. So, let’s get this party rolling.

Lakers select 29th, 42nd, and 59th.

That first-rounder is toast:

The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have sold the No. 29 pick in the first round of the NBA draft to the New York Knicks for $3 million, multiple sources told ESPN.com’s Andy Katz.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak followed through on his intention to deal the pick after saying Wednesday the pick had generated a lot of interest.

“Certain teams, they may want to preserve cap space for the next year or two and they may need to add players,” Kupchak said. “A good way to add talent at a fixed price is to have a lot of draft choices and then you can still maintain cap space a year from now.”

Good move. Caish money, whaaaaa?

This Pretty Much Sums That Up…