Los Angeles Lakers

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Will Dwight Howard make his way from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks? Free agency does not begin until July 1, but a report has surfaced that Howard does have interest in taking his talents to Texas. Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports that Howard is "intrigued" with the Rockets and Mavericks: With six weeks to go before Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent, the team that is said to intrigue him the most is the Houston Rockets, according to multiple people briefed on internal conversations surrounding Howard's free-agent decision. --- The Mavericks represent another franchise that intrigues Howard, and Dallas is a minor transaction or two away from having enough room to sign Howard outright as an unrestricted free agent. Howard plans to explore all such options, and a person briefed on his plans told CBSSports.com that there are "several" teams the free-agent center is "going to take a hard look at." It's no surprise that Howard has already been linked to the Mavericks and Rockets specifically. They represent the handful of teams that have the cap space to make an effort to sign Howard and have always been expected to make a run at the big man. Of course, it was just over a week ago that the Atlanta Hawks were reported as having interest in bringing Stan Van Gundy on as their new coach with the notion that Howard's old coach could help lure him to his home town. Teams are clearly preparing to make their pitch to Howard. The Lakers will be able to offer Howard the most guaranteed money this Summer (which will be repeated often during his free agency), but much of that comes from the extra year L.A. can tack on to his contract. Expect a long, drawn out free agency period for Howard, who appears ready to listen to multiple teams around the league before making his decision. For once, however, he can make his decision as a free agent. - Drew - Follow this author on Twitter @DrewGarrisonSBN

Feb 25, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 119-108. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports Kobe Bryant continues his mastery of social media, trolling Lakers fans everywhere as he posted Saturday evening that he would have a “surprise announcement” on facebook. You won’t want to miss Sports Spectacular Livestream Sunday #mambavideo #surpsise #announcement Naturally, this left the minds of LA fans reeling, wondering if he would announce retirement. Which wasn’t the completely out of the question, as Kobe still has an uphill battle to climb at 34 against an Achilles injury. Instead, we got this: (via Eric Pincus, LA Times) “I’d like to officially announce that I’m partnering with the Sports Spectacular to help eradicate homelessness,” said Bryant in a pre-recorded video, aired at the Sports Spectacular 2013 gala at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel. “You can learn about my past, present and future,” said Bryant of the event, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. “It’s for an incredible cause.” Early Monday morning, Bryant took to twitter to deny the growing retirement rumors. Really?? Me. Retire?? Soon, but not yet Vino still has work to do #35 #OG#kbvff — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 20, 2013 SI.com reports that much of the anxiety surrounding a Bryant retirement came from a tweet by a fake Adrian Wojnarowski account.  Be sure to “LIKE” the Lake Show Life’s facebook page for up-to-date Lakers news and analysis right from the comfort of your news feed.

So the Dwightmare has officially begun with Dwight's arbitrary link to another city! (See full story HERE) Dwight Howard had an off-year (for him) as he was not considered for Defensive Player of the Year despite being signed to anchor the Lakers defensively. Given Kobe & Nash's defensive contributions along with their contracts, there are not a lot of options here outside of trading Pau for an Ibaka-type. Given Dwight's demand for more touches in the offense along with his laughable free throw performance, perhaps trading Pau for a defensive-minded PF would make sense. Unless, Dwight signs somewhere else... Then, of course, we'll see what kind of magic Mitch can work, but his work will be cut out for him. Remember, the Lakers may not have Kobe for much of next year, and they still owe this year's draft picks plus both their 2014 2nd round pick and their 2015 1st round pick to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Steve Nash trade. This is unfortunate for the Lakers because you're asking Dwight to commit his prime years to what could be a rebuilding effort as LA prepares for the (eventual) decline of Kobe. Contrast this to Houston who has a genuine superstar who has not even reached his prime! Houston also has a smart GM who has assembled a flexible, young and talented roster. The advantage that LA enjoys by being able to offer an extra year plus $30 million in salary is offset somewhat by the Texas teams, Houston & Dallas, in that residents of Texas pay zero state income tax. Compared to California's taxes, how much money would Dwight really be leaving on the table by signing with a team from the Lone Star state? Will the Dwightmare turn out to be an actual nightmare for Lakers fans?? Stay tuned - as there will be reports galore until July! So the Dwightmare has officially begun with Dwight's arbitrary link to another city! (See full story HERE) Dwight Howard had an off-year (for him) as he was not considered for Defensive Player of the Year despite being signed to anchor the Lakers defensively. Given Kobe & Nash's defensive contributions along with their contracts, there are not a lot of options here outside of trading Pau for an Ibaka-type. Given Dwight's demand for more touches in the offense along with his laughable free throw performance, perhaps trading Pau for a defensive-minded PF would make sense. Unless, Dwight signs somewhere else... Then, of course, we'll see what kind of magic Mitch can work, but his work will be cut out for him. Remember, the Lakers may not have Kobe for much of next year, and they still owe this year's draft picks plus both their 2014 2nd round pick and their 2015 1st round pick to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Steve Nash trade. This is unfortunate for the Lakers because you're asking Dwight to commit his prime years to what could be a rebuilding effort as LA prepares for the (eventual) decline of Kobe. Contrast this to Houston who has a genuine superstar who has not even reached his prime! Houston also has a smart GM who has assembled a flexible, young and talented roster. The advantage that LA enjoys by being able to offer an extra year plus $30 million in salary is offset somewhat by the Texas teams, Houston & Dallas, in that residents of Texas pay zero state income tax. Compared to California's taxes, how much money would Dwight really be leaving on the table by signing with a team from the Lone Star state? Will the Dwightmare turn out to be an actual nightmare for Lakers fans?? Stay tuned - as there will be reports galore until July! Poll Which team do you think Dwight signs with? Lakers (We're talking rep & $30 mil, here) Houston - (If Harden isn't the best SG in the NBA, then he will be by the time Dwight's contract is up) Dallas - (No idea why he would consider here, but stranger things have happened) Somewhere else - (i.e., Megatrade!) 1 votes | Results

Mar 12, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) attempts a foul shot against the Orlando Magic during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Douglas Jones-USA TODAY Sports It’s only May and the floodgates are slowly but surely giving way to yet another Dwight Howard fiasco. Ken Burger of CBS Sports has reported that Howard is reportedly considering Houston: “With six weeks to go before Howard becomes an unrestricted free agent, the team that is said to intrigue him the most is the Houston Rockets, according to multiple people briefed on internal conversations surrounding Howard’s free-agent decision.” Other potential destinations include Atlanta and Dallas. The Hawks, who will only have three players on the books entering the offseason, are perennial favorites to land the big man. Not only is the city of Atlanta Howard’s hometown, but he played his AAU career alongside free agent and Hawks’ veteran Josh Smith. Dallas, on the other hand, has one of the most influential owners in sports today in Mark Cuban – or at least we know he thinks he is. And after getting burned by Deron Williams in free agency last year, you can bet a pretty penny that Cuban is going to approach Howard with the keys to the kingdom. There always those of us, like myself, who believe the Lakers don’t have all that much too worry about. Then again … Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Be sure to “LIKE” the Lake Show Life’s facebook page for up-to-date Lakers news and analysis right from the comfort of your news feed.

Mar 6, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) reacts after dunking the ball against the New Orleans Hornets during the end of the fourth quarter at the New Orleans Arena. Los Angeles defeated New Orleans 108-102. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports For those of you that somehow missed it, Phil Jackson has finally compared Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in his new book, “Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success.” Suffice it to say Jackson chose his man, should he have intended to or not. It was not Kobe Bryant. The comparisons are #apples2oranges Wonder what the perception would be if M played wit @shaq instead #differentroles #differentcareerpaths — Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 17, 2013 It’s a valid response – at least in my mind. Think, what if Kobe had played alongside the likes of Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant. Or later with Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman. Are we supposed to honestly believe Bryant would not have six championships to his name also? On that same token, what if Jordan had played next to the transcendent dominance of a Shaquille O’Neal. Would it have tainted Jordan’s legacy as it has Bryant’s? In other words: Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll. Be sure to “LIKE” the Lake Show Life’s facebook page for up-to-date Lakers news and analysis right from the comfort of your news feed.

Season stats: 12.7 PPG, 6.7 APG, 2.8 RPG I remember like it was yesterday the night Steve Nash joined the Lakers; it was July 4, and I had been reading all day how the Knicks & Suns were close to a deal for Nash. I remember thinking what a great fit Nash would be in NY, running the point with Carmelo Anthony and his former Suns team-mate Amar’e Stoudemire.  I continued checking twitter all day and into early evening for updates on if the deal had been made. Then, I saw a tweet that stated “Steve Nash agrees to sign & trade with Los Angeles Lakers”. At first I thought what a cruel tease that the reporter’s twitter had been hacked. Then more tweets came out which said the same thing. I immediately turned on Sports Center, and I really couldn’t believe my eyes; BREAKING NEWS; STEVE NASH TO LAKERS. Three thoughts immediately entered into my mind; 1) I (like most other Lakers’ fans out there) was absolutely ecstatic. 2) The Lakers finally had a point guard. 3) How can David Stern veto this? The acquistion of Nash was the beginning of an off-season that was filled with gigantic expectations; when the Lakers later acquired Dwight Howard for Andrew Bynum, they truly had the makings of a super-team, with 4 future HOF’s in the starting 5. There was true excitement in LA, had fans and analysts imagined Nash running the pick & roll with Howard & Gasol to perfection, and the burden of being facilitator finally coming off Kobe’s shoulders, as all he would (seemingly) have to worry about is getting open for Nash to feed him as well. As excitement as I really was, the only point of caution in the back of my mind was Nash’s health; he was approaching 40 years of age (senior citizen in the NBA), and he had so far been very healthy throughout his career (from what I understand, the trainers in PHX are miracle-workers). How would Nash’s body respond to the new trainers in LA? The pros of having him however, in my mind far out-weighed the cons. The pre-season got off the a rocky start; the Lakers didn’t win a single game (though it was exhibition, so who really cares?). From the little that I saw though, I was almost immediately confused and a little frustrated; Mike Brown didn’t seem to be utilizing Nash at all. I didn’t see any pick & rolls, and Nash was mostly operating as a spot-up shooter. I kept thinking to myself, “Brown has one of the all-time greats at his position at his disposal, why isn’t he utilizing him at all??” Then, in the second game of the season, the unthinkable happened; Nash banged knees with Blazers’ rookie point guard Damian Lillard and was taken out of the game. We all thought he would be back that night, next game, or the week after at the latest. Not the case. We found out that Nash had indeed fractured a bone in his knee in the collision, and the resulting nerve damage would keep him out indefinitely. What was supposed to be a week-long injury turned into 2 months. During that time, the Lakers fired Brown, and brought in Nash’s old Suns coach Mike D’Antoni. MDA came in with high expectations as well, particular for Nash. No one knew MDA’s system better than Nash, and MDA knew how to utilize Nash to his fullest extend. As soon as Nash came back from injury, the Lakers would be rolling. Again, not the case. Due to a lack of training camp, the Lakers’ bigs had great difficulty adjusting to MDA’s system, and had a lot of trouble finding the right chemistry with Nash. Chemistry was a big issue throughout the season, as Nash was supposed to be a focal point of the offense, but because of his injury, couldn’t develop the chemistry needed with his team-mates. Nash’s aging body was also becoming an issue (as feared).  As a result, Bryant was once again put in the facilitator role, with Nash serving as a spot-up shooter. It had moderate success, but was often painful to watch as of the gr

2012-13 Statistics:  33.8 MPG 13.7 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 BPG, .466 FG%, .702 FT%, 33 games missed due to injury Season Recap: The seven-foot Spaniard had his worst statistical season as a Laker in terms of points, rebounds, and shooting percentages, but some of that may have been due to injury or to early unfamiliarity with Mike D’antoni’s offense. In November and December and the early weeks of Mike D’antoni’s tenure, Pau Gasol seemed to be on the wrong end of an offensive experiment. He found himself attempting more mid-range jumpers than ever before and even a handful of threes for a short while. That’s not who Pau Gasol is. He’s a crafty, skilled post player on the low block. Pau Gasol’s efficiency increased as the Lakers began to use him in the same ways that he is accustomed. In January, Pau Gasol didn’t look quite like himself. He suffered a concussion and missed five games. Soon after returning, Mike D’antoni decided to play Pau Gasol off the bench and start Earl Clark instead. Clark took the world by storm and played really well, but you have to wonder if that hurt Pau Gasol emotionally. Pau had started 345 games for the Lakers and now was being asked to play a bench role behind someone who barely made it off the practice squad?  Gasol still hadn’t fully figured out his role in the new Lakers offense at the time that he went down with plantar fascia. He missed six weeks with this injury. When he returned, he actually looked like the Pau of old. He was scoring efficiently, rebounding well, and passing spectacularly for a big man. The biggest concern with Pau Gasol as a whole this season was how he was on the floor with Dwight Howard. He had never had a real issue in a dual big man lineup with Andrew Bynum. Heck, they won two championships together. But with Dwight, it was different. The defensive spacing seemed off the whole year with both big men on the floor, and the defensive numbers were terrible when they shared the court. It was not uncommon to see miscommunication leading to wide open lay-ups off of pick-and-rolls. There were flashes of great ball movement between them offensively, but that was the exception–not the trend. Mike D’antoni even said it himself: The Lakers were best with only one of them on the floor. Unfortunately, they are both high enough caliber players that they needed to share the court during a portion of every game. 2013-14 Forecast: Who knows what’s in store for Pau Gasol next season? How will he respond from knee surgery this off-season? Will he return to the Lakers? Will they trade him? Will they amnesty him? If Pau stays, will Dwight stay too? There are questions surrounding everything for Gasol next season and his future is in total flux. I’d prefer that they get rid of him. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pau, but he doesn’t seem like a great fit with Dwight Howard, the most talented young player on the Lakers and the likely cornerstone of the future of the franchise. I’d prefer to trade him and get Josh Smith or another younger and smaller athletic power forward who can stay out of the paint and let Howard control the game and do his own thing, without interference from any of his teammates. If Pau Gasol stays on the Lakers, with Dwight Howard, and the team is composed similar to the way it is now, I’d expect him to play more of a facilitating role like he did in the waning weeks of this past season. Gasol is an excellent decision maker at the high post and had six games with at least 9 assists, including the playoffs, after returning from injury. Defensively, it’s going to be difficult. He’ll need to communicate with Dwight more and develop better chemistry during training camp so they are on the same page in terms of assignments and roles on defense during the actual season. Highlights: This is a clip from Pau’s triple-double against the Warriors near the end

“I’ll push myself to exhaustion.” If there’s one characteristic that defines Kobe Bryant’s career it is the work he has put in to become the player he is. As much as he’s been gifted his physical characteristics and that innate feel for the game that all the greats have, he’s also honed his skills through thousands of hours of hard work and made himself into the player he is. In a way, it’s that drive to be the best and the subsequent work it has inspired that has separated him from many of his contemporaries. Kobe will need to call on that ethic now more than ever in staring down his latest challenge. His rehabilitation from his torn achilles tendon is the one of, if not the, biggest obstacles he’s faced in his career and in order to come back anywhere near the player he was before before the injury, he’ll need to push himself to levels that I can’t even imagine. Whether he can actually achieve this goal remains an open question, but if there’s one player who we can’t doubt will push himself that extra mile it is Kobe. After all, his career has been built on putting in that extra time and, as the video shows above, vigorously working to become the player we’ve seen for 17 years.