Season Opener: L.A. @ Denver: 11-2-05 <div align="center">vs. <font color="DeepSkyBlue">The Denver Nuggets (Record Pending)</font> vs. <font color="purple">The Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)</font> Time: 7:30 PM Eastern Place: The Pepsi Center TV: Local and ESPN <font size="5"><font color="DeepSkyBlue">Nuggets' Head Coach</font></font> <font color="DeepSkyBlue">George Karl</font> <font size="5"><font color="DeepSkyBlue"> Nuggets' Projected Starting Lineup</font></div></font> <div align="center"> <font color="DeepSkyBlue">Predicted Stats Andre Miller - 11 points, 3 rebound, 6 assists Voshon Lenard - 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists Carmelo Anthony - 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists Kenyon Martin - 16 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist Marcus Camby - 6 points, 10 rebounds, no assists</div></font> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple">Lakers' Head Coach</font></font> <font color="purple">Phil Jackson</font> <font size="5"><font color="Purple">Lakers' Projected Starting Lineup</font></font> <font color="purple">Projected Stats Smush Parker - 8 points, 2 rebounds, 6assists Kobe Bryant - 29 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists Lamar Odom - 14 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists Kwame Brown - 15 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists Chris Mihm - 7 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist </font> <font size="5"><font color="DeepSkyBlue">Bench</font><font color="purple"> Factors</font></font> Projected Stats <font color="DeepSkyBlue">Earl Boykins - 9 points, no rebounds, 4 assists</font> <font color="purple">Devean George - 9 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assists</font> <font size="5"><font color="DeepSkyBlue">Key</font><font color="purple"> Matchup</font></font> (<font color="DeepSkyBlue">Kenyon Martin</font>, <font color="purple">Kwame Brown</font>) Projected Stats Posted Above</div> <font size="5"><font color="DeepSkyBlue">Keys</font><font color="purple"> to</font><font color="DeepSkyBlue"> the</font><font color="purple"> Game</font></font> <font color="DeepSkyBlue">Denver:</font> <ul> [*]<font color="DeepSkyBlue">Contain Kobe</font>- Kobe Bryant is going to come out looking to prove that he is a team player, but also that he has improved in his game. He's going to look for his teammates early, and then take over in the later part of the game. Expect Kobe to drive to the basket a lot against Voshon Lenard, testing his achilles' tendon, even though it's had a full season to heal, injuries like that never go away. [*]<font color="DeepSkyBlue">Use the Crowd</font>- The Nuggets, who will be coming in from a game yesterday (right now, tonight) against San Antonio will be tired. They're going to have to use the home crowd momentum to their advantage and look for the Lakers to make mistakes because of the crowd. [*]<font color="DeepSkyBlue">The Spark Plug</font>- Earl Boykins killed the Lakers last year, can he do it again this year? He's going to have to. Earl needs to come into the game and push the ball up and down the court, tiring out whoever the Lakers have on him. I wouldn't be surprised if the Lakers ended up with Kobe Bryant on Boykins. [/list] <font color="purple">Los Angeles:</font> <ul> [*]<font color="purple">Kwame Brown</font>- Kwame Brown needs to make himself a presence in L.A. and there is no better way to do it than starting out the season with a good game. I'm not putting him in the key matchup because he is one of my favorite players, he is there because he is very capable of changing the Nuggets game plan if he can keep Kenyon Martin to a limit. He needs to be physical with Martin and be assertive on offense; call for the ball and use his speed to take advantage of Martin. [*]<font color="purple">The Triangle</font>- I don't expect the triangle to be ran perfectly in this game, but I do expect it to work to some extent. Kobe Bryant can really thrive in this system, he just needs his teammates to thrive with him. [*]<font color="purple">Start the Season Strong</font>- A lot of people say the Lakers will miss the playoffs and a lot of people have the Nuggets as a top two team in the West. What a better way to start out the season than toppling that team? [/list] <font size="5"><font color="DeepSkyBlue">Random</font> <font color="purple">Movie</font><font color="DeepSkyBlue"> Quote</font>: </font> <u>The Godfather </u> Don Corleone: Do you spend time with your family? Good. Because a man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man. <font size="5"> <font color="purple">Prediction</font></font> I think the Lakers will play this game with a chip on their shoulder. I expect the intensity to be very intense in this game, at times, out of control. I think the Lakers will win this one in the fourth quarter, 104-100. <font size="7">HAPPY 2005-2006 SEASON</font>
I see the Nuggets taking this one easily. The Nuggets have better chemistry and talent. I'll take Denver by 9.
I think it will be very close. Its going to be hard to beat Nuggetz in their home turf after they just lost to Spurs the night before.
The lakers could steal this but the Nuggets will be tough to beat for a few reasons: They are a good team, they don't want to lose their home opener, and they dont' want to start the season by losing 2 in a row. Though the last few years they have started off slow. We must keep in mind also, the nuggets played a hard fought game to the Spurs and will be tired- The Lakers however must keep the tempo slow and not let Denver run because the air is thinner and while the nuggets are used to it, it will leave the Lakers gasping for breath. No prediction.
Finally! I'm excited about the season opener for the Lakers and after watching the Nuggets lose last night, they are vulnerable for another one tonight. The Lakers faced the Nuggets in the preseason and have had an extra day to prepare for them. The Nuggets also lost Nene for tonight's game and don't have much depth in the frontcourt. The Lakers have to attack the basket and get Camby or KMart into foul trouble early on. The Nuggets don't match up well defensively with the Lakers. Voshon Lenard guarding Kobe Bryant is lopsided and with Kobe in the attack position of the lineup he should have a big scoring night. Lamar Odom is also going to be tough for Carmelo Anthony to guard. His height and size will bother 'Melo, and taking him out on the perimeter to check the ball will be unfamiliar territory for him. Odom should be able to get Anthony off balanced a lot tonight and create some high percentage looks for his teammates. The bench play favors the Nuggets tonight, because the Lakers don't have anyone to match up with Boykins. The Lakers need Devean George or Cookie to match Boykins scoring tonight. Prediction: Lakers in a close one 103-98.
Great preview K8B This game is too tight to tell. They have had a slight knock in their confidence with the loss to San Antonio, whereas we are on a 4 game winning streak. I honestly can't pick either team. I suppose I'm leaning towards the Nuggets, but I still think we have a great shot. I think these are going to be the deciding factors: <u>-Kobe's performance(obviously) -If Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown can keep K-Mart and Melo below 40 points, we can definatly win the game.</u> Our defence is going to be the deciding factor today. My Prediction: Too close to tell, <u>anything</u> can happen.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DENVER (Ticker) -- Phil Jackson hopes his second coaching stint with the Los Angeles Lakers is as productive as the first. The question is whether he has the talent to make that dream a reality. Jackson guided the Lakers to three straight championships from 2000-02 with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant as the stars. However, Jackson left the team after the 2003-04 season when management insisted on keeping Bryant instead of O'Neal. Coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history, the Lakers lured Jackson out of retirement last summer. However, Jackson has made a career of turning good teams into championship contenders and this Lakers squad might not have the potential for greatness as it is currently assembled. Bryant is joined in the starting lineup by versatile forward Lamar Odom and center Chris Mihm, each of whom are entering their second year with Los Angeles. The Lakers will start journeyman Smush Parker at point guard and Kwame Brown at power forward. The top overall pick in the 2001 draft, Brown spent four years underachieving in Washington before he was dealt this past summer to the Lakers, who gave him a three-year, $25 million contract. The Nuggets were one of eight teams in action Tuesday as they opened their season with a 102-91 loss to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Kenyon Martin added 19 points for Denver, which lost reserve forward Nene in the second quarter with a knee injury. The Lakers and Nuggets split four meetings last season, with each team winning twice on its home court. </div> NBA
How does Lamar Odom look right at a wide open Kwame Brown (yes, wide open..he did three jumping jacks in the post) and then pass to Mihm for a flippin' 19 footer? WTH...this is why we're losing. We're not going to Kwame when he has position, but we go to Mihm when he has it. Lamar is forcing stuff up, he can't distribute, and Kobe is trying to hard...if we win this, we really don't deserve it.
I'm really convinced that Lamar Odom isn't the right fit for the Lakers. This isn't just from game 1 either, last year he did the same stuff. Lamar completely neglected Kwame the ball 5 or 6 times when Brown had position, he wasn't distributing smartly, he was jacking up shots without looking at his other options, he was throwing up wild s--t on his drives, and he looked like he didn't give a rat's ass on defense. I'm absolutely disguested with him, he's trash. Phil needs to give him a good peice of mind at practice, Kwame needs to have a sit down talk with him, and then our team leader, Kobe, needs to talk to him. Odom simply looks like he doesn't care out there. Why he was in the game past midway third quarter, absolutely blows my mind the hell away. He's garbage. That simple.
In Kwame's defense, did you guys see what he did when he was given the ball twice in the fourth quarter with time to work? He used his speed to completely blow by his man and get easy looks. That is why he should be option number two, he has a lot of speed and athleticism for a big man. I think Phil will recognize that and involve Kwame more in the offense next game, becuase it was pitiful how the Lakers were using him.
KOBE STARTS ALREADY!!!! God, I want to say something that I can't...so I'll just say..take that Denver. What a shot! and Good night! I'm exhausted
Wow, that was a good game to watch, even with all the turn overs and general bad defense. This will be a big motivational booster for the Lakers team, good way to start the season. I thought Parker and D. George were key players that were picking up the slack and keeping the tempo going, George was hounding C. Anthony on defense, and Parker was hitting most of his shots. K. Brown picked up the second half and seemed to get into a momentum. Profit had some good moments too and of course nothing needs to be said about K. Bryant. Chris Mihm and Lamar Odom were no where to be found. It was interesting to see Phil put in Vujaic and Bynum in, for awhile I thought Phil should just keep Bynum in there in place of Mihm..
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">How does Lamar Odom look right at a wide open Kwame Brown (yes, wide open..he did three jumping jacks in the post) and then pass to Mihm for a flippin' 19 footer? WTH...this is why we're losing. We're not going to Kwame when he has position, but we go to Mihm when he has it. Lamar is forcing stuff up, he can't distribute, and Kobe is trying to hard...if we win this, we really don't deserve it.</div> First off I completely agree with you. Second off. Denver didn't deserve to win it either. Both teams played sloppy and it the winner wasn't because they played better, it just came down to who was fortunate enough to get off the last shot. As for all the comments about Odom...I just refuse to beleive we can't make Odom work when he's so dang versatile. I mean he had a horrible night tonight and still had 8 7 and 6. I mean thats REAL solid production right there...obviously I wish it would have been up around 17 pts but oh well. Despite those stats however, Odom does look awkward out there and I can't figure out why. As for Kwame- GIVE HIM THE BALL- That's all I have to say. I mean he's quick as hell, athletic as F#$5! and can pull down a rebound. Speaking of rebounds- I was impressed with Bynum, he got in there and grabbed 2-3 boards in like a minute. Play the kid, make Mihm earn his minutes. As for Kobe- beyond the fact that he SHOCKED us (no longer clutch???) I wish he would have passed more. Oh well...the lakers might not have deserved it but this gives them confidence...and there tied for # 1 in the pacific conference right now
