<font size=""1"">(In honour of the greatly out-spoken Charles Barkley, there will be a part of the preview called "Let The Sir Speak" in each game preview stating one of Sir Charles's hilarious quotes over the years. Enjoy it!)</font> <div align="center"> vs Toronto Raptors (14-26) vs Los Angeles Lakers (21-19) TV: Toronto (RSN), LA (FSN) Venue: Staples Centre Date: Sunday, Jan 22nd, 2006 TipOff time: 9:40 PM Eastern</div> [DIV=50%] <font size="3">Projected Starters</font> <div align="center"> <font size="1">Mike James-Morris Peterson-Jalen Rose-Matt Bonner-Chris Bosh</font> <font size="3">Key Reserves</font> <font size="1">Charlie Villanueva-Jose Calderon-Joey Graham-Pape Sow</font> <font size="3">Coach</font> <font size="1">Sam Mitchell</font></div> <font size="3">Key Injuries</font> Rafael Araujo (Shoulder Bruise) - Out [/DIV] <font size="3">Projected Starters</font> <div align="center"> <font size="1">Smush Parker-Kobe Bryant-Lamar Odom-Kwame Brown-Chris Mihm</font> <font size="3">Key Reserves</font> <font size="1">Sasha Vujacic-Devean George-Brian Cook-Luke Walton</font> <font size="3">Coach</font> <font size="1">Phil Jackson</font></div> <font size="3">Key Injuries</font> None. <font size="3">Keys To The Game</font> Give Kobe The T-Mac Treatment - Just like we did with T-Mac earlier in the season, I advise double teaming Kobe as long as he touches the ball and let the others beat us. Yes, in the first meeting between the two teams Kobe only had 11 points and LA won it easily, but our offensive game was horrific that night. I am still a big proponant of crowding Bryant as soon as he touches it and let guys like George, Sasha and Smush beat. I'll take my chances. Working The Glass - Mihm, Odom, Brown and even Cook are very active players around the glass, so the Raps got their work cut out for them as far as fighting for rebounds on both ends. With Hoffa out, Bonner, Bosh and Villanueva must bring their best effort on the glass or LA will abuse us play after play. Don't Switch On The Triangle - The mistakes that some teams who play the Lakers make is when LA goes with the triangle setting up Odom on the top of the key and Kobe on the block, the opposing team sometimes tend to switch on screens to prevent the open shot, however, more often than not, Kobe ends up with a mismatch on on the elbow and the whole defence gets out of sync as confusion occurs, and end up with an easy shot for Bryant or an open jumper off the reluctant double team. Mo has to play Kobe tight in triangle situations and only send the double team as soon as Kobe recieves. If we're half a second late Kobe is smart enough to make us pay. <font size=""3"">Game Matchup</font> <div align="center"> vs <font size=""2"">Jalen Rose vs Lamar Odom</font></div> Taking up Joey's starting spot in the last game, Jalen Rose has been one of the few bright spots for the Raps on this road trip. With his offensive game back in full swing, JR provided the second option the Raps desperately needed to get a win in Seattle and mount a big come up in Portland only to fall short in a 2-point loss. In this game, Jalen will be matched up with the ever so verstile Lamar Odom, and it certainly isn't an easy task. Offensively, Odom has the height advantage on Rose, so Jalen has to be assertive and take him down in the post everytime possible. He must attack Odom consistently and try to get him to work on both ends. Defensively, Jalen's main goal is let Odom take outside contested shots and prevent him from being a creator. Lamar Odom is massively talented offensively that he can impact the game so many ways, and Rose must keep him in check and make it hard for him on both ends. The winner of this matchup will get his team the win. <font size=""3"">Let The Sir Speak:</font> On Phil Jackson handing out books to his team: "He needs to give that team a Bible. Only God can help them. They're terrible." <font size="3">Prediction</font> With a semi-blowout loss at Arizona the Friday night following an overtime heartbreaker iN Sacramento one night prior, I expect the Lakers to come out on their homecourt smelling blood. This game will be very close down the stretch, but due to absolute mismatch in coaching and the fact we're playing against the best player in the league, I expect LA to pull it out. Lakers win, 102-97. <div align="center"> </div>
I expect Mike James to have a good game...he hasn't been the same the last few games, so I sense he'll break out again tonight. I figure..Raps win by 4. Mo Pete to score the most points as well.
Should be interesting game ... Hopefuly we can use the T-mac game plan on Kobe and work this one out.... If he gets less than 30 we have a great chance of winning ... If not, forget it ..
HOLY **** 81 FRICKING POINTS THIS WAS A CRAAZY GAME we were leading at halftime by like 15 points n den kobe took over
81 pts ok...we all know lakers is a one man team (odom is like the 3rd option while rapist is 1st and 2nd..sometimes 3rd) i think the GM and the coach should go on tv now and announce their retirements to Siberia...i rather Maple leafs entertainment spend some money and build a winter palace in siberia and freeze those two guys than watching them manage/coach the team <font color="red">*Please refrain from baiting - VC</font>
And of course....as i posted in other toronto threads, toronto is a team that thrives in creating season high/career highs for nonstar players AND/or superstars FOR THE OPPOSING TEAM (eg. lebron, <font color="red">*****</font>, iverson etc) And tonight toronto gets to see the wonders again...good job
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting hohoyoyoyo:</div><div class="quote_post">81 pts by the rapist ok...we all know lakers is a one man team (odom is like the 3rd option while rapist is 1st and 2nd..sometimes 3rd) i think the GM and the coach should go on tv now and announce their retirements to Siberia...i rather Maple leafs entertainment spend some money and build a winter palace in siberia and freeze those two guys than watching them manage/coach the team</div> You mad? He just torched your team. Dude, he's not a rapist. That's also against JBB guidelines and suspension-worthy. Watch what you say. WOW...What. A. Game. Single-handedly demantled the Raptors in the second half.
Wow, Amazing I know some of you love the guy, but Sam Mitchell is officially the worst coach in NBA history. Now, nothing against Kobe's performance, he always dominates us, and absoluately destroyed, but when a guy has 30 points, most coaches would you know, double a little when he doesn't have the ball, but not Sam. When a guy has 49 points, you'd think it would be time to maybe start doubling him at every instant, nope, not Sam. When a guy has 60 points, you'd maybe think you want to do everything to get the ball out of his hands, no, not Sam, he waits till he get's 81 points and their's meaningless amount of time on the clock to start doubling him 30 feet away from the basket. Jalen Rose guarding Kobe? Don't know what that was all about. You'd think a coach would realize single coverage on a guy except for when he penetrates isn't working even at 60 points, no, not Sam Mitchell, that was as embarassing as it was amazing.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post"> Jalen Rose guarding Kobe? Don't know what that was all about. You'd think a coach would realize single coverage on a guy except for when he penetrates isn't working even at 60 points, no, not Sam Mitchell, that was as embarassing as it was amazing.</div> who else could have guarded Kobe?? Mo-pete is the only guy who can--but he was in foul trouble
Kobe scoring 81 to beat the Raptors shows how good of a team the Lakers are.Don't know what is more impressive,Kobe scoring 81,Kobe shooting 46 times or Kobe getting 2 assists.
Nobody on our team can guard kobe. We just have to hope that he misses and hope for the best. He single handedly carried the lakers to a win.
How about putting all 5 guys on him and letting everyone else have open layups. Let Mo Pete foul out guarding him then, didn't he end up fouling out anyways. That's not even that bad, but that fact that we doubled him even less than we doubled Tmac when he scored 35 points is what get's to me, how is that even reasonable. Jim Todd before the half: "We're gonna take a different approach, we're gonna let Kobe score and just stop the rest of the guys." Yea, that doesn't work if the guy is one fire and his teammates aren't interested in shooting at all. Yea you shut them down because they didn't take any shots. Even the Lakers commentators were saying that they could do anything against the Raptors with their soft zone defense.
That was an amazing performance but it is just plain embarassing for the Raptors organization. There is no way you should ever let someone drop 81 points on you no matter who it is. It just shouldn't happen. We need to make a coaching change, it's halfway through the season and Mitchell is still clueless on teaching the Raptors how to play defense.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe scoring 81 to beat the Raptors shows how good of a team the Lakers are.Don't know what is more impressive,Kobe scoring 81,Kobe shooting 46 times or Kobe getting 2 assists.</div> The guy shot 60% from the field, why wouldn't he take 46 shots? The other Lakers weren't even interested in shooting, so who cares if he had 2 assists, it's not like he was being doubled and had to pass the ball out. Wilt's 100 point game - 36-63 [57.1%] from the floor, 28-32 from the line Kobe's 81 point game - 28-46 [60.9%] from the floor, 18-20 from the line Philly won by 22 when Wilt had 100, 169-147 Lakers won by 18 in Kobe's game, 122-104 You can't criticize Kobe for going after the points down the stretch either, as Wilt did exactly the same thing. Wilt scored 59 in the 2nd half also, so Kobe's 55 is probably the 2nd best half ever.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting K8B:</div><div class="quote_post">You mad? He just torched your team. Dude, he's not a rapist. That's also against JBB guidelines and suspension-worthy. Watch what you say. WOW...What. A. Game. Single-handedly demantled the Raptors in the second half.</div> wow really...i didn't know that against the forum guideline...i don't htink i offended any member directly Besides, just that i live in toronto doesn't mean toronto is my team i just hate lakers more
I'm so glad i decided to continue watching the game, when the raps were up by 13 i was thinking of switching chanells. but damn, we saw history tonight.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting og15:</div><div class="quote_post">I know some of you love the guy, but Sam Mitchell is officially the worst coach in NBA history. Now, nothing against Kobe's performance, he always dominates us, and absoluately destroyed, but when a guy has 30 points, most coaches would you know, double a little when he doesn't have the ball, but not Sam. When a guy has 49 points, you'd think it would be time to maybe start doubling him at every instant, nope, not Sam. When a guy has 60 points, you'd maybe think you want to do everything to get the ball out of his hands, no, not Sam, he waits till he get's 81 points and their's meaningless amount of time on the clock to start doubling him 30 feet away from the basket.</div> Agreed.... I was wondering what was going on in Mitchell's mind. At what point was he gonna say enough is enough and start double/triple teaming Kobe or denying him the ball. I don't get it..... And another thing, what the hell is up w/ Chuck?? He was talking like the game was in the bag for us in the second quarter.... next thing you know, kobe goes off and scores 50+ after half-time. I just hope Dime magazine wasn't listening to our broadcast again or they'll have a field day with this.... But anyways, hats off to Kobe, that was just an AMAZING performance...... I didn't think it was possible for anyone (not named Wilt) to score over 80 in a game, unfortunately it had to happen to us....
