After watching this game, I'm a little worried about the Suns game. Earl Boykins speed killed us today. He was getting dribble penetration anytime he wanted and had the defense on it's heels. I'm not looking forward to the backcourt of Barbosa and Banks out there on Tuesday night. The other player who did major damage was Carmelo Anthony. He was on fire from all over the court and led the Nuggets by scoring over 30 points and shooting a high field goal %. Melo looks a lot more active on the defensive end as well, and could be a darkhorse for MVP honors this season. Lakers need to get a better defensive performance to prevent talented scorers from finding their rhythm.
<div class="quote_poster">NTC187 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Bynum finished the night with 25 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Blocks, very impressive performance. Also managed 0 turnovers and shot 9/12 from the field and 5/8 from the line. Will he be starting this season? Not just based on this performance, but has it been said if he is or not before?</div> He'll be the opening day starter, but only because Kwame and Mihm are injured.
Courtesy of LakeShow09 from LG Bynum Dominating the First Half (DVD Quality): http://www.sendspace.com/file/yjn9a6 Luke Schools Melo (TNT_DVD Quality): http://www.sendspace.com/file/lk25ys Bynum TNT Postgame Interview (DVD Quality) http://www.sendspace.com/file/x2oq8m
ok I dont know if people have posted about this yet but Bynun dropped 23 7 and 5.....those are staight vintage Cwebb numbers right there! I know it's preseason but still, that is encouraging as *****
I'm not too worried about the Suns game yet. We were without Kobe and were still in this game til the 4th quarter. The only thing that worries me about that game is whether or not we're going to be able to stop the penetration of Nash. Bynum had some issues protecting the hoop tonight whenever Miller and Anthony penetrated, so hopefully he fixes whatever issues he was having by Tuesday, otherwise the Suns will be living off layups. The only thing that worried me about tonight was the continued struggles of Vlad. He really, REALLY needs to start getting his shot down. We banked a lot of money in him and were hoping to get a good 3rd option out of him. Hopefully, when Kobe gets back, life gets a little better for him. Kobe will get him some more open looks and easier shots in general, which he'll hopefully knock down. However, if he continues to struggle during their practices the way he does in games, I wouldn't hesitate to start Walton. He showed some pretty good consistency in the preseason and already knows the offense. I think it might be a smart to start Radman off the bench to begin this season, that way he can just be our sparkplug while his hand heals up more and while he continues to learn the ins and outs of the triangle. Beyond that, he's been picking up a plethora of fouls in the preaseason, and that's something that definitely needs to stop.
<div class="quote_poster">NTC187 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Bynum finished the night with 25 Points, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists, 2 Blocks, very impressive performance. Also managed 0 turnovers and shot 9/12 from the field and 5/8 from the line. Will he be starting this season? Not just based on this performance, but has it been said if he is or not before?</div> <font color=""Red""><font size=""4"">EVOLUTION!</font></font>
Couldn't catch the game tonight. I was reading the recap on ESPN/Yahoo and they said that Kobe appeared to be in "severe" pain after his pre-game workout. Is this a cause for concern? Am I being irrational in worrying about this, and half-expecting Kobe not to play against the Suns?
<div class="quote_poster">yodawgsup Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Couldn't catch the game tonight. I was reading the recap on ESPN/Yahoo and they said that Kobe appeared to be in "severe" pain after his pre-game workout. Is this a cause for concern? Am I being irrational in worrying about this, and half-expecting Kobe not to play against the Suns?</div> It's a valid concern, Kobe could miss opening night. He said PJax will have the ultimate say in whether or not he gets to play and how many minutes he'll log. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Bryant, last season's NBA scoring champion, was on the court working out before the game. He took some perimeter shots, but his jumping was restricted. He also did a series of starts and stops and some lateral drills, but appeared to be in severe pain. "I don't know if I can get that specific, but what Kobe's expressed to me is that he still has problems striding out -- just getting out and running," assistant coach Kurt Rambis said. "If Kobe feels that this is all the time he needs and if he responds well to the stress and is able to handle the rigors of playing an NBA game, then he can make that decision. But whether or not it comes to that, I have no idea. He knows his body so well, but we as an organization are not going to gamble on trying to bring him back too early."</div> Source
