Lakers vs. Warriors Preview

The Lakers showed that they had the desire, experience and toughness to compete at the highest level. These facts are some of the reasons that the Los Angeles Lakers challenged for the title in 2008, won it all in 2009 and will repeat in 2010.

A versatile and talented roster from top to bottom that includes All Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol has also meant a lot and Mitch Kupchak needs to be applauded for that. The roster number per game is 12; we all have a pretty good idea of who will be on the roster.

The only question here is about potential additions; The Lakers signed Tony Gaffney, Mickael Gelebale, David Monds, Michael Fey and Thomas Kelati. Gaffney and Monds played on the summer league team but the question is will any of them make the 15-man roster.

It is too early to tell, but Gaffney and Monds have a good understanding of the offense. In addition, both guys have the size that Coach Phil Jackson likes.

Gaffney is a solid defensive player who ranked third in the nation in blocked shots (3.8) in his senior season at UMASS en route to being name the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player the Year.

The drive to repeat officially starts 20 days from now but today the pre-season and the first of two exhibition games against the Golden State Warriors begins. The Warriors can put up points in bunches but have endured team turmoil all off-season.

Training camp and the pre-season are dress rehearsals for the regular season. Los Angeles needs to knock off the rust and develop some chemistry with new addition Ron Artest as the starter at the three spot.

I’m also interested in the development of Adam Morrison. He was one of the principles in the trade who brought Shannon Brown to the Lakers. He’s a guy who can score but needs to hit shots consistently, and he could become an outside scoring threat. The same can be said about Jordan Farmar.

Several people in the media have stated that the point guard position is the biggest weakness on the team. I can see the argument but I disagree.

What's important to keep in mind is that Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic had disappointing years but it was the addition of Shannon Brown that solidified the guard rotation. The clutch shooting and veteran leadership of Derek Fisher was also huge in bringing another championship to L.A. and that needs to be mentioned when the point guard position in L.A. is discussed.

The Lakers run the triangle offense and in said offense you don’t need a traditional point guard to run the show. The offense is predicated on ball movement, player movement and hitting the open man.

Tip-off: 7:00 PM PST
Television -
• Los Angeles: KCAL 9 (HD)
• Golden State: CSN (HD)
Radio -
• Los Angeles: 710 ESPN (Spero Dedes & Mychal Thompson)
• Golden State: KNBR 1050 (Tim Roye & Jim Barnett)
Injuries -
Lakers:
• None to report.
Warriors:
• PF Brandon Wright (Shoulder)
• PG C.J. Watson

Prediction: N/A in the Pre-Season

Raiders at Texans: Which teams’ young players will step Up?

A battle of two 1-2 teams takes place in Houston, when the Raiders and Texans clash. This isn’t the game of the week in the NFL but is sure is for the Raider Nation and the Texans faithful.

The sad reality is once the final gun sounds one team is going to have a record of 1-3; coaches and players alike will be forced to walk the plank by their Owners, the media and most importantly their fan base.

As it is with every game in the NFL there’s a tremendous amount on the line. Both teams at times have shown glimpses of success, moments of ineptitude, reasons to cheer and cause for concern in this young season.

This game has the potential of being a very competitive game but in this writer’s opinion a must win for both teams. In week 16 of the 2008 season the Raiders beat a hot Texans team that was on a roll. The Texans were in the process of attempting to extend their win streak to five straight but the Oakland Raiders weren’t having any of that winning 27-16.

The best thing about the game for Oakland was that it showed that this team has some playmakers and even better than that was the fact that the young players showed up and had an impact. The Raiders won with a total team effort playing well in all three phases of the game.

From that moment I was under the impression that this team would continue to build upon the success of this game and become much more competitive. Several key players that helped Oakland beat Houston in 2008 will not participate this Sunday; gone and definitely missed are C Jake Grove, LG Robert Gallery, FB Justin Griffith and WR Chaz Schilens.

Flash forward to 2009 and my vision of the team’s future has changed. To say that the Oakland Raiders have struggled would be an understatement but this week gives the team a great opportunity to right the ship. Houston is at or near the bottom in several defensive categories and Oakland needs to take advantage of that fact.

Offensively; now is the time for the Raiders to run the ball at least 35-45 times. Oakland needs to get all of their runners involved. Fifteen carries a piece for Michael Bush & Justin Fargas and a total of 15 touches for Darren McFadden would be nice to see.

The Raiders should be able to get the passing game going against the Texans but it is time for the team to use Louis Murphy & Javon Walker as the starters. I’m bringing up Walker because of the fact that he is a veteran and he’s being paid too much money to be a spectator. At the very least he can catch the ball and run precise routes.

The development of Darrius Heywood-Bey needs to continue but not as a starter in this game but he needs to be in the rotation. This should allow more much needed room in the middle of the field for TE Zack Miller.

Defensively the Raiders need to stop the run with either seven or eight guys in the box whatever it takes. Oakland gave up 215 yards rushing last week; it is a must that the Raiders get off of blocks and tackle well. Houston has averaged 29 points in their past two games to stop that number rising to three Oakland needs to display a pass rush and get after Texans QB Matt Schaub.

This is another area that the Raiders have struggled in but this can be corrected with a heavy dose of blitzing from the linebackers & secondary, stunts from the defensive lineman. Pressure right the middle will throw off the timing of any quarterback. The Raiders need to get to the quarterback hit him, make him rush his throws.

As fans we saw the Raiders put on a spirited effort against the Chargers on opening night so we know it can be done but this team needs to find a way to play well and finish games. Every team needs an identity and Oakland is searching for one however their identity is as a running team this Sunday Oakland will leave their calling card.

I’m looking forward to a few key match ups:

(Hou) WR Andre Johnson vs. (Oak) CB Nnamdi Asomugha

Two of the best leagues best at their respective positions.

(Hou) DE Mario Williams vs. (Oak) LT Mario Henderson

The battle of the two Mario’s call it round two in round one last year Mario Henderson held his own and was able to make Mario Williams a non factor doing the same thing two years in a row could go a long way to establishing Henderson as the LT of the present & future for the franchise and help win this game.

(Hou) MLB DeMeco Ryans vs. (Oak) RB Michael Bush, Justin Fargas & Darren McFadden

The Texans have used a lot of 1st round picks on defense and still can’t seem to stop anybody. DeMeco Ryans was a 2nd round pick and is one of the leagues best MLB’s and the leader of this defense. He will have his hands full against a team hell bent on running the ball early and often.

(Hou) LT Duane Brown or Rashad Butler vs. (Oak) DE Richard Seymour

Duane Brown a 2nd year player who had a solid rookie season and has been more than adequate so far. Butler is a swing tackle a good back-up that can play on the left or right side. Neither has the experience to handle the challenges that Richard Seymour presents.

Prediction: 24 – 20 Raiders

NFL-The Next Man Up

NFL franchises are officially back to work, their training camps in full swing. Adversity in the form of injuries has also affected teams as it has every year; several key players have gone down with significant injuries.

When it comes to injuries in the NFL it is identical to riding a motorcycle it is a known fact that if you ride one you will go down at some point in time hopefully you can recover from any injuries. Coincidentally when it comes to injuries in the NFL it isn’t a matter of if it happens it is a matter of when.

Let’s be honest injuries suck but they’re part of the game and a setback that has to be overcome. It is also an opportunity for the back up player to step up and prove he can be the guy. Here are a couple of guys who have made it happen. Can Joe Mays be the guy in Philadelphia? Can Corey Irvin, Nick Hayden or Marlon Favorite step up in Carolina? One thing is for certain both clubs and us fans we’ll all find out right away.

1. Kurt Warner stepped in for Trent Green in 1999
2. Tom Brady stepped in for Drew Bledsoe in 2001
3. Kerry Collins stepped in for Rich Gannon in 2003
4. James Harrison stepped in for Clark Haggans in 2005

If the entire organization (Owner, Front Office, Scouting Department & Coaching Staff) is one the same page and has properly built their team they’ll be prepared for this scenario. This is accomplished by drafting well with a 3-5 year vision in mind and clearly defined attainable goals.

In theory a teams 1st & 2nd round draft picks should be integral pieces to the puzzle that have the potential to be longtime fixtures for a franchise. A team should be drafting potential starters or players that can develop into starters in every round. However a team is actually built in rounds 3 – 7. Let’s not forget selecting un-drafted free agents to develop.

It has been said more than once that the best laid plans can and will go awry. Injuries have negatively affected the outcome of the season of several teams. It brings to mind the John Madden Football curse. I know to some people this might sound just a tad out of context but follow me if you will and it will make sense.

It must be stated that this isn’t a knock on John Madden Football. I absolutely love the game and have been playing it for years. Going back over the last ten years Injuries, having a significant impact on a team and being on the cover of the game have been synonymous. 1999 was also the first year that NFL players were featured on the cover of the game.

• 1999 Garrison Hearst - He had an outstanding regular season, finishing third in rushing yards. However, he suffered a broken ankle in the Divisional Playoff game against the Falcons. The severe break caused Hearst to miss two full NFL seasons. The team went 8-8 3rd place in the division.
• 2000 Barry Sanders – He is pictured over Madden’s left shoulder on the cover. Sanders abruptly retired in July before the start of the start of the 99’ season. The team went 8-8 3rd place in the division.
• 2001 Eddie George – George’s curse came in 01’ in the form of him failing to break 1,000 yards rushing and the Titans going 7-9 and missing the playoffs.
• 2002 Dante Culpepper – Culpepper missed 4 games due to injury, threw for 1,300 less yards & 19 less TD passes than in 2000. The Vikings went 5-11 their worst record since 1984.
• 2003 Marshall Faulk – Faulk played in the same number of games but ran for 430 yards less and had 4 less TD’s than in 2001. His worst since 1996. The Rams scored only 16 more points then their 1996 team that had Tony Banks at QB and Lawrence Phillips at RB. The team went 7-9 3rd place in the division.
• 2004 Michael Vick – Vick missed the first 11 games of the season with a broken leg. Vick’s QB rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt were all down from 2002. (* This is clearly a statistic that Vince Young wasn’t aware of by stating in an interview in the Sept. issue of Esquire Magazine when he stated that playing QB was all about your legs) The team went 5-11 4th place in the division.
• 2005 Ray Lewis – Lewis for the most part avoided the curse. His numbers were slightly down from the previous year, he missed one game. However, he didn’t record an interception in 2004, the first time in his career.
• 2006 Donovan McNabb – After week 9, McNabb suffered a hernia and was lost for the season. McNabb threw for more interceptions; his yards per attempt and completion percentage were down from 2004. The Eagles finished 6-10, in last place and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
• 2007 Shaun Alexander – Alexander missed 6 regular season games with a broken foot. He finished the season with 896 yards and 7 TD’s; his lowest numbers since his rookie season. He had a 3.6 yards per carry average; His career average was 4.4 yards per carry) The team went 10-6, went to the playoffs, lost in the Divisional Round to the Packers.
• 2008 Vince Young – Vince Young threw for 2,546 yards, 9 TD’s and 17 Interceptions. He did complete 62% of his passes and Tennessee went 10-6 losing to the Chargers in the playoffs.
• 2009 Bret Favre – Favre passed for 3,472 yards, 22 TD’s & 22 Interceptions. Favre & the Jets experienced a hot start but faded late after Favre injured his throwing arm and the season collapsed. Brett threw 6 less TD’s & 7 more INT’s then in 2007. The Jets finished 9-7 after an 8-3 start and missed the playoffs losing to the Dolphins with their former QB at the helm.


The NFL is the epitome of the next man up. Overcoming adversity and moving on is the name of the game. A highly important factor in answering the obvious question; can the team trust the back up and rally around him?

Oakland Raiders - Will The Lack of Talent at Defensive Tackle be the Raiders Achilles Heel in 2009?

Halfway through the 2009 Preseason for the Raiders and as fans we’ve seen some good things and some bad things but most disturbing is the fact that the team still can’t stop the run.

Reminiscent of a cold that you just can’t seem to shake, similar to having a sheet of flypaper stuck to your hand, the Oakland Raiders can’t dodge the fact that they’ve had great difficulty stopping the run for the past six years quickly going on seven.

Oakland has surrendered 150+ rushing yards per game, on average, for the better part of the last six years. To ask what is the problem or what has gone wrong are questions that are too obvious to ask.

The message to the new Defensive Coordinator couldn’t have been spelled out clearer: stop the run and get after the quarterback. It is way too early to say that they’ve failed because they haven’t. I applauded the selection of John Marshall & Dwaine Board as Defensive Line coach but these guys weren’t given the tools to succeed.

Defensive Tackle is a position of need that has been neglected in the Draft by Oakland for far too long. 2009 has started and this team needs two Defensive Tackles in the 2010 draft.

The last time the Raiders were stout up the middle against the run was 2002. I hate to have to call anyone out but we as Raider fans knew that this was a major area of need, that it had to be addressed and that the two best Defensive Tackles on the team were Tommy Kelly & Gerard Warren.

The blame has to be placed at the doorstep of Al Davis for consistently not addressing this position in the draft. As a Raiders fan I have also been a fan of Al Davis however there is no excuse for this happening.

The importance of the position has been overlooked, the idea of drawing a line in the sand and making a definitive stand on correcting this error has been put on the back burner for over a decade and it continues to be a major weakness.

When you talk of improving any team the first thing that needs to happen would be to improve the defense. Oakland has gone through another draft where the Defensive Tackle position wasn’t addressed, again, and it has been the Achilles heel for the Raiders as well as the reason for their demise.

The last five Defensive Tackles drafted by Oakland were Anttaj Hawthorne (2005), Junior Ioane (2000), Leon Bender (1998), Darrell Russell (1997) & Grady Jackson (1997).

Since the 2006 NFL Draft there have been a total of 80 Defensive Tackles selected. It is a known fact that playing Defensive Tackle in the NFL is night and day different than it is in college.

However, I refuse to believe that none of the previous mentioned players could’ve helped stop the disturbing trend of the Oakland Raiders making every opposing runner look like a Pro Bowl player.

Some of the Defensive Tackles mentioned anchor some of the best defenses in the NFL. What has happened on more than one occasion a solid defensive tackle is available in the draft but Al Davis has chosen to select a position player (WR, RB or CB) with Raider speed.

I’m not saying that having speed is a bad thing because as we all know speed kills but it does you no good in the middle of your defensive line. This writer stated in an article that the Raiders needed to draft not one but two Defensive Tackles or a Defensive Tackle and a Middle Linebacker.

I was told that I was out of my mind and that doing so made no sense at all. I often wonder what those individuals had to say when the team gave up 160 yards rushing in 2008. The same thought crossed my mind twice this year once in the draft when the team had the opportunity to make a definitive statement that they’re finally prepared to stop the run by selecting former Boston College teammates B.J. Raji & Ron Brace.

The second time while I was in the stands watching rookie runner Glen Coffee gash the silver and black for 129 yards in a little more than a quarter of football. I know that it’s pre-season and the games don’t count but Oakland surrendered 275 yards rushing in the game. Thanks to this Oakland ranks dead last in the league in run defense.

I compiled a short list of Defensive Tackles players currently on other teams that may or may not make the roster for the current employers but they’re players the Raiders need to keep an eye on to help them stop the run.

• New England – Mike Wright, Steve Williams & Myron Pryor
• Cincinnati – Jason Shirley
• Pittsburgh – Scott Paxson
• Indianapolis – Antonio Johnson, Daniel Muir
• Jacksonville – Jonathan Lewis, Derek Landri
• Tennessee – Kevin Vickerson
• Miami – Joe Cohen
• Seattle – Red Bryant
• Chicago – Matt Toeaina
• Washington – Antonio Dixon
• New York Giants – Anthony Bryant

We’re extremely close to the first roster cuts and the production generated or the lack thereof by Terdell Sands & William Joseph means that there’s a real chance that both won’t make the roster.

Jonathan Lewis has been released from Jacksonville and I doubt he’ll make a trip to the East Bay. I was surprised to see one of the guys on this list (Joe Cohen) has been signed. There are no guarantees but when you rank dead last in run defense the sign that there needs to more competition at the position and a need for new blood should appear like a large neon sign.

I’ve no idea how Ryan Boschetti & Joe Cohen will pan out but I like their efforts. I’m not saying that these guys will be the answer but could turn out to be steps in the right direction.

The offense will be better with much more production from QB JaMarcus Russell, The Wide Receivers as a group, TE Zack Miller and a solid trio of runners. I’m hoping that the run defense improves in 2009 although you and I know that instead of drafting a Defensive Tackle or two Oakland will sign a free agent.

The run defense is the biggest question mark on this team. This team will put up more points but needs to stop drafting on emotion and start drafting based on production. Leave the projects for undrafted free agents and get this team back on track.

Several people will never forget that the 2008 Lions went defeated and didn't win a game however from 2003 - 2008 that team won more games than the Oakland Raiders. The change for the better and the improvement needs to start in 2009.

The Lakers Crush the Nuggets 119-92 advance to the Finals

The Lakers saved their best game of the series for last in administering a season-ending beat down to the Nuggets in dominating fashion to return to the NBA Finals. Los Angeles showed that they were focused and ready to play from the start of the game.

Trevor Ariza set the tone early by knocking down three shots from behind the arc; he finished the game with 17 points.

Los Angeles was active, aggressive, attacking the basket and had everything working, Kobe Bryant wore the hat of the facilitator early getting all of his teammates involved, and then he showed why he is the best closer in the game.

Nine Lakers had taken a shot in the first half prior to him taking over the game. Los Angeles used a focused total team effort.

Kobe had 18 points on six-for-10 shooting, six assists and one huge blocked shot in the first half. He scored 11 of those points during a decisive 21-7 Lakers scoring run that gave the Los Angeles a 53-40 lead at halftime.

Kobe Bryant’s stat line for the game showed that he scored 35 points, handed out 10 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds. All of this was accomplished by efficiently shooting 20 shots. What it didn’t show is the leadership, teaching and motivating he did to raise the level of play of his teammates.

The Lakers used all of their weapons to increase their lead and had five players score in double digits.

Pau Gasol scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, had six assists, three steals and blocked a shot. Lamar Odom had another great game leading the second unit with 20 points and eight rebounds. Luke Walton contributed 10 points off of the bench.

Los Angeles held the lead for the majority of the game the lead got to high as 29 points and sent the Nuggets faithful to the exits with four minutes and 10 seconds left in regulation.

The Lakers bench outscored the Nuggets bench 40-34. Los Angeles out-played Denver in every way possible in game 6. The Lakers out-rebounded the Nuggets 38-27, shot 57.3-percent from the field, 56.3-percent from behind the arc and knocked down all 24 of their free throws.

Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points on his 25th birthday, JR Smith pumped in 24 points but to say this wasn’t the Nuggets day would be an understatement. The Nuggets trailed for all but a few seconds of the game and never mounted a serious charge after halftime.

The Lakers 4-2 series win over the Nuggets means that it is the 16th straight time that team has won a series after winning game one.

Kobe Bryant has scored at least 500 points in four different post-seasons, only Michael Jordan, who accomplished the feat eight times, has done it more.

The Lakers have advanced to the NBA Finals for the second straight season and their 30th appearance.

The Lakers are seeking their 15th title, Head Coach Phil Jackson is seeking his 10th NBA title; Kobe Bryant is after his fourth. Los Angeles became the first team to make consecutive NBA Finals appearances since the Pistons in 2004 & 2005.

The Lakers 2009 playoff journey has been a much more bruising and much more difficult task going through Utah, Houston and Denver than cruising through West as the team did last year.

The road to the Finals this year has taken the Lakers through an arduous, grueling and physical two weeks of basketball. Ending the series in six games has allowed them some much needed rest.


Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier & Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

The Lakers Win 103-94 Using A Balanced Attack & A Strong Close

The Lakers and Nuggets played this game even, the teams were tied after three quarters then Los Angeles put on a 23-5 run to separate themselves from Denver and take a 3-2 series lead. The Lakers got an excellent start from their reserves.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers in scoring with 22 points but he did it by shooting 13 shots. He wore the hat of the facilitator and drew countless double-teams and found open teammates. Those teammates knocked down shots provided.

Everyone who touched the floor contributed to this win however reserve Shannon Brown might’ve had the shot of the game when he got out on the fast break and put Chris Andersen on one of his posters by dunking over him.

Lamar Odom banged on Chris "the Birdman" Andersen as well and could easily challenge him for the shot of the game. The Lakers played with a sense of urgency, with passion and did an excellent job of executing down the stretch.

The Lakers were aggressive, attacked the basket and didn’t settle for jump shots. Derek Fisher & Andrew Bynum combined to score 21 points. Pau Gasol had another solid outing recording his eighth straight double-double scoring 14 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

Lamar Odom was active and finally put his stamp on this series. Lamar Odom stepped his game up and filled the stat sheet; scoring 19 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, handed out three assists and blocked four shots. He played like a man possessed.

The Lakers played solid defense in the fourth quarter causing the Nuggets to miss 11 straight shots. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets in scoring with 31 points, despite shooting nine-of-23 from the field.

The Nuggets are now on the brink of elimination and will have to bounce back at home on Friday. The Lakers have to continue to put the pressure on the Nuggets by playing well defensively, getting a contribution from everyone and getting Pau Gasol more shots.


Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Nuggets blow out the Lakers 120-101 to tie series

The Nuggets crushed the Lakers to knot the series at two games apiece. 48 hours removed from an outstanding effort by Los Angeles in the Pepsi Center to take a 2-1 advantage the Lakers came out lethargic with no energy and looked tired and got beat.

The Lakers were out-hustled, out-rebounded, out-muscled, out-worked and out-played in game four. The Lakers could be fatigued and showing the effects of going through a tough seven –game series with Houston.

The worse part about it was that the loss came on a night that Denver was playing with a sub-par Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups had an off night but finished with 24 points. Anthony & Billups combined to shoot 10-for-32 from the field.

The Nuggets received a strong contribution from everyone on the team; all of their starters were in double-digits. The Nuggets bench, led by JR Smith’s 24 points, out-scored the Lakers bench 42-24. The Lakers were destroyed in the rebounding category 58-40.

The Lakers trailed in this game from start to finish and really didn’t even compete in this author’s opinion. The officials unfortunately became part of the story by allowing the game to get out of hand.

I’m never one to say that the officials took a game from a particular team and I’m not going to start now, nor am I going to say that the officials were the reason the Nuggets won. Plain and simple the Lakers took a beat down by the Nuggets.

However the officials were too involved in this game as evidenced by the unfair advantage given by the disparity of free throw attempts 49-35. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers in scoring with 34 points on 10-for-26 shooting from the field and 2-10 from behind the arc.

Eighteen was a magic number for Denver in this game. The Nuggets out-rebounded the Lakers by 18 and out-scored them in the paint by 18. Denver also had 10 more points than Los Angeles on fast break points.

The Lakers as a team shot way too many three point shots (31), when you consider that they’ve a size advantage in the post. Pau Gasol is shooting 62.5-percent from the field and not getting enough touches. The Lakers need to make the adjustment of running their offense through the post.

The series is now tied at two games apiece heading back to Los Angeles.

Photo Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times