Following a recent game at Memphis, Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Jordan Clarkson left quite an impression on Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph. Clarkson scored a season-high 25 points on 12-of-18 shooting and added six assists. He kept the Lakers in the game until the fourth quarter, when the Grizzlies put their defense and talent to work and pulled out a 97-90 win. Afterward, Randolph was blown away. “That young fellow, he’s going to be good,” he said. “I didn’t even know who
Kamenetzky: Post-Kobe injury, Lakers Need to Embrace Total Rebuild
There’s a moment in the classic 1997 episode of Seinfeld, “The Little Jerry,” when Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer are crammed into the back of Marcelino’s store, about to send Kramer’s rooster (which he named “Little Jerry Seinfeld”) into a cockfight. Elaine, meanwhile, has been dating a man she thinks is bald by choice before learning he’s actually losing his hair. He asks her to marry him, before the follicular end comes. “Well, it’ll be a couple of years before he’s completely
Kamenetzky: Kobe Learning to Let Go of Lacking Lakers
LOS ANGELES — “You can only control what you can control. That’s really tough to process, it’s tough to let that go. But it’s the truth, man.” That was Kobe Bryant at the podium Tuesday night after his Los Angeles Lakers dropped their season opener to the Houston Rockets, a 108-90 home loss that wasn’t as competitive as even the lopsided score might indicate. Small picture, he was speaking specifically about the spirit-crushing injury – a broken right tibia – suffered by
Tweet of the Night: NBA players enjoy confrontation between Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, then react to Julius Randle’s terrible injury
This is now year two since Dwight Howard bolted the Los Angeles Lakers to join James Harden and the Houston Rockets. The center and Kobe Bryant never really showed much tension towards each other since the fallout, but that changed in a big way on Wednesday in the season opener on TNT. [Read more…]
Bernucca: Looking For a Championship Outlier? Try the Mavericks
One of the common complaints about the NBA – and a somewhat legitimate one at that – is that there are only a half-dozen teams or so that can truly win the championship. Think about it: Who do you have winning it all this season? Chances are it’s one of the “Fab Five” – Cleveland, Chicago, San Antonio, Oklahoma City or the Los Angeles Clippers. And you’re not off base, either. One of those teams is my pick – our staff’s
Five Things To Watch: Los Angeles Lakers
Over the last 35 years, the Los Angeles Lakers have been the gold standard for success, not just in the NBA, but across the Big Four sports in America. That’s the big picture. Little picture? The Lakers last season set a new standard for futility: 55 losses, more than any other team in franchise history. Nearly from start to finish, the 2013-14 campaign was a disaster of injuries and ire, much of it directed at owner and basketball operations head Jim
2014 Sheridan Hoops NBA Draft Live Blog- 12:12 a.m. Update
12:12 a.m. Eastern -Billy King could not talk about the 59th and 60th picks on record but those deals should be finalized by the end of the night. Xavier Thames and Cory Jefferson, who were selected by other teams, will be Nets. 11:53 p.m. Eastern -Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the newest Knicks player. He hopes to bring energy and effort to the team, he told reporters. 11:44 p.m. Eastern -The Knicks just took Thanasis Antetokounpo, the older brother of Milwaukee’s Giannis. He played for Delaware in the
PODCAST: Michael Scotto on the NBA Draft, Playoffs and Coaching Jobs
The Cleveland Cavaliers hit the jackpot by leaving the NBA Draft Lottery with the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in four years. What’s even more amazing than winning the lottery in three of four years? How about the fact that Cleveland’s “human luck charm,” Nick Gilbert, wasn’t in attendance as Joe Kotoch points out in his latest mock draft. Will the No. 1 pick be enough to make a possible trade for Kevin Love and entice LeBron James to