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East Coast Lakers Fan Club
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A Showtime in Eastern Standard Time
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Here's a site with the babblings of a common Laker fan. It's just my thoughts and insights into the Lakers, and on the NBA in general. Basically, a good source of sports knowledge so you can wow your bar buddies.Living on the East Coast has its good and bad points in relation to sports. The NFL games come on late enough for you to sleep late, take a shower and grab some lunch before it starts. Unfortunately, the Nighttime NBA is a different story. West Coast games don't end until the early morning. Plus, unless you have a satellite dish or Direct TV, it's almost impossible to catch the Laker game. If you do, you're probably at the mercy of TNT and their mediocre broadcast team (can someone tell Hubie Brown to speak a little faster? The plays three minutes old when he's down with his commentary). If anyone knows of a live Internet video feed with Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz calling the game, please e-mail me and let me know.
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Top 3 1/2 Reasons Why the Lakers Won't Make the Finals This Year
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1. Free throws. Someone break out the tacos. Shaq's lack of talent at the line has affected the whole team. It's really painful for me to watch Corie Blount and Sean Rooks at the line, and now even Kobe Bryant and ESPECIALLY Elden Campbell seem to be affected. The last couple of years I've been really proud of the strides that Elden has made at the line from his rookie year. Up 'til this year, I had lots of confidence when Elden went to the line at the end of the game. All of a sudden, it's become a horror show. Red Auerbach once commented that free throw percentage was the only truthful stat in basketball. The Lakers are failing this test badly. We all know how important those freebies are late in the game, and especially in the playoffs. If you can't make 'em now in the regular season, how are you gonna make them with the pressure on in the playoffs? I will say this: once the Lakers can make 75% of their free throws, this team will be unstoppable.2. Shaq's health. This guy is the only legitimate rebounder on the team, and the last couple of seasons he's been inexplicably injury prone (fracturing a wrist on a punching bag? What are you doing big guy? Butterbean can wait 'til AFTER retirement!). Whenever he goes out, the Lakers take a few games to adjust to playing without him. They are still a top 10 team without him, but they're definately not championship material without Superman. Horry and Campbell just don't cut it in the rebounding department. One last thing, Shaq, no more Merton Hanks impressions. Watching your cheeks flap around like that guy in the windtunnel was not what I'd call pleasant. It won't make me go out and buy your tacos OR go watch your movies.3. The offense. It's too simple! Everyone knows that we dump it down low to Shaq or Elden, wait for the double team, then swing it around to the open man for the 18 foot jump shot or the three pointer. It was really hard last year watching the Lakers fall to the clockwork offense of the Utah Jazz, especially seeing Eddie Jones get caught behind solid picks. Jerry Sloan just picked the Lakers apart. The only time I don't know what the Lakers will do on offense is when Kobe has the ball. Check that, actually I DO know. The kid drives baseline, jumps in the air to draw a foul, then fires off a bullet pass to some guy five feet away. He's got talent, but he tries to go 1 on 3 too much.3 1/2. Overconfidence. The Lakers tend to think they can just turn it on in the fourth quarter, and tend to spot the other team a 8-12 point lead. I think a lot of this has to do with the recent absence of Shaq, because at the beginning of the season the Lakers were tearing apart teams and not letting them get back into the game. Hopefully this will right itself.
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Top 3 Reasons Why the Lakers Will Make the Finals This Year
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1. The defense. Every regular on the Lakers, with the exception of Van Exel and Rooks, is an above average defender. The addition of Rick Fox allows the Lakers to defend against the small forwards that were too quick for Horry yet too strong for Eddie Jones. Even Kobe is getting his share of steals this year. The Laker defense creates the fast-break opportunities for this exciting team, and the defense is the main reason why we can go on those 11-2 runs that break the game wide open or allow us to catch up. 2. Nick Van Exel. This guy has REALLY matured this year. I don't know if it has anything to do with that therapy he had over the summer to deal with his problem with authority, but he is certainly running the offense with more control this year. When an opposing point guard makes a shot in his face or makes a three, no longer does Nick come down on the right wing and try to bust a three in his face. He's staying under control and not getting caught up in the one-on-one battles as he has in years before. Nick also seems to provide the Laker offense an explosive lift when he gets subbed back in for Fisher. He comes in an ignites the team with penetrating drives to the hole. I haven't seen too many other point guards who are so consistent with their layups either on the break or on a drive to the hoop. 3. Team stability. With the exception of the great addition of Rick Fox, this is basically the same Laker team that played together last year. No big trades, no fear of Magic coming back
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