Are LA in a bit of a funk? Even despite winning four in a row? Well... I guess, yes.
Can we (as Laker-fans) press the panic button yet? Ummm... no. Not yet. Hands away from that.
The signs are getting better, and a lot of the things that need to happen are starting to.
- Is the starting unit beginning to distribute the ball more evenly? Check...
- Is the bench starting to look a little more than simply Lamar Odom and friends? Check...
- Are Gasol/Bynum playing more aggressively? Check...
- Are LA winning? Check...
- 50 before 20? 50 wins before 20 losses is one of the hallmarks of a 'good team'. Check...
- Are LA winning well? Well... ummm... depends on your definition of 'well'.
Yet another "perfect opportunity game" presents itself in the form of Minnesota at the Staples Center. Can the Lakers really put the foot down when needed? I guess we'll see.
Behind Enemy Lines
Dave used to be known around the traps as "College Wolf", but now he's stripped off the mask, and is simply "Dave Kelsey"... anyway:
Don (With Malice): How is Kurt Rambis doing?
Dave Kelsey (T-Wolves Blog): Not... good.
No one knows what's going on, although his backers are speculating it's "tough love" and he wants players to "earn their minutes."
Me, I'm just confused. I've mentally checked out, more or less, on this season about 30 games ago. No one thought we would be a good team, and for what its worth, we are truly rebuilding (again.) You have to at least let him try to develop players and put his stamp on the team, but is he even capable of that?
Did working with Phil Jackson and the awesome Lakers' teams make him look good by association?
It's hard to really know. I think there is probably a mix of that to some extent, but there's no doubt he does know basketball. But he's never really had the chance to run everything for a terrible rebuilding team like ours, so maybe he's not quite up to the task. It's hard to tell.
What we do know is that his rotations have been so non-sensical so far that its almost like there is something funky going on behind the scenes. If there isn't a noticeable difference in his rotations and our competitiveness next season, then we really need to start worrying.
WM: It's no secret that you bear no love for Kobe Bryant. Why is that?
TWB: Do any non-Laker fans like Kobe? I don't know how you could. He's so obnoxious, whiny, and arrogant. And he's good.
Part of the reason that I dislike him (and I suspect the same for other people) is because he's so talented and a winner. If he sucked, no one would care how annoying or smug he is. Alas, that is not the case.
WM:Last seconds of a game, you're down by 1 point. Who in the entire NBA takes that shot?
TWB: Grumble grumble Kobe grumble grumble. Sigh. (Insert depressed face here.)
WM: Minnesota bring in a 5-30 road record, and an 11-game losing streak to the Staples Center. Can they win against the Lakers?
TWB: Maybe if you start Ammo and MBENGA instead of Kobe and Gasol. Maybe.
WM: I've heard it said that Minnesota's so cold that you have gone trick-or-treating in 3 feet of snow. Really?
TWB: Well... first off, the cold doesn't really determine the amount of snow. All you need for excessive boatloads of snow is for the temperature to be below freezing (32 degrees fahrenheit)... which is pretty much always the case here during winter.
CW. Hates. Winter.
Why do I not live somewhere warm like Florida or Cali? I'm such a fool.
Anyways, I digress. Yes, most years we are trudging through snow while trick or treating. I don't know that we've had to wade through 3 feet of snow for every step taken, but there have most certainly been times where there was 3+ feet of snow on the ground during Halloween. Not exactly my cup of tea.
I laugh (cringe?) whenever I hear someone from California, or some other such warm locale, joke around about never having seen snow before... or about how much "fun" it would be if it snowed just once.
WM: There are some nice pieces at the T-Wolves, but at the moment I'd say you have no-one to play "Batman" - just quite a few Robins. Thoughts?
TWB: Thanks for the kind words, but I'm not sure we've even got many nice pieces. Our best assets right now are KLove, Rubio, and our upcoming high lottery pick. That's not exactly a treasure trove when we've been "rebuilding" for the past 3 years now...
Anyways, it's pretty obvious we have no 1A alpha stars on our team.
Our best "Robin" is maybe Al Jefferson, but his defense is so deplorable I'm not sure he's even a second option on a contending team. More like third or fourth.
If he's our best player, what does that say about the rest of our team? Love has been solid (before the past two weeks, at least), but his ideal role is probably 6th man on a contending team.
Let's just say we NEED John Wall or Evan Turner in the draft. If not, calamity will strike what remains of Wolves Nation.
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