Post by hammi on Aug 2, 2005 14:44:25 GMT -5
For the Lakers, the final preseason game was played today in Seattle. A 112 to 107 win for the Lakers as Kobe Bryant put in 36 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. The Lakers finished with a 9-6 record in the preseason. Rookie Andrew Bynum was out for 2 games due to a stomatch virus, and veteran Alonzo Mourning stepped on the court and proved that he still got game. On the standings sheet, the Lakers hold the final home court advantage spot as the 4th in the west, but let's not forget this is just the preseason. Phil Jackson was satisfied with Drew Gooden's performance saying "He brings us the energy whenever we need it. He's our hype bunny that doesn't mind going against bigger bodies and diving for the loose ball. He's the janitor for the team, and still manages to put up great numbers. I respect that". Their captain, Kobe Bryant, averaged close to 30 points and 7 rebounds a game, showing how much he improved this past off season. Steve Blake has been placed as their starting PG after a couple of bad performances from Earl Watson. Blake averaged 11 points and 5.5 assists per game, which is solid enough for their GM Hamadani. "Blake fits our rotation perfectly. He can shoot from the arc, perform fast breaks well, and penetrate inside. Im glad he's on our roster this year, and we might resign him after the year is done.".
The 2nd Round pick selection by the Lakers, Von Wafer will be departing to the UBDL before the regular season starts. He averaged 3 points and shot 57% from the field in the 10 minutes he played behind Kobe. His performance was good for the amount of playing time he received, but Hamadani wants to test him out in the UBDL before letting him do his thing with Kobe. Phil Jackson had a talk with Hamadani about putting Wafer at the point, which would make sense if he proves himself in the UBDL. "Im not dissapointed by Phil's decision, he's the greatest coach in the game. I trust him and I think he knows best on what will help me in the future. Im excited about showcasing my talent in the UBDL and hopefully come back next year and get some minutes for the Lakers organization" said Wafer about Phil's decision to send him to the UBDL. The other rookie, Andrew Bynum has been marked as their franchise player along with Kobe Bryant, as GM Hammi rejected many good offers for Bynum.
So will Bynum be the next great big man for the Lakers? Will he be categorized with George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abul-Jabaar, and Shaquile O'neal? He's a 17 year old in a giants body, so anything's possible. It's up to Bynum and his coaching staff to develop into the next great. He sure has the time and potential, but his work ethic will need to pick up and his aggression on the court needs to increase. Currently, Kobe is working out with Bynum, teaching him the basics what he learned from Shaq when they were the stars in Hollywood. Alonzo Mourning is also spending time with the 7'1 teenager, who has bulked up from weighing 270 to 280. Phil Jackson's return as the coach will also help Bynum's maturity as he's known to turn young boys into young men. Bynum has a 4 year contract, and the Lakers believe he will bloom by his second year as a Laker. Averaged 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the preseason, GM Hammi hopes those numbers double once the season kicks off.
As for possible trade rumors surrounding the Lakers, GM Hammi has publicly spoken out that he's not interested in trading Kobe and Gooden. He wants to make cap room for 2 years from now, so he's actively talking trades that would send out Brian Grant. More from the Laker camp will come shortly after these messages.
The 2nd Round pick selection by the Lakers, Von Wafer will be departing to the UBDL before the regular season starts. He averaged 3 points and shot 57% from the field in the 10 minutes he played behind Kobe. His performance was good for the amount of playing time he received, but Hamadani wants to test him out in the UBDL before letting him do his thing with Kobe. Phil Jackson had a talk with Hamadani about putting Wafer at the point, which would make sense if he proves himself in the UBDL. "Im not dissapointed by Phil's decision, he's the greatest coach in the game. I trust him and I think he knows best on what will help me in the future. Im excited about showcasing my talent in the UBDL and hopefully come back next year and get some minutes for the Lakers organization" said Wafer about Phil's decision to send him to the UBDL. The other rookie, Andrew Bynum has been marked as their franchise player along with Kobe Bryant, as GM Hammi rejected many good offers for Bynum.
So will Bynum be the next great big man for the Lakers? Will he be categorized with George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abul-Jabaar, and Shaquile O'neal? He's a 17 year old in a giants body, so anything's possible. It's up to Bynum and his coaching staff to develop into the next great. He sure has the time and potential, but his work ethic will need to pick up and his aggression on the court needs to increase. Currently, Kobe is working out with Bynum, teaching him the basics what he learned from Shaq when they were the stars in Hollywood. Alonzo Mourning is also spending time with the 7'1 teenager, who has bulked up from weighing 270 to 280. Phil Jackson's return as the coach will also help Bynum's maturity as he's known to turn young boys into young men. Bynum has a 4 year contract, and the Lakers believe he will bloom by his second year as a Laker. Averaged 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the preseason, GM Hammi hopes those numbers double once the season kicks off.
As for possible trade rumors surrounding the Lakers, GM Hammi has publicly spoken out that he's not interested in trading Kobe and Gooden. He wants to make cap room for 2 years from now, so he's actively talking trades that would send out Brian Grant. More from the Laker camp will come shortly after these messages.
