Lakers' Lamar Odom practices mainly with second unit

Coach Phil Jackson says the veteran forward'would really helps us' as a sixth man.

It was only one practice, with a slew of them still remaining before the regular season, but Lamar Odom was not on the starting unit for most of Saturday's session.

Odom played primarily with the second string before being shifted to the first unit toward the end of practice. "We're having Lamar come in and play off the bench so that he can start thinking about how he can help the team and what he can do when he does that," Coach Phil Jackson said. "But I don't know if I'll experiment with it in a game yet."

The answer could be gleaned as soon as tonight when the Lakers play Sacramento in Las Vegas.

Odom has not been sharp in the team's first two exhibitions, averaging 1.5 points, two assists, four rebounds and 2.5 turnovers.

Jackson recently said Odom appeared to be playing a game...read full article

Kobe Jersey #1 in Europe, Gasol #3

First it was China, now it’s Europe.

After being the top selling jersey in China for two years, Kobe Bryant can truly claim to be a global brand as it was announced that his #24 is also the best selling jersey in Europe.

Bryant’s global appeal was also on display throughout the 2008 Beijing Olympics as he garnered huge cheers during the opening ceremonies and was mobbed at every event he attended.

Fellow Lakers star Pau Gasol has the most popular jersey among players hailing from Europe and is third overall. Before coming to the Lakers Gasol’s jersey was the seventh most popular in his native continent.

The full list of popular jerseys is after the jump.

Top 10 Most Popular NBA Jerseys in Europe:
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
5. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
6. Allen Iverson, Denver Nuggets
7. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
9. Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors
10. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors

Lakers' Lamar Odom doesn't get points for performance

Phil Jackson says that the veteran 'looks like he's either curling or doing some other kind of sport. He's not playing basketball.

The Lamar Odom experiment trudges along, slowly and shakily.  The Lakers' most versatile player had more fouls (five) than points or assists as a primary ball-handler on offense and small forward on defense in Tuesday's exhibition game against Utah.  Odom was in the starting lineup, a point of contention for him because Coach Phil Jackson suggested he might come off the bench, but his stats were insignificant other than the fouls.  In 20 minutes, Odom had three points, five rebounds and three assists.  Assistant coach Kurt Rambis said Odom's game was "fair to middling, maybe poor," and that Odom "didn't seem focused out there."

Jackson took it a step further.  "I just got through telling him that this is really basketball now," Jackson said Wednesday. "He looks like he's either curling or doing some other kind of sport. He's not playing basketball.

"The first shot he took was a three-pointer in the middle of the third quarter? That was pretty interesting."

Jackson was non-committal when asked...read full article

Jazz 99, Lakers 90

The Lakers have plenty to work on after a disjointed, error-riddled 99-90 loss to the Jazz in their exhibition opener. The team committed 24 turnovers and allowed the Jazz to shoot 48.1 percent. 
The two players who drew the most criticism from Lakers fill-in coach Kurt Rambis were Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum, both of whom had up-and-down performances. 
The 6-foot-10 Odom didn't exactly thrive in his debut bringing the ball up the court for the Lakers, scoring three points, dishing out only three assists and struggling defensively against smaller quicker Utah wings. Rambis summed up Odom's performance as "fair to middling, maybe poor," suggesting that the veteran forward struggled guarding quicker Jazz wings off the dribble and "didn't seem focused out there."
Bynum came off the bench to score 15 points and grab 8 rebounds in 24 minutes, but Rambis was not impressed with Bynum's defense.  "It was basically what he showed...read full article

Lakers - Jazz Running Diary

Pregame Chatter:
Before we tip off, let’s begin our Lakers-Jazz running diary with the most important NBA question one could ask: “Who’s winning the title this season?”

And no, I’m not just asking myself, because my content wingman Ty Nowell - call him Ty, Tymon, Tyson or C-Wing - is sitting next to me just a row up from center court in between the benches. Anyway … Ty, who will it be?

“Did you see Sun Yue’s suit??? Look how shiny it is!”

He’s not wrong, but let’s get focused.

“The Lakers,” came his answer, implying that I’d be silly to think otherwise. Having just arrived from Minnesota, I’m waiting a week to watch the team in action before making that claim. However, I will say that the Spurs and Rockets scare me the most in terms of challenging the defending Western...read full article

It's (almost) all good for Lakers' Andrew Bynum

Center has 15 points, eight rebounds and a few mistakes in Lakers' exhibition opener, his first game since suffering a knee injury in January. L.A. loses to Utah, 99-90.

The theme from "Welcome Back, Kotter" came over the loudspeaker and a strong ovation followed.

Andrew Bynum was back.

It was only an exhibition, a 99-90 Lakers loss to Utah, but Bynum had more good moments than bad in a 15-point, eight-rebound effort Tuesday at the Honda Center.

In his first game since sustaining a knee injury in January, Bynum backed down Mehmet Okur for an easy turnaround, dunked off a feed from Derek Fisher and pinned Paul Millsap down low on the way to converting a three-point play.

On the other hand, two of his shots were blocked and he had four turnovers in 24 minutes.

"He's shown some really good things out there and then he's shown some things that he definitely needs to improve upon," said assistant coach Kurt Rambis. "We keep impressing upon him that he's got to do a much better job of running...read full article

Opening pre season tonight

The Utah Jazz brought some serious mettle to the 2008 Western Conference Semis.

After L.A. opened the series with two double-digit home wins, the Jazz responded by taking games three and four in Salt Lake City before dropping the fifth game back in Los Angeles. Ultimately, Kobe Bryant (34 points, six dimes) and Co. closed Utah’s playoff door with a 108-105 victory in Game Six in Utah, as the league MVP pushed L.A. past fellow Olympians Deron Williams, Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko (don’t forget the Russians!).

On Tuesday night at the Honda Center – you know, the Pond – in Anaheim, the Lakers are sure to get an equally gritty, equally tough game.

Or … Not. It’s preseason game No. 1, after all.

The Lakers might just as easily be playing the Harlem Globetrotters, or better yet, the Washington Nationals. Wins and losses in the preseason – particularly in the early stages – mean approximately as much as staged arguments between Heidi and Spencer on “The Hills.” ...read full article

Woman charged with stalking Lakers' Luke Walton

Stacy Elizabeth Beshear is accused of following Walton to practice and his home.

An El Segundo woman has been charged with one misdemeanor count for stalking Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton at the team's practice facility in El Segundo and at his Manhattan Beach home.

Stacy Elizabeth Beshear, 34, was arrested Sept. 18 and appeared in Torrance Superior Court on Sept. 22 for arraignment and was released, Sgt. Steve Tobias of the Manhattan Beach Police Dept. said today.

Walton told police last year that Beshear was harassing him in November and December.

"She had been following him to his practice site and following him home and repeatedly asking him to sign basketballs after he'd already done so," Tobias said. "At one point, she got upset and was taking a Sharpie pen to his vehicle after he refused to sign a soccer ball."

Manhattan Beach police then met with Beshear, and she stopped what she was doing...read full article

Fewer minutes are almost a guarantee for Lakers

The small forward position is particularly crowded, with Kobe Bryant moving over for now to join Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Walton.

It's not a bad problem, but, well, it's definitely lingering there for the Lakers -- too many players fighting for too few minutes.

There's a logjam at small forward, especially since Kobe Bryant shifted there from shooting guard to make room for Lamar Odom's move to the backcourt.

Even if Bryant played less than 38.9 minutes a game (his average last season), it would be hard to squeeze enough time out of the position for Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic and Luke Walton.

"As far as I've heard from the coaches, everybody is going to be playing shorter minutes," Radmanovic said. "So, we have to prepare mentally."

Walton averaged 7.2 points in 23.4 minutes a game last season. Ariza averaged 6.5 points and 18 minutes a game, and Radmanovic averaged 8.4 points and 22.8 minutes.  Walton has been sidelined while recovering from off-season ankle surgery and Radmanovic hasn't shown...read full article

Lakers center Chris Mihm is back healthy

After three surgeries and countless frustrating moments because of right ankle problems, he says he’s fit and ‘playing above the rim again.

There was a time when Chris Mihm was the Lakers' starting center, when he was athletic and mobile.

That was three years, three surgeries and countless frustrating moments ago.
Mihm is back healthy, his surgically repaired right ankle no longer an issue.

"I've been running around with a smile on my face," Mihm said. "That hasn't happened in two years."

Mihm, 29, missed the 2006-07 season and has played in just 82 games the last three seasons.

He twice had surgery on his right ankle, one reconstructive. He had surgery on his right heel. He underwent three weekly sonar-wave treatments last season and still felt persistent...read full article

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol get acquainted

Pau Gasol doesn't smile blissfully on the way to work every day. He swears it's true.

The veteran forward-center is experiencing his first training camp with the Lakers after six and a half seasons in Memphis.

Preseason predictions have the Grizzlies near the bottom of the Western Conference, again. The Lakers, on the other hand, are the popular choice to win the West, if not the NBA Finals.

Not that Gasol is celebrating.

"Probably I did last year for the first month or so [after the trade], but I'm a guy that I always look forward no matter what, no matter how good things are, no matter how bad things are," he said.

His midseason acquisition energized the Lakers and helped them get through the rough-and-rumble West in the playoffs. He never played with Andrew Bynum until now. He likes what he sees.

"We're starting to develop our relationship on the court," Gasol said. "He's a young, talented man with a lot of potential. Hopefully he'll be able to explode this year and be able to produce a lot and...read full article

Lakers' Trevor Ariza is staying out of the storm

He's sidestepping the controversy caused by Coach Phil Jackson's comment that the former Orlando player could start in place of Lamar Odom.  

Quietly, Trevor Ariza stayed away from the storm created when Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said last week that Ariza could start this season at small forward in place of Lamar Odom.

While Odom voiced his unhappiness during the first two days of training camp over the possibility of being a reserve player, Ariza has gone about his business of playing basketball, leaving the melodrama to Odom and Jackson.

Whether he's a starter, sixth man or the last player off the bench, Ariza just wants to contribute.

"I haven't had no conversation with Phil about that," Ariza said. "I really don't care. I'm here to play basketball. Whether I start, come off the bench, whatever role I play, that's what I'm going to do. I'm not going to stress over it. L.O. is a great player too."

Jackson suggested the starting lineup could change if the big frontline...read full story.