The Association

Lakers Starters Ice Down Early in W Over Toronto

by Craig Kwasniewski

Shades of the late 90's Bulls as the Lakers starters iced down their knees early in the 4th quarter during the the Lakers 112-99 win over Toronto. The Lakers have breezed through a flurry of mediocre teams and at 14-1 the they're headed for the Battle Royale on December 25th against Boston. Here are a few observations from my seats in Section 316:

Gasol is on fire! Lost in the LeBron to NY and Lakers going 81-1 talk is just how effective Pau Gasol has been on offense. It was predictable that that Gasol would get his fair share of good looks especially with defenses focusing on Kobe and bigs unable to double because of Bynum but Gasol has been NBA JAM on-fire in the past few games. And with every game his one-on- one game is more aggressive. Tonight he went right at Chris Bosh with a few post-ups and made it look easy. Plus as Phil Jackson pointed out in the LA Times, his rotational defense has been a pleasant surprise.

Bosh Off Night = Killing My Fantasy Team. My best fantasy hoops player Chris Bosh (a second round pick) has been a monster all season with double-doubles and 30- plus games left and right. Most of it courtesy of Jermaine O'Neal keeping the defense honest and preventing constant double teams. Tonight with O'Neal out (what's with O'Neal surnames and sitting out multiple games?) the Lakers swarmed Bosh, forcing him to take jump shots from the top of the key. So great... My Lakers roll while my fantasy hoops team tanks (staring five of Nowitzki, Bosh, David West, Brandon Roy and (heavy sigh) Rip Hamilton (bad draft pick because of too much alcohol because the draft was at Hooters and I drunkenly took Monta Ellis for my 5th pick thinking I got over everyone and forgetting that he's out for like 540 games, needless to say fantasy dratfs at Hooters has it's up and downs))).

Bargnani not living up to the #1 draft spot. Toronto got a quality 4th best player on their squad in Andrea Bargnani. CLEARLY he's no Dirk Nowitzki (as some scouts predicted)... he's a good role player (like Odom is to the Lakers) but nothing more. There's none of the "it" qualities that you see right off the bat in superstars. I'm not hating on the dude, I'm just saying that he's definitely second round talent and not the #1 overall pick.

Fisher - Calderon Clash: Maybe D-Fish took Rick Fox's criticism of the Lakers being soft to heart because his play was very Rick Fox confrontational tonight. Fisher was clear to establish a physical presence and was in Calderon's face all night even doing the I'm-not- fouling-him-while-leaning-in-with-an-elbow-to-the-face routine that Rick Fox was famous for. Or maybe he saw that youtube clip of the C's trying to get under Calderon's skin and went for a perceived weakness. Either way, it's nice to see a Laker play the role of enforcer... but the smallest guy on the floor?

WE WANT TAC-COS (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)!!!!

And with the Lakers holding Toronto to less than 100, EVERONE got Tacos tonight!

NBA Draft Trade Roundup: Jermaine O'Neal to Toronto for T.J. Ford Is the Biggie

by Brett Edwards

A few quick trades to report today as we get ready for tomorrow night's draft.

Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors in exchange for T.J. Ford: Good deal for both clubs. Indiana gets to rebuild with two first-rounders, and Toronto gets to team Chris Bosh and JO together (for at least the 50 games that O'Neal's healthy). Also, solves that silly point guard feud about who should start for the Raps.

Nuggets give trade their only pick to the Bobcats: Looks like Denver has no interest in the players who might be available at 20, and looks like Charlotte gets a chance to improve quickly with two first round picks. Nice move for the Bobcats, curious one for the Nuggets. Some possible reasons Denver might have done this.

Portland buys New Orleans' #27 Pick for $3M: Interesting move by the Blazers, who already seemed to have too many picks and players to begin with. Could they be stockpiling to move WAY up in the draft? Stay tuned.

A Few Links To Get You Caught Up

by Brett Edwards

To get you caught up coming out of the holidays, here's a sampling of what's been going on around the Association:

Kobe Bryant is considering a new type of surgery. Personally, I hope he doesn't try it, I think he's good the way he is.

Charlie Bell is having the worst season in NBA history. On the bright side, the Bucks only lost by 45 to the Pistons, so it's not all bad. Oh wait...

Lamar Odom received a one-game suspension for the flagrant on Ray Allen. Feel free to rest your starters there, Doc.

Chris Bosh going used car salesman to beg for All-Star votes. Funny? Sure. Will it work? Probably not.

Scottie Pippen is mouthing off in hopes of getting the Bulls head coaching gig. Yeah, I'm sure "obnoxious" is the first quality that the organization is looking for in their next coach.

Lottery Fever

by Craig Kwasniewski

The Raptors win, thaaaaaaaa Raptors win!

Trying feverishly to remove my ECF predition off the headline after Miami beat the Pistons in game 1, let's catch some lottery fever.

The Toronto Raptors will get the number one pick overall and a chance at...

Well this is a weak draft. But any good news should help the Raptors in their effort to keep Chris Bosh.

"I am very pleased with the outcome. It was a lot of stress at the end,” said Bryan Colangelo, president and general manager of the Raptors. "Now the Toronto Raptors find themselves in a situation with not only the number one pick but cap flexibility thanks to a couple of deals made by Wayne Embry. The combination gives us plenty of options and we are playing with a full deck."

For all you NBA Lottery history buffs and Elgin Baylor fans, here's a list of every lottery pick since the system was implemented in 1985. (Year-by-Year Lottery Picks)

Here's a link to the ridiculous amount of draft coverage on NBA.com. (Draft Lottery Central)

Mike James Fires Up The Quote Machine

by Brett Edwards

It took us a while, but now we're completely rolling on the Mike James train. James is having a stellar season for the Raptors, but he feels he's under too much criticism for not being a "true" point guard. So he did what makes the most sense: he apologized.

"You know I'm sorry I'm not the league's typical point guard. I'm sorry that I know how to put the ball in the hole at a very high rate. And I'm also sorry that I can still get over 10 assists while doing it."

Apology accepted. He also would like to know what will make people consider him a true point guard.

"What have I got to do in order to be called a point guard? Average 20 assists in a game. Is that what I got to do in order to be in this game?"

That would certainly help. Most of all it seems that Mike just wants to be trusted and left alone.

"I want to be able to roam the yard without no leash on, trusting that I'm not going to hop the fence or do anything stupid."

We'd like to trust that you won't do anything stupid, Mike, we really would. Oh, but we did hear that you want to become a boxer, would you mind clearing that one up for us?! At least we know he's thinking safety first. When asked if he would wear head gear when training, Mike ironically replied: "Of course, I'm not crazy."

Vanderjagt Night in Toronto?

by Craig Kwasniewski

The Toronto Raptors mascot dunks a football that was held by Dallas Cowboys kicker Mike Vanderjagt during first half NBA action in Toronto on Wednesday night.

In honor of the great Mike Vanderjagt, the Raptors players missed all three point shots wide right.

But seriously folks, I simply love the fact that those in NBA marketing have no shame. Just what the hell does the former choking kicker for the Indianapolis Colts have to do with the Toronto Raptors? I know he's Canadian and all, but does that mean that every single celebrity from Canada gets the special treatment at Raptor games? Call me when it's Graham Greene night.

Until then, here's a link for some cool Mike Vanderjagt t-shirts.

Mike James Is A Daredevil

by Brett Edwards

Toronto's Mike James is having a breakout season with the Raptors. And not coincidentally, he will be a free agent after this season. So Mike is already plotting how he will spend his free agent cash. Here are some of the items on his list, from a piece in The Toronto Star:

-A 10,000-square-foot home he's building on his 3.5-acre Houston estate. And the 2,500-square-foot guesthouse.
-A putting green.
-A kennel for his pit bulls, the most misunderstood breed of dog in the world if you believe James.
-The six-car garage to house his Maserati, Hummer and Lincoln Navigator, plus the motorcycle he suggested he already owns but that most NBA contracts would forbid him from riding.

Nice stuff. Even better is what James had to say about his upcoming free agency in an extended press conference yesterday: "The money that I make — the multi-year deal or whatever you guys want to call it — just give me what I deserve. Don't underpay me. I'm tired of being called an underachiever. I'm tired of being underpaid. And I've been underpaid since I've been in this game. Now it's time for me to get what I deserve."

OK, I get that. You had your above average season, so now it's time to get paid, and it's all about the cash right? Um, wrong I guess, if you listen to more of James' comments: "The money don't motivate me. The money don't motivate me at all." Alrighty then.

What about James' passion for living on the edge, should that worry a team ready to give him a big contract? James referred to "my Harley" and "my motorcycle" multiple times, then said he didn't own a bike. Hmmmm. More quotes on this topic: "I keep telling people, I'm an on-the-edge type person....Would you rather me lie to you and tell you I'm not doing it?" Uh, no, but why bring it up at all genius?

Two more quotes and we're done: "I'm sorry that I enjoy things that people are scared to death to do." You're so brave, Mike! And finally: "I don't need all 30 (teams) to love me. I'm just looking for one."

How about Portland, they could probably use another crazy guy who's into pit bulls, since the one they had has moved on.

Wednesday Wrap Up

by Brett Edwards

Lots to talk about after last night's games, so here are some thoughts on what went down:

- Kobe dropped 40 on NOOC in what he deemed a "playoff game" in basketball's return to New Orleans. Unfortunately for you gamblers out there, Mr. Bavetta was unavailable and three no name refs were assigned to work the game. Yesterday's prediction inspired a wide variety of responses, including Gary Coleman bashing, references to xxx films, and people losing their house on the game. Maybe we should leave point spread picks to the professionals.

- Paul Pierce is going crazy. He survived the flying birds from two nights ago to get his 6th career triple double and lead the Celtics to a come from behind home win against the Sixers. Pierce is trying to single-handedly carry the Celtics into the playoffs, and he just might if this keeps up. BOS is only 3 1/2 games behind the struggling Bucks for the final spot in the East. Pierce is averaging over 33 a game over his last 14, second only to Kobe. Definitely make some time to watch Pierce in the next few days, he's playing at an incredible level right now.

- In a game facing teams heading in opposite directions, Sacramento went and beat Milwaukee, and finished their 5 game road trip with a 4-1 mark. Sacramento has won 8 of their last 11 games, while the Bucks have lost 7 of their last 9. I did predict that SAC would make a run and get into the playoffs, which they are on their way to doing. I also picked the Bucks as a surprise team that could make a run, so hey what do I know?

- There's no D in Washington. The Wizards gave up 118 in a close road loss to the Heat. D Wade dropped 40, and was pretty much unstoppable in the Heat win. In their last 5 games, the Wizards have allowed an average of 111 points and have gone 1-5 in those games. I know the Wizards pride themselves on their scoring ability, but come on guys, you gotta play a little D if you want to get into the playoffs.

- The Pistons got back to their winning ways, taking out the Bulls. This game was very un-Piston-like, as DET trailed by 7 at the half before storming back in the third. This was a pretty entertaining game, as CHI was able to put up 37 in the 4th quarter on the league's best D. This is where David Stern sent Dick Bavetta, no doubt to ensure the Pistons would stop getting screwed by the refs. Not surprisingly, there were no technicals this time around.
- For the second time in two games, the Cavs beat the Raptors. Toronto's MoPete hit a 3 with 5 seconds left to put the Raptors up 2, and proceeded to whoop it up with the rest of his team like they had just won the title. Maybe they should have saved some energy for defense on the last possession, as the Cavs' Damon Jones got a wide open look from the corner to win it. Hopefully Damon was able to get some consensual sex after the game.

Still Jalen

by Craig Kwasniewski

You gotta love Jalen Rose... Despite having Kobe drop a T.O. on him Sunday night, the guy can still talk trash with the best.

During the Nuggets-Raptors game last night, fans at the Pepsi Center kept reminding the Raptors of Bryant’s 81 every chance they got.

In the closing minutes, one final heckler hollered “Kobe!” at Rose, who turned and quickly quieted him.

“Plummer!” Rose shot back, reminding Denver’s fans of their own nightmarish Sunday, when Jake Plummer turned the ball over four times in the Broncos’ 34-17 loss to visiting Pittsburgh in the AFC championship.

81...WOW!!!

by Craig Kwasniewski

"Hey, who's got number 8?!?!"

We at The Association placed a temporary moratorium on Laker posts to show that this is not a Laker blogsite but rather a NBA blogsite, but I have to shelf that idea tonight...

81 freakin' points by Kobe Bryant and I was there! Warning: I am a little pumped from this game, I may bring playoff level hyperbole. Here are a few observations from my view high up in the rafters:

1st Half: Unlike the 62 he dropped on Dallas, there was absolutely no feeling that this game was special by halftime. Toronto was hitting every jumper from 10-30 feet out. Charlie Villanueva, who looks lake a James Bond movie henchman, was killing the Lakers. Mike James was killing the Lakers. Gene Keady's combover was killing the Lakers from the Toronto bench. The Lakers looked tired and disinterested.

At half, I made sure to make an extra stop at the bar so that I can stomach what looked like one of the worst losses of the season. Yeah, Kobe had 26 points, but the Lakers were down 14 at the break.

3rd Quarter: The Lakers started the third quarter with the same lethargic effort defensively from the first half and the game had the makings of a 20 point Laker loss. This is where Kobe took over. At first, Kobe was in "screw you, I'll just score myself" mode. He took Toronto one-on-five and got hot. Kobe knew he was on when he hit a pull-up three from the left side of the court... a total temperature check shot.

As Mamba kept hitting jumpers and driving the lane, his teammates fed off the energy and played better defense. The crowd started buzzing after Kobe dropped several rainbow threes from the right side of the court. Jackson had the Lakers press the Raptors full court and the confusion led to several turnovers including one Kobe breakaway dunk that brought the house down.

4th Quarter: The fourth quarter was all Kobe... literally. As the game was still in doubt, Kobe kept attacking the basket. For a few possessions Toronto didn't communicate on defense and Kobe got some easy lay-ups. Seriously??? It's not like the guy has 60 some-odd points or anything!!! Someone MAY want to pick that man up.

From 6 minutes till the end of the game, the Lakers went to Kobe for every possession; waiting, wanting, hoping that he'd make the shot. At every made basket, the crowd went bonkers and gave Kobe a standing ovation at breaking his career high (62), breaking the Laker all-time high (71) and scoring the second all-time high in the history of the game (81).

-I'll give the artist formerly known as Jalen Rose credit, he really tried to guard Kobe really close during the second half, but Kobe was too scorching hot. This was one of the ten games that Jalen actually tried (17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds). Too bad he's no longer the cool customer from the Fab Five days.

-Do you think Kobe still feels that the Triangle Offense is boring?

-Finally, I'm a total team basketball guy. Most of my personal basketball memories come from team victories: Purdue winning the Big Ten when I was a student (1994-1995), the Lakers rallying against Portland in game 7, the Lakers winning the 2000 championship... this one ranks right up there...