How to Defend Kobe and LeBron

The last few games have served as a blueprint for teams as to how to defend great players like LeBron and Kobe. You can't stop either player so you have to make them one dimensional. Kobe and LeBron are at their best when they are able to get their teammates involved. LeBron had his first game without an assist recently and the Cavs lost. The Lakers are most vulnerable when Kobe has to carry the scoring load by himself. One player can beat a team on any given night but in a seven game series one player won't beat a great team.

The teams that have the most success against the Lakers, Cavs rely on single coverage and try to funnel Kobe and LeBron to where their help defense is. The key is to make them scorers and not playmakers. Turn them into jump shooters instead of assist men. It takes a great defender to utilize this game plan. Kobe or LeBron may go off for 50 or even 60 but their teammates will be standing around watching. Then if a teammate is needed to hit a crucial shot, they will be out of rhythm and not in the normal flow of the game.

Nuggets Knock off Lakers 90-79

The Lakers scored a season low 79 points against the Nuggets Friday night and had their worst shooting night of the season. The Lakers shot a putrid 29% from the field and less than 10% from 3 point land. The Lakers missed almost 70 shots. That's right, 70 shots! Kobe had a horrible shooting night going 10-31 from the field. Lamar Odom went 5-17, Trevor Ariza was 0-6 and Derek Fisher shot 2-7. Denver was paced by 22 points apiece from Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith. Tonight's game was a combination of a tremendous defensive effort from a good Nuggets team and a tired Lakers team. L.A. doesn't have much time to lick their wounds. The Lakers have a rematch against Phoenix Sunday afternoon.

Lakers Blast The Suns

This was not the way Shaquille O'Neal envisioned his return to L.A. This game was over in the first quarter. The Nashless Suns didn't have a chance against the NBA's best team. The Lakers starters had an early night only playing 28 minutes. Kobe scored 22 and Lamar Odom added 23. L.A. got 58 points from the bench to blitz the Suns 132-106. Things got so bad that D.J. Mbenga and Adam Morrison even played. Things were so bad that Leandro Barbosa led the Suns in scoring with 18. The Lakers looked younger and quicker than Phoenix. They pushed the ball every chance that they got and scored easy baskets. The Lakers defense gave the Suns fits all night. Phoenix struggled just bringing the ball up the court. L.A shot a ridiculous 57% from the field and 45% from 3 point land.

The Lakers next game is tonight against the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers are the Most Complete Team In The NBA

The Lakers crushed the Thunder last night 107-93 last night to run their record to 47-10. Kobe Bryant erupted for 36 points on 13 for 21 shooting. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points but it wasn't enough to overcome L.A. The Lakers now have an 8 game lead with 25 to play over the Spurs for the Western Conference's number 1 seed. The Lakers continue to play the basketball in the NBA and look like a sure bet to go to the Finals. L.A. is so deep that they have only lost one game since losing their starting center. The Lakers have swept the season series from the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and seem poised to make a long playoff run. If L.A. gets a healthy Bynum back in time for the playoffs, I don't see how any team in the NBA can contend with the Lakers team depth and front court height. Throw in the NBA's best 4th quarter finisher and L.A. has a great shot at winning its first championship since 2002.

Is Greg Oden the Next Sam Bowie?

The 2007 NBA Draft is looking more and more like the 1984 NBA Draft. For those who don't remember in 1984 Sam Bowie was drafted ahead of Michael Jordan with the number 2 pick in the draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. Bowie was drafted because the Blazers drafted based on need and not based on talent. The Blazers already had Clyde Drexler so they passed on the greatest player in NBA history. Bowie turned out to be an average NBA player who was consistently injured. His unspectacular career ended in 1995.

Fast forward to 2007, Portland had the 1st pick in the NBA draft and chose Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. The Blazers already had Brandon Roy and needed a big man so they passed on Durant. While it is still too early to call Oden a bust, it does look like Oklahoma City got the better player. Greg Oden has underperformed and battled injuries; Durant has blossomed into the NBA's youngest star. Oden has played in only 46 games in 2 seasons and is averaging 9 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Oden will probably turn out to be a decent center but I doubt he will ever be one of the greats. All time great centers like Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing came in the league averaging over 20 PPG and 10 REBS as rookies. His numbers are nowhere near what elite centers put up as rookies. Number one picks Yao Ming and Dwight Howard put up better numbers than Oden has in his first season. Oden seems more like a Marcus Camby, Dikembe Mutombo type who will rebound and play good defense but is limited offensively.

Teams should learn a lesson from the picks of Sam Bowie, Darko Milicic and Greg Oden. It is always better to draft the best talent as opposed to just filling a need.

Who is the Best Center in the NBA?

Who do you think is the best center in the NBA? I have trimmed the list down to four worthy candidates.

Dwight Howard 20.9 PPG, 14,2 REBS

Al Jefferson 23.1 PPG, 11 REBS

Yao Ming 19.8PPG, 9.6 REBS

Shaquille O'Neal 17.4 PPG, 8.8 REBS

Rising Rondo

I was watching the Suns Celtics game and couldn't get over how well Rajon Rondo was playing. In a game that featured Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Shaquille O'Neal and Ray Allen; Rajon Rondo was the best player on the court. He dominated the game by driving for layups, knocking down jumpers and his rebounding. He knew when to push the ball for a fastbreak and when to pull the ball back out to set up the half court offense. Rondo's game has gotten much better from his 1st year as a starter last season. He is another weapon that the Celtics have when the playoffs come around. When Kevin Garnett is healthy, the Celtics don't need Rondo to score much just to facilitate the offense. With Garnett out for the next 2-3 weeks the Celtics will need Rondo to be more of a scorer. As today's game showed he is more than up to the challenge.

Who is the Best Power Forward in the NBA?

For the next five days I am going to look at all five positions in the NBA and take a look at the best players. I will start with the closest competition which is at the power forward position. I have narrowed the list down to the following players. Who do you think is currently the best power forward in the NBA?

Chris Bosh 22.5 Pts, 9.5 Rebs

Tim Duncan 20.8 Pts, 10.7 Rebs

Kevin Garnett 16.3 Pts, 8.8 Rebs

Pau Gasol 18.3 Pts, 9.5 Rebs

Antawn Jamison 21.6 Pts, 9.2 Rebs

Dirk Nowitzki 25.5 Pts, 8.4 Rebs

Amar'e Stoudamire 20.3 Pts, 8.1 Pts

David West 19.7 Pts, 7.7 Rebs

L.A. Holds On to Beat The Hornets

The Lakers beat the Hornets 115-111 in overtime at the Staples Center. The Hornets had a furious rally in the 4th quarter to send the game to overtime. New Orleans trailed by 13 going into the 4th and got big games from Rasual Butler and Chris Paul. Butler led the Hornets in scoring with 31. Paul fouled out in overtime finishing the night with 21 points, 16 assists and 4 steals. David West added 16 points and 16 boards. Kobe bailed the Lakers out again with 39 hard earned points. Pau Gasol added 20 points and 12 rebounds. Odom had a quiet 12 points and 17 rebounds. This was a tough win for L.A as the Hornets pushed them to the brink over and over again. Butler kept getting threes in overtime whether by hitting a 3 pointer or on a 3 point play. L.A. held tough though and Kobe made just enough plays to win the game. The Lakers picked up their 45th win of the season. They have the best record in the NBA at 45-10 and are now 8-1 since Andrew Bynum's injury. Good win for L.A.

Tyson Chandler Trade Canceled

It looks like Tyson Chandler will stay a New Orleans Hornet after all. Tyson Chandler failed his physical and the Oklahoma City Thunder rescinded the trade with the Hornets. It will be interesting to see if the Hornets try to work out a quick deal for Chandler before today's trade deadline. If not it will be interesting to see how Chandler responds knowing that the Hornets wanted him gone. I know that Chris Paul and David West will be happy that he is back. Surprisingly the Hornets are 2-0 since Chandler was traded.

Lakers Win A Close One

L.A. won a tough one last night 129-121 over the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were energized by their home fans and gave the Lakers a much tougher game than I expected. Kobe dropped 30 and had 9 assists. Gasol kicked in 24 points and 13 boards. Lamar Odom contributed 22 and 7 boards. Trevor Ariza added 17 points off the bench. Josh Powell, that's right Josh Powell, had a big night with 16 points. Jamal Crawford gave the Lakers fits all night scoring 23. Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette scored 24 points apiece for Golden State. L.A. has won 9 out of 10 and is playing the best basketball in the NBA right now. The Lakers won a game against a hungry motivated Golden State team that played about as well as they could.

The Lakers will go for their 45th win of the season Friday night against the Hornets.

Vince Carter to the Spurs?

According to Stephen A. Smith, the Nets are shopping Vince Carter to the Spurs for expiring contracts. The Nets would get back Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Kurt Thomas and some throw in players. The Nets badly want to unload Vince's bloated contract so that they can make a run at LeBron James in 2010. This would be a great move for the Spurs. If they can pair Vince up with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili they would instantly become the favorites in the Western Conference. The move might push the Spurs into a luxury tax next year but I think it's worth it. The Spurs have a 2-3 year window with their current core of players and should take a shot at winning it all this year. The move would cost the Spurs about 40 million over the next 2 seasons and then they could unload Vince.

This would be a bad trade for the Nets. I know that they would get salary cap relief in the future but they wouldn't get any star caliber player back. The only way this works for the Nets is if they can convince LeBron, D Wade, Chris Bosh or Yao Ming to come to New Jersey in 2010.

Lakers Clip the Hawks

It was a total team effort last night as the Lakers cruised to a 96-83 victory. The Lakers got back in the win column last night. L.A. coasted as the Lakers had a 25 point lead at the end of the third quarter. Six Lakers scored in double figures led by Lamar Odom with 15 points and 20 rebounds. Fisher had 14 and Kobe had a season low 10 points. Pau Gasol put together a triple double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. The Lakers got 37 points off the bench led by Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar with 10 apiece. The Lakers starters were able to sit out the entire 4th quarter and watch the game. The Hawks appeared overmatched all night. L.A. took advantage of their significant size advantage inside. Atlanta was led by Joe Johnson with 14 and Josh Smith with 13.

The Lakers don't have much time to enjoy this win as they play Golden State tonight at 10:30pm. This should be an easy win for L.A. as the Warriors are not that talented and should be rusty from the long layoff.

Vince for TMac??

The Nets and Rockets are considering swapping cousins trading Tracy McGrady for Vince Carter. The Rockets have grown tired of the often injured Tracy McGrady. McGrady was once considered an untouchable by the Rockets. They envisioned McGrady and Yao being as formidable a partnership as Shaq and Kobe were. It never happened. Yao and McGrady are always hurt. They have never even played closed to a full season together. TMac's problems have never been from a lack of effort just a lack of good health.

Meanwhile Vince Carter hasn't been right since he left Toronto. He was one of the games most exciting players when he was in Toronto. Vince has always been too eager to settle for the long jumper. He is not aggressive enough and does not attack the basket. Vince is content just being a pretty good player and not a great one. If Vince maximized his ability he would be mentioned in the same breath with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

I don't think that this deal would make much of a difference to either team. The Rockets are not much better with VC instead of TMac. The Nets still wouldn't match up any better with the Celtics or Cavs if they did get McGrady. It makes you wonder just what would have happened if Vince and Tracy had stayed in Toronto and played together their whole careers. Maybe things would have turned out differently.

Tyson Chandler Traded

The New Orleans Hornets have traded Tyson Chandler to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Wilcox and Joe Smith. This could turn out to be a win win for both teams. I like Tyson Chandler as a player because he is a good rebounder and shot blocker who has some offensive skills. Oklahoma City already has Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook so they really don't need Chandler to score much. I like this move for New Orleans even more. New Orleans had gotten as far as they could with their current core. Chris Paul needs some help on the offensive end. The only weapon that he has is David West. Peja Stojakovic is having his worst season in 10 years. Joe Smith is a solid veteran defender who can give you 15-20 minutes a game and hit the midrange jumper. Chris Wilcox has tremendous upside. I remember how explosive he was in college at the University of Maryland and in Seattle. Wilcox has not been getting much time since the Thunder moved from Seattle. Wilcox could easily be a 15 and 10 guy with his athletic ability. He has a much better offensive game than Tyson Chandler.

The Next Great One

Move over Kobe, Lebron, CP3. Make room for Kevin Durant. I was watching the NBA's rookies vs sophomores game and one thing that stood out to me was the play of Kevin Durant. Durant was draining 3's from way behind the 3 point line on his way to scoring 46 points. He also won the NBA's HORSE competition and that ugly looking trophy. Durant is only 20 years old but it is obvious that he is the NBA's next young superstar. He is 5th in the NBA and scoring at 25.5 per night. This goes unnoticed because he plays for such a bad team. Durant is the bright spot on a terrible Oklahoma City Thunder team.

Based on the first two years of their career K.D. looks like the winner in the 2007 NBA draft. While Greg Oden has been injured and put up average numbers, Durant has played up to the level of a NBA All Star. I think that Greg Oden will turn out to be a solid pro and even make a few All Star teams. He reminds me of an Emeka Okafor, Dikembe Mutombo, Marcus Camby type center. A solid player but not a superstar. Durant has the scoring ability of a Dominique Wilkins but with the shooting ability of a Ray Allen. Durant still needs to gain some weight and add more muscle to his frame. This weekend was probably just the beginning of a string of All Star appearances for Kevin Durant.

Terry Porter is Out

According to multiple media outlets, Phoenix Suns head coach Terry Porter will be fired this week. Media outlets are reporting that Porter could be fired as early as tomorrow. Suns general manager is quoted as saying "We haven't made a decision." The Suns management is holding a meeting tonight to determine Porter's future. You can tell from this statement that Porter is a goner.

Terry Porter never really stood a chance. He tried to change the Suns from their fast paced offensive style into a defensive oriented team. Steve Kerr and Amar'e Stoudamire never brought into his system. Porter has recently tried to switch the Suns back to a faster tempo team again. This hasn't worked either with the Suns falling to 9th place in the West. The truth is that the Suns are too old and not talented enough anymore to win a championship. They do not match up well with teams like the Celtics, Spurs, Lakers and Cavs. These issues are not all Terry Porter's fault. He deserved better. Assistant coach Alvin Gentry will take over the coaching duties.

NBA Hall of Fame Finalists

The Basketball Hall of Fame released it list of the 2009 finalists. This is my take. Michael Jordan, David Robinson and John Stockton are first ballot Hall of Famers without a doubt. Dennis Johnson and Bernard King were good players who had some really good seasons but they are not Hall of Famers. They belong in the Hall of the Very Good. Jerry Sloan is a Hall of Fame Coach. Don Nelson is not. Chris Mullin is borderline but not a Hall of Famer. He belongs in the class with Dan Majerle and Tom Chambers. A really good player who had some All Star seasons but was never the man on his own team. The other players that are nominated were way before my team so I cannot speak to their credentials.

What were the Heat thinking?

The Miami Heat traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks for Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon and a draft pick. I don't understand exactly what the Heat were thinking. This move would make sense if the Heat were getting 2003 or 2004 Jermaine O'Neal but the Heat are getting 2008 Jermaine O'Neal. O'Neal has seen his scoring average decline for the last 5 years. He may only be 30 but he has played 12 NBA seasons which makes his body closer to 35. Miami has no idea what to expect from him on a nightly basis. O'Neal is as likely to give the Heat 7 points as he is 20 points. He is no longer an elite big man and is not a consistent player.

The Heat lose Shawn Marion's expiring contract and have to pay 23 million dollars to a big man who is worth nowhere near that amount of money. I think that the Heat would have been better served to have used Marion's expiring contract to go after Carlos Boozer or Amar'e Stoudamire. Both are younger big men with much more upside. Boozer is a free agent and Stoudamire could have been gotten through a trade. I do like the pickup of Jamario Moon because he enables Dwyane Wade to save energy on the defensive end of the court. Moon can guard the Kobe's and Lebron's while Wade can focus on defending lesser talents.

I don't think this trade makes Toronto much better. The Raptors have an uphill task of even trying to get a number 8 seed in the East. They don't have any realistic shot of getting past the first round if they are able to get in the playoffs. This does give the Raptors cap room for the off season but I don't see them being able to entice any of the star free agents to come play in Toronto. The Raptors will have a hard enough time convincing Chris Bosh not to bolt after next season.

Win Streak Snapped

The Lakers 7 game win streak was snapped last night in a 113-109 loss to the Utah Jazz. It looked like L.A. would pull this one out when Kobe hit a 3 to give the Lakers a lead with just over a minute left. But Paul Milsap hit a big 3 to give the Jazz the lead for good. Deron Williams hit some big shots late to seal the win for the Jazz. Kobe had a rough night last night. He scored 37 points but he needed 33 shots to get those points. Lamar Odom had another monster game with 19 points and 19 rebounds. Derron Williams was dominant for the Jazz contributing 31 points and 11 assists. Mehmet Okur kicked in 22 points and C.J. Miles added 22.

You expect Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur to get their points but not C.J. Miles. The Lakers were outplayed at the small forward position by Miles. Miles doubled the output of Luke Walton and Trevor Ariza. The Lakers played terrible defense allowing the Jazz to shoot 58.6% from the field. L.A. missed far too many open shots yesterday. One bright spot in the game was Odom. Sometimes you forget just how good a player Lamar Odom truly is because he scarifices his game for the team. The last few games Odom has shown just how dominant he can be.

They will have a chance to start a winning streak against Tuesday night against the Hawks. The Lakers go into the All Star break with a record of 42-10.

Are the Lakers the 3rd best team in the NBA?

ESPN's John Hollinger has the Celtics listed as his number 1 team in the Hollinger's Power Rankings. This is despite the fact that the Lakers have the best record in the NBA and swept the season series from the Celtics. So, where does Hollinger rank L.A.? Are they listed as the second best team in the NBA? No, that honor belongs to the Orlando Magic. The Magic have lost four more games than the Lakers and are not even one of the top two teams in the East. Hollinger has the Lakers are listed as the third best team in the NBA.

That's ridiculous! I can't believe that he still has the Lakers ranked 3rd after the week that they just had. The Lakers are clearly the best team in the NBA as their 7-0 road trip confirmed. They lost their starting center and still managed to defeat the 2 best teams in the Eastern conference on their home court. Do you think the Celtics could beat the Lakers in L.A. without one of the big three? Could Orlando run off the stretch of wins that the Lakers just did? I doubt it. At least Marc Stein has his head on straight. He has moved the Lakers up from number 4 team to his number 1 team after this past week.

The Lakers are playing the best basketball in the NBA and are the hottest team going into the All Star break. If they continue playing at their current level there is no reason that they will not be the favorites going into the NBA playoffs.

L.A. Beats the Thunder 105-98

Seven in a row. The L.A. Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to push their winning streak to seven straight games. The big three led the Lakers to a relatively easy win. The Lakers never trailed after the second quarter. Kobe scored 34 points and 7 rebounds, Gasol scored 22 points and had 14 rebounds, Lamar Odom added 12 points and 18 rebounds. Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic kicked in 27 points off the bench. The Thunder were led by sophomore phenom Kevin Durant with 31. Russell Westbrook added 17 and Jeff Green had 16 as the Thunder dropped to 13-39.

Kobe is making a serious run at the NBA's MVP award. He has led the Lakers to the best record in the NBA at 42-9 just as LeBron James and the Cavs are hitting a rough stretch. Kobe has taken this team on his shoulders and is averaging over 35 PPG for the month of February.

The Lakers will try to win their eight in a row against the Jazz tomorrow night. This is the Lakers last game before the All Star break and hopefully they can carry their current momentum over into the rest of the season.

My All NBA Team

PG Chris Paul - The best number 1 in the league averaging almost 22 PPG and 11 dimes. He is virtually unstoppable. He can get in the lane at will and has a deadly jump shot.

SG Kobe Bryant - Kobe is creeping up in the conversation for NBA MVP again. The closest thing to Mike since MJ suited up. Still the best closer in the NBA.

SF LeBron James - King James is the leading MVP candidate this season. Second in the league in scoring and a triple double waiting to happen.

PF Tim Duncan - The anchor of the Spurs on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. He lives up to his nickname "The Big Fundamental" by averaging 21 points and over 10 boards a night.

C Dwight Howard - The best big man in the league is leading the Magic to an outstanding season. He is averaging 20 points, 14 boards and 3 blocks a game.

Six and O

6 Wins 0 Losses....Incredible. The Lakers finished their six game road trip undefeated after a 101-91 win at Cleveland. The Lakers gave the Cavs their first loss in 24 home games this season. L.A. roared back from a 10 point halftime deficit led by Lamar Odom with 28 points and 17 rebounds. This was Odom's second straight game with 20+ points this season. An ailing Kobe Bryant kicked in 19 points, Pau Gasol had 18 and Derek Fisher added 13. Kobe was suffering from the flu all game long. The Lakers played outstanding team defense on LeBron James holding him to 16 points on 5-20 shooting. The Lakers did a great job of turning James into more of a passer than a scorer. They consistently double teamed to get the ball out of James' hands. Zydrunas Ilgauskas led Cleveland with 22 points and Mo Williams had 19.

L.A. beat the Eastern Conference's two best teams on the road at Boston and Cleveland in back to back games. They broke the Celtics 12 game winning streak and the Cavs 23 game home winning streak. L.A. has the best record in the league at 41-9. The Lakers are now an impressive 18-5 on the road this season.

L.A.'s next game is at home Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lakers Trade Radmanovic

The Lakers traded Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobcats for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown. Radmanovic averaged 6 ppg as the small forward position for the Lakers. He started the season at small forward but over the season Radmanovic has seen his playing time diminish as Luke Walton and Trevor Ariza have picked up the bulk of his minutes. Radmanovic has barely played at all since Andrew Bynum was hurt. Morrison has had a rough time in Charlotte since being drafted in the 1st round averaging less than 5 ppg. He has been a major disappointment with his poor shooting and even worse defense.

I think this trade might work for the Lakers. This is a low risk high reward move for L.A. Morrison only has another year on his deal and the Lakers gain salary cap flexibility. Plus if Morrison can consistently knock down jump shots he can help stretch defenses for Kobe. If not the Lakers really didn't give up much and got rid of a bloated contract. Shannon Brown is a throw in to make the deal work and another expiring contract.

A Big Win For L.A.

The Lakers won their 40th game of the season last night with a 110-109 win over the Boston Celtics. This was a tough one. The game constantly went back and forth with the Lakers taking control early and the Celtics charging back. The game had a playoff edge where every possession counted and each team hustled for every loose ball. It looked like tough sledding for the Lakers early on when Lamar Odom picked up 2 quick fouls at the beginning of the game. But the Lakers got solid minutes from their bench including Josh Powell. The Lakers were able to get contributions from everyone and escape with a 1 point win at the Garden.

Kobe Bryant worked hard for his 26 point, 10 rebound effort. Pau Gasol chipped in 24 points and 14 rebounds for his third straight double double since the Bynum injury. Lamar Odom was a bright spot and produced his first 20 point game since being inserted in the starting lineup. Ray Allen led Boston with 22 and Paul Pierce added 21. The Lakers played great team defense last night against the Celtics big three. They were extremely physical with the Celtics, clawed and fought all game long. Odom made Garnett work hard on the defensive end and Garnett ended up fouling out in the 4th quarter. The Lakers can beat anyone in the NBA when they play defense like they did tonight.

The Lakers snapped the Celtics 12 game winning streak and are now 5-0 on their current road streak. The Lakers will finish up their road trip with their next game Sunday afternoon against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Lakers beat the Raptors

This was a tough win.The Lakers beat the Raptors 115-107 yesterday behind 36 points and 9 boards from Kobe Bryant. Bryant hit a tough jump shot late in the 4th quarter to give the Lakers the lead. Pau Gasol kicked in another monstrous performance with 31 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers bench only provided 21 points. All 5 Raptors starters scored in double figures led by Joey Graham with 24. Joey Graham?? Yes, Joey Graham who averages less than 8 PPG had a career night with 24 points. Jermaine O'Neal contributed 22 points and 9 blocks.

The Lakers last two games have both been difficult wins since the injury to Andrew Bynum. The Lakers are relying too much on Kobe to pick up the scoring burden with the loss of Bynum. Lamar Odom needs to become more aggressive on the offensive end and increase his rebounding output. The Lakers need Odom to average a double double to help out Kobe and Gasol. L.A.'s bench needs to regain their lost form from just a week ago. The bench was providing a scoring boost and needed energy for the Lakers. Since Odom has moved into the starting lineup the bench has lost a lot of its offensive firepower. The Lakers will need the bench to be productive if they hope to win their next game against the hated Celtics.

Next Game: Thursday night Lakers @ Celtics
This will be a tough one for the Lakers to win without Bynum. L.A. is 4-0 in their last four road games. The Celtics are on a 12 game winning streak and 24-2 at home. L.A. will need a huge game from Kobe, Gasol and Odom to win. The Lakers have a great shot to win this game even without Bynum. Kevin Garnett is returning for the first time in a week after his bout with the flu. L.A. should take advantage of the fact that Garnett should be limited in his first game back after his illness.

Worst NBA Trades

This post was written on SportFeen.

I was watching a show about the worst NBA trades of all time. This got me thinking about what I consider the worst trades of the past decade. This is my list of some of the worst NBA trades of the past 10 years.

1. Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe
Terrible terrible trade. Webber was the centerpiece in transforming the Sacramento Kings into a championship contender. Webber and the Kings had some classic battles with the Lakers for the chance to go to the NBA Finals. Webber made four all star teams during his time with the Kings. He was a consistent 20 and 10 guy in Sacramento and one of the best passing big men in NBA history. The Wizards received a washed up Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe who were both well past their prime.

2. Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, Marc Gasol, pick. After trading Shaq, the Lakers had fallen on hard times and even failed to make the playoffs. Things were so bad that Kobe was looking to be traded. The Lakers fleeced the Grizzlies to get Gasol which resurrected the Lakers franchise. This was a terrible trade for Memphis. Were the Grizzlies trying to help rebuild the Lakers? Why would anyone give up their best player for a bunch of bums?

3. Richard Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse
The Wizards traded Richard Hamilton, Hubert Davis and Bobby Simmons for Jerry Stackhouse, Brian Cardinal and Ratko Vardo. I actually thought this was a good trade at the time. Boy was I wrong. Rip went on to help form the core of a championship Detroit Pistons team. Rip led the Pistons in scoring and to six straight Eastern conference finals. As for Stackhouse. He was marketed as the next Jordan. Never happened. Stackhouse never lived up to the hype from his Tar Heel days.

4. Ray Allen for Gary Payton
Ray Allen, Ronald Murray and Kevin Ollie were traded to the Sonics for Gary Payton, Desmond Mason and a pick. George Karl was trying to regain the success that he had in Seattle by bringing GaryPayton to the Bucks. Payton only played 28 games as a Buck before bolting back to the Western Conference. His days as an elite player were over and he was just a shell of his former self. Ray Allen went from a star playing in a small market to superstardom. He made 4 All Star teams in Seattle and became recognized as one of the best two guards in the NBA.

5. Steve Nash for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells and Pat Garrity
Phoenix traded one of the best up and coming point guards in the NBA for a bunch of never will be's. In the Suns defense they did have Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd running the point during Nash's time in Phoenix. It would be tough for any point guard to beat out those two guys. It took Phoenix 6 years to realize their mistake and get Nash back from the Mavericks.

Other bad deals:Elton Brand for Brian Skinner and draft rights to Tyson Chandler. Chicago's demise started with trading this All Star who quietly averaged 20 and 10.

LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas. Aldridge is on the verge of becoming an All Star and Thomas has never developed into the player that dominated during March Madness.

Baron Davis for Speedy Claxton and Dale Davis. One of the most underrated PG's in the league.

Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins for Kwame Brown and Laron Profit. This was highway robbery. Caron Butler is an All Star with his scoring ability, rebounding and defense. Kwame Brown and Laron Profit should have been playing in the CBA.

Brandon Roy for Randy Foye . Roy won the 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year and had made two all star game appearances in two years.

The Kobe Show

The Lakers beat the Knicks 126-117 but it was the Kobe Bryant show last night at the Garden. Kobe dropped 61 against the Knicks. An incredible performance! Kobe had the jumper going, the inside game and just about every shot seemed to fall. Kobe shot 61% from the field going 19-31 and went 20-20 from the charity stripe. Kobe broke Bernard King's record of 60 points at MSG. MJ scored the third most ever at the garden with 55 in his second comeback.

Kobe looked just like Jordan last night with his fadeaways, double clutch shots and dunks. Kobe is the closest thing that I have seen to MJ since he retired. The Lakers needed every bucket that Bryant scored and he delivered over and over. Kobe has that Mike like ability to score whenever he wants to score. Pau Gasol had a huge night as well with 31 points and 14 rebounds. Surprisingly the Knicks were the more balanced team last night with 6 players scoring in double figures and three players scoring 20 or more.

As I stated yesterday, with Bynum out of the lineup the Lakers are going to rely on Kobe to score more to win games. I didn't know he would begin with a 61 point outbreak. If the Lakers want to win the championship however Kobe will need more help. Lamar Odom and the bench will have to be more of a factor in big games.

This win makes the Lakers 3-0 on their current road trip. Next game: Wednesday night at Toronto.

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This One Hurts

Andrew Bynum's knee injury is worse than expected. Bynum will miss the next 2 to 3 months with a torn MCL in his right knee. His injury will likely keep him out until at least May. Even though Bynum may recover, the Lakers shouldn't count on him coming back at all this season. It will take Bynum time to get in game shape after his knee heals and no one knows how long that will take. Remember last season he was sidelined almost the entire season with a left knee injury.

Bynum's injury seriously hurts the Lakers chances of winning a NBA championship this season. Bynum's injury weakens the Lakers frontcourt and their depth on the bench. I expect that Lamar Odom will move back into the starting lineup. The Lakers won't miss Bynum as much against the Mavericks, Hornets, Nuggets or Jazz. But Bynum's toughness will be missed in potential playoff matchups against the Rockets, Spurs, Suns or Blazers. Pau Gasol lacks the toughness to defend Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Shaq or even Greg Oden. Expect Kobe's scoring to skyrocket as the Lakers will rely on #24 even more.

The Lakers may want to explore trade possibilities to add a proven low post scorer and defender. I like Pau Gasol as a player but he is definitely not the answer at center. And don't get me started on the possibility of Chris Mihm playing major minutes during the playoffs at center. There is no way that he could deal with any legitimate big man. I will be looking at some of the Lakers trade possibilities over the next few days.

Lakers beat the Grizzlies 116-98

The Lakers crushed the Grizzlies 116-98 for their 6th win in 7 games. L.A. is off to a 2-0 start on their current road trip. Kobe Bryant scored 25 and Pau Gasol added 24 points. Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo scored 23 and 21 points respectively. The win was overshadowed by an injury to Andrew Bynum. Bynum went down in the first quarter with a knee injury. Hopefully this injury is nowhere near as bad as the one that kept him out for most of last season. The Lakers desperately need the scoring and interior presence that Bynum provides. The Lakers can get through the regular season without him but they need Bynum if the want to win a championship. His athleticism is needed against the Spurs, Rockets, Suns and Celtics.

The Lakers play their next game tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.