Pursue Perfection and Recognize Greatness | NBA 2K15 Los Angeles Lakers MyGM

[Eaglerock562]

2013-14 Season In Review Report

The Los Angeles Lakers, riddled with injuries to their star players, endured their worst season in franchise history, but have a lottery pick for the first time in almost a decade and plenty of cap space to spend in the offseason.

Season Summary

The dramatic fallout from the Dwight Howard saga continued in Los Angeles this past season, as the Lakers struggled to their worst record in franchise history, finishing the season 27-55 - sixth worst in the league.

A combination of injuries, salary cap hindrance, sideline instability and playing in one of the toughest divisions in the league's toughest conference thoroughly derailed a season that never truly got underway in LA.

Superstar guard Kobe Bryant was limited to just six games thanks to various injuries - the Black Mamba's season debut was delayed thanks to an Achilles injury he sustained last season and was then cut short by a lateral tibial plateau fracture in his left knee.

Bryant's championship sidekick Pau Gasol (17.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game) was also affected by niggling injuries throughout the season, appearing in only 60 games - including only one of the Los Angeles' last 13 contests.

During the last offseason, the Lakers added eight players on one-year deals.

Of those eight, Chris Kaman (10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game), Jordan Farmar (10.1 points and 4.9 assists), Wesley Johnson (9.1 points and 4.4 rebounds) and Xavier Henry (10.0 points) all put in auditions worthy of consideration when the front office constructs next season's team.

Meanwhile, second-season Laker Jodie Meeks (15.7 points and 40.1% 3FG) and midseason pick-ups Kent Bazemore (13.1 pointts, 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a Laker) and Kendall Marshall (8.0 points, 39.9% 3FG and 8.8 assists) all put up career numbers amidst the Calfornian chaos.

Forward Jordan Hill also proved his worth when given the minutes, averaging 9.7 points and 7.4 rebounds for the season - both career highs.

Overall, it was a season to forget for Lakers fans, who have seen their team plummet down the standings after being surrounded by championship aspirations only two seasons ago.

Most Valuable Player

Nick Young has always cut a polarising figure through NBA circles.

On one hand, he plays with a sense of flair that is rarely seen in the modern game, endearing himself to many fans in the process.

While on the other hand, there are gaping holes in his game and he has been entrenched in the knucklehead culture of several terrible teams.

However, with Bryant missing the majority of the season, Young seized a great opportunity in the Lakers rotation and finished the season as their brightest shining star amidst an otherwise gloomy and medicore season.

Appearing in 64 games (only nine as a starter), Young averaged a team and career-high 17.9 points per game.

And despite having a reputation as a gunner, Young also shot a very respectable 43.5% from the floor and 38.6% from downtown on the season.

And while the enigma known as Swaggy P made several plays that left people scratching their heads throughout the year, he still kept himself to just 1.5 turnovers per game despite a career-high usage rate.

The fact that Young was their best player is perhaps the best indication of how poor their team was, but in an otherwise depressing season, Swaggy P delivered some much-needed character and style to a disappointed Lakers' fan base.

X-Factor

Much like the uncertain future of Derrick Rose has imprisoned the Chicago Bulls franchise in basketball purgatory for the past two seasons, the waiting game to see a healthy Bryant and Steve Nash has muddied expectations for the Lakers.

Bryant was limited to just six games this season, while Nash could only manage 15 appearances, averaging a second-worst output in points (6.8) and minutes (20.9) and fourth-worst production of assists (5.7) in his 18-year career.

Bryant's return from a fractured knee was up in the air for much of the season and it wasn't until mid-march that he was ruled out for the remainder of the year.

Likewise, on a night to night basis, there was no telling whether Nash would be in uniform or street clothes.

With two future Hall of Famers waiting in the wings and no clarity surrounding their immediate basketball future and general uncertainty around the roster, the waiting game was often a negative distraction in LA.

Looking Forward

The general consensus around the league is that Los Angeles is in more of a retooling stage than a rebuilding one.

They have Bryant under contract for another two years - albeit at a mammoth $23.5 million and $25 million respectively - and the advantage of location and history to lure prospective free agents to sign on the dotted line.

Despite Bryant's high salary, LA will have roughly $30 million in cap space to play with in the offseason, but with only three players under contract for next season, they'll also need to spread it across basically an entire roster.

A big market like Los Angeles will always be in the mix for a big-name free agent like Carmelo Anthony (or a trade for disgruntled Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love), but it is more likely they chase a lesser name like Luol Deng and prepare for the 2015 free agent class.

At the draft, the Lakers also had the opportunity to draft in the lottery for the first time since 2005 - they hadn't even had a first-round pick since 2007.

Los Angeles was another team that had their hopes of winning the draft lottery dashed by the ever-lucky Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the lottery despite their 1.7% odds.

Nevertheless, LA received the seventh overall pick and eagerly snapped by Kentucky product Julius Randle on draft night.  Along with Jabari Parker, Randle, who averaged 15.0 points and 10.4 rebounds in his lone season as a Wildcat, is one of the most NBA-ready prospects to come out of the loaded 2014 draft and should be able to make an immediate impact.  He is a relentless rebounder, can muscle his way to buckets around the rim and has potential to stretch the floor if he develops a consistent jump shot - something he only showed in flashes at Kentucky.

LA are also looking for a new head coach after Mike D'Antoni resigned at the end of the season.

There is a lot of work to do to get Los Angeles back to championship contender status, and they will need an equal of luck, but they have the pieces and the experience to do so.

[Eaglerock562]

Lakers tab Byron Scott as new head coach


For Scott it's all about winning titles

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Before Byron Scott could say a word after being introduced as the chosen coach to carry the Los Angeles Lakers toward a hopeful championship future, several Hall of Fame voices from the purple and gold's past made a surprise appearance to weigh in on the hiring.

Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jamaal Wilkes marched into the Lakers' practice gym shortly after Scott's introductory news conference had commenced Tuesday and greeted their former teammate.

"Showtime's back, baby," Johnson said while pulling Scott in for a hug.

Scott, who played for the Lakers and won three championships from 1983 to '93 and again during Kobe Bryant's rookie season in 1996-97, was named the 25th head coach in franchise history.

"We came here today to support our brother and former teammate and champion Byron Scott and also we're here to support the Laker organization," Johnson said. "This is a great day for all the former Lakers as well as Lakers fans all over the world. We're just excited for what Byron will bring to the table and get back to playing Laker basketball. ...We wish we could put on a uniform for you and help you, but we're here supporting you and will support you throughout. Again, congrats to the Laker organization. You chose the right guy."

Scott is the only out of the six known candidates -- along with Kurt Rambis, Alvin Gentry, Mike Dunleavy, Lionel Hollins and George Karl -- who had multiple interviews for the coaching vacancy created April 30 when Mike D'Antoni resigned.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak acknowledged the drawn-out coaching search and appreciated how Scott handled the wait.

"I just want to thank him for his patience the last six or seven weeks," Kupchak said. "I think it was clear, at least it was clear to us, that Byron was always our first choice."

Scott grew up in Inglewood, California, home of the Forum, and has long wanted the chance to coach the Lakers.

"This has been a dream of mine for so long," Scott said. "It's a dream come true to be here sitting here talking to you guys today and be introduced as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. ... The passion and the love that I have for this organization is second to none. The only thing that I regret is that Dr. (Jerry) Buss isn't here today because he's somebody who showed a lot of l ove, a lot of confidence in me back in the day."

The longtime Lakers owner died of cancer in February 2013. Johnson told reporters that Dr. Buss confided in him that he would have hired Scott as Lakers head coach in 2010 if Phil Jackson chose to retire, but Scott had already accepted a job the previous summer coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jackson ended up coming back to coach the Lakers for one final season and L.A. replaced him with Mike Brown after he retired.

Scott, 53, said he hopes to get the Lakers back on course to add to their collection of 16 titles.

"This organization is all about championships," Scott said. "Period. We don't look at Western Conference finals, Western Conference championships, we look at [NBA] championships. And we know we have some work ahead of us, but I'm excited, I'm just thrilled to death, I'm eager and just ready to get to work, just ready to get to work. I know it's going to be a challenge, but I look forward to it. I love challenges anyway so this is going to be fun."

Before the Lakers can start getting sized for rings, they have to first worry about qualifying for the postseason. L.A. went 27-55 last season, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2004-05.

"I think the first thing you got to do is get them thinking like we use to think," Scott said. "Because everything to me is: if you're winning, it's contagious; if you're losiing, it's contagious. So you got to change the mindset. That's the first thing we got to do. The first day of training camp is all about winning. It's nothing else. You don't think about losing. You think about winning. When you lose games, you shouldn't be sitting in the locker room having a good time. It should hurt. So, again, with those three gentlemen (Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar and Wilkes), when we lost games it was quiet as can be in the locker room because we didn't expect to lose. We got to get our guys thinking the same way. We got to get back to winning."

A big part of that plan will involve Bryant. Referring to the soon-to-be 36-year-old guard entering his 19th season, Kupchak said, "We still feel we have one of the best players in the NBA."

Scott said he could use Bryant some at point guard next season and expressed enthusiasm about teaming up with Bryant once again.

"I'm looking forward to coaching Kobe," Scott said. "I know his drive and I know his will and his determination. I think we'ere on the same page as far as how we think about this game and how it should be played. So it's going to be fun. He has to be a little patient, we know that as well."

While Scott's hiring is a tip of the hat to the Lakers' "Showtime" era, Scott is not trying to replicate the same style of the teams he played on in the '80s.

"We can't play that way," Scott said. "We dont have a Magic Johnson. We can't get up and down the floor and have a guy that pushes the ball like he pushes right now, but my style is still the same. First of all, defense, we got to do that on a night-to-night basis. Offensively, we're going to get up and down the floor. We're going to spread the ball. We don't want it sticking as much as possible. And we're going to put our players to be in a position to be successful."

Scott has yet to fill out his coaching staff, but it is believed that Scott's son, Thomas Scott, who worked with the Lakers' D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders, last season, as well as Paul Pressey and former Laker Robert Horry are candidates. Scott could also retain Mark Madsen, Larry Lewis and Johnny Davis as holdovers from D'Antoni's staff. Johnson lobbied for Scott to consider former Lakers great Michael Cooper as well. Cooper, coach of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream, is currently recovering from mouth cancer surgery.

Scott has a career coaching record of 416-521 (.444) in 13 seasons with the Nets, Hornets and Cavaliers.

"If it was any other coach we probably all wouldn't be here," Johnson said after the press conference. "So, that shows you the type of pride we have in Byron."

[Eaglerock562]

What a star-studded lineup the Lakers could have: Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash as future Hall of Famers, Carlos Boozer as an All-Star and U.S. Olympian, international attraction Jeremy Lin with the ability to get to the basket and put up scoring numbers, Byron Scott with coaching expierence and as a popular presence in his hometown.

This team is so the favorites for the 2012 championship.

Unfortunately for them, its 2014-15, making it to April in anything close to one piece, especially in the backcourt, will rank as an accomplishment, and having something to prove to the world is an admirable rallying point but also the battle cry of the desperate.

The Lakers have so much to prove, in fact, that 60 percent of the starters are trying to get off the mat from injury or general decline, leaving center Jordan Hill and small forward Wesley Johnson, or maybe Nick Young, as the stability in the opening lineup heading into a meat grinder of a first month. And that doesn't even get to relying on the backup point guard still working to get his hands back around the shooting star or the rookie power forward who has great potential but whose chances will be reduced by being part of the contradiction of a projected lottery team in win-now mode.

"I thihnk we have a lot of guys that have been kind of discarded, kind of been forgotten about," Bryant said. "Myself with the injury and the age, Jeremy and a bunch of players who other teams really felt they had no need for. We have that kind of attitude built into ourselves."

Bryant is 36 and coming off a season of 76 games missed because of a torn Achilles' tendon and a fractured knee. The reviews of his behind-closed-door play late in summer and into training camp were very good, to the point that Kobe himself said he was a little suprised how well the comeback was going, so there's that. Counting out Bryant is a big mistake too many people are willing to make, but, again, 36 and on the heels of two major injuries.

Nash is 40 and coming off a season of 64 games missed because of a nerve problem, along with one more with an upper-respirator infection, which came after the 2012-13 of 32 games missed to injury.

The Bulls let Boozer, the starting power forward, go for nothing.

The Rockets traded Lin, tracking toward backup point guard, for nothing.

In the real concern for the Lakers, they may not be a playoff team if everything does go right, even if Bryant gives them 70 games at a high level, Nash is healthy for 60 or 65 at the other backcourt spot, power forward Boozer finds the ripcord and Lin is productive behind Nash at point guard. There's a reason the Bulls amnestied Boozer, a starter, before a season of championship plans. There's a reason the Rockets traded Lin in a salary dump, because shedding his money for a free-agent splash that never happened had more value than Lin as a player.

"I love it," Scott said. "I love the fact that pretty much everybody has written us off. That's fuel for the fire. I'm obviously going to use that to the best of my immediately, talk to our players about how people are viewing us as a basketball team. We're going to go out here tomorrow, we're going to get a lot of work, I and we're going to get ready for the season. We've got to do it collectively, there's no doubt about that. But I love the fact that everybody's doubting us."

ICYMI...

Scott is the seventh former Lakers player to coach the team, following, among others, Showtime teammates Kurt Rambis and Magic Johnson... Young recorded the two highest-scoring games by a reserve last season, 41 against the Jazz and 40 against the Trail Blazers. He will enter 2014-15 among the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, though he could end up starting at small forward... Julius Randle, the No. 7 pick in June, is the Lakers' highest draft choice since James Worthy at No. 1 in 1982.

THREE POINTS

1. Scott said he is expecting Bryant to play all 82 games, but he really isn't. The coach will obviously be building breaks into Bryant's schedule and isn't ruling out nights off on a back-to-back.

2. Nash is all but locked into retiring at No. 3 on the career assist list. He is 1,756 away from Jason Kidd for second -- about what Nash totaled in two of his best healthy seasons.

3. The Lakers could go through another painful season and not have a draft pick to show for the trouble. They keep the choice if it is in the top five, but otherwise it goes to Phoenix.

MAN OF THE SPOT

Jim Buss, the head of basketball operations, will always be on the spot until the Lakers are playoff regulars and title contenders again. The decision to stay away from rebuilding-slash-youth movement is no surprise given Bryant's presence, but it could backfire and injure the Lakers for more years if they lose the 2015 lottery pick to the Suns and no superstars come next summer via free agency or trade.

STARTING FIVE

Steve Nash | 6.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 5.7 apg
Can he squeeze one more season out after all the injuries? Sixth healthy games?

Kobe Bryant | 13.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 6.3 apg
He may be going out, but that's different from going quietly. That wouldn't be Kobe.

Wesley Johnson | 9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 apg
He could be with the Lakers for a while after three teams in three seasons.

Carlos Boozer | 13.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.6 apg
A solid season from the Bulls amnesty discard would be a huge life for L.A.

Jordan Hill | 9.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 0.8 apg
Hill gets a chance to play big minutes after playing about 21 per game last season.

KEY RESERVES

Jeremy Lin | 12.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 4.1 apg
Former Knicks phenom returns to his California roots.

Julius Randle | Rookie
Lottery pick (and a lifelong Lakers fan) boasts a bright future.

Nick Young | 17.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.5 apg
Always an explosive scoring threat off the bench, he could be a potential starter.

[Eaglerock562]

 

2014-15 Power Rankings: Training Camp
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	COMMENTS
1	San Antonio 62-20	Back-to-back titles are the only prize to elude the Spurs during their past 18 magical seasons. Pop surely will downplay their repeat chances as loudly as anyone, but I'll go ahead and pass on writing 'em off after the whole title team came back, and East teams made most of the splashy upgrades.
2	Cleveland 33-49	When several teams enjoy big summers and you are still the clear-cut champs of the offseason -- without having to surrender your East membership -- you tempt the committee (of one) to break its own rules and put LeBron's new team ahead of everyone. Even the defending champs.
3	Chicago 48-34	Has the conversation changed at last? Instead of all that fretting about Derrick Rose surviving his Team USA summer, Bulls fans have to hopeful now about how much rust he's already chipped off. Ok, ok: Maybe they don't have to be optimistic. But I'd argue that they should be.
4	Los Angeles 57-25	The Clippers obviously rank as another big offseason winner simply by finally swapping Donald Sterling for Steve Ballmer. Now we'll find out how much inspiration the team can really draw from The Donald's departure -- and how patient Steve Ballmer is if his team can't rise above No. 3 in the West.
5	Oklhahoma City 59-23	The Thunder aren't known for fervent free-agent pitches, but they went hard after Pau Gasol. Have to confess we spent a fair bit of the summer imagining what Pau might have done for KD, Russ and Serge, who will sit on the short list of true title contenders if all three stay healthy.
6	Dallas 49-33	The Mavs had the splashiest summer of any team in the West thanks to the signing of Chandler Parsons and re-acquisition of Tyson Chandler. Yet those moves merely remind you how crazy deep the conference is, because Dallas can't be sure if it did enough to return to the top four.
7	Golden State 51-31	Steve Kerr will be the coach who takes Golden State to a third successive playoff berth for the first time since Al Attles way back in the mid-1970s. But that'll be the easy part for Kerr, whose crew might have a ceiling of fourth in the West even if everything goes right post-Mark Jackson.
8	Portland 54-28	Knowing LaMarcus Aldridge intends to re-sign in the summer for the long term has to give the Blazers great comfort. In the short term, though, great challenges await, given the questions that remain about the Blazers' bench and the stiff competition everywhere you look in the West.
9	Washington 44-38	I can already hear the various jittery Wiz fans I know cursing me for raising expectations. Sorry, guys. I happen to think Paul Pierce has a fair bit left -- and this group's young stars could certainly use the guidance -- and I rightfully expect more from Wall/Beal/Gortat/Nene.
10	Toronto 48-34	ESPN Forecast-ers had trouble choosing between the Raps and Wiz for No. 3 in the East. The Wiz get the slight edge here, but Toronto feels understandably good about its prospects after comfortably re-signing Kyle Lowry and seeing productive World Cup trips for DeMar DeRozan and Jonas Valanciunas.
11	Memphis 50-32	The Grizz joined the Heat/Spurs/Thunder/Clips on the short list of teams that won 50-plus games in each of the past two seasons. I suspect they'll get there again, with no lack of interest here with all those lefties they have, but I also see Marc Gasol's free agency encroaching upon on-court matters.
12	Houston 54-28	After home-run acquisitions of Harden and Howard, Houston found out how painful swinging for the fences can be, losing Parsons, Asik and Lin in well-chronicled gambles. The pain, however, won't necessarily last long, thanks to the cap room looming for the some more big swings come July.
13	Charlotte 43-39	They reacquired their treasured old nickname. They landed Lance Stephenson on a bargain deal after missing out on Gordon Hayward. And they even heard Steph Curry say he'll always keep the idea of a Charlotte homecoming in his thoughts somewhere. Quite a summer for the Hornets.
14	Phoenix 48-34	Before all of this week's biz, I feared Phoenix was due for a crash thanks to all of the uncertainty about its stars' future. Let's see if the late flourish to secure Eric Bledsoe -- plus Zoran Dragic to make brother Goran happy -- can preserve enough of last season's crucial harmony and chemistry.
15	Miami 54-28	It's a good thing that The Franchise That Lost LeBron still has Erik Spoelstra. Someone as sharp as Spo will be needed to try to make a team out of all those names (Bosh, Wade, Deng, McRoberts and Granger) that sound fairly imposing but don't necessarily snap together so ideally.
16	Atlanta 38-44	It would be so much better to be focused here on Al Horford's comeback. Or the fact that the Southeast Division is suddenly so wide open. Unfortunately, that's not going to be possible with the Danny Ferry cloud and sale-related uncertainty hovering over the franchise. Not for a while.
17	New Orleans 34-48	Not quite ready to anoint the Pelicans as playoff material, even with a healthy Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson, but they'll be in the running for Best Team You'll Never See status. After nine ESPN games in 16 days with Team USA, Anthony Davis get just two on ESPN and TNT this season.
18	New York 37-45	Melo wouldn't dare sign for $120-plus million and miss the playoffs again, would he? Last season was his first ever out of the playoffs and, like it or not, he's undoubtedly at risk for two in a row while he and rookie coach Derek Fisher wait for Phil Jackson's first cap-space summer in July 2015.
19	Brooklyn 44-38	In Year 5 of the Mikhail Prokhorov regime, which he openly hoped would deliver a championship in five years or less, Brooklyn just wants to hang on as a playoff team until it has cap space to play with in 2016. 'Til then? Everything hinges on big comebacks by Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.
20	Indiana 56-26	The proud Pacers will try to make the playoffs even after letting Lance Stephenson go and then losing Paul George in the most stomach-turning manner. Of course, since Indy resides in the East, it's not like there's a wide variety of options. You can only sink so far in that conference.
21	Denver 36-46	One of the bigger surprises to me, from a summer spent with Team USA, was hearing Kenneth Faried say he didn't think his voice carried as much weight with the Nuggets as it did under Coach K. Have to believe that'll change now even with Gallinari, JaVale and Arron Afflalo all back.
22	Detroit 33-49	Early reviews of Stan Van Gundy's front-office work have been mixed after Detroit's big-money splash on Jodie Meeks and the Greg Monroe saga. There's not doubt, though, that the man can coach. So you bet on SVG to make a flawed roster look less flawed once the games start.
23	Los Angeles 27-55	Lakers Haters are advised to enjoy this season, because there's every chance they'll reload in free agency sooner rather than later. In the interim, I plan to be mesmerized by what happens when you add Boozer, J-Lin, Ed Davis and Julius Randle to Swaggy P, Nash and a comebacking Kobe.
24	Minnesota 40-42	The Wolves have much more to work with post-Kevin Love than they did post-KG. But the only two active players left from Minnesota's last playoff game -- Kobe and KG himself on (gulp) May 31, 2004 -- are sure to be retired by the time Andrew Wiggins has 'em back in the postseason.
25	Sacramento 28-54	We have 25 more weeks of rankings to nitpick the progress (or lack thereof) Sacramento is making toward halting an eight-season playoff drought. One more hat-tip for Boogie Cousins seems more appropriate today, after that Team USA title game showed what sort of force he can be.
26	Boston 25-57	Will they? Or won't they? Are they keeping Rajon Rondo? Or trading him? One certainty amid all the questions: Danny Ainge's Celts will be newsy all season, no matter how ragged they get on the floor, given all the assets besides Rondo they're stockpilling for their next KG-style blockbuster.
27	Milwaukee 15-67	This time a year ago, so many pundits wondered how Jason Kidd would fare coaching a win-now team filled with thirtysomethings. This committee, by contrast, is struggling far more trying to picture how he holds up nursing Jabari, Giannis & Co. through the inevitable growing pains.
28	Orlando 23-59	The new season starts with the same question asked here in April: Don't the Magic, for all their youth, have to make some sort of step in 2014-15? The vet additions of note were modest -- Channing Frye, Ben Gordon, Luke Ridnour -- but it can't be easy selling another win total in the 20s.
29	Utah 25-57	Don't know if Trey Burke and Dante Exum can play together. Don't know if Gordon Hayward will have any more help offensively than he did last season. All we know for sure about this Jazz in this embryonic state: Quin Snyder is Coach K's first former player to become an NBA head coach.
30	Philadelphia 19-63	If you've ever wondered how much angry noise would have greeted the 9-73 Sixers of 1972-73 had they been playing in the Twitter age, you need only follow the 2014-15 Sixers. They're bound to be blasted even louder than last season as they openly chase the No. 1 overall pick again.

[Eaglerock562]

 

2014-15 Power Rankings: Preseason
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	San Antonio 62-20	-- Last Week: 1	The Spurs haven't merely failed to repeat for the first four championships in the Tim Duncan era - they reached the conference finals just once in their four tries for back-to-back rings.  Yet you'd also have to say that this is the best team San Antonio has ever had in the Duncan Era.  So let's see.
2	Cleveland 33-49	-- Last Week: 2	There undoubtedly will be ups and downs reminiscent of the Heatles' first season together.  Yet the fact remains only Chicago, if Cleveland stays healthy, can keep LeBron and Co. out of the Finals.  Among the many things he's going to learn about the NBA, coach David Blatt will soon find that life is good in the East.
3	Chicago 48-34	-- Last Week: 3	Derrick Rose completed his Team USA summer unscathed, then not only made it through the preseason but even flashed a hint or two of his old brillance.  Those are two legit milestones, but now for the downside: Bulls fans might have been worrying about the wrong guy, given Joakim Noah's slow recovery.
4	Los Angeles 57-25	-- Last Week: 4	Dominique Wilkins earned nine All-Star selections without reaching the conference finals.  Yao Ming did it eight times.  And now Chris Paul, with seven All-Star nods and zero trips to the NBA's final four, is moving up on a list he surely hates being on.  Let's see if CP3, with the help of Blake and Doc, can finally get off it.
5	Golden State 51-31	2 Last Week: 7	The Steve Kerr era is off to an undeniably promising start.  He inherited a top-flight defense and already has the Dubs humming offensively with all that movement.  Don't really want to overreact to guady preseason numbers, but it's hard not to buy into the optimism, especially with a healthy Andrew Bogut back.
6	Dallas 49-33	-- Last Week: 6	Feeling more than safe in projecting the Mavs to return to the 50-win club after two uncharacteristic seasons in a row of missing out.  Beyond that, though, I hesitate to go overboard about the West's winners of the offseason.  Their preseason went well enough, too, but the conference just looks so dang deep.  Again.
7	Portland 54-28	1 Last Week: 8	There's a reason why you've heard so many reminders lately about how four Portland starters played 82 games last season.  The implication is there's no way it can happan again.  Which is why the Blazers, some pundits say, are at risk for a fall ... no matter how much praise LaMarcus Aldridge has been getting.
8	Memphis 50-32	3 Last Week: 11	If the uncertainty about Marc Gasol's future does not prove to be a distraction, then Memphis might be the most underrated team in the league.  Expectations are pretty modest considering that Gasol is in good health, while our own David Thorpe asserts that this roster has no less than 14 quality players.
9	Toronto 48-34	1 Last Week: 10	Canadian basketball fans are understandably in mourning after Steve Nash's farewell season came to a sad halt before it even started.  So it's up to the Raptors to lift the gloom, and starting out as the Atlantic Division favorite has to help.  How many times have we said that in the Raps' two-decade existence?
10	Oklahoma City 59-23	5 Last Week: 5	Preseason picks for ESPN The Magazine were due a couple of days before Kevin Durant's foot injury surfaced.  I had OKC winning the West if fully healthy.  Now?  After an injury-riddled October, I might still say the same could assure me KD will miss only a month.  But who could possibly say that with certainty?
11	Washington 44-38	2 Last Week: 9	Yup.  Blame the committee (of one).  We acknowledged at the end of September that we could already hear jittery Wiz fans we know cursing us for raising expectations and hiking them into the top 10 ... and Bradley Beal duly went down with a wrist injury.  They're still my Southeastern Division favorite, though.
12	Houston 54-28	-- Last Week: 12	It's still tantalizing to think about what sort of ceiling Houston might have had with Chris Bosh and re-signed Chandler Parsons alongside Dwight Howard and James Harden.  How much longer before we all move on and start re-focusing on what the Rockets still have as opposed to who left or who didn't join them?
13	Charlotte 43-39	-- Last Week: 13	Lance Stephenson would appear to be the first person in NBA history who can say he traded Larry Bird for Michael Jordan.  Ok, Ok, it wasn't an actual trade, but you get the point.  Can't wait to hear MJ tell us in his own words what sort of mentoring he plans to pass on to the reborn Hornets -- and Lance, specifically.
14	Phoenix 48-34	-- Last Week: 14	The good news: Phoenix has a real shot to inherit the Lakers' lottery pick in June -- protected only 1 through 5, thanks to the Steve Nash trade -- no matter what happens on the floor.  The bad news: I can scarcely find pundit outside Phoenix who believes the Suns can avoid slipping out of the West's top eight.
15	Atlanta 38-44	1 Last Week: 16	Al Horford didn't look great in the preseason, but just seeing him on the floor was a serious lift for a franchise that certainly needed one after its tumultuous offseason.  I'd go so far as to say I see Atlanta as a sleeper in the East.  And here's the proof: Mike Budenholzer got my preseason COY nod.
16	Miami 54-28	1 Last Week: 15	I would argue that Erik Spoelstra, teamed with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, still make for a pretty prominent Big Three.  But I also can't shake the nagging fear that the Heat aren't nearly the playoff lock they're reputed to be.  They should stay in the East's top eight, but the age/health/depth concerns are real.
17	New Orleans 34-48	-- Last Week: 17	MVP sleeper?  Top-five player?  I fear the Anthony Davis hype has hiked the bar higher than even The Brow can reach at what still ranks as a formative stage of his career.  But maybe he'll prove me wrong and hit those heights this season.  Can't hurt the Pels are starting out healthy (for a change).
18	Denver 36-46	3 Last Week: 21	Not ready to the buy into the notion that the Nuggets are playoff material in the loaded West ... not unless they become a dominant 30-win home team again.  But I am prepared to say we'll be watching Nuggets basketball closer than ever after falling under Kenneth Faried's spell during his Team USA summer.
19	Brooklyn 44-38	-- Last Week: 19	The Nets have had little chance to revel in the fine early form D-Will carries into the season (for a change) because of Brook Lopez's latest round of foot woes.  But Lionel Hollins, defiant as ever, insists Brooklyn has enough left to make the so-called experts regret the gloomy forecasts about his new team.
20	Detroit 29-53	2 Last Week: 22	Can Stan Van Gundy do for Andre Drummond, structure-wise, what he did for Dwight Howard?  Or should we skip right to the other burning question in Motown: Can Stan continue to get the sort of offensive discipline from Josh Smith seen throughout exhibition play -- only seven 3s attempted! -- all season?
21	New York 37-45	3 Last Week: 18	Melo has never placed in the preseason top 10 in the four-year history of the #NBARank.  He landed at No. 11 this month placing 12th, 17th and 15th.  How much all that really bothers him is a matter of debate, but he'll surely have his strongest rebuttal yet if he can get this crew to the playoffs.
22	Indiana 56-26	2 Last Week: 20	Really, really pleased for coach Frank Vogel that he got his contract extension, because he's about to be subjected to a really, really long season.  if you thought Indy's second-half swoon was hard to watch, just wait.  Really, really can't see how this team, minus Paul George and Lance Stephenson, will be able to score.
23	Sacramento 28-54	2 Last Week: 25	The Kings are still in the honeymoon phase after DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay made a 12-man Team USA.  The fear here, though, is that nothing in these next six months will match that high.  An All-Star for Boogie, or maybe a renewed trade push for Rajon Rondo or Josh Smith, are the only hopes.
24	Los Angeles 27-55	1 Last Week: 23	Gotta go back to 1974-75 and '75-76 for the previous back-to-back seasons that the Lakers missed the playoffs.  But the consensus, after a club-record 55 losses in 2013-14, is that they're about to do it again, thanks mostly to L.A.'s lack of competent defenders -- even if Kobe's comeback exceeds all expectations.
25	Minnesota 40-42	1 Last Week: 24	Even neutrals out there can root for Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and Zach LaVine to pan out.  As if dealing with the league's longest playoff drought isn't rough enough, Wolves fans watched their team make nine first-round picks from 2008 through 2012 ... with only one -- Ricky Rubio -- still in town.
26	Milwaukee 15-67	1 Last Week: 27	Jabari Parker is (almost) everyone's ROY favorite.  Giannis Antetokounmpo remains a must-see as a raw talent can be ... and that's the extent of the definitive statements we can make about a team this young.  Any suggestion of a playoff run would hinge on a big bounce-back year from Larry Sanders.  A big if.
27	Boston 25-57	1 Last Week: 26	The month of October was a good example of what we were talking about last time out.  With Rajon Rondo's hand injury and his rush to get ready in time for Opening Night, Jared Sullinger's promising play and a couple of trades already, Boston is keeping it as interesting as a bottom-10 team can.
28	Utah 25-57	1 Last Week: 29	The Jazz quietly illustrate the ridiculous depth of the West.  Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Enes Kanter and, of course, Dante Exum ... it's a roster teeming with tantalizing youth, which nonetheless feels years and miles away from contention unless a breakout star (or big trade) materializes.
29	Orlando 23-59	1 Last Week: 28	Everyone I speak to about the Magic tells me I need to be more excited about Elfrid Payton.  Let's hope they're all right, because the loss of Victor Oladipo -- to something that happened on the practice floor -- is a major downer to offset what should have been the uplifting extension signing of Nikola Vucevic.
30	Philadelphia 19-63	-- Last Week: 30	Fifteen wins is the general range for Philly's over/under, whether we're talking Vegas-based oddsmakers or the mainstream expert variety.  FWIW: Have to say, after re-scanning that roster, that I'm leaning strongly toward the under -- with an even stronger promise that there will be no 3-0 start this time.

[Eaglerock562]

TEAM ROSTER
NO.	NAME	POS	AGE	HT	WT	COLLEGE	2014-15 SALARY
5	Carlos Boozer	PF	32	6-9	266	Duke	$3,251,000
24	Kobe Bryant	SG	36	6-6	205		$23,500,000
6	Jordan Clarkson	PG	22	6-5	193	Missouri	$507,336
21	Ed Davis	PF	25	6-10	225	North Carolina	$981,084
2	Wayne Ellington	SG	26	6-4	200	North Carolina	$2,771,340
7	Xavier Henry	SF	23	6-6	220	Kansas	$1,082,000
27	Jordan Hill	PF	27	6-10	235	Arizona	$9,000,000
11	Wesley Johnson	SF	27	6-7	215	Syracuse	$915,243
4	Ryan Kelly	PF	23	6-11	230	Duke	$1,650,000
7	Jeremy Lin	PG	26	6-3	200	Harvard	$8,374,646
10	Steve Nash	PG	40	6-3	178	Santa Clara	$9,701,000
99	Ronnie Price	PG	31	6-2	190	Utah Valley	$915,243
30	Julius Randle	PF	19	6-9	250	Kentucky	$2,997,360
50	Robert Sacre	C	25	7-0	260	Gonzaga	$915,243
0	Nick Young	SF	29	6-7	210	USC	$4,994,420
Coach: Byron Scott

[Eaglerock562]

 

	TIP-OFF: 7:30PM PT TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014 STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CA
	Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 TOT LAL 0 0 0 0 0 HOU 0 0 0 0 0

game starters

	LAL		HOU
Jeremy Lin		g		Patrick Beverley
Kobe Bryant		g		James Harden
Jordan Hill		c		Dwight Howard
Wesley Johnson		f		Trevor Ariza
Carlos Boozer		f		Terrence Jones

game notes

2014-15 Season Series:  This is the first meeting between the two teams this season. All-Time Series Notes:  The two teams have met 202 times in all with the Lakers holding a 133-69 series advantage (111-63 since the Rockets moved to Houston)... At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 18-11 all-time against the Rockets... In Houston, the Lakers are 10-9 all-time at Toyota Center... In the first meeting of 2012-13, Kobe Bryant posted his 18th career triple double with 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists; his second against the Rockets (19 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists 4/7/05 vs. HOU)... Bryant holds the series scoring record with two 53-point games... Boh games broke his own series mark of 52 established at STAPLES Center in February of 2003... In the playoffs, the Lakers are 5-3 in eight meetings with the Rockets, most recently defeating Houston 4-3 in the 2009 Western Conference Semifinals. Connections:  Lakers F/C Jordan Hill was a member of the Rockets from midway through the 2009-10 season until 2011-12, when he was acquired by the Lakers in exchange for Derek Fisher and a 2014 1st round draft pick... In 127 games (18 starts) for Houston, Hill averaged 5.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 50.2%... Rockets C Dwight Howard played one season (2012-13) in Los Angeles, averaging 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds in 76 games (all starts)... Lakers G Jeremy Lin played the last two seasons for Houston (2012-14) and was acquired by the Lakers from the Rockets on July 13, 2014 alongside a future first round draft pick and a second round draft pick in 2015 in exchange for the rights to Sergei Lishchuk... Rockets F Trevor Ariza played for the Lakers for the second part of the 2007-08 season and for the 2008-09 campaign, winning the 2009 NBA Championship with Los Angeles... Ariza also attended Westchester HIgh School in L.A. and played collegiately at UCLA... On June 25, 2009, the Lakers sent the draft rights to G Patrick Beverley (2nd round, 42nd overall selection) to Miami in exchange for a 2011 second round draft pick and cash considerations... Lakers assistant coach Mark Madsen played for the Rockets head coach Kevin McHale on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2004-05 and 2008-09 seasons... Kobe Bryant's father Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played for the Rockets during the 1982-83 season... Rockets G James Harden was born in Bellflower, CA and attended Artesia High School.

injury report

	LAL		HOU
Steve Nash (Back) Out				Clint Capela (Groin) Out
Nick Young (Thumb) Out
Xavier Henry (Knee) Questionable
Wayne Ellington (Concussion) Out
Ryan Kelly (Hamstring) Doubtful

season series

Game 1:  Tuesday, October 28, 2014 @ STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA Game 2:  Wednesday, November 19, 2014 @ Toyota Center, Houston, TX Game 3:  Sunday, January 25, 2014 @ STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, CA

next 5 games

Los Angeles Lakers		Houston Rockets
10/29 @ Phoenix		10/29 @ Utah
10/31 vs. L.A. Clippers		11/1 vs. Boston
11/1 @ Golden State		11/3 @ Philadelphia
11/4 vs. Phoenix		11/4 @ Miami
11/9 vs. Charlotte		11/6 vs. San Antonio

[Gronk4M13]

Great layout so far, Lakers are a fun team to use for a MyGM. Following.