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Los Angeles Lakers News

Calling All-Stars in Los Angeles
February 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Clippers were so nonchalant about Blake Griffin and Chris Paul being chosen to start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star game that you'd almost think it happens every day. Public-address announcer David Courtney made a quick proclamation to the crowd before Thursday's 112-91 loss to the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center, drawing a swell of applause that was lost in the buildup to the opening tipoff."
Bryant, Bynum, Paul and Griffin lead All-Star picks
February 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"It's an L.A. All-Star team all right. The NBA announced today on TNT the starters for its All-Star game and the West squad is full of Lakers and Clippers. The West team's starting five, based on fan voting, are: guards Kobe Bryant (Lakers) and Chris Paul (Clippers), forwards Blake Griffin (Clippers) and Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City), and center Andrew Bynum (Lakers)."
Kenyon Martin cleared to return to NBA
February 2
Yahoo! Sports
 
"In a surprising turn of events, the governing body of international basketball – FIBA – has granted free agent Kenyon Martin his letter of clearance to immediately return to the NBA, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Martin has visited with several teams interested in signing him, including Atlanta on Thursday, and will huddle with agent Andy Miller in New York over the weekend to reach a decision. The Los Angeles Clippers and Miami Heat are leaders for Martin, but the Hawks, Lakers, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs remain in pursuit of him. New York has faded from contention in recent weeks, sources said, because of more pressing guard needs."
Goudelock could become a Mini-Mamba according to Bryant
February 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"Mini-Mamba? G-Lock? New Drew? You're free to call rookie guard Andrew Goudelock any of the above. Just don't call him Goo. Everyone seems to have trouble with his last name, which is pronounced Gowd-lock. Lakers coach Mike Brown mispronounces it occasionally, even as he continues to ask for more minutes and more points from the 23-year-old second-round draft pick. Goudelock has played so well in the past four games, averaging 11.5 points on 17-for-34 shooting, that he could force the Lakers to call off their search for help in the backcourt. He's given their second unit a big boost since returning to the rotation."
Kobe Bryant looking to gain some playoff momentum
February 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers have played one-third of their games and would be on the road if the playoffs began today. They might want to change that between now and April 26. Maybe the Black Mamba was playing possum, but Kobe Bryant all but conceded the top two spots in the Western Conference, saying the Lakers have endured too many alterations in the off-season to be atop the West. "Because of the changes in the players and so forth, you just can't come out of the gates and fight for a 1 seed or a 2 seed," he said. "That's just not realistic, but we want to build and get better and go into the playoffs with momentum.""
Lakers scrounge around in search of backcourt help
February 1
L.A. Daily News
 
"The search continues. The Lakers have spoken to the Cleveland Cavaliers about trading for point guard Ramon Sessions in an attempt to bolster their backcourt, according to Yahoo Sports. The website, citing unnamed sources, also reported Tuesday no deal was imminent. Yahoo also wrote the Lakers recently held a workout for Morris Peterson. Free agent Gilbert Arenas also has been contacted (Grant)about signing. Sessions, 25, would be a younger alternative to either Peterson or Arenas. Coach Mike Brown acknowledged the Lakers have been looking for help."
LAKERS 106, CHARLOTTE 73: It's just like old times for Lakers
February 1
L.A. Daily News
 
"For a while, it seemed nostalgic. The Lakers sized up a weaker opponent Tuesday night at Staples Center, figured out its weaknesses within a few moments and exploited them again and again and again. The Lakers played with ruthless efficiency, showing no mercy. They used to do this all the time when they were winning NBA championships back in the day. You know, like, two seasons ago. They used to beat a lesser team into submission early, rest their starters and turn the game over to their backups. Led by Kobe Bryant, the Lakers charged in front of the lowly Charlotte Bobcats in the opening seconds of the game, built a 24-point lead by halftime and completed an easy 106-73 victory with their"
Lakers enjoy rare easy night in 106-73 win over Bobcats
February 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"The big, bad Charlotte Bobcats came to town and the Lakers didn't even flinch. Turns out the Bobcats aren't very big and they're really, really bad, but the Lakers will take any victory they can these days. They rolled over Charlotte, 106-73, Tuesday at Staples Center, breaking the 100-point barrier for a second consecutive game, the first time that's happened all season."
Metta World Peace is a Lakers starter, but nothing is permanent
February 1
Los Angeles Times
 
"It's Metta World Peace's turn. It's anyone's guess whether he can do the job for the Lakers. He became their third small forward to start a game, the revolving door not spitting out much production at the position through 22 games. Devin Ebanks started the first four games, then Matt Barnes got the next 16, followed by World Peace the last two games. The trio averaged a combined 14.9 points before Tuesday's game against Charlotte, or only 51% of LeBron James' scoring average for Miami (29.2 points)."
Kenyon Martin deciding which contender to join
February 1
Yahoo! Sports
 
"Kenyon Martin is expected to decide by this weekend which NBA team he'll join, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks have expressed interest in signing the veteran forward. Martin signed with Xinjiang Gyang Hui of the Chinese Basketball Association, but has since returned to the United States. He's not eligible to sign with an NBA team until Xinjiang's season ends, which could be as soon as Feb. 16. "He's a veteran guy who knows how to win at a high level and in a playoff environment," one NBA general manager said. "He also plays multiple positions. If you get him to a situation"
Henderson, White, Williams all ready to play for Bobcats vs. Lakers
January 31
Charlotte Observer
 
"The injury report improved dramatically Monday for the Charlotte Bobcats. Coach Paul Silas anticipates Gerald Henderson, D.J. White and newcomer Reggie Williams all playing Tuesday night when the Bobcats play the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center. That's the closest to full strength the Bobcats have been in weeks. Henderson missed both games last week against the Washington Wizards with a lower-back contusion. He aggravated that injury in Philadelphia, while taking a charge. He didn't practice Monday, but said the injury was feeling much better, so he expects to play against Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles."
Clippers are exciting, Lakers make folks grouchy
January 31
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"I'll get to what all this has to do with the Clippers, Lakers and why you shouldn't get down on yourself for being critical of Page 2 in a moment. On Sunday we went to see "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close." Across the street there was a line of maybe a 100 or more waiting, and that's waiting, to get into a Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour in Brea. It might take that many to drag me inside."
Uh-oh, here come the . . . Bobcats?
January 31
Los Angeles Times
 
"For all their championships, Hall of Famers and All-Stars over the years, the Lakers have a losing record against two teams. One makes sense — the Boston Celtics, the only franchise the Lakers trail in NBA titles. The other is a head-scratcher: Charlotte. The Lakers are 6-8 against the Bobcats, not close to the historical context of their 121-153 record against Boston but an irritant nonetheless."
Lakers show interest in Cavs' Sessions
January 30
Yahoo! Sports
 
"The Los Angeles Lakers have talked with the Cleveland Cavaliers about possibly acquiring guard Ramon Sessions, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. No deal is imminent, but the Lakers view Sessions as a candidate who could help their depleted backcourt. The Lakers are without injured guard Steve Blake, and have relied heavily on rookies Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris to play behind 37-year-old Derek Fisher. The Lakers have an $8.9 million trade exception, acquired from the Dallas Mavericks for Lamar Odom, to absorb salary. Sessions makes $4.3 million this season and has a player option for $4.6 million for the 2012-13 season."
World Peace to remain as a starter with Lakers
January 30
L.A. Daily News
 
"The switch was a success if only because the Lakers actually defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Since they won, Lakers coach Mike Brown said he would stick with Metta World Peace as his starting small forward. World Peace (the former Ron Artest) didn't exactly fill up the box score. He didn't make any memorable shots. In fact, he didn't make any shots. He scored only two points on 2 of 4 free throws, and had four rebounds and three assists in just over 33 minutes in his first start of 2011-12. He also had two blocked shots and two turnovers and one of the best postgame wisecracks."
Lakers get double-double in 106-101 win over Timberwolves
January 30
Los Angeles Times
 
"So this is what it feels like to win on the road. And score 100 points. It was two-for-one night at Target Center, the Lakers incrementally improving their abysmal road record and breaking the century mark for the first time in 13 games with a 106-101 victory Sunday over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Of course it didn't come easy for the Lakers, which is no longer a surprise this season. There was an air of desperation on their bench, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant playing the entire second half, tacking on more minutes in an already unforgiving season."
Minnesota Coach Rick Adelman puts Lakers in the past
January 30
Los Angeles Times
 
"Rick Adelman doesn't have time to ponder how close he was to being the Lakers' coach. He's too busy winning games with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adelman was one of three candidates when Phil Jackson stepped down last May, but Mike Brown got the job over him and Brian Shaw. "I don't think about it that much," Adelman said Sunday before the Timberwolves played the Lakers. "That was a long, long time ago and it was just a conversation we had. I never look back at something like that.""
Bumpy ride for Lakers
January 29
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"Kobe Bryant remains arguably the best player in the National Basketball Association. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum form one of the league's top 1-2 frontcourt punches. And Derek Fisher is still plugging away, providing leadership and making big shots as Bryant's running mate in the backcourt. As for the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers? Well, that's been a work in progress as they continue to try to find their way in a lockout-shortened season with not only a different coach in Mike Brown, but a new (non-triangle) offense as well as a revamped roster devoid of versatile veteran Lamar Odom. Los Angeles made its annual appearance at the Bradley Center on Saturday night right and is around the"
Source says Lakers showing interest in Gilbert Arenas
January 29
L.A. Daily News
 
"On a night the Lakers turned in another clunker far from home, losing Saturday to the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks 100-89, the Daily News learned they have reached out for help from someone from their own backyard. The Lakers have contacted free agent guard Gilbert Arenas in the hope they can sign him in order to provide the sort of offensive spark that, with the exception of Kobe Bryant, has been glaringly absent from their backcourt this season. A source close to the situation confirmed the Lakers' interest in Arenas, who averaged 17 points last season with the Orlando Magic. The source also said Arenas, a former Grant High of Van Nuys standout, was interested in signing with the Lakers."
Brown might be ready to give World Peace a chance
January 29
L.A. Daily News
 
"Metta World Peace started Saturday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on the bench, but Lakers coach Mike Brown indicated his days as a backup to small forward Matt Barnes could be nearing an end. "I like him on the second unit," Brown said. "I want to give him a chance to be with that second unit. But, at the end of the day, there is a chance I would throw him in the (starting) lineup if I thought it would help our team. "Yeah, I'm not opposed to that." Brown's rationale for moving World Peace to the bench to start the season was sound. After the Lakers traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks last month and Shannon Brown signed with the Phoenix Suns, Brown searched for a way to bolster"
Lakers reserves remain in flux
January 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"Which way will the Lakers' second unit play? Impossible to tell game to game. Andrew Goudelock continued to make an impact but Metta World Peace cratered against the Milwaukee Bucks. Goudelock had 13 points Saturday and World Peace had only four in the Lakers' surprising 100-89 loss to the Bucks. It was bad timing for World Peace. Lakers Coach Mike Brown said before the game the veteran forward might eventually work his way back into the starting lineup. "I'm not opposed to that," Brown said. Then World Peace came off the bench, made one of six shots in 21 minutes and cemented his status as a non-starter. Goudelock had 14 points against the Clippers and was again a scoring source against"
Lakers' road woes continue with loss to Bucks
January 29
Los Angeles Times
 
"These are the games that alarm Lakers fans, that lead to TVs getting turned off and Twitter accounts fired up. The Milwaukee Bucks were without two key players, but the Lakers looked undermanned in a 100-89 loss Saturday at Bradley Center. They continued their pathetic performances on the road, falling to 1-7, and set a team record with their 13th consecutive game under 100 points. Not since 1953-54, the season before the shot clock, have they been this futile. Kobe Bryant played well in a staggeringly high 42 minutes, but Pau Gasol reverted back to shrinking status by making a woeful six of 18 shots. None of it made sense."
'Easier' road test is ahead
January 28
L.A. Daily News
 
"This week, the Lakers only had to fly halfway across the country to play two games. Last week, they traveled from coast to coast only to get smoked by the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. The distance and the opposition won't be nearly as daunting this time. Instead of facing two teams expected to contend for NBA supremacy, the Lakers will play two losing teams that nobody expects to challenge for a title. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves might not even make the playoffs. Still, the road has been rocky for the Lakers, who have lost all but one of seven road games. The Lakers' 10-2 home mark is one of the league's best, but their 1-6 record on the road is one of the"
Lakers' Andrew Goudelock making a name for himself
January 27
Los Angeles Times
 
"Sorry, guys. You've had it all wrong. It's not Goody-lock. Or Goodluck. It's GOWD-lock. After Andrew Goudelock unexpectedly punctured the Clippers for 14 points Wednesday, Kobe Bryant might need to stop calling him "Goo." Coach Mike Brown should probably start pronouncing his name correctly. The rookie from the College of Charleston played point guard for the first time in a game at any level — NBA, college, high school, church league — and made five of eight shots in 20 minutes of the Lakers' 96-91 victory."
Lakers and Clippers rivals now
January 26
ESPN.com
 
"The conversation didn't involve him. The game was long since over. Only the final score was in doubt. But Chris Paul wasn't about to walk away. Not without letting Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and whoever else was still watching the Lakers' 96-91 win over the Clippers on Wednesday night know that his team still had something to say. The Lakers may have won the second installment of what is clearly going to be a heated city rivalry for years to come, but this ain't over. It's not even tabled until the next time these two teams play April 4. It's just getting started. "They got us tonight," Paul said with a little wink. "But we'll get them again later." Paul isn't the first Clippers player to give"
Chris Paul and Pau Gasol trade barbs
January 26
ESPN.com
 
"If the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers didn't have a rivalry before Wednesday night, they certainly appear to have one now. After Clippers forward Blake Griffin fouled Lakers forward Pau Gasol with 1.1 seconds remaining in the Lakers' 96-91 win, Clippers guard Chris Paul tried to grab the ball from Gasol's hands as the two began jawing at one another. Gasol and Paul continued to talk while Lakers guard Kobe Bryant got in front of the two as Gasol walked to the free throw line. Before Gasol stepped to the line, he smiled and put his hand on top of Paul's head. Paul immediately shoved Gasol's hand away and tapped Gasol on his head. "He tried to touch the top of my head. I don't"
Defense first becomes Lakers mantra
January 26
L.A. Daily News
 columnist Vincent Bonsignore
"What do you get when you hire a defensive-minded basketball coach whose teams historically focus more on making stops than figuring out ways to score points? Why, you get a defensive-minded team that focuses more on making stops than figuring out ways to score points, that's what. What, were you expecting new Lakers coach Mike Brown to recreate the Showtime Lakers or something? You hire Brown and you get exactly what he is, the coach he was groomed to be and always has been. A coach with a laser-like focus on defense. A coach who believes a good offense is making a defensive stop and then securing the rebound."
Lakers claim one more award: MVF
January 26
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Lakers' two-year reign as NBA champions ended with their second-round playoff loss last May to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. They claimed a new title Wednesday as the league's most valuable franchise, according to Forbes. The Lakers vaulted past the New York Knicks with a value of $900 million, a 40 percent increase over last year thanks in large part to their new television deal with Time Warner Cable. The Knicks were second in value at $780 million, a 19 percent increase."
In Lakers-Clippers rivalry, intense times come to L.A.
January 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"Lakers-Clippers rivalry? Are you kidding? This is now officially a street fight. It used to be all that mattered when the Clippers played the Lakers was whether Jack Nicholson bothered to show. No more. This one clearly mattered. By the final period, there threatened to be more technical fouls and near-fights than basketball plays. The basketball wasn't that bad, either. Spectacular, actually, if you are measuring intensity. The Lakers will measure it any way you want. Led by that old hand, Kobe Bryant, they prevailed in a rough and rugged fourth period to win, 96-91."
Lakers have the right attitude against Clippers
January 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"It was a funny time for a playoff feeling with a handful of days left in January, but the calendar was suddenly flipped several months ahead Wednesday at Staples Center. The Lakers pushed and pulled, defending the territory they worked so hard to build over the decades, suddenly dragged out of their season-long stupor by the Clippers. Then they won, 96-91, with unlikely heroes in Metta World Peace, Andrew Goudelock and, yes, the slumping Pau Gasol, who rediscovered his game."
Lakers rookie Andrew Goudelock contributes against the Clippers
January 26
Los Angeles Times
 
"Moving quickly from rookie to rookie, the Lakers' search for help at point guard took another turn Wednesday. Andrew Goudelock was in, Darius Morris was out. Goudelock looked as if he belonged, scoring 12 points through three quarters as a reserve against the Clippers at Staples Center. He finished with 14 points. He struggled a bit on defense, getting beaten a couple of times by veteran Mo Williams, but it was a solid night for a second-round selection from last year's draft. Goudelock had totaled 10 points in his previous 10 appearances."
It's serious times for Lakers and Clippers
January 25
Los Angeles Times
 
"Pau Gasol said Tuesday the Clippers must be taken "very seriously." He wasn't joking. A month ago, there would have been a few chuckles. A year ago, people would have doubled over with laughter. Not any longer. The teams meet again Wednesday in a designated Lakers home game, with the Clippers atop the Pacific Division and the Lakers 10th in the Western Conference. It's far too premature to call this a rivalry. Or is it? "I think it was always a rivalry but now that they have opportunities to win games against us, it's, like, something else," Lakers center Andrew Bynum said."
Lakers decide to take break from their woes
January 24
L.A. Daily News
 
"After winning only 10 of 18 games to start the season and averaging just 92.3 points, the Lakers took a day to pause and reflect on their play. They did not practice Monday but will return to the court today. "I think we still have a long way to go in terms of being what we're capable of being," veteran Derek Fisher said. "Obviously, after three losses in a row, regardless of how you feel about your team you can't feel great about where we are right now." A new coach, several new players, a lack of practice time and new offensive and defensive schemes have the Lakers looking out of sync more often than not. They appear fine one minute and terrible the next, especially on offense."
Pau Gasol thinks an inside job would help his game and Lakers
January 24
Los Angeles Times
 
"Pau Gasol thinks an inside job would help his game and Lakers Pau Gasol didn't have to go far to make his first campaign stop. Wearing a charcoal sport coat over dark jeans and black dress shoes, the Lakers forward stood before a semicircle of reporters at his locker Sunday night to discuss his platform: playing closer to the basket. "I would like to get a little more inside, myself," Gasol said after scoring only eight points in a 98-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers. "I always like to have different looks and be able to attack from different angles, and in the second half I didn't have one chance to attack from the post.""
Pacers assistant Brian Shaw says he's moved on from L.A.
January 23
L.A. Daily News
 
"Brian Shaw rode the bus to Staples Center and walked down to the corridor to the visiting locker room for the first time in his career as an NBA player or coach. Then he stood at center court, with the Lakers' championship banners hanging behind him. It was a strange feeling. After all, Shaw spent 12 seasons as a player and a coach with the Lakers, winning three titles as a versatile guard and two as an assistant. He returned Sunday as an assistant coach with the Indiana Pacers. "Obviously, those memories are never going to go anywhere," he said before his new team faced his old one for the only time this season. "I'm just trying to focus on what I'm trying to do with this team. …"
Metta World Peace finally delivers some offense for Lakers
January 23
Los Angeles Times
 
"This is what the Lakers need out of Metta World Peace, nothing worthy of a player-of-the-week award but nothing colossally bad either. World Peace had 11 points, made his only three-point attempt, created turnovers and hit five of nine shots Sunday in an otherwise dour 98-96 loss for the Lakers against the Indiana Pacers. World Peace, a bright spot? "I'm coming back to life, finally," he said. Well, sort of."
Pacers' Hibbert gets nose broken in victory over Lakers
January 23
Indianapolis Star
 
"Indiana Pacers Roy Hibbert knew what the medical staff at the Staples Center wanted him to do. Hibbert didn't want to follow their advice, though. The only thing Hibbert could think about was getting back on the court to help his teammates overcome their double-digit deficit to the Los Angeles Lakers. Hibbert, with cotton stuffed in his broken nose, returned to the game and was the best player on the court during the final 22 minutes he played. Hibbert used his scoring and passing skills to help the Pacers beat the Lakers 98-96 on Sunday."
Back in L.A., Shaw's 'moved on'
January 22
Indianapolis Star
 
"For the first time in 12 years tonight, Indiana Pacers associate head coach Brian Shaw will walk by the Los Angeles Lakers locker room without making a left turn to head inside and prepare for a game. He'll walk right past it to the Pacers locker room, where his goal is to beat the team that gave him the cold shoulder when it came to replacing legendary coach Phil Jackson last summer. "This is a different situation because I have more history there, but I've really, really moved on," Shaw said. "In my mind now, it's a game we need to win and I want to win. If you're not with me, you're against me. They're against me now.""
Condensed schedule starting to take its toll
January 22
L.A. Daily News
 
"Two games, two nights, two cross-country flights. The Lakers sure looked like road kill during losses Thursday to the Heat in Miami and Friday to the Magic in Orlando and fell to 1-6 on the road. Their Florida trip was no vacation, particularly for their misfiring offense. Could fatigue be to blame for their poor shooting? It shouldn't be ruled out. Tired legs usually mean poor percentages. The Lakers began the lockout-shortened and compressed season by playing 14 games in 21 days. After a loss Friday to Orlando in which they scored only 31 points in the first half on 28.9 percent shooting, they addressed the difficulty of the schedule. Friday's game was their 17th in only 27days. Is the"
Former Lakers assistant Brian Shaw isn't dwelling on the past
January 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"Brian Shaw wants this to be an easy homecoming. He really does. He spent 12 years as a player, scout and assistant coach for the Lakers but didn't get the job to replace Phil Jackson. He was upset he wasn't hired, especially after finding out through media reports, not the Lakers, that Mike Brown got the nod. So Shaw returns Sunday to Staples Center as the associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers and might wonder "what if?" … but only if his mind lets him. "I don't really like to play that game and look back because if I dwell on that, I'm really cheating the team I'm with now," Shaw said in a phone interview with The Times. "I had no issue at all with who they hired. My only issue at"
Lakers don't get a day off
January 22
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Lakers were due for a day off Saturday, having just played back-to-back road games against NBA powers before taking a charter flight that put them back in Los Angeles around 3:30 a.m. They didn't get it. Coach Mike Brown required his players to report to the team's practice facility, where they watched a replay of their 92-80 loss to the Orlando Magic from the previous day. Brown then conducted a light workout before calling players into a back room individually to further break down tape of their games. It's all part of the process of trying to learn under a new coach in a condensed season, which on days like Saturday can feel particularly painful. "I would have never done that in the"
Offense continues to be a struggle for L.A in loss to Orlando
January 21
L.A. Daily News
 
"Kobe Bryant didn't have much to say Friday night, lowering the volume considerably after the Lakers misfired again and again during a 92-80 loss to the Orlando Magic and then walking silently toward the team bus. He couldn't say why it all went wrong for the Lakers, whose offensive struggles have become considerably more than a minor annoyance and more like a recurring theme in the opening weeks of the 2011-12 season. "We're struggling on offense, no doubt about it," Bryant said quietly in the understatement of the evening after the Lakers set season lows for points in a half with 31 and shooting percentage in a half (28.9 percent, 11 of 38). Andrew Bynum couldn't offer much in the way of"
Williams could be Lakers' safety Net
January 21
L.A. Daily News
 
"If the Lakers do not trade for Dwight Howard before the March 15 deadline, and all signs point to them taking a pass if it means sending Andrew Bynum and/or Pau Gasol to get him, there could be another possible deal to be made. Deron Williams could be available in a trade if his team, the New Jersey Nets, can't complete a deal with the Orlando Magic for Howard. Williams would like to stay with the Nets if they acquire Howard, according to ESPN The Magazine. The Lakers tried and failed to address their need to upgrade at point guard when they sought to acquire Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets last month. Williams could be the next best option, if the Nets decide to trade him."
Metta World Peace still lacking in productivity
January 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"What in the world is going on with the former Ron Artest? He's following up a forgettable season with an unforgettably forgettable season, double-dipping into career-low territory as the Lakers struggle to find scoring sources. Friday marked a typical night for Metta World Peace. He missed all four of his shots against Orlando. He was scoreless. And he was benched in the second half. Typically exuberant and optimistic, he sounded fine. "I feel good. I feel awesome. Just because my numbers [stink] don't mean I don't feel good," he said. "I can't control everything. I can't control not starting. All I can control is going out there and playing hard. I can't control not being in a rhythm, but"
Lakers' trip ends in Brick City, again, with 92-80 loss to Magic
January 21
Los Angeles Times
 
"Welcome to Slowtime. These are strange days for a franchise that loves to score points, be it Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant over the years. The only Showtime the Lakers unveiled the last couple of days was cheered by opposing fans. They fell again Friday, this time to Orlando, 92-80, at Amway Arena. They haven't scored 100 points in nine consecutive games, the third-longest streak in franchise history since the shot-clock era began in 1954. They had another pathetic quarter, scoring 10 points in the first against Orlando, barely squeaking past the seven they had against Dallas in the third quarter Monday. Twenty-four hours after a shaky effort against Miami, the Lakers shot"
Dwight Howard makes a convincing case to Lakers
January 21
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"The club official had ended the group interview, but I walked alongside Dwight Howard as he left the Orlando Magic locker room late Friday night and introduced myself as a reporter from Los Angeles. He stopped. He suddenly had time for one more question. "How does it feel to know that folks in my town are hoping they can watch you do this every night?" I said. "I understand," he said, smiling down, his eyes twinkling through his horn-rimmed glasses. "And I'm really pleased to meet you." Thus ended a glorious open house for basketball's most valuable — and available — property, Howard purposely stopping to chat with a guy from Los Angeles after spending three hours dominating a bunch of"
Howard (20-20) clobbers Lakers
January 21
Orlando Sentinel
 
"What transpired Friday night at Amway Center almost could make an objective person feel sorry for Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Orlando Magic schooled 'em from start to finish. Dwight Howard outplayed Andrew Bynum. Jameer Nelson bounced back from one of the worst games of his career. And the rest of the Magic looked like they were going full-speed while Bryant's teammates looked like they were sleepwalking. The result: a 92-80 Orlando win over Los Angeles that might have made Shaquille O'Neal regret saying that Bynum was the NBA's best big man. "Tonight's game was not about Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard," Howard said afterward. "It was about the Magic and the Lakers, and"
Nets' Deron Williams has wish list
January 21
ESPN.com
 
"Deron Williams' first choice is to stay with the Nets and to build something special in Brooklyn, but if it doesn't work out with his current team, his short list of desirable destinations includes the Mavericks, the Knicks and the Lakers, according to sources close to the situation. While the league's post-lockout trade buzz has been centered on Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, little attention has been paid to Williams, who like Howard can opt out of his contract and become a free agent after this season. Williams has publicly stated his desire to re-sign with the Nets, and New Jersey, which views him as a building block for next season's move to Brooklyn, has refused to entertain potential"
Report: Bryant lets Howard know who's team it is
January 20
CBSSports.com
 
"There are various rules and regulations that prohibit NBA teams and players from talking to one another in regards to recruiting for a trade. But when that player has been given permission to talk to other teams, that all goes out the window. Such is the case with Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant, who have apparently become like teenage girls gabbing on the phone with Howard weighing where he wants to be traded to, if at all. Unfortuntely for Lakers fans, it doesn't sound like Bryant's doing a great job as a pitch man. From the Los Angeles Times: Kobe Bryant has had at least one in-depth phone conversation with Howard recently, even discussing how Howard might fit in with the Lakers'"