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And if you don't know now you know, , Uh.
New nickname for Lakers’ new bench: The Renegades
By Greg Beacham
This must be another coaching record for Phil Jackson. Just one week into the regular season, he has already minted a catchy nickname for the Los Angeles Lakers’ revamped group of reserves.
Meet the Renegades. They’re the reason the two-time NBA champions might be a whole lot better this season.
Newcomers Steve Blake, Matt Barnes and Theo Ratliff have joined returnees Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic on a bench that already looks exponentially more reliable than last season’s collection of castoffs and underachievers. What’s more, they’re still planning to add injured Luke Walton and sixth man Lamar Odom, currently a fill-in starter.
“I like the way this group is coming together,” Jackson said. “They have the potential to be very special.”
The Lakers were top-heavy during their two le runs, but this team appears to have enviable balance.
The unimpressive likes of Adam Morrison, Jordan Farmar and DJ Mbenga have been replaced by three tough NBA veterans with 29 combined seasons of experience. Blake, Barnes and Ratliff are former starters who swallowed their egos for the chance to join Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol in another championship chase.
“Our bench is very solid, very solid,” Bryant said after Sunday’s 107-83 win over Golden State, moving the Lakers to 3-0. “They rarely make mistakes. They stay within the structure, and they play well together.”
They also add hunger: None of the three newcomers has a championship ring, and all three looked on in envy when the nine returning Lakers received the spoils of last season’s toils during last week’s ring ceremony.
“Everybody knows that’s the reason we’re here, and that’s the reason I chose the Lakers,” said Barnes, the hard-nosed swingman and longtime Kobe antagonist who is becoming a confidante to the two-time finals MVP.
Although Jackson slapped a couple of nicknames on his reserves during the last two le runs—the Bench Mob, and later the Minutemen—their struggles often forced the starters to play heavy minutes. Jackson already displays more confidence in his new bench, which scored 55 points in the Lakers’ first two games before logging major minutes in the blowout win over the Warriors.
“You can probably be a starter somewhere and not have a chance to play for a championship, or you can go to a situation where you have an opportunity to win,” said Blake, the Lakers’ most capable backup to point guard Derek Fisher in several years. “That’s what they did in Miami, and that’s what we’re doing here, on a little different scale.”
Blake hit the go-ahead 3-pointer and made a last-second defensive stop in the season-opening win over Houston, while Brown added 16 points in a flurry of outside shots from an acrobatic dunker with a rapidly evolving game. Brown has largely supplanted Vujacic as Bryant’s backup.
Sure, they can play—but what about this new nickname? Jackson hasn’t spelled it out, but it’s clear he hopes to instill a restless, aggressive spirit in the group. The reserves all love it, although Barnes also likes Lakers TV analyst Stu Lantz’s “Killer B’s” sobriquet for Blake, Brown and himself.
The common theme among the Renegades is hunger. While the 37-year-old Ratliff and Blake already have made good money, they need a ring to complete their well-traveled careers. Barnes and Brown are still chasing that big contract, and they believe it’s easier to get when you’re a winner.
Eager second-round draft picks Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter are also around to carry luggage and push the veterans in practice—and don’t forget, Odom will be back in charge of the bench when center Andrew Bynum recovers from offseason knee surgery, likely around Thanksgiving.
“We have guys this year that are accepting of their roles, and they’re professionals,” said Odom, who is averaging 16 points and 13.7 rebounds in an outstanding start. “They’re going to police themselves out there. If we can get something from 1 through 12, we can be even better.”
Odom didn’t mention Farmar by name, but the UCLA guard wasn’t content winning two rings while backing up Fisher. Proclaiming he deserved to be a starter, he left the Lakers for New Jersey—where he’s a backup again, but for a much worse team.
“This year, I think we have better chemistry, in terms of the pieces fitting better together coming off the bench,” Jackson said. “I knew as soon as we signed those free agents that we would be better, just because you know what they bring. You know what those pieces are going to look like.”
And if you don't know now you know, , Uh.
LMAO at the Sasha Vujacic mention
But that bench is impressive: Odom, Blake, Barnes, Ratliff, Brown
Damn
Laker fans: I'm not sure what you guys expect from Matt Barnes, but I guarantee you he will not live up to your expectations. He's a dumb player. He might even lose games for you. Biggest idiot in the NBA.
Steve Blake, though, that's a solid pickup.
Except he's already exceeded expectations and has been a key factor in two wins thus far.
I've seen much bigger idiots in the NBA. The LA version of Barnes crashes the O boards with ferocity and plays extremely unselfishly. Nice try, though.
He's always starts off well, but by the end of the season, you guys will want him gone.
Doubful considering the what the Lakers are paying him.
He's playing under a coach that's seen it all and in a system where he seems to have found his niche.
The worst he could do is get ejected for throwing some cheap shots and that's exactly what the Lakers brought him in for and won't mind that at all with how deep they are at the 3
As long he's crashing the boards and hustling Barnes has a home in LA.
2b, gloriously oblivious to the concept of mercy.
- "Oh, Creed is spitting up blood now."
He's everything that Luva said he'd be.Doubful considering the what the Lakers are paying him.
He's playing under a coach that's seen it all and in a system where he seems to have found his niche.
The worst he could do is get ejected for throwing some cheap shots and that's exactly what the Lakers brought him in for and won't mind that at all with how deep they are at the 3
As long he's crashing the boards and hustling Barnes has a home in LA.
make sure you don't forget about the passing skills and mental abilities of legendary Luke Walton
....namesake of the dearly departed.
I can easily live and die with his decision making as I am familiar with his volatile nature.
Since Luke Walton was the only viable SF on the bench all last season (Adam Morrison did not count) I am pleased to see an energetic, active, ball hawking, defensive minded guy out there playing with the unit that seeks to increase tempo and energy anyway. Thus far he's done well and even if he does make a bad play or two here and there it doesn't negate the positives he brings to the table.
Son, we needed a scrappy player like Barnes coming off our bench that could grab some boards & make some cuts.. Sorry but Barnes >>>>>>> Luke " high basketball IQ" Walton & Adam Morrison hahaha. We dont have that cancer Farmar either anymore so they're actually playing as a team now instead of chucking up shots with 20 seconds left on the clock. Barnes, Blake & Brown already have some good chemistry & when Odom rejoins the bench its gonna be some fun to watch.
What's hilarious is the bench is going to be that much better when Bynum comes back.
Christ, is the NBA supremely ed or what.
Once Bynum returns, most games vs avg teams will already be over after the 1st quarter or halftime. They were up 20 after 1 yesterday & they looked like they were not even trying. Whats scary is that this is the deepest team LA has had in a while & they just went back 2 back. Stackkkked I tell ya hahahaha
and when has Blake accomplished anything?
you know damn well your bench lives and dies by the Kardasian
ReneGAYdes
The former.
With this well balanced Laker corp, complacency will be their only enemy this year.
It's like a dream come true, Acme.
Yes, the Renegades have been regulating so far. The potential is there and it seems like the ego's have been set aside left to fend for themselves. Still, a long season it is and I see each member having stints of glory and stints of slivers. I expect Sasha to be better than he's showing right now and will vie for minutes with Shanwow. I can't complain though. , even Ratfliff is playing, hitting boards and checking assholes as my bro G-iusepe likes to say.
the right system and winning changes everything. blake and barnes fit right in and seems like they been here for years.
Injuries are the only thing that can take this Laker team down...they're just too deep and talented
I agree DD. This team is reminding me of the early 2000 lakers. Even when they lost games, it seems like they were coasting a little, and when it matters could turn it up and flip that switch. This is these Lakers now. Battle tested and no need for antibiotics.
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