http://www.latimes.com/sports/basket...3006709.column
When the young center plays defense as he did Sunday in a rout of San Antonio, the Lakers are almost unbeatable.
Folks awoke here Sunday morning to shocking news.
The front-page headline in the San Antonio Express-News read, "Alamo Falls at Dawn!''
Forget the fact news travels slowly here in backwater country, as the day would only get worse for the locals. Their favorite sons, the San Antonio Spurs, would get wiped out by the Lakers playing at their season best.
In a town noted for having no quit, Andrew Bynum added yet more embarrassing commentary on San Antonio's collapse.
He said the Spurs' "starters definitely quit.''
They were certainly no match for the Lakers' size. Bynum and those in attendance (Jerry Buss, Jim Buss, Magic Johnson and George Lopez) were probably too much for these quitters.
The Spurs' starters combined to score 29 points, and although Bynum scored only four — a dunk to start the first half and another to start the second half — he took only two shots.
It was his energy, his 17 rebounds for a second consecutive game and three blocked shots that seemed to take the zip right out of the Spurs, who had won 22 straight at home.
The Spurs could counter only with Tim Duncan — who appears ready to make the transition to church league basketball — and a short, fat guy in DeJuan Blair, whose head stands as tall as Bynum's belly button.
As Duncan put it later, "I think [Bynum] was a key to the game, his offensive rebounds, a bunch of second shots, and defensively he bothered a lot of people in the lane. Just his size was definitely the difference."
And some people suggested trading Bynum.
"Why would anyone want to trade Bynum?" said Lamar Odom. I can only surmise anyone who would make such an argument must not be a Lakers fan.
Those who love the Lakers know Bynum sets the team apart from every other wannabe champion.
Bynum, coupled with Pau Gasol, who has the ability to step outside and shoot almost like a guard, gives the Lakers an inside presence most teams can only covet.
All Bynum has to do now is remain healthy. He said he's still not 100%, but if so, then the Spurs have to be freaking out at the thought he might be when they meet again.
He said his knee continues to hurt, including during Sunday's game. He said it was hit, the pain jarring, but it went away. Hard to tell because he ran the court like someone who continually cared about getting from here to there.
"There is no swelling, so that's a good thing," said Bynum, who blocked six shots Friday in the win over Charlotte. "I realize where I can be a huge help to the team, so I'm just putting all my energy into the defensive side of things. I'm trying to get every rebound and block every shot.
"Teammates are probably mad at me because I'm not posting up as aggressively as I probably could be. But I think we're a much better offensive team moving the ball like we are."
With Bynum dominating the middle and altering countless shots, our heroes played like world champs. The first quarter was a masterpiece. If they play better, they will have another Larry O'Brien Trophy to add to their vast collection.
Go right down the list. Each starter played as if they were playing for the team with the best record in the league.
The Spurs looked so vulnerable. Now they have to be hoping the Lakers meet the Mavericks in the playoffs and Dallas prevails.
San Antonio had a 2-0 edge in games played previously against the Lakers, but that was at a time when our guys were pacing themselves. We all know how frustrating that can be.
But something happened after the All-Star break, or was it the loss to Cleveland? The Lakers haven't lost since going belly up, and now Coach Phil Jackson seems to be taking this week of big games as some kind of playoff prep.
The Lakers had the Spurs buried, but it wasn't enough to satisfy Jackson when the bench didn't play to his satisfaction. So he brought back the starters.
Once the game was over, it still didn't appear as if Jackson was all that thrilled with the overwhelming win.
Asked if he was excited, he said with a straight face, "I'm really excited."
"So this is what you look like when you're really excited?" I said.
"I'm bubbling over," said Jackson, and apparently Kobe Bryant was bubbling over just like Jackson.
When Bryant met the media, he looked as if someone had just swiped his favorite pair of shoes.
"Wasn't that the best the Lakers played as a team this season?" he was asked, and he said, "Sure."
"You don't seem that excited," came the reply.
"Why should I be?" said Bryant after winning the first game on a contentious four-game trip. It seemed like a monumental win with Orlando waiting for the Lakers when they return home and both Dallas and San Antonio maintaining the home-court advantage.
"We did good," said Bryant, and so much for thinking this was a laugher.
FOR THE record, Sunday was the 175th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo. The local newspaper reported the story as if it had just happened, quoting one of Gen. Santa Anna's officers as saying, "the assault began at 3 a.m., and firing lasted a half hour."
It seemed different in the movie.
What a got.Forget the fact news travels slowly here in backwater country
The Spurs could counter only with Tim Duncan — who appears ready to make the transition to church league basketball — and a short, fat guy in DeJuan Blair, whose head stands as tall as Bynum's belly button.
Spurs beat LAL 100-81 last April 4 put this in perspective it was not a fatal loss or anything like that and the starters did not quit - they just got rediculously hot on the offensive end just like Spurs did to Heat and just like the Heat did to LAL on Christmas day.
Spurs will remember Bynum's words and he is an idiot for spewing them.
You can change your team now, tlongII. Bynum>Aldridge
+1
aldridge is overrated
Yawn...one regular season loss...
Wow. That was a pretty obnoxious article.
ok
This. That loss didn't exactly derail the Lakers' le train.
The Lakers fans/trolls/bandwagoners/whatever coming out now are the same ones dismissing the first two meetings as meaningless.
The Lakers clung to the Spurs on the three-point line and dared the Spurs to drive -- knowing Bynum was at the rim to stop them.
Part of the counter could be Manu, Tony and Hill taking it hard to Bynum. He'll get his share of blocks but he'll also foul, and that could be his (and the Lakers') undoing.
But fearlessness will be the key.
Its funny that the 1st word of the article summarizes all: when. The problem is that when doesn't happen very often. Beside his injury problems, a lot of times Bynum gets easily frustrated. In fact he only got 2 touches on the last game (4 pts). I predict that will get in his head and he & the Lakers will stuggle again in the next few days.
The writer's memory is not very good regarding that short, fat guy.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore...gid=2010122824
I guess regular season wins are only meaningless when the Spurs are getting more of them. When's the parade, Lakerfans?
Around the same time as the last 2 years.I guess regular season wins are only meaningless when the Spurs are getting more of them. When's the parade, Lakerfans?
Try again.
I am going to bookmark this article. The asshole has the gall to write this even as the Lakers are 1-2 in this regular season against the Spurs. And paying nearly 1.7 times the salary of the Spurs.
He is only a stupid basketball writer, no doubt, riding Kobe Bryant's coattails. But I wish Gregg Popovich will show this article to the winningest team in the NBA, %wise. Especially to Tim Duncan and DeJuan Blair. I am rooting for the Lakers in the playoffs. And wait till they get the Spurs to pound the rock for that one last time.
No one expected the Spurs to have a lick of a chance to have the best record in the league this season and they bucked those expectations and surprised everyone. They will thrash the Lakers in the playoffs (if the Lakes manage to overcome the Mavs, of course). I am booking it.
Hey..aren't you the asshole that has been discounting regular season wins? Can't you see that you are proving to be even more of an asshole by gloating at the Fakes' win, when you spewed all along saying that the regular season doesn't matter?Around the same time as the last 2 years.
Try again.
I've only been here since February, but yeah, the regular season means jack . Just like the Spurs two regular season wins mean nothing. That puts us back at square one, with the Lakers being the best team until proven otherwise, capiche?
Then.. are you willing to delete all these crowing posts after your team beat the Spurs in a "meaningless" regular season game? And agree that you are an asshole for being an asshole, capiche?
Well that writer defintiley isn't a Laker fan, and isn't bias at all.
TJ Simers is pretty much widely-regarded as the most obnoxious writer here in the SoCal area.
No. One good turn deserves another. If you can dish it out (first two wins), then you gotta be able to take it.
Reciprocity, homes.
I am all for freedom of speech and expression. But what gets me is how writers could write such jack and be in a job. Tim Duncan had one poor game. He is a HOFer and DeJuan Blair is the worthiest second round pick in some time.. perhaps only less better than Carlos Boozer and Michael Redd. One can criticise their play in a particular game, but writing such obnoxious ? I suppose the only guys who have the right to write like that are former players who have done it all, seen it all. And no one, even among the best and most smug say such things.
It tells you about the society we live in where such assholes like TJ Simers are basketball writers. Heck, a low level troll on this site is better than him!
I never said regular season wins don't matter, moron. You did. And you contradict yourself. And then do that again. There is a word for that- "Autofellatio". Seems you are an expert at that. Go check with a psychiatrist. It will do you a world of good.
Then yesterday must've been really hard for you. Sorry for the reality check, but you had to know it was too good to be true
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