NBA assistant coaches have selected the final participants for the upcoming Rookie/Sophomore game for this upcoming All-Star Weekend.

If you haven’t heard yet, this year’s format is a little different as both rookies and sophomores will be selected and then thrown into a pool, where TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal will pick teams just like they do on the playground.

Here are the players on the list:

Sophomores:

• DeMarcus Cousins
• Landry Fields
• Paul George
• Gordon Hayward
• Greg Monroe
• Tiago Splitter
• Evan Turner
• John Wall
• Blake Griffin

Rookies

• Kyrie Irving
• Ricky Rubio
• MarShon Brooks
• Brandon Knight
• Kawhi Leonard
• Markieff Morris
• Tristan Thompson
• Kemba Walker
• Derrick Williams

Unfortunately, the two Lakers rookies, Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock, did not make the final pool, so hopefully they can make it next year.

Now, who do you take with the

1st Pick?

2nd & 3rd pick?

4th Pick?

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant tore a ligament in his right wrist during a pre-season game against the Clippers, and the injury altered the way he released the ball. As a result, Bryant had to take extra caution in games and took injections to numb the pain.

However, Bryant told Kevin Ding of the OCRegister.com that the pain is no longer present and that the injury has fully healed.

“I got through it,” Bryant said.

When I asked him if he would use the term “healed,” Bryant said: “Yes.”

Kobe stopped taking the injections two games ago when the Lakers played the Jazz and he played without the supportive tape for the first time on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers. As a result, Bryant has regained full motion on his shot and that was clearly evident Monday night when he nailed four three-pointers. “I’ve got more flexibility on the shot,” Bryant said.

Bryant never complained about the injury and played through it despite the excruciating pain. Now that his wrist and knees are close to 100%, Lakers fan can expect to see Kobe Bryant accomplish even more impressive feats.

After suffering a rib injury a few weeks ago, Steve Blake has been slowly getting better and to everyone’s surprise, practiced with the team today and looks like he will be a game time decision according to the Lakers Facebook Fan Page.

The loss of Blake has definitely been felt as the Lakers have bone 6-7 without him backing up Derek Fisher at the point. The lone bright spot out of this has been the emergence of Andrew Goudelock, who has done an admirable job leading the second unit in surrounding Andrew Bynum with perimeter shooting.

As the Lakers being to gel as a team, the outside shooting from Blake along with his toughness will be a welcome addition back to the team.

Right now, TiqIQ.com tells us that most $100+ seats for the Boston vs Lakers game, after shipping and handling of course, are going out the door for around $74. No more offers will be accepted after 7p est tomorrow, so get your butt up and represent Lakers Nation!

The Lakers & Celtics are two franchises making moves to try and maximize their window of opportunity in today’s NBA. While the two teams may be struggling to start the season, when the Lakers and Celtics play, fans are sure to enjoy a high-level of competition between the two teams.

Push the Button!

As a Lakers fan site, it’s our job to make sure Lakers fans are fully equipped with the latest news and information to make sure they know what they’re talking about. Today, we team up with TiqIQ.com to make sure Lakers fans in Boston can get in the game live to represent the  Lakers Nation.

There’s no special offer or what not, this is a straight up system where you make an offer for the tickets you want. Not many Lakers fans are brave enough to represent at a Boston Celtics home page, but most Lakers Nation fans are!

Right now, TiqIQ.com tells us that most $100+ seats, after shipping and handling of course, are going out the door for around $74. No more offers will be accepted after 7p est tomorrow, so get your butt up and represent Lakers Nation!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iLpWMWu8pY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50zgw8SjUZw

Reporter: Derek Opina | Follow @DerekOpina

Script:

The lakers finally made a roster change—and no, it’s not the one most of you are thinking about. Yesterday the lakers waived derrick caracter, ther 2010 draft 2nd round pick from utep. Caracter had surgery to repair his tore his lateral meniscus back in december. But the lakers have decided to move on rather than wait for caracter to make a full recovery.

Caracter’s departure opens up a roster spot for the lakers to make a move. For example….They can go after a point guard. According to Peter Vecsay of the new york post, gilbert arenas is scheduled for a work out party in los angeles sometime this week. Yesterday adiana vega reported about the lakers contacting the rockets about johnny flyn, but the wildest point-guard rumor going around has to be the pau gasol-rajon rondo trade.

Lakers nation-dot-com writer gary lee cites a report by hoopsworld saying lakers general manager mitch kupchack may have leaked a possible target point guard when he spoke to mike trudell of lakers.Com.

Kupchack mentioned how they would love to obtain a 25-year-old, all-star ball-handling guard.”

And when you do the math, there is only one 25-year-old, ball-handling all-star point guard in the league. The celtics’ rajon rondo.

But who knows, like we said, it’s just a rumor…..Based on calculations.

In other news the all-star game is later this month and you’ll be surprised to see a change in the rookies-sophomores game format. Instead of pitting the 1st years against 2nd years, the nba will display the league’s best young talent by having two teams comprised of rookies and sophomores go against each other. On february 16th, charles barkeley and shaquille o’neal will serve as gm’s and draft players of their choice to form the two squads

And now it’s time for our tweet of the week and this time, we feature a very special laker fan all the way from central europe.

Katarina Rafcikova of slovakia tweeted me this picture. Saying she’s deprived her sleep in order to watch every game that’s crossed out on this calendar.

It’s good to know about laker fans in europe, especially ones as dedicated as this one. So congratulations katarina, you are this week’s tweet of the week.

If any of you guys want to be featured in next week’s tweet of the week, make sure you get at me. My handle is @derekopina. The tweet can be anything funny, clever, informative or anything in general that a laker fan should know. So make sure you follow me on twitter.

Well that’s going to do it for us. We’re going to mix things up a bit for our next newscast. Amy halvorsen is going to be here tomorrow instead of friday, so make sure you visit us again thursday. Big shout out to examiner –dot-com for your support and all laker fans, make sure you subscribe to our youtube channel by clicking right….Here!

For the fans, by the fans this is LakersNation.com, i’m Derek Opina. Thanks for watching l-n-t-v. See you guys next time!

Kobe Bryant has been a polarizing figure ever since he entered the NBA world, and people have been arguing his place in league history for quite some time. But still, his work so far in his career is amazing and is surely on the same level as the legends of the league.

Bryant is no doubt not as loved as Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson or as praised as Michael Jordan, but one thing is for sure, only one or two players in NBA history have a résumé that compares to Kobe’s.

Bryant just recently passed former teammate Shaquille O’Neal for fifth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, just another accolade to add to his already astonishing career. However, people will always have something negative to say about Bryant and will find a way to put down his accomplishments.

As Rey Moralde wrote on The No Look Pass: “Obviously, it’s easy to compare him to Michael Jordan. But I feel like we will never, ever fully appreciate his career because of these never-ending comparisons. It’s always going to be like this:“Kobe Bryant did this… BUT Michael Jordan…”

No matter how amazing Kobe has been in his 16 seasons, there will always be those who claim that he has not done enough. If Kobe scores 50 points, there will be a comparison to Michael Jordan, if he records a triple-double he will be judged against Magic Johnson and if he hits a game winner, his numbers will be put up against the other players in the NBA.

For some reason, Bryant is always being compared to someone just so the notions that he is the best player in this generation and the closest thing to Michael Jordan will be erased. How about instead of seeing how Kobe matches up with the all-time greats, we look at how amazing his stats and achievements are?  His body of work is nearly unprecedented, but we tend to overlook those feats.

Already in his 16th season, Bryant has won five NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular season MVP, he is a 14-time NBA All-Star, nine time All-NBA and All-Defensive First team and now the fifth leading scorer in league history. As for Michael Jordan, he is third all-time, but Kobe is only 3,691 points away.

There is no doubt that Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players to every lace up basketball shoes in NBA history, but is he getting the credit he deserves? Lakers fan clearly appreciate what he has done on the court, but those outside Lakers Nation have not been as quick to applaud him.

However, that debate has taken a back-seat and the focus now turns to the whether or not Kobe is the greatest Laker of all-time. In terms of league-wide appreciation, that nod goes to Magic Johnson, as for game-changing, that award should be shared by Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; but by looking at the raw numbers, Kobe far surpasses both of those players.

In fact, Bryant became the Lakers’ all-time leading scorer last season after already being the franchise leader in games, minutes played, field-goal attempts, three-point field goals and three-point field goal attempts. On top of that, Kobe became the franchise leader in most free throws and most field goals made this season.

Despite the numbers and the already amazing career, Kobe Bryant’s legacy is still not complete. Perhaps the reason why Kobe is always being compared to the NBA’s greats is because people expect more and want more out of him. Or perhaps is could be because some cannot accept the fact that Kobe Bryant is creeping up on Michael Jordan and his seemingly ‘untouchable’ career.

Still, one thing is certain and should never be put into question. There may never be a time where we will ever see a player who is as goal determined as Kobe Bryant. There may never be a player who can start a debate with Michael Jordan. So instead of criticizing him and trying to put-down his achievements by flooding him with comparisons, sit back and enjoy the show the Black Mamba has put together for the stage will not be lit forever. Eventually the time will come when Kobe will call it quits, so make sure you can get as much of number 24 as possible.

Anyone who is even slightly interested in the Lakers understands that the team is in desperate need of a young, athletic point guard. This has been surrounding the Lakers for a couple of years now, but has been in the spotlight since the Lakers were swept out of the playoffs by Dallas last season. There is no disrespect for Derek Fisher, as he is one of the most influential Lakers of all-time, but as time goes on, the problem with the point guard position becomes more and more apparent.

With Tuesday’s news that Derrick Caracter had been cut from the team, leaving room for an acquisition to be made to the current roster, it seems as if Mitch Kupchak is starting to get the wheels in motion to relieve this problem. What moves are ahead and who those moves involve are pure speculation, which is normal for Kupchak to keep things under wraps. The problem could be solved or be relieved for the short-term, we simply do not know.

However, one thing has surfaced this season that was welcomed but not expected by Laker fans. Phil Jackson was widely known for not giving many minutes, if any at all, to rookies or second year players. For the first half of this season thus far, new head coach Mike Brown, seemed to follow Jackson’s approach to this concerning rookie for Charleston, Andrew Goudelock.

Then, Steve Blake went down and Mike Brown turned to the other rookie, Darius Morris, to fill in as reserve for the already struggling Fisher. This experiment didn’t work. On the January 25th matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers, Brown put in Goudelock as point guard reserve, but this time Brown tried something different. Goudelock played 20 minutes, which was the longest he had played all season long, trumping the 13 minutes he was on the court on Christmas Day against Chicago.

In that January 25th game, Goudelock scored 14 points, on 5-8 shooting and 2-3 from the three, helping the Lakers to beat their newfound rivals, the Clippers, in a thrilling game. Since that game, Goudelock has not only impressed Mike Brown and the Laker fans, but Kobe Bryant as well. In fact, in the time since that Clipper game, the Black Mamba himself has given Goudelock a nickname of his own, the ‘Mini-Mamba.’

When Goudelock has played at least fifteen minutes, he is averaging over 10 points per game, shooting 51 percent from the field and shooting 50 percent from the three, where the rest of the Lakers are still struggling. Goudelock has seemed completely confident in his shot, especially his three-point attempts and has displayed a running jumper, nicknamed the “Glock Drop” by Lakers Nation, that seems to be a fan favorite.

Goudelock recently stated, “I think I was kind of in awe when I came out here playing with some of these guys. I didn’t know where to fit in or how to do it. The talent has always been there, but I didn’t really know how to put it all together. These last few games, just running point guard, I think I’ve been more aggressive to simplify things, not trying to think too much and just play my game, and I think it’s working out for me.”*

He added, ”I think the biggest thing I learned, though, was that you have to be confident. You can’t be intimidated, and you can’t be shy out there. I’d played against guys who went to the NBA, so I knew the talent level and what I had to do to make it.”**

Laker fans need to remember, Goudelock isn’t technically a point guard. He is a shooting guard. He added, “I’ve never played point guard before, so I’ve definitely had to make adjustments. It goes back to Charleston for me. I played four years there, and coach (Bobby) Cremins taught me so much about everything, including attitude. We played big schools every year, and we did pretty well against them.”**

Speaking out on Goudelock’s recent play, Mike Brown said, “He’s definitely stepped in and taken over that role. He’s been ready whenever we’ve called on him and has done a good job. He’s very confident out there. He knows what we expect of him, and he tries to deliver. He’s not intimidated by the pressure of playing in the NBA; that’s for sure.”**

Is Goudelock a solution to the point guard situation currently facing the Lakers? No. However, his consistent performance and confidence has been a great addition to the Lakers’ struggling bench. As Laker fans are all too aware of, one key way to continually win and compete long-term, the bench needs to consistently produce. Goudelock has been doing exactly this so far this season, which is quite impressive for a second round draft pick rookie.

*Source: LATimes.com | Mark Medina

**Source: FoxSportsWest.com | Joe McDonnell

According to some investigative speculation by HoopsWorld writer, Eric Pincus, Mitch Kupchak might have just given his tell on what the Lakers are looking for and planning to do in these upcoming months.

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Based on a conversation that Lakers sideline reporter, Mike Trudell, had with Mitch regarding potential moves, Kupchak replied with:

“Well, if there were a way for us to get a 25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard we’d love to do it … but that’s not likely in February. So you look at other alternatives, and see if it’s better than what you have. That’s all.”

Scouring his database of birthdays, Pincus found that there is only one man that fits that description and that man is the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics – Rajon Rondo.

Rivalry aside, this seems to be a great trade for the Lakers and a so-so trade for the Celtics. Boston is already stacked up front with Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal and Brandon Bass. Also, who knows what KG would do to Pau if they were ever in the same locker room together.

For the Lakers, adding Rajon Rondo to the team would be as good as it gets if both Dwight Howard and Deron Williams choose not to come to LA. Rajon has the competitive fire that team leader, Kobe Bryant, craves for. Rondo has the ball handling skills and playing making abilities to create shots for his teammates. Finally, the biggest asset that Rondo brings is the defensive tenacity that will wreak havoc on opposing guards.

Personally, I think it’s going to be a reach for the Celtics and Lakers to close this deal, but since Eric Pincus is reporting it, we definitely have to give it a look!

Lakers’ fans know Larry Bird as one of the most fearsome competitors in the history of basketball. They also realize that he’d probably be the last person to heap praise on anything to do with the current Lakers team. But at least in the case of Kobe Bryant, it’s a case of greatness recognizing greatness.

In an interview on the B.S. Report (the Bill Simmons podcast) Bird said that if he could choose any current NBA player to play on his team, he would choose Kobe:

“Well, probably Kobe, because of the fact that … well, of course he wouldn’t have been shooting as much as he does now … but his desire to win, his dedication, to always get better, uh, and he’s just, he’s just tough. He’s just a tough cat.”

“But, if you want to have fun, like I did with Bill Walton, play with LeBron. It would have probably been more fun to play with LeBron, but if you want to win and win and win, it’s Kobe. Not that LeBron’s not a winner, just that [Kobe's] mindset is to go into every practice, every game, to get better.”

So Kobe to win, LeBron to have fun? Sounds like if you’re a Lakers fan you’d rather have Kobe based on that assessment as well.

Beyond Bryant’s ruthless mentality, it’s his toughness that really sets him apart in Bird’s mind.

“Kobe is one of the toughest human beings I’ve ever seen,” Bird said.

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That has to make Kobe, and in turn Lakers’ fans, beam proudly. Nothing like getting praise from a Hall of Fame player from a franchises’ most hated rival.

The Los Angeles Lakers have waived second-year big man Derrick Caracter, Ken Berger from CBS Sports tweets. Caracter had not played a single game in the 2011-12 season due to an injury, but was working his way back to the lineup.

In addition to Solomon Jones (Clippers), confirmed the following players have been waived: Derrick Caracter (LAL), Josh Davis (Mem) …

— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) February 7, 2012

Caracter had not put up impressive numbers in his time in the NBA, but he could have given Mike Brown some valuable minutes. The Lakers’ stars tend to play a lot of minutes, but with Caracter on the floor, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol could have gotten some extra rest on the bench.

Caracter was assigned to the NBA D-League in order to get himself back into basketball shape, but this recent news shows that the franchise has decided to move on from their 2010 draft pick.