The Los Angeles Lakers, fresh off their destruction of the Utah Jazz, have entered the All-Star break leading the Western Conference Finals by five games. Kobe, Pau, and Shannon will be in Dallas for All-Star Weekend responsibilities, but the Lakers will use the time for some R&R and assess their position of superiority within the Western Conference. Mitch Kupchak has also made the trip to Dallas for team and league meetings. There is a moratorium on trades until Monday, due to the All-Star Game.
Re: Trades. A lot of people have been pushing for the Lakers to make a move at Point Guard, but hopefully it will not come at the expense of Derek Fisher (or his crunch time minutes). Everybody remembers the .4 shot or the shots he hit against the Magic in the Finals last year… but people forget about all the small things Fisher brings to this team. Links after the video jump-off!
- After three Laker victories in a row (in February) sans Kobe Bryant, people have begun to explore the question: Are the Lakers better without Kobe Bryant? In short: no. [North Station Sports]
- Garrett Wilson on things we know about the Lakers after the first half of the season. [Lakers of Fire]
- Kobe Bryant is a scratch for the All-Star Game, but will still participate in all the media activities. [@LakersReporter]
- Jason Kidd Will Replace Kobe Bryant on the All-Star Roster [Lakers.com]; Dirk Nowitzki will start in Bryant’s place. [@STEIN_LINE_HQ]
- Kobe Bryant steps up for the Lakers by sitting down. [OC Register]
- This will be the first All-Star Game without Kobe or Shaq since 1997. [@HowardBeckNYT]
- Shannon Brown may be jumping over D.J. Mbenga for one of his dunks? [ESPN-LA]
- Speaking of Shannon Brown, a lot of people forget that before he was dunking all over YouTube, he almost didn’t make a team two years ago. His career has been revived since being included in the Vladamir Radmonovic trade as “throw-in” a year ago. [Land O’Lakers]
- Every Laker fan knows Jerry West and what he means to Lakers’ lore. People forget that it was Fred Schaus who recruited and coached West at West Virginia University–and when West headed to the Lakers, Schaus followed suit. He coached the Lakers to four Finals appearances and was the GM from 1967-1972, assembling the 1972 Championship (LA’s first) team. Fred Schaus passed away yesterday at the age of 84. Jerry West considered him a mentor. [OC Register]
- Jazz fans are pretty upset about the game last night. Apparently, the Lakers didn’t prove anything with their victory on Wednesday night. [JazzBots]
- Their anger could stem from the fact that EnergySolutions Arena sounded a lot like Staples Center on Wednesday. “Be the X-Factor,” indeed. [ JazzBots]
- Eight players to keep an eye on as the deadline approaches. [Orlando Sentinel]
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Meanwhile, in Mordor…
- The Cavaliers were able to blow open a tight contest midway through the fourth quarter for their 13th straight win, defeating the Orlando Magic 115-106. Delonte West returned from injury for the Cavs and went for 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in 23 minutes of action. [NBA.Com]
- Shaquille O’Neal, who was double teamed by the Magic, but played Dwight Howard straight up throughout the game, let his thoughts be known after the game: “Superman my ass…You tell me who the real Superman is. Don’t compare me to anybody. I’d rather not be mentioned. I’m offended.” [ @PDcavsinsider]
- Even though no trades can be made until Monday, the Cavs have intensified talks with various teams. The newest name to be linked to the Cavs? Rip Hamilton: a proven play-off performer and somebody who is more than capable of knocking down open shots, which is vital for any guard in the Cavs system. [Cleveland.com]
- It’s getting ugly in Boston after Wednesday’s loss to the Chris Paul-less Hornets. Fans are even calling out The Big 3. [Gino’s Jungle]
- Did Paul Pierce play the worst half of basketball in his career in New Orleans on Wedneday? [Celtic’s Hub]
- After ripping Coach Vincent Del Negro, Tyrus Thomas appears to have played his last game in a Bulls uniform. Among his suitors? The Nuggets, Hornets, Kings, Spurs, and Knicks. [Yahoo! Sports]
- David Stern talks NBA Labor peace, but the picture is clear: the owners are coming for blood. [Dallas Star Telegram]
- Mark Cuban says that the Mavs have yet to get serious with trade talks. [Dallas News]
- Tony Parker missed the Nuggets game with a hip injury. [ESPN.Com]
- There are still All-Star tickets to be had. [DallasNews.com]
- Record snowfall in Dallas. [GamerLive.TV]
Written by dj byrnes [@fictionalDJ]
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