Interview with the Enemy: The Lakers Nation

Last week, we exchanged questions and answer with The Lakers Nation, a great blog that follows the Los Angeles Lakers. Our answers are up on their site right here. Here are the queries that we had for their lead writer, Jonathan Somers-Harris.

3 Shades of Blue: If Kobe, Lamar, Pau and Bynum all expect to participate in the offense, how do you think the attitudes/egos will mesh?

The Lakers Nation: Well, I think it will be easier than most people think. Kobe is the undisputed top dog, there's no question about who's taking that final shot. Pau is a very good 2nd option, and in fact you could probably argue that he's more comfortable in that 2nd option role than as a first option. That just leaves Lamar and Bynum. Lamar would be happy averaging 10/10/8, scoring or not scoring isn't going to hurt his ego. The only problem i can see would be Bynum. Right before he got injured, he was showing great promise as an offensive option (not just put-backs and alley-oops). He was regularly scoring in the 17-25 point range while picking up 13-16 rebounds leading up to the injury. (No center, no matter how good, scores 17-25 points a game on put-backs and alley-oops alone)

He may turn out to be a pretty selfless guy, and he shoots such a high percentage that he may not need a whole lot of touches, but he's the one guy that i can see having a problem being the 3rd option in his contract year. (I wouldn't be happy either if a 5year/80M contract was on the line)

3SoB: If Kobe's finger forces him out during the season, will the Laker faithful be kind to him or not?

TLN: Lakers faithful: we're faithfully fickle. The same people who are praising him now for his "competitive spirit" or whatever they want to call it will be cursing his poor judgment. I don't think it will stop us from loving him though. I will liken the situation to that of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. before he came back from Injury, people were saying how they wouldn't cheer for him anymore. However, as soon as he was ready to start warming up for his first game back from injury. (even before he was introduced as a substitute) the crowd went crazy for him.

In the same way, we might grumble a bit about the surgery, but in the end, we need him to much to not be kind to him.


3SoB: Last year the Lakers bench was critical to the team's success, but disappeared in the Finals. Is there any concern that the bench won't live up to that level with so many big name players in the starting lineup now?

TLN: This all depends if Lamar comes off the Bench or not. if he doesn't come off the bench, our projected "bench mob" will be

PG: Farmar
SG: Sasha
SF: Ariza
PF: Powell
C: Mihm

The only real difference between this year and last would be Powell replacing Turiaf (I will miss that man) and Mihm replacing Mbenga. Either way, Gasol is still expected to see some time at C and Lamar is expected to see some time at PF too, so there's not a whole lot of drop off from this year as there was last year. A bigger concern for the Lakers is that if both Lamar and Ariza are playing the SF position, then Kobe won't be able to slide over the the SF slot, and the three guard lineup that was so effective last year (Farmar/Fisher, Sasha, and Kobe) won't get a lot of court time.

3SoB: When do you expect Jordan Farmar to claim the starting PG role? Is it Derek Fisher's spot for the foreseeable future?

TLN: It's up to Farmar to claim the starting PG role. Fisher performed far beyond expectations the last year, but the Lakers cannot continue to expect that from him, as age will have to affect his performance at some point. That being said,Farmar needs to make the next big jump in his game in order to take the starting gig from Fisher outright. Farmar had a great first 60 or so games last season, and during that time he was getting about 24MPG. For whatever reason though, his production tailed off dramatically after that, and Fisher was forced to play upwards of 30MPG for the rest of the season/playoffs.

I think we'll see Fisher average 20MPG this season as a starter, and the probably the transition will happen in the 2009-2010 season

3SoB: Should Lamar Odom start at SF or come off the bench as a 6th man this season?

TLN: He should definitely start, if only so that the Lakers can see how a big, yet fast, line up works. If the "Lamar as a starting SF" experiment fails, then we can move him to the back up PF roll. there won't be a huge learning curve there because Odom has played the PF position for the Lakers for the best part of 3 years now, plus he's usually the only starter playing the the bench players during line-shifts, so he's already used to having to run the show/being a first option.

Speaking of big line ups, if you will indulge me for a second, I've been really excited about the possibility of Sun Yue (6'9") winning the starting PG spot at training camp this year. Imagine a starting line up where your shortest player was Kobe Bryant at 6'6"?

PG: Sun Yue. . . . . . . 6'9"
SG: Kobe Bryant. . . . 6'6"
SF: Lamar Odom. . . 6'10"
PF: Pau Gasol . . . . . 7'0"
C: Andrew Bynum . . 7'1"

It probably wouldn't work, but its exciting to think about.

3SoB: Which team in the Western Conference concerns you most as a potential playoff opponent next spring?

TLN: New Orleans, without a doubt. Fisher does a good job staying in front of bigger guards like Deron Williams and Jason Kidd, but Chris Paul is an absolute nightmare. I'd like to think that Gasol and Bynum gives us too much size for them to cover, but that won't matter if we can't stop Chris Paul.

A lot of people are surpised that I don't say the Rockets, but in truth, they don't worry me as much, and here's why. Unless they're going to effectively slap Shane Battier in the face and make him Ron Artest's back up, the Rockets are going to lack some defensive size. If they play all of T-Mac, Artest, aand Battier at the same time that limits the minutes that Luis Scola gets, and by extension valuable players like Carl Landry won't get time either.

3SoB: Your thoughts on Coby Karl, who looked like a future Hall of Famer in his Summer League game against the Grizzlies?

TLN: How did you know that Coby Karl was my favourite Lakers player? Honestly, If Sasha had left the Lakers I would have been fine with it, because I felt Coby Karl could replicate most of his production. I think he has a great career as a solid back-up in this league. Personally, I'm hoping he has the balls to ask for the No. 8 shirt coming into camp this season, because that would be the most amazing thing since. . man. . that would just be awesome.

3SoB: What were your expectations for Pau Gasol last year and how much have they changed for the upcoming season?

TLN: I expected him to be a lighter, more versitile Andrew Bynum on the S/R's with Kobe, everything beyond that was a bonus. this year, I'm expecting to see more of his short/mid-range game obviously. I think we underutilized him last year, hopefully this year we can incorperate more of his offensive skill set into the game plan.

3SoB: True or False: Jerry West is the best SG in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers.

TLN: In finished History, true. by the time Kobe is done, we might have to revisit this question. (see how i dodged that bullet? haha)

3SoB: If the Grizzlies and Lakers were to switch divisions, how much would that affect each of their records for the upcoming season?

TLN: Oh man. well, between not having to play Spurs, Hornets, Mavs, and Rockets that extra 1-2 times each (4-8 games) as well as being able to play the Clippers and Warriors that extra 1-2 times (2-4 games) or vice versa. I'd expect the Grizzlies to win about 5-8 more games, and the Lakers to win about 2-3 less (The Lakers had a great record against playoff teams in the West last year). It would definitely lower the winning percentages of all the teams in the Southwest division, and they would probably all still qualify for the playoffs. . that's just crazy to think about.

We want to thank Jonathan and The Lakers Nation for doing this interview and would love to be able to wish them the best for the upcoming season....except that it is the Lakers, so we'd rather die a slow painful death than to wish them anything but misery and doom. We can't help it -- it is ingrained in us to hate them with every fiber of our being.

Grizzles vs Lakers: Chalk this up to Stu Jackson

I don't care how teams perform in Summer League games. I really don't.

Having said that I do hate to see the Grizzlies look bad on national TV (even if it is just NBATV. Being that the only game being televised this summer (and I am sure to write a blog about how disappointing that was later) is was a shame that our Baby Bears had to play their 3rd game in as many days against a Lakers team that was well-rested.

I don't know if Stu Jackson actually writes the summer league schedule but whoever it is that does write the schedules obviously has been in touch with Stu. How else can you explain three straight games (and a fourth consecutive game tonight) in a 5 game summer league format? It's not like the entire league is being shortened to 7 days or anything. The Las Vegas summer league runs from July 11th to July 20th but the Grizzlies finish their summer league participation on July 16th. 5 games in 6 days. That is ridiculously tiring for any player much less rookies just getting back into game shape after working on drills to prepare for the NBA draft over the last two months.

Right now traditional NBA whipping boys the LA Clippers and our Memphis Grizzlies are the only teams to have played 3 straight games. LA already lost rookie Eric Gordon to a hamstring pull and won't play Game 4 until the 16th (against the Grizzlies) before ending their summer league participation on the 17th. Coincidence? I don't think so. The more glamourous Lakers won't play game 3 until the 16th.

What difference does it make? Well summer league isn't about the whole team (sorry Ere, Tucker and Burtt to name a few players). It is about getting your high draft picks prepared for training camp. To get them up to speed on the offense and for the known players to spend time with the coaches. Guess which teams is getting more practice time to indoctrinate their rookies. Memphis' rookies are having everything thrown at them in 8 days from start to finish. The Lakers have the pre-tournament practices and then 10 days in Vegas to work on things.

Now I know I am tired and frustrated after watching the game and seeing our tired legs getting constantly beat down the court and failing to establish position but I think I have a point too. I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of the upcoming schedule from the NBA. The Grizzlies would probably play 60 games back to back with travel if the same idiot who wrote the Summer League schedule gets to write the real season schedule this season.

Addendum: Does ESPN ever get information correct about the Grizzlies? Here is an exerpt from their NBA coverage of last nights game:

The Grizzlies will play their fourth game in as many days on Monday as they play the San Antonio Spurs in the final game at Thomas & Mack.

They were so close to getting that information right. It isn't the Grizzlies last game (they play the Clippers on Wednesday night).

Sunday Night Party: It was a lot of fun seeing everyone at the Buffalo Wild Wings last night. About 20 people showed up including the 3 SOB crowd sans MemphisX (he doesn't like to be seen in public with the rest of us), Memphis Slim, HPTMatt, The NoG crowd of CircleK, Commodore 64, Zac and PMI (I suppose it isn't a shameless plug to promote NoG), NancyW, GrizzLifer, GrizzBoyd, Mr Wright and True Blue (with some beautiful friends by the way), the poster formerly known as Grizzman (who was barely recognizable after losing 70 pounds - Can you say Jarret) and of course the resident Grizzlies experts Chris Herrington and East Memphis Bob. It was frustrating the team didn't play better but the conversation was lively and interesting.

Darko Update: One conversation in particular made me think last night. Someone asked if Serbia was in the pre-Olympic basketball tournament. I said no because I didn't think they were. I now found an article that supports that contention: Pre-Olympic teams. Darko is playing on his national team this summer but in a Euro Cup qualifier not the Olympic qualifier. Hope that helps clear things up.

Pau opens his mouth and I tell him to shut it

I read this in the Commercial Appeal when it came out Friday morning and just shook my head. I mean, it is one thing for a player who felt like he was treated poorly (say...Bonzi Wells) to come back and say things about his former franchise. But for a guy that the team paid max money to and labeled their franchise player to come out with the following quotes....well that's just unacceptable in my opinion.

Pau Gasol: No matter what, the Grizzlies aren't going to be able to put themselves in position to win a championship. I don't think that's ever going to happen. I think it's just the way it is. We just couldn't do it. We had Jerry West as a GM. If you can't do it with Jerry West, I don't think there's many ways you can. We had Hubie (Brown) and Mike Fratello -- good coaches. It wasn't enough. I don't think the Grizzlies will ever have enough to be at that highest level. There's a lot needed.

Well, well, well. That's some interesting material to digest right there. Now, to make sure I was not taking this out of context, I read and re-read the entire article several times. After all, he is very complimentary of owner Michael Heisley making sure that he was traded to a contender and he even had good things to say about first year head coach Marc Iavaroni. But for whatever reason, he felt like dropping that nugget right in the middle of the interview that also discusses the half-empty FedEx Forum and feeling more appreciated in Los Angeles more than Memphis.

I think my biggest problem with what he said is that it comes across as being somewhat arrogant as it is tied to what the team was able to do with him as the best player on the team during its time in Memphis. This is a discussion that Grizzlies fans have often had and the refrain has almost always been the same: If the team gets a player better than Gasol to play alongside him, they can be a legitimate threat in the West. After all, now he's playing with one of, if not THE, best player in the NBA and is enjoying unprecedented success. If the Grizzlies had won the lottery last year and been able to put a Greg Oden or Kevin Durant next to Gasol, do you think he'd be in Forum blue and gold right now? I doubt it.

Look at what the New Orleans Hornets have done since drafting Chris Paul. They have gone from bottom feeder to the top record in the Western Conference. One great player surrounded by the right mixture of talent and chemistry can be enough to do serious damage. Look at what the Cleveland Cavaliers did last year with LeBron James and not much else. Look at that 76er's team that Allen Iverson carried to the Finals when the rest of the team was a bunch of non-descript role players. Great players can take teams to the next level.

This isn't meant to denigrate Pau Gasol, as I was an advocate of keeping him with this team even after his trade request last year. I still believe that the team could have kept him and put a winning team on the floor next season. But for him to make a statement like that is just the height of self-importance in my unvarnished opinion. Gasol is a solid 2nd banana on a title contender, as he is showing in LaLa Land. He never was The Man for the Grizzlies and never will be for the Lakers. So just because he wasn't able to lead Memphis to postseason success doesn't mean that Chris Wallace won't be able to bring in players through the draft, free agency and trades that can.

Pau -- I enjoyed watching you play in Memphis for six and a half seasons and truly wish you the best with your new franchise. But the next time you think about telling your former franchise and their fans what you feel they are and are not capable of, don't. We don't care because you no longer have any valid input about the situation.

For some other great thoughts on this subject, check out Grizzlies' PA Announcer Rick Trotter's blog, as he has some tremendous commentary to share with all of you.

Interview with the Enemy: L.A. Ball Talk

We continued our trek through the blogs of our opponents by catching up with Daniel from L.A. Ball Talk. He had some great insights for us on things in LaLa Land, including thoughts on former Grizzly Pau Gasol. He also had some good questions for us about Javaris Crittenton and the direction of our team, which you can read here. On with the show!

3 Shades of Blue: 1. The Lakers are only 1 game behind the Hornets for the top spot in the ultra-competitive Western Conference playoff race and expect to get F/C Pau Gasol back any day now. Will the Lakers get the #1 seed in the WC playoffs? Will that translate to a move beyond the first round -- something they have not done since trading Shaq to Miami?

L.A. Ball Talk: Not only because I am a fan myself, but simply because of the way the schedules are set, I feel that the Lakers have a great chance to finally not only win the Pacific Division but also the Western Conference title. New Orleans has a tougher schedule than the Lakers and the rest of the Western Conference at that with plenty of games still coming on the road, especially against teams such as Boston, Toronto, and Orlando. Also, they will have to face Golden State, Dallas, and Utah. The Lakers and Hornets also face up against each other at the end of the season; that game may well determine not only the Conference Champion but also the MVP. The Lakers only play three legitimate teams the remainder of the season, out of their ten games. Those teams include New Orleans, San Antonio, and Dallas. Dallas is struggling and the Lakers have managed to beat them the last two meetings, so hopefully that one can become an easy win for them as well. The return of Pau Gasol, hopefully in the very near future, and Andrew Bynum toward the end of the season, will mean that the Lakers will either be a very strong team with an amazing starting lineup (if Bynum is healthy enough to play as a starter) or they will be a solid team with just another option of the bench. The Lakers have the strongest bench on the team and if you truly take a look at it, this bench can be the starting lineup in about 5-7 years. I can see Farmar, Vujacic, Walton, Turiaf, and Bynum as a pretty strong starting line-up in a few years. Either way, the Lakers have all the fire power they need to compete for the championship, the rest is resting upon the shoulders of the players to deliver.

3SoB: 2. Who does your MVP vote go to? Is it obviously Kobe or is it a legit 3-man race between the Mamba, the King and CP3?

LABT: Kobe is my MVP. Kobe should me your MVP too. Lakers fan or not, you cannot let Kobe's accomplishments this season go unrecognized. The only guy that I would consider for MVP besides Kobe Bryant is Chris Paul. Chris Paul has led the New Orleans Hornets just as far as Kobe has led the Lakers. Chris Paul is easily the best point guard in the NBA, and he's still so young. The kid has so much potential it's ridiculous. He's putting up 15+ assists every game I watch and the feeds to Tyson Chandler are on point every time. The difference between Kobe and Paul is that Paul has had the opportunity to go through training camp, preseason, and the entire regular season with a set roster. Also, the injuries to the Lakers have been killer. This season alone, Bynum has missed more than half so far, Ariza has missed more than half so far, and Pau has missed several games leaving the Lakers with a full roster for only one game so far this season, and never with Pau Gasol. The argument regarding having a full roster applies to Keven Garnett as well. I have no doubt in my mind that the Lakers with a full roster of Bynum and Gasol the entire season would leave the Lakers with the best record in the NBA and in the pursuit of history. Kevin Garnett is good, but he's had two sidekicks right next to him the entire season. Lebron James was in the talk early but he's proved time and time again, given the opportunity to take his team higher in the standings, but the Cavs are barely ten games over .500 while the Lakers and Hornets are 25+ games over .500 each, in a much more competitive conference. Lebron's stats are good but his team's win-loss record prevents him from winning (that is if you hold him to the same standards that Kobe was held to the last two seasons).

3SoB: 3. In the limited time he has been with the team, what are your thoughts on Pau Gasol? Is he the perfect complementary player to Kobe in the triangle offense or will issues arise once Andrew Bynum is healthy?

LABT: Pau Gasol is a beast. I wrote an article many months ago when the Lakers were still amidst the "Kobe Bryant Trade Me Drama" that the Lakers best option would be Pau Gasol. He is a very large power forward that can shoot from outside of the paint, is extremely quick, and would be perfect in the triangle offense. Gasol and Bynum are the new version of the David Robinson and Tim Duncan duo. They are the new twin towers. I strongly believe that with Kobe, Pau, and Bynum running the triangle, other players will be left wide open. This team's success will be determined by the role players as the big names will simply free up the floor for open shots. Vujacis, Farmar, Fisher, Radmanovic will have to knock down the open threes that they will be given all day long. The other players such as Lamar Odom and Luke Walton will be amazing because they love to drive and kick. If we have the big three (the Lakers version) on the strong side, and a guy like Lamar driving down the baseline of the weak side, the defense is going to have to leave 2 or 3 players wide open at all times. I can't wait to see what happens but all the heat Kupchak took in the last few years (even from me) has paid off because he has done a superb job in stacking this roster with guys that complement the three headed dragon to perfection!

A big thanks to Daniel for taking the time to answer our questions, as well as posing some insightful queries to us. Go check out L.A. Ball Talk.

Post Game Thoughts - Lakers

One man can not defeat a team in the NBA.

Apparently he can get damn close however.

Especially if he has 'diplomatic immunity' (thanks to Sean Tuohy for that classic comment about how the referees were protecting Kobe last night).

Kobe Bryant scored the first 12 points of the game for the Lakers. Kobe scored 23 of the Lakers 30 points in the 1st quarter. Kobe had 32 of the Lakers 53 points in the first half. No one else had more than 6 pts at halftime. To put that in perspective Rudy Gay, Mike Miller and Hakim Warrick had a combined 28 pts in the first half.

Then the Grizzlies got serious about defending him, 'holding' Kobe to 21 pts in the 2nd half. Yes Kobe scored 53 points in the game.

But the Grizzlies won the game.

The Grizzlies won a close game!

The Grizzlies won a close game on the road!!!

This game was huge for the Grizzlies draft position...both good and bad. The bad news is that the Grizzlies have now won more games than the Minnesota Timberwolves and are only 1 game ahead of the New York Knicks and two games ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Grizzlies opponent tonight.

The good news is that the Lakers loss, remember we have their #1 pick too, moves them behind San Antonio and Houston in the Western Conference and drops the Lakers into 6th place in the league. If the season ends in that manner the Grizzlies will pick 25th in the first round. It also dropped the Lakers to only 1/2 game ahead of the surging Suns for the 24 th pick in the draft. The Lakers are only 1 win ahead of Orlando who is playing in the Eastern Conference.

So Memphis' first pick dropped one place with the win, but it is a lottery after all, and their 2nd pick moved up 2 spots in the draft and that number isn't subject to the lottery.

Of course for those that think the Lakers pick doesn't matter and would rather have a higher first pick then thank Michael Heisley for talking (or at least being rumored to be talking) to Larry Brown.

Darko doesn't want to play for Larry Brown again.

Darko was a fingertip away from a career high in scoring, grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked 4 shots (including one where he was isolated near the three point line against Kobe Bryant) and hit 6-7 free throws. I know that doesn't sound possible but Darko was 6-7 from the free throw line. Heck, he could have been 7-7 if Pete Pranica didn't hex him! (Sorry Pete but it had to be said and you knew it when you said it). Darko also had 3 assists in the game.

Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies in scoring with 28 pts. That includes a questionable no tip from Darko. Did he or didn't he? Only his manicurist knows for sure! That also included a fast break lob pass from Mike Conley where Hak and Rudy had a leaping contest to see who could get it (Rudy beat him by a hair for those keeping track of these things).

The game was won however by defense. For the 2nd night in a row Memphis held an opponent to below 40% from the floor for the game. They held the Lakers to 41-104 shots despite Kobe's 18-37 shooting. What was truly scary was the Lakers 45 three point attempts. Memphis only took 81 shots the whole game and the Lakers took 45 threes! They nearly quadrupled the Grizzlies 3 pt attempts (12). Memphis also blocked 7 shots in the game, had 4 steals and played great defense the entire game. That complete dedication to defense made the difference especially on the Laker starters not named Kobe.

Maybe the Grizzlies should release a rumor that Memphis is talking to Mike Fratello about returning to coach the team. That should motivate Hakim and Rudy!

Grizzlies at Lakers - 3.28.07

Memphis lost at Sacramento to start the road trip. The Overtime loss was encouraging however as the team held tight despite sub-par performances from Mike Miller and Rudy Gay. Unfortunately it seems with every ray of sunshine there comes two more clouds as MitchLawrence reported in the New York Daily News that Marc Iavaroni is set to be replaced as the Grizzlies head coach by none other than Larry Brown, most recently the former coach of the New York Knicks. While no one was attributed to these comments Lawrence did say that it came from several NBA sources. That should be very bad news for Darko Milicic who was buried on the bench in Detroit while Larry Brown was coach. Memphis could do themselves a favor by beating LA since they own LA's pick this year but then again continuing to lose should improve their chances in the lottery.

Los Angeles has somehow managed to remain in the midst of the Western Confernce title race despite losing former Grizz star Pau Gasol to injury since March 14th. Adding insult to injury Coach Phil Jackson admitted in the press yesterday that Andrew Bynum will probably not return from his injury until the playoffs. On top of that Kobe Bryant has an injured pinky finger that will require surgery at some point. Still the Lakers continue to win and with the easiest schedule remaining should win the regular season crown in the Western Conference. The Lakers play 8 of their last 10 games at the Staples Center and the road games are all in California against non-playoff teams.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Derek Fisher
When Derek Fisher came to Memphis he schooled Mike Conley about as bad as a man can be schooled hitting his first 10 shots and finishing with 26 pts. In the rematch Conley has some redemption as Fisher only scored 9 points with 3 assists while Conley had 10 pts and 7 assists. Fisher, a 12 yr NBA veteran, still has some tricks up his sleeve but Conley is a quick student. Conley's shot has caused the greatest concerns. He is still only shooting 41% from the field and below 30% from the arc. This allows smart PG's to lay off Conley, cutting off easy access to the lane while being available to double team others. Fisher is a very smart point guard.
Advantage: Los Angeles

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Kobe Bryant
Mike Miller had a very poor game by his standards against Kevin Martin and now he has to face the elbows of Kobe Bryant again. This matchup got very heated last season when Mike accidently scratched Kobe's face to which Kobe responded by 'accidently' elbowing Mike in the throat. There probably won't be as mucj excitement this time unless you get excited by Kobe scoring a lot of points.
Advantage: Los Angeles

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Lamar Odom
Rudy has been hot and cold lately, as you would expect most 21 yr old players to be when thrust into the lead scoring role on a bad team. Perhaps the weight of carrying the team this season is getting to Rudy's legs as his long range shooting percentage has dropped significantly in the last 10 games (19.6%). He has started to hit some lately however so maybe that had more to do with a sore hamstring than anything more sinister. Lamar Odom has been hot and cold his entire career. The good news is that he was hot in his last game so he is due to be cold again.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Hakim Warrick vs Vladimir Radmanovic
Tough match up for both players. Radmanovic prefers to play along the perimeter and use his height to shoot over smaller players. Hakim prefers to play outside the paint but inside the arc and get his shot from outlasting the defender via numerous ball fakes. When Hak is on his game he can sink any shot he attempts. When he isn't you better not throw him the ball because you most likely won't get it back. Vlad has been hot from outside the arc but his lack of movement to create shots allows him to be shut down pretty easily if the defender stays with him.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Ronnie Turiaf
Ronnie Turiaf is a tough forward thrust into the middle with the loss of Gasol, Mihm and Bynum. He is undersized so Darko can shoot over him but he won't give an inch to Darko so Milicic needs to patient looking for his shot. As a starter Turiaf has avereaged double figures but his rebounding is worse than Darko's. Darko has the advantage in this match but you have to wonder what the psycholical effect of the Larry Brown rumors will be on Darko.
Advantage: Los Angeles

Benches: Memphis vs Los Angeles
LA's bench has been shortened the last few weeks. Not from a lack of confidence from their coach but from injuries to the starters. Former bench players Radmanovic and Turiaf leave Jackson with only DJ MBenga coming off the bench as an interior player. The backcourt players are among the best in the league however. Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic have had break out seasons. Fan favorite Luke Walton can be counted on to make smart decisions with the ball and to work hard every night. Memphis' bench has begun to be very effective. Kyle Lowry, former Laker Javaris Crittenton and Juan Carlos Navarro each have picked up scoring slacks at different times and the three players have made th Grizzlies running offense really move. Jason Collins has been the only regular contributor on the frontline as Rudy, Miller and Warrick usually rotate around to fill the backup PF role. Kwame Brown may see some action in this game since he knows the Lakers players so well.
Advantage: Lakers

Relevant Blogs/Commentary:
Forum Blue and Gold
LA Ball Talk
Lakers.com Basketblog

GASOL TRADED

Gasol Traded
The Griz just traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown, Jarvis Crittendon and two first-round draft picks — one in 2008 and the other in 2010.

Stromile Swift will be sent to New Jersey for Jason Collins in a deal that is expected to be announced soon. Swift was sent home today and didn’t practice with the Griz. He won’t play tomorrow against the Utah Jazz.

Memphis Edge report by Ron Tillery

Kwame Brown is an expiring contract at $9,075,000. Javaris Crittendon is a rookie PG from Georgia Tech who is making $1,250,000. The two draft picks do not appear to be lottery protected. The problem with this preliminary report is that the deal doesn't appear to work. The salaries don't match up so I expect there will be more news to come clarifying this deal (and don't rule out LA just paying cash to balance the deal).

In another deal Stromile Swift has apparently been traded to New Jersey for Jason Collins.

On a personal note, Congratulations to Ron Tillery for getting the story first! I have given him a hard time in the past about not breaking stories. While Chris Vernon first reported on the LA trade possibility Tillery was the first in print with the details. Good job Ron.

UPDATE I:

The missing player is Aaron McKee.

Actually Chris Vernon swoops in and has the whole trade...and it involves 2 Gasol's!!!!!

Pau Gasol and a second round pick will be sent to Los Angeles for Kwame Brown (and his expiring contract), a first rounder in '08 and '10, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie and rights to Marc Gasol

One Gasol for another. Pretty funny.

From Zack:

Wow! I can't believe they actually traded Gasol. I'm beside myself in disbelief. Word is that Heisley sent down word to do this trade.

Am I giddy about what we are getting back? Not really.

Do I think we will be better off in the long term? Yes.

How is another rookie PG going to fit in? I don't know, but I think he may be seen as more of a SG than a PG, but I don't know yet.

I do wish that Brian Cardinal was involved though.

More impressions from the SoB crew later, particularly over the weekend. Make sure and keep checking back, because I don't think there will be a time this season with more Griz stuff going on than right now.

From ChipC3:
I wonder if the Grizzlies insisted on Marc Gasol? I bet that the Lakers did that to make sure Gasol couldn't try and force the Lakers to sign him like he forced us to sign Navarro. Does anyone believe Navarro will stay here now that his best friend is gone? And Memphis is still on the hook for that #1 pick for a long time.

The one bright spot in this deal is that Crittendon could be very good. Of course, with Lowry, Conley, Navarro and Miller, I don't know when we will get to see him this season unless another move is brewing. Something in the pit of my stomach tells me that Mike is gone before the all-star break as well. I wonder when his action figurine is supposed to be given away?

Kwame Brown is a bad joke but at least his contract ends this year. We will have cap room to get rejected from FA's this summer with. Aaron McKie is a smaller player but a bigger joke. The draft picks will be mid teens to high 20s and that becomes a crap shoot for talent but if anyone is going to find it, I have faith in Wallace to do so.

It isn't easy to see the positives right now but teams have resurrected themselves before. Perhaps Memphis will get lucky and be the Hornets in two years.

Post Game Thoughts- LA Lakers

It is times like this that it is difficult to be an NBA fan. The team fights hard from a hole to pull even and even take a lead in the last minutes and the refs basically decided the game with a phantom call and a no call both going against the Grizzlies. I don't want to say that the refs are crooked but this one smells a lot like a job by the refs. I sure hope the league takes a hard look at funny betting lines in the game.

Pau Gasol played big all night and deserves a special note. Following up a 43 pt night in a tough fought loss in Golden St, Gasol had a career high in rebounds, 18, against the Lakers. Gasol also showed the team some leadership by not trying to force action himself but constantly looking for players with better shots while still scoring 21 pts on 10-16 shooting. His 8 assists led the team in that catagory as well. Throw in 4 blocks to make it another tremendous effort by Gasol. I just wish he'd call out the team more often if this is how he is going to respond.

Speaking of calling people out, I was one of the people suggesting Memphis play Damon and sit Kyle for a while so he could get his legs back. I am now suggesting we sit Rudy. I sure hope the results are the same because since those comments Kyle has returned to the way he played when he was a fan favorite. 7 pts, 6 assists, 2 huge offensive boards and two steals is the type of energy play we need from Kyle.

Rudy suffered another bad game and was the victim of the phantom foul call to actually foul out for the first time since Dec. 22 and the fourth time this season. Throw in 6 additional games were he was called for five fouls and this is obviously an area Rudy will need to work on this summer (as well as his dribbling skills). Despite the bad overall game Rudy did hit the late 3 pt shot that pulled the Grizzlies even with the Lakers. Regardless of the weaknesses it is obvious that Rudy is our big shot player for the next few years.

Miller torched the nets in the first quarter and didn't disappear in the fourth (as has been the case often this season) to lead the team in scoring tonight. So in the three game road trip Memphis was led in scoring by three different players. The RPM's (Rudy, Pau, Mike) are starting to flourish in Iavaroni's system. With Conley and Lowry's play improving things are getting fun in Grizz Town despite the record.

Juan Carlos Navarro made some huge shots but his biggest shots were two missed free throws. The refs made horrible calls down the stretch but you can't blame them for missed free throws. Twice on the road trip missed free throws cost Memphis wins. That is something the team needs to work on. Despite Memphis matching the Lakers for intensity and forcing action the free throw calls never came. LA shot 28 free throws to Memphis' 11. There is no way LA was more than twice as aggressive going to the lane.

Defense was an issue in the first half as was the benches performance but the defense and bench played well in the second half holding LA to 39 second half points and the bench scored 22 pts in the game. LA has one of the most productive benches but managed to only score 26 pts.

Memphis should be encouraged by the road trip. Sacramento, Golden St and LA in four days will test any teams mettle and Memphis' performance was admirable. The team never quit in any game and the scores reflected how hard they made some hot teams play to get the win.

Memphis at L A Lakers - 1.13.08

Memphis has gone from riding the good life before the first meeting between these teams to suffering the low after getting blown out by the Lakers at home, losing a double figure lead late to Sacramento to fall to 1-8 in games decided by 3 pts or less and then a difficult road game the next night at Golden St. It seems the Grizzlies can't get out of their own way. At 10-25 heading into the Golden St game Memphis is one of the 5 worst teams in the league right now and with their talent that makes no sense. Sacramento has no one healthy and has won 5 more games than the Grizz.

Los Angeles on the other hand looked like a team falling apart over the summer with Kobe demanding a trade because the team wasn't good. Right now they are possibly the best team in the Western Conference and definitely the hottest. Has Derek Fisher really made that big of a difference? Not really but he has had an impact. More important has been the general health of the players, the development of Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Ronnie Turiaf and the acquisition of Trevor Ariza. This has given LA and a strong starting lineup, taken a lot of scoring pressure off of Kobe and made their bench one of the strongest in the league. After sweeping two road games against Memphis and New Orleans by double digits the Lakers are very confident right now and Memphis is not.

Previous Game versus Lakers (5 days ago)
117 Lakers
101 Grizzlies

The game was decided in the 1st quarter, as Derek Fisher helped the Lakers build an early double digit lead and then coast to victory in Memphis. An interesting stat from the game; the Grizzlies hoisted up 93 field goals which ties a season high.

Recent Trends That You Should Forget About
-- Lakers have won 5 in a row and are 15-3 in their last 18 games.
-- Grizzlies have lost 3 in a row and are 4-16 in their last 20 games.

Matchups
For those that read Tuesday's pregame not a lot has changed but there have been some alterations.

Point Guards: Michael Conley vs Derek Fisher
There is no way that Derek Fisher will repeat the performance he put on in front of his mother in Memphis but that doesn't mean he doesn't still have the edge on Conley. After going 5-5 from long range and 9-10 in the game for 26 points he probably got into Conley's head a bit. It will be interesting to see how the rookie responds. Very few rookies start NBA games, even fewer at the point. I don't know of any rookie PG's who started without an outside shot so Conley is breaking new ground here to me. Fisher showed a lot of tricks from his bag last time but it is a pretty big bag and even if Mommy isn't in the stands this time expect Fisher to feed off of the home crowd in this game.
Advantage: Lakers

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Kobe Bryant
Mike Miller is really enjoying playing with a fast, pass first PG as he has averaged 20 ppg since Conley became starter. He was averaging 15 ppg before Conley. Conley's impact is being felt in more ways than just the point position improvement. Miller is a spot up shooter who needs penetration from the point to be most effective. He is getting that now and from someone who will pass it out once he gets in there. Not that it matters in this match up. Kobe is one of the best perimeter defenders when motivated. He is only superior on nights he isn't motivated. The interesting thing was Mike played Kobe well defensively last time. Another strong effort like that would be nice. Not likely but nice.
Advantage: Lakers

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Luke Walton
Luke Walton is a local crowd favorite and is considered the glue on the team. He makes everyone happy and does all the dirty work for the team. If Walton was a tad more athletic he would be far more appreciated league-wide. However he isn't more athletic and his all around hustle and determination can only take you so far. Defensively he is a liability against more athletic players. Rudy Gay is more athletic and has a lot of confidence in his game right now. Walton alone won't be able to contain Rudy and everyone knows it so expect to see Trevor Ariza getting extra minutes. Ariza didn't have a lot of success against Rudy either on Tuesday but he at least makes him work a little harder.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Lamar Odom
When Lamar Odom is healthy he is a 5 category player who can basically do it all. The problem has been he rarely has been able to play healthy. In his 9th season Odom has only played 80 games twice in his career and has made it to 70 games twice more. When healthy he'll score around 15 ppg, grab 6-7 rebounds, dish out 5 assists, get a block and a steal and basically make life miserable for whomever it guarding him. At 6-10 he is tall enough and strong enough to defend PF's but also has range like a SF. Gasol is scoring and rebounding just a shade below average this season and considering he started slow that is an amazing comeback. Gasol can be a beast to defend down low and has developed a nice 10-15 ft jump shot as well. He will have to be physical in this game however and not check for blood too often. Gasol played big against Miami and the Grizzlies will need a similar effort against the Lakers. If Odom shows up he should win the day but he doesn't always show up.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum was the man-boy drafted to replace Shaquille O'Neal and continue the tradition of great LA Centers. The problem was he started slow and spent his first two seasons in a legendary coach's dog house. At one point Jackson challenged his desire to improve in the press. Now in his 3rd season Bynum has begun to realize his potential and is starting to be a major force in the triangle offense. So Jackson implies that it is only because he is in a contract year. Thanks for the vote of confidence coach. Of course that is better than what Darko Milicic got with his first NBA coach. Now on his third team Darko has had to battle injuries this season but has had big games against the likes of Tim Duncan and Yao Ming. Should be a great match between child stars who are trying to become all-stars. The difference is Bynum has more athleticism. Darko can block shots but he isn't aggressive enough around the hoop. Maybe the thumb injury is still bothering him but more likely he just prefers the lefty hook to a slam dunk.
Advantage: Lakers

Benches: Memphis vs Los Angeles
Memphis has altered their bench a bit after the first Laker game. Out is Stromile Swift and his consistent inconsistency. In is Hakim Warrick and his completely offensive focus. Lowry and Navarro seemed to come off the rookie wall against Sacramento but time will tell in that regard. Memphis signed a defensive specialist in Bobby Jones who should see time against Kobe in this game. LA's bench is young, athletic and full of promise and long on production (corrected text from Tuesday when I mistakenly wrote they weren't that productive). Jordan Farmer, taken right after Lowry in the draft has been moving slowly into the rotation and is benefiting from Fisher's experience. Vladamir Radmonovic isn't snow boarding anymore but isn't scoring that much either. Ariza is the wild card. When on he can be a very exciting player but he hasn't been on that much. Kwame Brown and Ronny Turiaf fill out bench players for the Lakers. Memphis' bench has the capability of being more productive but LA's bench knows their roles a little bit better than Memphis' and is a tad more consistent.
Advantage: Lakers

Rrelevant blogs/websites:
Forum Blue and Gold

Postgame Thoughts: Memphis at L.A. Lakers 1.8.08

This is an abbreviated edition of Postgame Thoughts as the only portion of the game that mattered was the 1st quarter when the Grizzlies were outscored by 16 points. The remainder of the game was played to a draw.

Seriously, was there a lid on the Grizzlies' basket for the first 15 minutes of the game or was it just me? It wasn't even a case of good defense by the Lakers -- the Grizzlies just could not get anything to fall, other than Pau Gasol.

Two minutes into the game Mike Conley pulled something that made me hit the rewind button on the DVR not once, not twice, but three times. He dribbled towards the basket to the left of the lane, went through the lane near the basket, never picking up his dribble and then back out of the lane on the right side before zipping a pass to a wide open Darko Milicic for a layup. It was so reminiscent of the kind of plays that Steve Nash makes, where you know he could score if he wanted to take the shot, but instead he just kind of hangs out near the rim until he can get the ball to an open teammate. Hopefully, this is merely shades of what is to come from him in the future.

In the 2nd quarter Hakim Warrick returned from exile. After not having played in the past three games -- games in which the Grizzlies were actually competitive -- Hak made his return and played very well on the night. He did what we have all come to expect from him, which is score reasonably well and rebound decently. What was interesting was that he played and Juan Carlos Navarro played (ineffectively in my evaluation), but Casey Jacobsen did not. I don't know if the crowd's booing has affected Iavaroni's rotation or not, but it was a noticeable absence to be sure.

I'm not sure if it was still a secret or not, but this just in: Derek Fisher is good. Seriously, as well as he played tonight, when I looked at the boxscore I was surprised to see that he missed the one shot that he did. I think his performance might have done a little to quell the heaping amounts of praise that super-frosh Mike Conley had been receiving after playing very well against the likes of Andre Owens, Rajon Rondo and Chris Quinn as a starter. Leave it to the wily veteran to ruin the party.

As I stated in the opening, this one was decided in the the first quarter as the Lakers were able to cruise through the rest of the game after establishing a sizable lead. I don't expect the other two meetings with them to go the same way, but with this young team, who can tell how they'll play from one night to the next?

Chipc3's Perspective:
Sorry to get this up so late but my computer is down at my house.

Mike Conley, welcome to the NBA. After playing three games against less than top notch opponents Derek Fisher, who was motivated by his mom in the stands, put on a clinic against the rookie. Everytime Conley went low Fisher nailed the open 3. If Conley stayed up Fisher used the pick to get past him and dish to an open ma. Mostly Conley went low as Fisher's 26 points (more than double his season average) can attest. On offense Fisher played about 5 feet off of Conley all night daring him to hit the long ball. Conley took the dare and shot 5-15. Until he consistently can hit that open J it will be difficult for Conley to really be effective but the mechanics look good and with Mark Price working with him there is no reason to believe he won't learn to hit that shot.

Mike Miller showed some true grit but it was too little and way too late. Mike was pretty quiet until the 3rd quarter when Kobe started laying off him. Defensively Mike played hard all night but it was hard to tell when Kobe was getting every call he wanted and hitting shots with people in his face. Gasol played well but not well enough. With Fisher hanging down low it was difficult to get Gasol the ball where he is most effective (another problem with Conley/Lowry being unable to hit the outside shot). Darko benefitted early from the attention Gasol received but that horrible call took him out of the game at the 8 minutes mark of the first quarter. Either Lowry has hit the wall or he is pouting over Conley's promotion. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to sit Lowry for a few games and let Damon come off the bench. Damon's outside shot has to be respected at least.

Memphis was pressing on offense and that rarely leads to a high shooting percentage. The Lakers played intelligent defense and forced Memphis into shots they don't consider their best options. Memphis didn't rise to the challenge.

On the bright side Hakim Warrick showed he can really score again. With the Lakers playing Kwame Brown and Ronny Tauriaf as their backup bigs, any defensive lapses by Warrick weren't going to be exploited. This is the ideal type of match up to play Hakim and with Sacramento coming up expect another Hak sighting in that game. Darko had a double-double and did a decent job against Bynum, especially early. Darko was aggressive offensively and that is huge when teams shadow Gasol. Memphis hung with LA when Darko played.

Tough loss at home and in front of a decent sized crowd. Would have been nice if the team had risen to the occassion.

Memphis vs LA Lakers - 1.8.08

Memphis has taken to heart the idea of starting the New Year right. With a blowout win over Indiana, a tough loss at Boston and an exciting victory over Miami and Dwayne Wade on a rare Sunday matinee game, Memphis is playing the best basketball of the season. Not coincidentally, Memphis has started the same lineup for all three games. Mike Conley has replaced Damon Stoudamire at the point with his quick feet, pass first mentality and the team has a new defensive focus giving up a mere 88.67 ppg since the change was made. Maybe the fact that Conley hasn't had to play against an elite PG yet has something to do with that. Gasol has definitely benefited from some off days to recover his physicality and without the need to play 'point' forward his scoring has improved. Mike Miller and Rudy Gay are both becoming stat monsters with their scoring, rebounding and assists. Even Darko has started to find his shooting touch of late. What hasn't been working is the bench which has struggled outside of Navarro's big game in Boston.

Los Angeles is one of the more surprising teams in the NBA this season. Last summer Kobe Bryant was demanding a trade and making life miserable for coach Phil Jackson, GM Mitch Kupchak and owner Dr. Jerry Buss. With the Lakers sitting at 21-11 and having won 8 of their last 10 games no one is miserable anymore including Kobe. The interesting thing was that Kobe was demanding he get more help on the team yet the Lakers didn't make any drastic moves. Lamar Odom's return to health, Luke Walton's maturation and Andrew Bynum's development into an NBA center have suddenly provided Kobe nearly all of the help he needed. Derek Fisher was a nice addition but no one can really take credit for his opting out of his contract in Utah to sign with LA. The only move the front office has made was to acquire Trevor Ariza. With Ariza, Jordan Farmar, Javaris Crittenton and Ronny Turiaf doing the dirty work the Lakers are deep, talented and well-coached. So why was Kobe complaining so much this summer?

Storyline of the Night

-- New Point Guard, New Year, New Team. The 2-1 record since Micheal Conley took over on January 2nd has the fan base buzzing again. Those old feelings of despair, anxiety and doubt have been replaced with a promise of good, if not great, things to come. And right or wrong (I'd say mostly right), Micheal Conley is getting most of the responsibility for the sudden turn around. In the last 3 games, the new so-called "big three" of Pau, Miller and Gay are averaging 65.7 ppg, the success attributed to Conley getting the offense more in sync.

Trends

-- Memphis is 2-1 since the return of Conley. In those 3 games, Conley has played 35 minutes per game, averaging (approx.) 9 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 turnovers.
-- The Memphis rotation has tightened the last 3 games, with Conley/Miller/Gay/Pau all getting 35+ minutes per game and Darko/Swift/Lowry/Casey/Navarro getting between 10-24 minutes.
-- Memphis scored over 100 ppg in 15 of their first 24 games, but only 1 time in the last 9 games.
-- L.A. has won 12 of their last 15 games, and only 3 times failed to reach 100 points (resulting in 2 of the 3 losses).
-- Both teams score considerably more in wins than losses. 108 vs 97 for Memphis and 112 vs 97 for L.A.
-- L.A. is currently 6th in the West if the playoffs started today. The Grizzlies would be 13th and 8.5 games away from the 8th spot.

Zack's Keys to Victory

-- Conley as the primary decision maker on offense. When Damon and Kyle ran the offense, it forced Pau and Miller to be too focused on making crucial decisions with the basketball related to merely getting the offense flowing. Now with Conley taking more responsibility for the ball and ball movement, Pau, Miller and Rudy can focus more on being a threat to score. So far this concept has paid good dividends.
-- Strong interior defense. Darko might not be playing as much as the other starters, but the tone he sets with his interior defense is crucial. The Lakers would love nothing more than to allow Bynum and Odom to control the 1st half with their post-up game. Forcing the Lakers to look to their perimeter play earlier in the game will help us defensively later in the game.
-- Gay staying out of foul trouble. Even if Conley is getting most of the credit for our recent offensive resurgence, all of that could be fools gold if Rudy is on the bench for long stretches due to fouls. If Miller is in foul trouble, Navarro can replace his shooting impact. If Pau is in foul trouble, Darko or Swift or Hak can replace his interior scoring impact. If Rudy is in foul trouble, no one on our roster replaces him. That will be key against Kobe and the suddenly defensive juggernaut Lakers. We might need Rudy's defense on Kobe, but more importantly we need his offense to force the Lakers to exert a lot of energy on defense.

Matchups

Point Guards: Michael Conley vs Derek Fisher
Memphis was unhappy to have to select Michael Conley this summer in the draft after losing the lottery. No Greg Oden, no Kevin Durant and not even Al Horford for the team desperate for interior strength. Not many people are complaining now. It is amazing how much better a solid point guard can make your interior defenders. Speaking of a solid point guard, is it a surprise that the Lakers have improved dramatically with the addition of Derek Fisher at the point? Suddenly Kobe has someone who understands his role and delivers the ball in the proper manner. Fisher is a wily veteran who may not have the foot speed to stay up with Conley but he has all the knowledge that Conley hasn't got yet. Should be a good education for the youngster in this game.
Advantage: Lakers

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Kobe Bryant
Mike Miller is really enjoying playing with a fast, pass first PG as he has averaged 20 ppg since Conley became starter. He was averaging 15 ppg before Conley. Conley's impact is being felt in more ways than just the point positions improvement. Miller is a spot up shooter who needs penetration from the point to be most effective. He is getting that now and from someone who will pass it out once he gets in there. Not that it matters in this match up. Kobe is one of the best perimeter defenders when motivated. He is only superior on nights he isn't motivated. The only way Miller will see 20 pts tonight is if he looks at Kobe's halftime score.
Advantage: Lakers

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Luke Walton
Luke Walton doesn't post illustrious stats but he's drunk from Shane Battier's cup and is the glue on the team. He makes everyone happy and does all the dirty work for the team. If Walton was a tad more athletic he would be far more appreciated. However he isn't more athletic and his all around hustle and determination can only take you so far. Defensively he is a liability against more athletic players. Rudy Gay is more athletic and has a lot of confidence in his game right now. Walton alone won't be able to contain Rudy and everyone knows it so expect to see Trevor Ariza getting extra minutes. If Walton and Ariza get in foul trouble it may not be a surprise to see Kobe take on the challenge against the bigger and stronger Gay.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Lamar Odom
When Lamar Odom is healthy he is a 5 category player who can basically do it all. The problem has been he rarely has been able to play healthy. In his 9th season Odom has only played 80 games twice in his career and has made it to 70 games twice more. When healthy he'll score around 15 ppg, grab 6-7 rebounds, dish out 5 assists, get a block and a steal and basically make life miserable for whomever it guarding him. At 6-10 he is tall enough and strong enough to defend PF's but also has range like a SF. Gasol is scoring and rebounding just a shade below average this season and considering he started slow that is an amazing comeback. Gasol can be a beast to defend down low and has developed a nice 10-15 ft jump shot as well. He will have to be physical in this game however and not check for blood too often. Gasol played big against Miami and the Grizzlies will need a similar effort against the Lakers.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Andrew Bynum
Andrew Bynum was the man-boy drafted to replace Shaquille O'Neal and continue the tradition of great LA Centers. The problem was he started slow and spent his first two seasons in a legendary coach's dog house. At one point Jackson challenged his desire to improve in the press. Now in his 3rd season Bynum has begun to realize his potential and is starting to be a major force in the triangle offense. Darko Milicic was drafted to become the next Detroit Bad Boy and continue the tradition of excellence in Detroit. The problem was he started slow and spent his first two seasons in a legendary coach's dog house. At one point He was traded and had to re-establish his psyche on a new team. Now on his third team Darko has had to battle injuries this season but has had big games against the likes of Tim Duncan and Yao Ming. Should be a great match between child stars who are trying to become all-stars. The difference is Bynum hasn't had his ego as damaged as Darko's was in Detroit and Orlando.
Advantage: Lakers

Benches: Memphis vs Los Angeles
Where has Kyle Lowry gone? From the Super spark plug who was going to revolutionize the game he has regressed over recent weeks and is barely keeping his position ahead of Damon right now instead of challenging Conley for the starting role. The dreaded rookie wall seems to be claiming another victim as Kyle passes the 45 game mark in his career. Juan Carlos Navarro has been more erratic every week but is still capable of lighting up the scoreboard at any moment (just ask Boston). Stro is still good for 8 pts and 4 boards in 15 minutes. The problem is he's good for 10 pts and 5 boards in 30 minutes. The only other person getting minutes is getting booed when he walks on the court. LA's bench is young, athletic and full of promise but short on production. Jordan Farmer, taken right after Lowry in the draft has been moving slowly into the rotation and is benefiting from Fisher's experience. Vladamir Radmonovic isn't snow boarding anymore but isn't scoring that much either. Ariza is the wild card. When on he can be a very exciting player but he hasn't been on that much. Kwame Brown and Ronny Turiaf fill out bench players for the Lakers. Memphis' bench has the capability of being more productive but LA's bench knows their roles a little bit better than Memphis' and is a tad more consistent.
Advantage: Lakers

Kurt from Forum Blue and Gold was kind enough to ask us some questions about tonight's game, so be sure to check out his great game preview.

Other relevant blogs/websites:
Forum Blue and Gold
Lakers.com BasketBlog
Things to Know (Preview)
Grizzlies.com Preview