GREAT ! ANOTHER WIN FOR US !

L.A. Coach Byron Scott said that Jordan

Clarkson has been working on his

mid-range jump shot recently. The

rookie point-guard showed the fruits of

his labor Wednesday night in Utah when

he helped rally the Lakers to a 100-97

victory against the Jazz. He scored 

a career-high 22 points and shot 62.5 %

from the field.  Jordan Hill scored 16 for the

Lakers while Wayne Ellington had 15 points

and 10 rebounds. The Lakers forced 21

turnovers and scored 22 points off  them

to aid the comeback win. They shot 52.2 %

from the field during the 4th. quarter comeback

while the Jazz went cold. They shot 27.3 %

from the field. Ed Davis scored six of his 12

points during the 10-0 run that gave us the lead.

The injury-decimated Lakers started Ryan

Kelly, Carlos Boozer, Robert Sacre, Wayne

Ellington, and Clarkson. Former Jazz forward,

Boozer, finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds..

The other team boo'ed him throughout the

game. (Not very sporting of them, certainly).

The Lakers cemented a 2-game winning

streak for the first time since Dec. 14, 2014

when Kobe Bryant surpassed Michael Jordan

for the 3rd. place on the NBA's all-time scoring

list. That marked a time when a disastrous

Lakers season still presented a reason for

us all to hope as we watched games played.

Losing 16 of our past 19 games since then,

is a trend coinciding with Bryant sitting 

out the previous 13 contests because of

a season-ending injury to his right shoulder.

Now we find that Ronnie Price will be out for 6-8

weeks since having had surgery on Wednesday.

They removed bone spurs and bone chips

from his right elbow. Nick Young sat out too

because of continued soreness in his left

knee that kept him out of practice on both

Monday and Tuesday.Young has averaged

13.4 points on 36.6 % shooting in 23.8

minutes off the bench. We are in hopes

he will be able to play against the Milwaukee

Bucks at Staples Center next game.

Anyway, there seemed this win did not bring

 more theatrics as it seemed to do with

the Boston Celtics after that game we won.

And yes, we are elated to have now won

two games in a row. Keep it up fella's.

BABS WELLS

ON HOME COURT

Green, plus Boston's color claim yet must have

become the green of envy last evening at Staples

Center when our Lakers beat the Celtics in OT.

What a nifty game to watch, the minutes just

gobbled up in time as we saw the 3 pointers our

Jeremy Lin made. Boozer, Swaggy "P', and

Kelly, each made their own dent and allowed

us all to watch the unison team in play.

Wesley Johnson and Clarkson were instrumental

for great shots as well and their smiles showed.

Our own seemingly grudge against the Boston Celtics

is well known but more importantly are the stories

James Worthy tells of the Boston Locker room and

the attitude their team has had against the Lakers.

Ending our 7 game losing streak naturally was

such fun to witness. Carlos Boozer made his first

start since the Lakers' loss in Boston on Dec. 5th.

He had 12 points and 8 rebounds in 28 minutes.

Jeremy Lin had a season-high 25 points, and the L.A.

Lakers snapped the 7-game losing streak with a

118-111 OT victory on Sunday Night.

Wesley Johnson added a season-high 22 points

and Nick Young finished with 19. Our next game
coming up will be in Utah this next Wednesday.

NBA Hall of Famer, Julius Erving, just had a Birthday.

He is now 65 years old. Hard too to imagine that.

In future games, lets' keep our eyes on point guard,

Jordan Clarkson, shooting guard, Wayne Ellington,

small forward Ryan Kelly and power forward

Tarik Black. These young men have eagerness

within them that will play out in future games.

See you then on Wednesday.

BABS WELLS

A TAD TARDY BLOG TODAY

The Lakers have and still will make calls

regarding possible trades. Yet the Lakers 

are also aware that any moves could

compromise a few variables they deem

important. They consider it a "high" priority,

according to the league source, both to

maintain financial flexibility for this off-

season free-agent class and to protect their

draft picks. The Lakers have a middle first-

round pick from Houston as part of the

Jeremy Lin trade. They also owe a first-

round pick to the Phoenix Suns as part

of the Steve Nash trade though they
could keep it if the selection lands

in the top five. Lakers are interested in

acquiring Phoenix guard Doran Dragic.

He has made it clear he will not re-sign 

with the Suns. He also said in an inter-

view with the L.A. news group last month

that the Lakers are one of the teams he

would consider after he opts out of his

$7.9 mil. player option to become an

unrestricted free agent this summer.

By acquiring Dragic before the deadline

the Lakers could sign him to a five-yr.

deal worth $105 mil. as opposed to a 4

yr. deal worth $80 mil. The Lakers would

also have up to $80 mil. more in cap room

to sign another free agent by securing

Dragic early. In a way this seems daunting.

Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle's

names came up.  Coach Byron Scott made the 

statement "There is not one position right

now that I can say I am totally satisfied with".

Scott also said that Kupchak wanted to 

speak with Jordan Hill. Lakers consider Hill

an asset since he has posted career-highs

in points (12.3) rebounds (8)and minutes 

played (28). His two year $18 mil. contract

also appears attractive because any trading

partner can decline his team option for 

next season. Ed Davis's name came up also.

Skepticism persists on whether Kobe Bryant

can return for his 20th. NBA season after

nursing a season -ending right shoulder 

injury that marked the third major injury

in consecutive years. Yet, coach Scott 

believes Bryant will return both for the

2015-16 campaign and even beyond.

Of course, we all know that the decision

is really up to Bryant while we wait it out

to see just how he is feeling. We all also

know that Bryant would wish to prove he

could go another couple more years if

he wanted to. Kobe visited the Lakers'

facility on Wednesday. It will be taking

another 9 months for him to heal, it is

believed. He made the statement to

the front office "in GQ magazine it is

known we are hell-bent about having

a championship-caliber team next

season and so am I.".Friday night at

Staples Center, the Lakers played 

against the Brooklyn Nets. Tied several

times during the game and even scored

ahead of them at times but lost the game.

Score at the final end was: 114-105.

A moment of silence was observed for

17-year NBA Veteran Jerome Kersey.

An ex-trail-blazer star, he died at age 52.

He played his first 11 NBA seasons in Portland.

It is believed he suffered a blood-clot.

R.I.P. Jerome.

BABS WELLS

TUESDAY'S TIDBITS

Basketball's Hall of Famer, Michael Jordan

has a Birthday today, February 17th.

It is his 52nd Birthday. Happy Day to you!

All-Star Games have completed their

antics in N.Y. at the Madison Square

Gardens with the West again beating

out the East team. It was such fun to

watch and also for the slam dunk

competitions. Seeing our former Laker

star, Pau Gasol out on the court and

playing against his brother Mark, was

a real treat. Noticeable that they both

were sporting brand new haircuts.

Papers tell us what we had feared,

Jeremy Lin and the Lakers do not

seem to be playing on the same page.

Coach Byron Scott claims that it has

been sort of up and down with his

consistency. Every single night it

seems there is something different to

see. Lin has remained rather quiet.

His shoulders were slumped in the

locker room as he still feels that

with the failing Lakers season he is

not pleased and it is weighing upon

him. He says that his expectations

playing with the Lakers were far 

different than what has been

happening. He was, of course,

hopeful to be competing for a 

play-off spot and that our team

would be healthy. That has not

been the case and he is quite 

unhappy over this. As the Lakers

are destined to miss the postseason

for the second consecutive year

amid a season flush with injuries,

Lin is experiencing his own tailspin.

He has averaged 10.2 points on 42.6 %

shooting, 4.6 assists and 2.7 turnovers

in 25.5 minutes per game of play.

He has never shot so poorly since

his rookie season in Golden State five 

years ago. It is tough he claims and

feels he is into "Linsanity". Nick Young,

our Lakers forward, says that indeed

he seems to have been under a lot

of pressure however Lin ought not 

to let everything get to him so much.

Thursday is the traders deadline. NBA

Commissioner Adam Silver is determined

to make a schedule that keeps the NBA

players fresher. He is willing to discuss

starting the season earlier or maybe

have it ending later. Change could

come as early as next season, with 

fewer stretches of games in the back

to back nights or four in five nights.

He said Saturday during his All-Star

press conference that he is concerned

with the wear and tear on players.

Yes, he said, it is a difficult issue,

because there are no perfect solutions.

He said that on any given night he would

like it if the players are playing at the

optimum level with less wear & tear.

It is so unfortunate that, for the Lakers,

Kobe Bryant is out (right shoulder), 

Steve Nash, out (his back), Julius

Randle out (right leg), Xavier Henry out,

(left Achilles). Jordan Hill will be returning

after missing so many games of play,

since his right hip flexor was injured.

Nick Young remains optimistic since

he strained a tendon in his left foot.

So the big question seems to be "will

the Lakers make a move before the 

February 19th. trade deadline or not?"

We shall just have to wait it out & see.

BABS WELLS

INJURIES AND LOSSES. WOE IS ME.

Disappointments and anger help no one but they

tend to creep into our vocabulary just the same.

Why hasn't our Coach, Byron Scott stepped into

the fray a bit more and rotated some of our rookie

players? Seems the right thing to do to me.

Anyway, Magic Johnson certainly voiced his

disdain over Jim Buss. The state of our Lakers

is worth noticing right now with all of the losses.

The Lakers' legend continues but the persistent 

criticism of Jim Buss, the Lakers' vice President

of basketball operations, lingers on. The Lakers

have hardly lived through happy times recently.

Lakers coach Byron Scott downplayed Johnson's

criticism even if he maintains high affection for

him after winning three NBA championships

together during the era of "Showtime".

During the Nuggets game, Denver shot 54%

from the floor to become the 4th straight team

to shoot over 50% vs Los Angeles. Carlos

Boozer came off the bench to score 24 points

and secure 10 rebounds. Wayne Ellington scored

18 points but only 5 after halftime. Nick Young

4-for-11 from the floor, finished with 12 points.

They closed out their pre-All Star game schedule

at Portland. They lost the Nuggets game and

they also lost the game against the Trailblazers.

During the Portland game,  we trailed at one time by

as many as 23 points. We were hurt late in the

third quarter when Nick Young appeared to

hurt his left ankle on a jumper and did not return.

Wayne Ellington led L.A. with 16 points and 8 

rebounds. The Lakers host the Nets on Feb. 20.

Wonder where this next game will take us?

BABS WELLS

TAKING YET ANOTHER LOOK

Cleveland Cavaliers and another

time frame when our coach Byron
Scott used to coach that team.

Now he is our Lakers coach and we

played in Cleveland this past Sunday.

Win one? Nope, did not and in fact

lost by a bunch of points too. Kevin

Love, (who we had at one time been in

high hopes of getting for our team),

played against us on Sunday. Final 

score was: 120-105. Sad, these losses.

Kevin Love even scored a season

high of 32 points Our teams' player,

Jordan Clarkson also scored (his)

career-high of 20 points for us.

This, on a franchise record low for

our team with a 10th. straight road

loss. In fact, we have not won away

from Staples Center since Dec. 30.

Way back in 1957-58 and 1963-64

we also then lost 10 in a row too.

During the Lakers' last road trip., L.A.

Staples Center was being used for

the Grammy awards given out.

Speaking about or Laker team. coach

Byron Scott said to the papers:

"I thought our guys were soft. We 

allowed them to do whatever they

wanted. But you cannot play that way."

It is now noted in the obituaries'

that NBA has lost two men. Norm

Drucker, NBA referee, has died at

the age of 94. He once had to toss

Wilt Chamberlain from a game.

Norm worked NBA games from 1953-

'69. NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver,

said "Norm's even-handed approach

and commitment to fairness made him a

frequent choice to preside over some

of the biggest games in NBA history".

We have just recently had yet another

loss in finding out that former North

Carolina coach Dean Smith, at age 83

has died. He'd won two National  NBA

Championships and our President

Barrack Obama made a statement

saying" He pushed forward the

Civil rights movement as well as

integrating a restaurant and a

neighborhood in Chapel Hill."

He further stated" Smith showed us

something that I've seen again and 

again on the court, that basketball can

tell us a lot more about who you are

than a jump shot alone ever could"

And so, this day, on Monday, February

9th., 2015, we bid these fine gentlemen

goodbye with a farewell, R.I.P.

BABS WELLS

LAKERS IN OVERTIME

Games are being played well..then the ties come in

and after that is overtime with our team losing.

What is this all about I would like to know?

Why can't we seem to end as we play?

There must be an answer to this problem.

Injuries plague us as well. Xavier Henry,

then Nick Young (he is back now thankfully),

Kobe Bryant and it seems Jordan Hill is the

latest to be hit by the injury bug. The Lakers

have painfully discovered only two things

certain, the news tells us, that in 2014-15,

NBA season have losses and injuries.

Lakers forward Jordan Hill became our

latest victim. After experiencing minimal

improvement in a strained right quadriceps

muscle that limited him in Sunday's loss

to the N.Y.Knicks, Hill  traveled to L.A. for 

a Dr's. evaluation. Next came our game with

the  Wizards and Jordan Clarkson seemed

quite emboldened. He did not back down when

his opponents sometimes boldly competed.

This 22 year old rookie  averaged just 13 minutes

5.1 points and 0.9 assists. Granted, the Lakers 

will be missing the playoffs for the second 

consecutive season and only the 7th  time in

franchise history.. The Lakers back court

 has dwindled to inconsistent options

that include veteran guard Ronnie Price,

and 26 year old Jeremy Lin. The Lakers

have no other point guards under contract

next season. Point guards also have to

provide a dual threat in scoring and passing.

Shoot too much, and you become easier to

guard while increasing the odds your team-

mates feel disengaged. Pass too much,

and your scoring opportunities suddenly

diminish. Clarkson  has mostly experienced

this scenario. In what, we are being told,

Nick Young evidently escaped Byron Scott's

doghouse, with both Young and Scott moving 

on from a second-half benching 2 wk's. ago over

a questionable effort by Young as they talked

it over and even with  Nick healing from a

sprained ankle , he was eager to start as

having had a career low 32 % shooting in

January. His attitude is so charismatic that

it must be said, I guess, that it is a healing

sort of thing in spite of some of his more

acrobatic shots. He must play on both ends

of the floor and that will indeed make him

become a much better player. So losing in

Milwaukee hurt us. Following game played

in Orlando, gave us more to pout about.

As I earlier stated, games have been fun

to watch with our scores being ahead

and then ties but finally in O.T. we lose.

We need certainly to re-group and find

out just where  the errors are happening.

Last night's game in Orlando score: Magic 103

and our Lakers, woe is me, in O.T. only 97.

We next are to play the Cavaliers on Sunday.

This will be an early day game at 12:30.

Hopefully we  get it together for its' entirety.

BABS WELLS 

MISSING OUR STAR PLAYER

When we played the Washington

Wizards, we lost it. Score: 98-92.

When we played the Chicago Bulls 

we won and it was nice to win.

Now we played the N.Y. Knicks and

evidently tired legs must have become

part of our problems on this road trip.

At least, we will be getting a bit of

a reprieve now not playing again

until Wednesday. We will then be

playing in Milwaukee. Seeing our

former Lakers player, Derek Fisher

again was nice. He is coach of

the Knickerbockrs. Even had a

glimpse of Phil Jackson too, 

he is right there in NY with the

team as well only in a different 

capacity and no longer coaching.

Our boys tried and even were able

for awhile to straddle the scores

but it was evidently not meant to be.

In Madison Square Garden on Sunday,

we watched Derek Fisher face his

former team. This is his first season

as coach. The final score for Sunday's

game was: 92-80. Nick Young had a

sprained ankle so was on sidelines

and did not play. Therefore without him or

Kobe, the Lakers had no one to produce

offensively. The most egregious offenders

included reserve forward Carlos Boozer,

(19 points on 6-of-15 shooting) and Wayne

Ellington (7 points on 2-of-12 shooting) and

Jordan Clarkson (19 points on 6-of-13

shooting). The Lakers starting lineup

recorded one assist from Clarkson, while

Jeremy Lin posted seven assists albeit

with only 4 points on a 1-of-3 clip.

Jordan Hill played just over 7 minutes

of the game before straining what he

believed to be his right hip flexor. He

soon walked gingerly to the locker

room and will learn more today about

his injury when team doctors evaluate

him. So we will have to wait that one

out to see how it goes. Our team has

injuries, granted, but our efforts

are genuine and honest. Lakers

road trip continues. Cheer them on!

BABS WELLS