Listen Up!

All too often folks tend to criticize instead of finding the

best in a situation, or in a situation that you are seeing.

This might be the case right now with our NBA Lakers.

Coach Byron Scott is telling us that he still feels certain

his form of rebuilding will work, & informs us of the

possibilities. Granted, the Lakers right now aren't  

resembling the team he played with during the Showtime

Era. But, he has become accustomed to rebuilding

projects. One of the most significant tasks happened

which went beyond the basketball court. Scott's tenure

with the former New Orleans Hornets (2004-09) co-

incided with Hurricane Katrina striking the region in August

2005. That prompted Scott and his family to evacuate to 

Houston shortly beforehand. That is why the New Orleans

franchise played part time in Oklahoma City during the

2005-07 seasons. Under Scott's watch, New Orleans 

finished in the top 10 in total defense. Now today the

New Orleans team is named the Pelicans and they 

made the NBA playoffs in Scott's third and fourth

seasons, including the 2008 Western Conference semi-

finals. But Scott's first season in 2004-05 ended with 

an 18-64 record before the franchise selected Chris

Paul, fourth overall in that year's draft.

How similar did New Orleans's initial rebuilding

compare to this current Laker's team? Quite a bit,

but even then they did not have a number 24. There is 

the big difference with having a guy we can throw

the ball to at the end of games to keep it close.

Scott made the great statement "I always focus

on the good times"...and, like Scott, I believe each

one of us fans ought to do the very same.

Granted, we have only won one game out of the last

seven games played, but looking ahead of us  

we know we will improve and win other games.

So, it is with this positive attitude we plod on. 

The Memphis Grizzlie game we lost by only 5.

Ending score: 107-102. In the New Orleans

Pellicans game we lost by 7 points: Score:109-102.

News that Lakers player Wayne Ellington's father 

was found fatally shot on Sunday in Philadelphia. 

We all will have our own feelings realizing Wayne 

will need some time to recover and we sadly 

understand this fact.

It is looking favorable that Nick Young will be

returning to play soon..perhaps even in the very

next game. Friday Lakers will play the Spurs.

Babs Wells

TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!!

Yup, we did it up proud! Won Sunday's game

at Staples Center against the Charlotte Hornets.

Both Kobe Bryant and Jeremy Lin each scored

21 points with ending score being: 107-92.

Carlos Boozer made 16 points, Jordan Hill

made 12 points, Ed Davis 10 points and Wayne

Ellington made 9 points. They really did a super

job finally with their 6th game into this new

season. Now Charles Barkley can end his

self inflicted fasting and sit down to a good

meal.  Purple and gold streamers fell from

the rafters and Randy Newman's "I love

L.A." blared over the loudspeakers. The 

Lakers awarded their fans with free tacos 

for holding an opponent under 100 points for 

the first time all season. Smiles on many faces!

There was a sell-out crowd down at Staples.

In fact, 18,997 seats sold out. Well, that is 

ONE, coach Byron Scott declared but now on to 

Memphis on Tuesday so hopeful for another win!

The Lakers played their first five games in seven

nights, including two back to back games and

all against play-off-caliber opponents. Namely:

Houston, Phoenix twice, Clippers and Golden

State. So you see, our Lakers took 6 games

before some appealing developments emerged.

It was noted today that former NBA player

Ernie Vandeweghe, age 86, has died.

He played for the N.Y. Knicks in 1949-56.

He was father of former NBA Star Kiki

Vandeweghe plus he was once the

Lakers Team physician. In High School

he played baseball, football and basketball

at Oceanside High School. May he R.I.P.

Now to look forward to our next road game!

Babs Wells

MAYBE NEXT SUNDAY??

Kobe Bryant scored 39 points and we

still lost the game. It's now is 0-5.

We have younger legs out there on

the courts and we have enthusiasm

and we have our Kobe Bryant, yet

it still seems to not be enough to win.

Wonder how this is making our new

coach Byron Scott feel. He too has

been a Laker so it poses right now

to be a problem all the way around.

When we do play this coming Sunday,

when we play at 6:30 against the 

Charlotte Hornets. We still have time to 

strategize before this upcoming game at 

Staples Center. Yes, they do seem eager 

to go and are itching to win. With the days 

off we have had and watching video's for plays,

but because of heavier workload,

Scott did not have his players practice

this last Wednesday, yet Bryant did

manage to get in a 30 minute shooting

session. That was before even starting

the film session

Lakers forward Ryan Kelly sat out on

Thursday's practice after his right

hamstring tightened up during the team's

loss Tuesday against Phoenix. Kelly

played only seven minutes in his season

debut after nursing hamstring issues.

Rookie Julius Randle says that he is fine

after his broken leg , now in recovery.

In what marked his first public comments

since his injury, Randle called his setback 

just part of God's plan. Yes, he says, it is

indeed tough to not be able to get out there 

and play but now it looks as if he can watch

and perhaps become an extreme student

of the game. It looks as it he will be walking

using a crutch within the next six weeks.

And so, we the fans, look forward now

to next Sunday's game with high hopes.

BABS WELLS

TWO L.A. TEAMS

Another game and another loss for

our Lakers however this one was

far easier to swallow.  Bryant scored

21 points, Jordan Hill, 13. Jeremy Lin

had 17 points and nine assists.

Wesley Johnson (starting forward)

0-for-5 in the first half, made a 3

on his first shot of the third quarter

and Hill put the Lakers ahead 62-61

on a layup with 10:01 left in the period

after they trailed by 15 points with

less than 4 minutes to go in the first.

Bryant helped Chris Paul to his feet

after knocking him down in the second quarter.

The Lakers Band made a rare appearance 

on the court to play the National Anthem.

Team president Jeanie Buss high-fived

each of them as they walked off.

The Clippers have never won an NBA

Championship. Lakers coach Byron Scott

alluded to that when one asked Scott if he

considers the hallway neighbors a rivalry

ahead of their game at Staples Center.

He replied that he really did not fear them

to become a rivalry yet as he still feels

the biggest rivalry to be the Boston Celtics.

They have 17 banners & we have 16.

Still, our 3rd. game attempt ended at a

loss with the score reading: 118-111.

Maybe next game we'll have better luck.

Babs Wells

OH NO !! NOT ANOTHER INJURY

Even though our Kobe has made so many

points, we still have lost these first two

new season's games. Also, the injury

list is mounting. How is coach Byron Scott

ever going to deal with all of our players

out with a variety of injuries?

In 1996, A 17 year old Kobe, was signed

on to be a Laker & Jerry West in the wings.

He mentored him and had faith in his ability.

Now, in 2014, Kobe states that he is looking

at the game differently but yet wants to be

more efficient without hurting himself

physically. He has already played more

games (214) than Michael Jordan and entering

this season ranked 35th. in most games

played in league history.Saying that he will not

sacrifice his standards, he realizes that

perhaps he is asking too much of himself.

The Lakers lost to Houston at Staples with

score being: 108-90. Tough to relate, yes,

but we have just begun and hopefully will

be starting to win more games down the road.

The draft pick Julius Randle, left the floor

on a stretcher in pain. It is now believed

that he has broken his right leg. It now is

encased in a cast. In his December 17th.

game, he scored 19 points on 17 shots. 

Jeremy Lin and Jordan Hill have shown us

all what great players they are out on the

court. During the Houston game, Boozer

scored 8 of his 17 points  which led us all

to fully realize his great worth as well.

Unfortunately Houston led for all but 21

seconds of the first quarter. Another of

our players to watch carefully is Wesley 

Johnson along with teammate Wayne

Ellington. Injuries we surely still have

to contend with but with  new younger

legs, we ought to "get our act together".

That is if no further big injuries come along.

A strong season from Bryant this year

will likely enhance the Lakers' chances

of landing one of coveted free agents

next July. The Lakers' plan to file a

disabled-player exception to the NBA worth

$1.5 million. They are also still awaiting

league approval for a disabled-player

exception on Nash. That is worth about

$4.9 Million. The Lakers can use both

of those tools to acquire two separate

players through trade or free agency at that

allotted amount. Their loss playing the Suns

at score of: 119-99, on Wednesday, at

U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix was another

loss we had to live through, tough as it was.

Lets' be in the frame of mind hopefully, to

try hard to bounce back with fewer injuries

for future games. May the Force be with us.

Babs Wells

ANOTHER SEASON DAWNS

We will no longer be seeing Steve Nash dashing

about with our Lakers team. At age 40, it looks as if

he will be hanging it up. His back is just too difficult

to deal with but who knows? Perhaps next year 

he just may decide to go into a coaching position.

At any rate, the pre-season games have been

fun to watch and now it is the 28th. Our very

first new season game! Granted, new faces

will be there for us to try and negotiate as part

of our team, still our new coach has already

been there and seen it all before. Byron Scott.

It also seems that our Kobe Bryant will be with

us and tackling the courts with his very own

individual manner..sometimes even he has

been known to coach his buddies and he

never ever lets us down with his slam dunks.

Jeremy Lin will be making his first career

start in the Lakers' season opener today 

against the Houston Rockets, a franchise that

stripped away his starting position and traded him.

Nick Young will be among the missing for right

now as he is nursing a right thumb injury.

Xavier Henry has an injured right knee.

Ryan Kelly is bothered too, with his right

hamstring and Wayne Ellington suffered a

concussion. Jordan Hill is listed as "probable"

after having a neck strain but Lin may have 

showed his true feelings when he paused

for 6 seconds when asked if he thought

Houston offered him a fair shake. He was

not able really to answer that question.

Scott will conserve Bryant's minutes after

the star guard played in only 6 games last

season because of his injuries. The coach

would only say it will fall between 35-40

minutes. This will enable Bryant to play

at a high level, yet still keep him fresh

in March and April. Kobe averaged 26

minutes in the last two exhibitions. He

averaged 38 minutes for the 2 last

seasons but that was before injuries.

Bryant is the Lakers' best hope for a

bright season but he is also fighting

the cumulative wear of 18 NBA seasons.

Kobe is famous for checking himself

into games and playing for however many

minutes he wants. He and Scott have

discussed this aspect at length.

After last years' bitter ending, the Lakers'

are likely to slow things down somewhat.

Scott is implementing a multifaceted 

approach with elements of the Princeton

offense which should show all our players

to be able to play at their own strengths.

One thing here to note is Julius Randle. Both

Kobe Bryant and coach Byron Scott shared

he could become an NBA All-Star if he is

willing to mimic Bryant's work ethic.

An article telling us we have lost Wayne McCain,

says at only age 59, he died at a hospital in Urbana

after a brief unspecified illness, losing his life

last Wednesday. He had been a former Illinois assistant

men's basketball coach and standout high school

coach. Bob Knight, Basketball Hall of Fame, just turned

74. And with these announcements we anxiously

Await tonight's' game with anticipation. Go Lakers!

Babs Wells

A WIIN SURE IS NICE

The Jazz played against our Lakers in a preseason

game on Sunday. We won by score of: 98-91.

The Lakers of course depended on Kobe Bryant.

His 26 points on 7-of-22 shooting and 9-of-11

clip from the foul line in 31 minutes marking his latest

progression after playing in only 6 games last

season because of overlapping injuries to his

left Achilles tendon and his left knee. This happened

a day after Bryant threw down a one-handed dunk

in practice. But the Lakers also fueled a third-quarter

rally, outscoring Utah's second unit 31-18 with a

heavy dose of contributions from veteran forward

Carlos Boozer (19 points) training camp invitee Wayne

Ellington (9 points) Rookie forward Julius Randle ( 8

points) and versatile swingman Wesley Johnson (8

points). For only the second time in 5 exhibitions,

the Lakers also held an opponent under 100 points. Coach

Scott plans to play Bryant in the Lakers' 3 remaining

pre season heading into the 2014-15 season opener October

28th. Scott believes Clarkson will return either Tuesday

against Phoenix at Staples Center or Wednesday

against Portland in Ontario. Scott also added Lin's

possible return on Tuesday. This hinges on if he can
participate in a  full-contact scrimmage Monday 

that includes cutting and changing direction without

having additional strain on his left ankle.

Steve Nash is now back on the practice floor.

His presence actually was a rather rare sight. He 

spent the past week mostly in the trainers' room

dealing with back spasms and nerve irritation that

have plagued him for the past two yeas.

Nash spoke with reporters and seems to be

optimistic he can overcome his injuries that have

kept him sidelined. With all the work he has been

doing he said, he felt he would be in a position

to bounce back. He played in only 15 games last

season because of the  nerves affecting his back 

and hamstrings. After reporting feeling fully healthy

this off season and the first two weeks of training

camp, Nash played only the first quarter of the Lakers'

exhibitions when playing against Golden State and then

said he had to get out.

Jordan Clarkson could return either Tuesday or Wed-

nesday after missing a week with strained left

calf muscle.

Xavier Henry will be seeing Dr. Keith Pyne in N.Y.

City for his opinion and if necessary may be flying on

to Germany for additional treatment, ensuring that

he will stay sidelined for the Lakers remaining

pre-season games. The Lakers estimate Henry

will return on Friday.

So much for this roster right now. Time will tell.

Babs Wells