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In the 95-85 point loss to the Utah Jazz, coach Mike Brown decided to drop a duce on anything that resembled a pragmatic game plan—and the Lakers continued to walk all over it. From poor substitution patterns to ineffective offensive sets, the Lakers stained the floor with the type of brown streaks that don’t belong in an NBA arena.

Substitutions: To keep the Lakers in the game, the coach needs to keep the right players in the game at the right time. With the deficit in single digits early in the game, Kobe goes to the bench—and stays there until the Jazz are up to double digits. Isn’t easier to close a small gap with your star player in the game? Sure, he needs to rest; but the Lakers need to win. A possible coaching aberration? Not at all. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers are in position to make a move with a five point deficit. That’s a good time to put Kobe back in the game, right? Nope. The lead swells. Then, Brown puts Kobe back into the game at the 6:38 mark. Yep, it’s clearly easier to close a double digit deficit—with less time.

Roles: Why does one implement an equal opportunity offense among players with unequal abilities? Should Metta World Peace and Steve Blake ever combine for 22 shots attempts (going 5-22 combined)? In the same game, Dwight Howard takes only 11 shots. Hey, just because you’re open doesn’t mean you have to shoot the ball. Work it into Howard or Kobe and play your role.

Now, let’s look at Pau Gasol. He played lazily, failed to box out properly, and took low probability shots on key possessions (the one near the three point line seamed like a good idea at the time, right). In the first four games, Pau is the Lakers second scoring option at 14.5 shots a game (whereas Howard is taking only 12 shots a game). The coach needs to establish the parameters within which each player must play (with the exception of Howard and Bryant) and make sure all roles are known and followed.

Status: Right now, the Lakers are playing with new ingredients. Unfortunately, these ingredients are not producing the “rich odour of roses” and the “heavy scent of the Iliac” with the “more delicate perfume of the pink-flowering thorn” about which Oscar Wilde once wrote. Instead, the arena in Salt Lake City was filled with a stench that emerges after one takes a blinded stroll in a dog-friendly park littered with miniture landmines.

Now that the preseason has wrapped up and final cuts have been made what have we learned about this Lakers squad?

There are incredibly high hopes for this season with the acquisitions of Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, and Antwan Jameson. This Lakers team is loaded with talent, but the question remains whether a team full of players that were once the main focus on their respective teams can learn a new system and blend their talents in the most productive way.

We saw a glimpse of what to expect in the preseason, although injuries plagued the team and limited the amount of time the starting lineup was able to play together. The 0-8 preseason record was ugly but not likely indicative of what the regular season will look. The uneasiness of the team’s chemistry should change as they become more familiar with the offensive sets and with each other which will bring down the excessive turnovers that cost them in the preseason.

The starting lineup for the most part looked good and occasionally really good when they got on the same page. Steve Nash looks like he’s still trying to find his way in a new offense when he’s so used to always be ball handling and creating for his teammates. The same could be said for Kobe as now the burden of always having to create will be somewhat lifted. The basketball relationship and roles between Kobe and Nash are the most interesting to me this season. I think this is where the struggles will come as these two elite level ball dominant guards will both have to let go a little to maximize the team’s potential. But if they can get on the same page this team could be scary good.

Although Dwight Howard has had limited playing time he has looked really good. He’s been quick, agile, and a beast inside. His ability to step out on pick and roll and protect the basket has been refreshing. He works hard and you can see the pride he takes in protecting the paint and getting after rebounds. I’ve always been a major Bynum fan and supporter, but the reality is Dwight is just a freakishly superior player. This is a major upgrade and Dwight’s focus on the dirty work will be what ends up leading them to a ring. Now if he could just shoot free throws.

Pau Gasol’s versatility and unselfishness will come in handy with this team, I just hope he can change his fate and step up in big games and be a force on defense and on the boards.

Metta World Peace has shed some pounds and looks quicker. I’m really happy they didn’t trade Ron, he is much more important to a championship then he is given credit for. If the Lakers are going to win it all this year they are going to have to go through OKC and Miami. If they would have traded Artest who would the Lakers use to guard Kevin Durant and LeBron James? No Ron, no ring.

In the preseason Antwan Jameson has had some nice moments but has also gone invisible. He’s key to the bench and they will need his scoring to give the starters a breather. Steve Blake has looked more fiery this year, but I’m not sure if more aggressive is really the right role for Steve. I’m really liking the addition of Jodie Meeks. I didn’t know much about him, but after a couple shaky preseason games he found his place and looks to be a really solid shooter that is also quick, athletic, and can play some defense. I think he’s a great compliment to this Lakers roster.

Devin Ebanks looks like he will have a much larger role this year as he’ll likely be backing up both Metta and Kobe. He had a nice preseason and plays well on both sides of the ball. Chris Duhon is a solid veteran point guard but I’m just not sure if there is enough space on the roster for him behind Nash and Blake, and they also have young combo guards Darius Morris and their draft pick Darius Johnson-Odom.

The Lakers are looking very stacked and deep with the bigs. Behind Dwight and Gasol they have the energetic and athletic Jordan Hill, Earl Clark from the Orlando trade, and the Lakers rookie Robert Sacre who looked really solid in heavy minutes in preseason.

All in all, this Lakers team is has a very talented starting lineup with a solid and well balanced supporting cast. I expect this team has enough to compete for a championship and will likely end up meeting the Heat in the finals. From there it’s a coin flip.

Another season has come to an end and another opportunity to extend Kobe’s legacy wasted. Going into the series with Oklahoma City I didn’t expect the Lakers to come out on top. OKC has just too much fire power along with tenacious defenders that give relentless effort. The Thunder match up good with the Lakers with Perkins and Ibaka being able to hold their own against the Lakers bigs, and then having Sefalosha, Harden, and Durant to throw at Kobe. The Thunder were able to pack the paint and dare the inconsistent Lakers to shoot outside. This is how the Mavs beat the Lakers last year, and Boston beat them a few years back. The 3-point shooting for the Lakers is limited to Metta Ron Ron, Steve Blake, and Matt Barnes…hardly what you’d call real threats from deep especially when compared to Durant, Harden, and Westbrook.

In the end, the speed and tenacity proved too much for the Lakers. OKC was the team that looked poised down the stretch of close games instead of the seasoned Lakers. Although I believe the Lakers can beat the Thunder, they have to play perfect and bring their “A” game which they were never able to do for long stretches. So for now we’ll have to wait another summer and start the offseason trade chatter.

This song has changed from the Lakers anthem to the Clippers by one quick veto of a certain CP3 trade from one team, and then packaged as a holiday gift to their roommates. What a difference a lockout makes.

The Lakers started this preseason just as they finished the 2010-2011 postseason by looking completely shell shocked and confused. I realize this is an abridged training camp and preseason. I realize that the Lakers have a new coach. I realize that there are many new players and that the Lakers are learning a new system, but none of this seemed to stop the Clippers from absolutely embarrassing the “home team” Lakers in front of their Staples Center crowd.

Chris Paul was doing what he does best, breaking down defenses, lobbing passes to Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, and once again proving why he is the best point guard in the game today by dropping 19 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals in 24 minutes of play.

Chauncey Billups also looked good by leading the team with 23 points on 5 for 8 shooting with 3 steals and 3 assists in 20 minutes of play.

On the Lakers side there was not much positivity to speak of. Josh McRoberts came in and gave the Lakers a bit of spark with his hustle play and is sure to be a fan favorite. Bynum looked fairly solid with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks. I really like the addition of Jason Kapono as he scored 9 points on 3-5 shooting and looked really confident and natural with his shot. This is an element the Lakers have been missing.

Rookie point guard Darius Morris got a lot of playing time and had some spotty moments of both bad and good. He looked a bit erratic and often was stuck with the ball with the clock winding down, but hit a few clutch shots. My quick assessment of Morris is he has some individual skill, but I didn’t see much team play out of him especially for a point guard who is supposed to be getting others involved. Darius ended up with 11 points on 5-9 shooting, 3 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 turnovers in over 23 minutes of play.

Outside of that, the Lakers looked pretty much horrible. All the hype on Mike Brown’s defense is just that as they gave up 114 points. Kobe had some nice moments with his 22 points, but I didn’t see anything that leads me to believe he is back to his most elite level of play. I don’t want to believe the “father time” decline in Kobe’s game, nor do I want to put too much emphasis on a preseason opener, but his 7 turnovers and lack of game dominance are hard to ignore. I fear there may be some truth that Kobe is not what he once was. Not that I’m saying he’s washed up, but that Kobe is merely a great player, just not the greatest in uniform today.

Gasol picked up right where he left the playoffs last year…pathetic. Even though Pau’s stat line looks decent, outside of a 3 pointer he hit, Gasol didn’t do much positive work. He was weak on the boards and was consistently being bullied around in the paint. Most of his points came from other players setting him up for for wide open layups and dunks. The wrong player was traded while Pau is still standing in a Lakers uniform.

The artist formerly known as Ron Ron may have been the biggest train wreck out there. I’m a huge Ron Artest fan, but Metta World Peace is a different story. He looked lost and desperate going 0-8 and with 3 points.

With all of the player movement in the offseason the Lakers did not address their most pressing issue; the point guard position. Steve Blake was scorched by CP3 and didn’t show any improvement from last year. The Lakers can’t expect to raise the trophy at the end of the year without improving this position. Fisher and Blake will just not cut it anymore. Not in this system, not with the talent at that position from every other team in the NBA.

As the NBA draft is upon us trade rumors around the Lakers are swirling as the media buzzards and fans hover and in anticipation for the first domino to fall. The difficulty with the Lakers is that the team on paper is as good as just about any other team in the league, so dismantling it could prove costly if the correct replacement pieces are not acquired in any trade made.

First let’s address the Lakers needs this offseason. Portions of the Lakers were exploited in the playoffs as they looked tired and old and had no effective outside shooting threats. In turn the Mavs packed the paint daring the Lakers to shoot threes where the Lakers were pathetic. So a legit outside shooting threat is an important pick up and since Shannon Brown opted out of his contract the backup shooting guard position looks like a good spot to fill this position. Now that Phil is gone and with him the triangle offense, the point guard position needs a major upgrade. The Lakers need someone outside of Kobe to initiate and create offense for others as well as score when necessary and push the ball on the break for easy buckets. This is where the Lakers should give up the most in terms of personnel to ensure they get an all-star caliber point guard. Outside of that, they could use a backup center for energy, shot blocking, and rebounding.

So who’s tradable? Kobe is really the only “untouchable” as he is still arguably the best player in the game and has been the face of the Lakers franchise for the last decade. After that I would only trade Andrew Bynum if Dwight Howard is coming back in the deal. Although there may be statistically better “centers” in the league, Bynum and Howard are the only two “true centers” and therefore irreplaceable. Trading Bynum for someone other than Howard will leave a massive void at the center position as it’s clear that Pau doesn’t have the grit to fill the spot. Lamar has been the topic of many trade rumors, but they need to be careful who they let him go for. Trading Lamar straight up for Andre Iguodala would be a colossal mistake. Lamar is possibly the most diverse player in the NBA, he is near irreplaceable as he can play anywhere and the small forward position is already filled with Artest, Barnes, Walton (who needs to be shipped with any trade), and the young potential of Devin Ebanks.

This leaves Pau Gasol as the only legitimate trade bait worthy of a swap for an elite point guard and this is where they should base their trade if they’re going to make a major move. Pau has consistently been praised for his skill as a big man which is true to an extent, but has been largely overrated since arriving in LA. Pau was only an all-star once and never won a playoff game before playing with Kobe. He is very good, but not great and was exposed in the playoffs. Losing Pau would not leave much of a void at power forward as Lamar could slip into the starting lineup and Bynum could become more of a focal point in the offense. Add an elite point guard like Deron Williams or Cp3 to the starting lineup and the Lakers become potent and athletic. The Lakers just need to make sure they can slip Walton and/or Blake into any deal they do with Pau to clear up cap space and deadweight.

Having said that these are some of my recommendations (and wishful thinking) as desktop general manager having fun with the trade machine.

Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, Luke Walton for Deron Williams, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro

Steve Blake becomes unnecessary with Deron Williams coming in as Derek Fisher would slide to the second string leaving Blake minimal floor time. Plus the Lakers would like to get rid of his three year contract at $4mil a year. Walton also has two more years on his contract at over $5mil a year and would just be buried on the bench behind Artest, Barnes, and potentially Ebanks. The Lakers get the elite point guard they desperately need, a deadly young shooter in Anthony Morrow that can back up Kobe, and a backup center in Johan Petro to fill the void in size with the loss of Pau.

Pau Gasol, Steve Blake for Chris Paul, David Anderson

Very similar to the above scenario, Chris Paul showed once again why he is the best pure point guard in the NBA by torching the Lakers in round 1 of the playoffs. Throw David Anderson in just to get some size in return. This could also be a Gasol, Blake, Walton and picks for CP3 and Emeka Okafor, but then the Lakers take on a hefty Okafor contract for three years at over $11mil per.

Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton for Dwight Howard, J.J. Redick, Brandon Bass

I hate to lose Lamar and Bynum, but for Dwight Howard it’s worth giving up a bit more. There is no one in the league remotely like him, nor has there ever been. He’s an athletic freak for someone his size and is by far the best center in the league. The Lakers also acquire a sharpshooter in Redick, and  a solid backup power forward in Bass while shedding Walton in the process. The Lakers would still need to address their point guard issue but a deal involving Pau for CP3 or Deron Williams could still be worked out….could you imagine?

The Lakers ended the season and Phil’s career with an embarrassing series against the Dallas Mavericks. The following are grades of each player’s performance:

Kobe Bryant: B
Kobe was one of the few that bright spots in this series against the Mavs. He came to play where most did not averaging just under 25 points per game. The lack of outside shooting allowed the Mavericks to collapse their defense and pack the paint which made it difficult for Bryant to get to the basket and forced him to shoot from the outside and midrange where he still managed to shoot nearly 46%. Although Kobe had a solid series, where he failed was finishing games as the Lakers gave up leads down the stretch in games 1 and 3. This is when Kobe is supposed to be at his best yet Dirk Nowitzki was the one who came out as “King of Clutch” in this series. The game 1 buzzer beater miss by Kobe was a sign that the Lakers just didn’t have it this year.

Pau Gasol: C-
Pau was horrible against the Hornets in round 1 where I gave him a D+ for his performance. He was only slightly better against the Mavericks (thus the rise in his grade) but was essentially the root of the Lakers breakdown on many levels. Although better statistically on the offensive end Pau was largely rendered ineffective by Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas defense. Pau was continually pushed off the block, stripped, and swatted as he shot a lowly 42% from the field. Pau’s defense was even more pathetic as he was eaten alive on the pick-and-roll, late on rotations leaving wide open threes, lacked the fortitude to box out, didn’t protect the rim, and was continually scorched by Dirk. When Pau was on the floor Nowitzki shot 60% versus 46% when Pau was on the bench. Although not sure of the validity in the claim that Pau’s girlfriend left him, there was definitely some mental issue going on with the Euro Player of the Year as Gasol lacked the grit, determination, and the heart necessary for a championship run. Not Fisher’s leadership, nor Kobe’s glares, nor Phil’s punches could wake Pau from his funk which eventually worked it’s way into the locker room as “trust issues.” Basketball is a team game so no one person is to blame for the Lakers demise, but Pau’s distracted and gutless performance throughout the playoffs was as large a contributor as any other player.

Andrew Bynum: B+
It’s a shame Bynum will be largely remembered for his inexcusable cheap shot on J.J. Barea in the fourth quarter of game 4 and then ripping off his jersey as he walked off the court because Andrew put together a strong performance through the series as he shot 52% and continually punished the Mavs inside. As one of the few bright spots for the Lakers in this series, Bynum became a focal point of the offense as Pau continued to struggle and really shined in games 2 and 3. Although Bynum deserves a better grade for his play, the Barea cheap shot has tainted the Lakers franchise and his contributions on the court. That said I understand Bynum’s frustration with seeing Barea and others cut up the Lakers defense and get to the rim over and over again as a result of the “trust issues” he was speaking of. I just wish he would have dished out a hard foul in game 2 rather than wait until the series was over to intimidate the Mavericks.

Lamar Odom: B
Before game 2 I posted a Keys to game 2 v Dallas where I outlined the importance of Lamar’s role in this series noting how he must attack and be an offensive threat as no one the Mavericks have can handle Odom’s varied skill set. Lamar followed that up with six points on 3-12 shooting and nine boards in game 2′s shellacking. Lamar had an overall decent series shooting over 45% for 11.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and did a better job guarding Dirk than Pau did, but Lamar’s horrible 0-4 shooting from 3-point land was part of the plague infecting the Lakers. The 6th man award recipient was completely overshadowed by the Mavericks’ 6th man Jason Terry who torched the Lakers from the 3-point line. Lamar needed to be great but he was just ok and the frustrated body check on Dirk in game 4 didn’t help his cause.

Ron Artest: C
Ron had a really strong series against the Hornets in round 1 but it didn’t really carry over to the Dallas series. He played some decent defense but shot a horrid 32% from the field and 20% from the 3-point line. In the process of losing in game 2 old skool Ron Ron came out to play with a clothesline on J.J. Barea that sent Artest to the locker room early and resulted in a game 3 suspension from the league. This was a precursor to the building team frustration that reared it’s ugly head in game 4 with Lamar’s body check on Dirk and Bynum’s forearm shiver on Barea. To cap it off, Ron’s breakaway rim-rejection in game 4 was the final straw and the realization that all hope was lost.

Derek Fisher: C-
I’m sure Derek welcomed the relief of not having to chase a young quick point guard around the floor in this series but Fisher even made the legendary dinosaur J-Kidd look like he was in his prime. Derek shot 31% for the series and only 25% from behind the arc where we all waited for Derek to have his infamous clutch moment in this series but instead Derek’s defining moment was fouling Jason Terry at the end of game 3 when the Lakers were down by two and then following it up with a bad pass to Odom on the inbound play sealing the loss. Furthermore, Derek’s inability to rally his teammates under the challenges presented in this series are a sign that the captain’s inspirational voice has become weary.

Steve Blake: D
The backup point guard was even less effective against the Mavericks as J.J. Barea went absolutely nutty against the Killer B’s. Blake shot a horrid 23% from the field and an even more miserable 18% from three point land with his defining moment coming in game 2 where he went 0-5 and had two turnovers while looking completely lost on the court. There were high hopes for Blake coming into the season as many expected him to challenge for the starting point guard spot. Those hopes are gone.

Shannon Brown: C
Although Shannon managed to shoot over 50% for the series most of his contributions were lost in the barrage of the opposing bench as they made the Lakers bench look foolish time and time again. Brown’s untimely turnovers and stopping the offense to jack up shots only added more frustration for Lakers fans.

Matt Barnes: C
Another member of the bench that gave away games, Matt was mostly forgettable only shooting 35% for the series and shot a goose egg 0-6 from behind the arc. Matt grabbed some boards with his hustle but it would have been nice if he hit a few of those threes.

Trey Johnson, Luke Walton, Joe Smith: NC
These three receive a Non Complete for their limited action in the series. Most of their time came at the end of the game 4 blowout and was irrelevant, but I did want to mention that Luke Walton went 0-2 and managed two turnovers in a little over four minutes of play. Hope that $5 million you made this year while sitting on the bench sits well with you.

Phil Jackson: F
As Phil did the walk of shame to the locker room after the game 4 loss one can’t help but feel this season was a massive failure and a missed opportunity. For the Buss family it’s championship or bust and they know that Kobe’s dominating years are dwindling down so Mitch and Jerry assembled a top notch roster to help Phil take them to the promise land. But even with the highest payroll and most talent in the league Phil failed to motivate, keep his team engaged, strategize, and win. He was out-coached for most of round 1 against Monty Williams, and again completely out-coached by Rick Carlisle in round 2 against the Dallas. The Mavericks repeatedly shredded the Lakers defense for layups and wide open jumpers and through four games we never saw any defensive adjustment to take care of this problem. Same thing game in and game out allowing a record breaking 3-point performance from their opponents. Phil couldn’t get Pau on track with his mind games and even his barking and punching in game three fell on def ears as the team was splintered and fragile. For all of the praise Phil gets for managing players and egos his incense induced hippy approach failed as there were clearly “trust issues” going on in their embarrassing and shameful sweep out of the playoffs. Enjoy the mountains of Montana Phil…

Did that really just happen? Did the Lakers get punked in their building by the Dallas Mavs? Again? Did that really just happen? Did the Lakers really go 2-20 shooting threes? Did J.J. Barea just cut up the Lakers D like CP3? Is Dirk really that unstoppable? Did the Lakers really go 11-20 from the line? Did Pau really play so horrible that he got booed by his own crowd? Did Steve Blake really turn the ball over twice and shoot a timid 0-5? Did Phil really leave him in that long even though he was obviously struggling? Did the “Killer B’s” lose their sting? Did Lamar Odom really go 3-12? Did Ron Artest really clothesline Barea?Did the Lakers defense just disappear? Is Phil Jackson being out coached? Could it be possible that the Mavericks are just a better team? Are the Lakers really down 0-2? Did that really just happen?

The following is a grading of the individual performances from the Lakers versus the Hornets in round 1 of the 2011 playoffs. The grades are issued schoolroom style “A” through “F” in regards to their contributions within their role and potential.

Kobe Bryant: B
The undisputed leader of the Lakers struggled at times on the offensive side of the ball where Trevor Ariza did a good job of harassing Kobe and holding him to 22.5 points per game on 44% shooting, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a game. All these stats are below his season average and I’m sure chasing CP3 around combined with his ankle injury had something to do with it. That said, Kobe controlled the pace of the games for his team and did what he had to do to help the Lakers win. This culminated with Kobe’s series changing dunk on Emeka Okafor while hobbling on a gimpy ankle.

Pau Gasol: D+
As the number two guy on the Lakers one would expect Pau to step up to the challenge in the playoffs and use his advanced skill set. But Pau looked more like he should be playing for the Los Angeles Sparks than the Lakers as he was consistently punked by the undersized Hornets and managed to make 6’9″ Carl Landry look like an all-star. Pau shot a miserable 41.8% for the series with 13.5 points per game, 3.5 assists, and only 6.8 rebounds per game and most of his offensive success didn’t come until game 5 and 6. Pau was pushed around all series, didn’t protect the paint, was late on defensive rotations, and lacked heart as the “soft” label rightfully reared it’s head again. For some unknown reason Phil played Pau more minutes than any other player.

Andrew Bynum: A
As Pau Gasol shriveled with the challenge of the Hornets, Andrew Bynum rose to the occasion leading team in shooting percentage at 55.6% and rebounds with 10.3 per game. He also managed to score 15.2 points and grab 4 offensive boards per game which was a massive problem for the Hornets. The Lakers had the most success when using Bynum as the point of attack as he consistently had Emeka Okafor in foul trouble and NOLA had no real answer for Andrew’s size. Bynum also did a good job patrolling the paint and altering shots while blocking 1.83 per game. Although Kobe is clearly the best player on the Lakers, Andrew Bynum’s value cannot be understated in this series as he was the biggest key to their success.

Ron Artest: A-
Controversy always follows Ron and many fans wanted him traded throughout the season. Well the playoffs are here and now and his value is crystal clear. Ron shot 50% for the series putting in 11.8 points, 2 assists, and 5 rebounds per game while holding Hornets sharpshooter Marco Belinelli to a miserable 37% shooting for the series. Ron outmuscled Marco all series long, getting easy looks, timely rebounds, and hitting big shots. With the exception of his 2-6 shooting in game 6, Ron was stellar all series and was the next biggest difference maker behind Andrew Bynum.

Lamar Odom: B
Lamar had an overall strong series but had a miserable game 4 where he went 1-7 with six points, zero assists, and only four rebounds. Then followed game 5 up with a poor 4-12 shooting and 13 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Although Lamar had solid performances in the other games, he never really put his stamp on the series like we know he can.

Derek Fisher: B+
D-Fish was assigned the near impossible order of checking the league’s best pure point guard in Chris Paul as he desperately struggled to keep CP3 in front of him. Paul shot 53% and over 10 assists per game when Fisher was on the court, but it was even worse when Derek was on the bench where Paul shot 59%. CP3 reminded everyone how great he is no matter if it was Steve Blake, Shannon Brown, Ron Artest, or even Kobe trying to guard him. It was the same result, dagger after dagger, dime after dime. So I have to credit Fisher for playing with heart and determination chasing CP3 around, and Fish stepped his playoff game up by managing to do some great things on the offensive end as he hit clutch shots while averaging 9.3 points on 52.6% shooting.

Steve Blake: C
There were some fairly high expectations of Blake when the Lakers picked up the guard for $4 million a year in the offseason and many thought he would challenge for the starting spot over Fish. He’s just sort of been OK, a few nice moments here and there, but for the most part fairly invisible. It was no different in round 1 versus the Hornets. He was often scorched by Chris Paul and Jared Jack, and only managed to muster 2.4 points per game on 40% shooting.

Matt Barnes: C+
Barnes was hot and cold offensively throughout the series, but still managed to grab some timely rebounds, hit some shots and bring some energy off the bench. Trevor Ariza had a great series against the Lakers as he had quite a bit of success when guarded by Kobe, but I felt Barnes did a really good job on Ariza as his foot speed and length gave Trevor some troubles. As much as you would expect Ron Artest to be the enforcer for the Lakers, it’s been Barnes off the bench with the most feisty attitude jumping in the middle of any physicality and getting the back of his fellow “Killer B’s.”

Shannon Brown: C
I’m a big fan and as much as I marvel at Shannon’s athleticism, I’m seeing a trend that leads to a dark place. Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar both contracted the same disease. It’s called “Black Hole Syndrome” where if you pass Shannon the ball you pretty much know you’re not getting it back as the shot is going to go up. Shannon continually gets the ball, stops the offense, pounds it on the floor and jacks up a shot. I know Phil asked him to be more aggressive with his shot this year, but he’s no Kobe so his shots need to come in the flow of the offense. Shannon shot 39.4% for the series which is far too low for a role player. Don’t follow the dark path that lead Sasha and Jordan to the lowly Nets, run the offense, get out on the break, and know your role.

Theo Ratliff, Joe Smith, Trey Johnson: NC
These guys didn’t get enough run to get a grade so I’ll just give them a Non-Complete. But I did want to mention that I did like what I saw from Trey Johnson with the little time he had out there replacing Steve Blake when he was out with the Chicken Pox during game 1. Trey looked poised, in control, aggressive when needed, and played some nice D while out there. Joe Smith looks absolutely lost out there and Theo Ratliff managed to grab one board this series with his 54 seconds of play. That’s neither here nor there.

Phil Jackson: B
Phil was essentially out-coached by a rookie coach Monty Williams for the first few games of the series. The Hornets had an effective game plan against the Lakers while taking game 1 and 4. Phil’s staff were able to dissect the Hornets strategy and eventually found a way to slow Chris Paul and take over the series. But possibly Phil’s greatest strategic move with this matchup was leaving Luke Walton on the bench.

Next up, the Mark Cuban Mavericks of Dallas…

The Lakers rolled into Oaktown looking for an easy victory against the Golden State Warriors. Instead, the Warriors drove the Lakers off course. In the first quarter, the Lakers came out firing on all cylinders, hitting eight of their first 10 shots on route to a 23-14 lead. So what wrong? Well, the second quarter started. While the Lakers maintained a significant size advantage, they took a detour from the game plan, heaving up outside shots from the perimeter without exploiting mismatches. The result? The Warriors outscored the Lakers 29-15 in the second period.

In a game that took a few unexpected turns, the second quarter became a microcosm of poor game management. Throughout the contest, for example, Steve Blake, Shannon Brown, Derek Fisher, and Ron Artest shot the ball 27 times on a variety of long-range shots (nine of which were three point attempts). By misfiring on 23 of those 27 shots (14.8%), the Lakers were unable to move the ball effectively and exploit the size advantage at three key positions.

Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, and Pau Gasol combined for 22-36 shooting. That’s 61%. Perhaps, it’s a good idea to keep feeding the bigs down low and the dominant guard in the high post, right? Not in the second and third quarters. By the time the Lakers were able to get back on track late in the fourth quarter, the game was out of reach. With the playoffs around the corner, however, it’s time for the Lakers put this game in the review mirror—and get ready to make the right decisions on the road ahead.

That was the quote from Phil Jackson in the press conference after the game when describing the skirmish that broke out after Jason Terry pushed Steve Blake to the floor. Things got chippy as the trio of Barnes, Blake, and Brown, known as the “Killer Bees,” were all ejected in their shellacking of the Dallas Mavericks tonight at the Staples Center.

There was a playoff type atmosphere as Western Conference seeding was on the line, and a probable matchup between these two teams in the playoffs. The Lakers put the clamps down in the second half holding Dallas to 31 points, which built the frustration, and ignited the tempers. Referee Joey Crawford sent Brown, Barnes, Blake, Terry, and Haywood to the locker rooms early.

The game was wildly entertaining with Ron Artest flexing and kissing his biceps after converting a shot while being fouled, and a fan made a run at the floor before being gobbled up by the red coats and carried back up the stairs. Rumor has it that it was a female streaker on the loose. Phil Jackson also played some mind games with the Mavericks by sending in Theo Ratfliff to shoot free throws after the skirmish. Theo hasn’t played in months and bricked both attempts, but I’m curious of what Phil’s intentions were by sending Theo out there.

The Lakers continue to build their intensity as the playoffs approach and are now 16-1 since the All-Star break— and are looking like what we come to expect from the champs.