Friday, December 26, 2008

All-County Defense



Highlights with the All-County defensive players of the year...including Garrett Gilliland, Brett Gudim, and the defensive player of the year, Preston King.

All-County Offense



The 2008 All-County offensive selections are made. Highlights from Josh Quezada, Anthony Wilkerson, Paul Richardson, and the player of the year Robbie Picazo.

All-County Coach of the Year



The 2008 All-County Coach of the Year is revealed. Tesoro's Brian Barnes led the Titans to an undefeated regular season and to their first ever Pac-5 Championship game.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Open Division State Championship: Long Beach Poly vs. Grant



The inaugural Open Division Championship was created to showcase the best schools in the state. It's a No. Cal vs. So. Cal format, so the selections were Long Beach Poly representing the South, and Grant of Sacramento representing the North.

The Jackrabbits were favored but may have underestimated Grant's toughness and size. Poly was down 13-0 and tried to roar back like they have done throughout the playoffs, but Grant was able to rally in the final 90 seconds of this game to take the title 25-20. Interviews with both Head Coaches and standout QB Kipeli Koniseti.

That's it for High School Football, I hope you enjoyed my coverage. It's time for basketball season!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Division I State Title: Centennial (So Cal) vs. De La Salle (No Cal)



Centennial defeats Concord's De La Salle 21-16 in a rematch from last year's championship game. An undefeated season for the Huskies. Interviews with Ricky Marvray (121 YDS Rec.), and Head Coach Matt Logan.

Small Schools Bowl State Title - St. Margaret's (So Cal) vs. Hamilton (No Cal)



St. Margaret's wins inaugural small schools bowl 59-7. Highlights and Post-Game Comments from John Murayama (Record 4 TDs), QB David Mothander, and Head Coach Harry Welch (Two-Time State Winner).

Sunday, December 14, 2008

CIF Pac-5 Championship: Tesoro vs. Long Beach Poly



It's a battle of two undefeated teams as the Tesoro Titans take on the Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits in the 2008 CIF Pac-5 Championships. Poly is trying to make it back-to-back titles while Tesoro is going for their first.

CIF Pac-5 Championship Post-Game: Tesoro vs. Long Beach Poly



Tesoro is in the Pac-5 title game for the first time in school history, but Long Beach Poly stands in their way. A school that has sent more players to the NFL than any other school. A school that has 17 championships and is looking for consecutive Pac-5 championships. It's a battle of undefeated teams, with the championship and a berth to the state title game on the line!

CIF Southwest Championship: La Habra vs. Tustin



The La Habra Highlanders look to make it back-to-back titles as they take on a high-powered Tustin offense that has blown away all of their competitors in the playoffs. Tustin hasn't won a title in 60 years, will the streak end?

Friday, December 12, 2008

60 Years in the Making: The Tustin Tillers



The Tustin Tillers haven't been in a CIF Championship Game since 1997. They haven't won since 1948. 60 Years has come down to this...Tustin faces La Habra in the Southwest CIF Championship game this Saturday, 2pm at Angel Stadium.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Mater Dei's Fab Five Recruits



The Mater Dei Monarchs starting five have all committed to Division I schools. Gary Franklin (USC), Tyler Lamb (UCLA), Andy Brown (Stanford), and the Wear twins (North Carolina). They can go down as one of the best high schools in recent memory, but they have a touch road ahead of them.

Monday, December 8, 2008

CIF Pac-5 Semifinals: Tesoro vs. Orange Lutheran



Tesoro advances to their first ever Pac-5 Championship game with an unexpected dominating performance over Orange Lutheran, 42-14. Interviews with Titans QB Robbie Picazo and Head Coaches Brian Barnes and Jim Kunau.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

CIF Southwest Semi-Finals: Tustin vs. Canyon



Tustin takes on Canyon in a Century League rematch for the rights to play in the CIF Southwest division title game. The Tillers Wilkerson and Webb score 7 TDs and advance to their first championship game in 9 years.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Pac-5 Semifinal Preview: Orange Lutheran vs. Tesoro



Orange Lutheran hosts Tesoro in the semi-finals of the Pac-5 tournament this Saturday night. This preview looks at the offensive and defensive matchups. Highlights and interviews with Coaches Barnes and Kunau.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Mater Dei vs. Loara



The No. 1 ranked Mater Dei Basketball team opens up their season against Loara in the Taco Company Tournament. Interviews with future USC Trojan Gary Franklin and future UCLA Bruin Tyler Lamb.

CIF Pac-5 Quarterfinals: Esperanza vs. Long Beach Poly



Long Beach Poly wins 17-10 over Esperanza in the second round of the Pac-5 tournament. Post-Game Interviews with Esperanza Head Coach Bill Pendleton and Long Beach's Raul Lara. Watch a 6'5 270 pound tight end lumber his way into the end zone!

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Matt Barkley's Senior Year



A look at Matt Barkley's 2008 season, and comparing it to his record-breaking '07 season. Why are his numbers down this year? What has he learned in his senior year? Interviews with Coach Rollinson and Jaron Hytche.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Father vs. Son



In a preview of the Barnes Bowl: The Father, Coach John Barnes of Los Alamitos takes on The Son, Coach Brian Barnes of Tesoro.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Saturday, October 18, 2008

The Game of the Week: Mater Dei vs. Servite 10/17/08



Can Servite end their 20 year winless drought against their arch rival Mater Dei? Let The Holy War Commence!

Mater Dei Post-Game Interviews 10/17/08



Post-Game Interviews with Mater Dei Head Coach Bruce Rollinson and Mater Dei/Future Trojan QB Matt Barkley

Thursday, October 16, 2008

UCLA Media Day



CLICK LINK BELOW TO VIEW STORY ON OCREGISTER.COM:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1127694947/bclid1127690720/bctid1861218541

It's Media Day for the UCLA Bruins! The number one recruiting class in the nation finally suit up in blue and gold.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Game of The Week: Servite vs. Edison



A rivalry game that was played with a heavy heart. Edison lineman Luke Gane was recently diagnosed with a rare blood disease. This game was dedicated to him.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

KVMD Story

Hey people, you can also see my Game of the Week: Mater Dei vs. Centennial story on KVMD "Southern California Life" tonight at 5:30 p.m. Check your local listings!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Redeem Team

No More Lebronze Chants!

Well, they've done it. After eight long years, the USA is officially back on top of the basketball world.

Eight years is a long time to not hold Olympic gold, but that just means that the Summer Olympics take a really long time to take place. It's every four years people! It's not like they hand out gold medals every year!

I mean they won in 2000, barely defeating Lithuania 85-83, but we all remember Vince Carter's dunk...



The chinks in the armor were present at that time, as it became more and more obvious that the international game was getting better. Let's face it, Europeans grew up watching Magic and Jordan dominate the game, and when these kid-Euros finally hit their athletic prime, they were ready to go!

The proof is in the pudding my friends. Just look at all the great NBA international players. Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Yao Ming (China), Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), Paul Gasol (Spain), and Darko Milicic (Yugoslavia). Um, maybe not the last one I mentioned...but my point exactly!

By the time 2004 rolled around, Americans were dropping out of the Olympic team left and right, and as a result, the U.S. reached to a man they didn't totally understand. "The ultimate team player" Allen Iverson, whose isolation game flopped in international play.

Even the great Tim Duncan was rendered useless in the Olympics, as he was double-teamed and harassed by swarming zone defenders. He couldn't stay out of foul trouble and theics as he was constantly double lack of three point shooting destroyed the U.S. chances. It didn't hurt that hard-ass Larry Brown didn't have a hold on his team, with a young Carmelo and Lebron looking like they didn't know what hit them.

As a result, one of the greatest American failures occurred. The U.S. finished in 3rd place with NBA PLAYERS. They took the bronze medal and LeBron became LeBronze James.
By the way, I just heard of that nickname recently, and it's freakin' hilarious! Too bad I can't use it any more...lousy USA winning the gold shedding that nickname...What?! I mean USA! USA! USA!

The "Redeem Team," did just that. They accomplished redemption by defeating every single foe that stood in their way.

Team Redeem took down a supposed tough opponent in the Chinese, who disgraced themselves in their own country. Yao Ming must've not been at 100% because he was quoted as saying it was one of the biggest opportunities of his career. He floundered like those poor swimmers who were in the same pool with Michael Phelps.

They also took down the 2004 Olympic champions in Argentina. The Argentines had a great team with Manu GI-NO-BI-LI (as Charles Barkley would say), "Fabulous" Fabricio Oberto (NBA champion with Spurs), and Luis Scola (very good player for Rockets). The U.S. beat them handedly, even before Manu got hurt.

Team USA was only fiercely tested in one game, and how fitting that it was in their final game, where the best player in the NBA did what he does best. Kobe Bryant closed the game and brought the gold medal back to the USA.

It came down to the 2006 FIBA World Champions in Spain and the brothers Gasol. The U.S. had previously humbled the Spaniards by 37 points in a previous round, but this game was much different. It was fiercely contested even if the Americans were up by 12 or more points at times. The Spanish continued to nail three after three and were not flustered by the Americans.

Future Portland Trailblazers Rudy Fernandez scored 22 (as if the Blazers didn't need any more young talent right?), Pau Gasol had 21 points and was actually effective, unlike their first encounter, and Spain was playing without the injured and current NBA raptor Jose Calderon. Their young point guard also displayed grit in Ricky Rubio, but he unraveled down the stretch, earning himself a technical foul.

If Olympics awarded an MVP, it would have went to Dwayne Wade who is officially back, after a rash of injuries. Wade scored 27, while Kobe hit two key 3-pointers to ice the game. Every play that Kobe was involved in down the stretch led to a positive from his team, whether it was defensively or an assist. Kobe now is a three-time champion with a gold medal to match.

So, what do we take from all of this? Well, the USA had it's best players and won a tight game vs. a good team. The days of the Dream Team are over, but this core group can win another one if they stay intact. Even if they don't, their leadership, unselfishness, and class they showed off the court should be a model for future USA basketball teams.

I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Maddux Part Deux


Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux is a Dodger once more. Wow, I need somebody to sit me down, slap me, and take me back to 2006, because I think I'm having a case of deja vu here. It's okay, it's a good feeling though, and I think the Dodgers and I are going to be alright.

Word came out late Monday that the Dodgers have re-acquired Greg Maddux, and while I was excited about him being back in Dodger blue, I was hesitant at the same time. You see, I have absolutely no faith in "Dead Head" Ned Colletti as general manager. I thought for sure that he had to have traded one of our outstanding young players to acquire him. I mean he got away with the Manny deal, and the Casey Blake one, but three in a row...wow I think I might have to give the guy some props!

Ned Colletti has done everything in his power to keep this team in the race. He has solidified 3rd base with Casey Blake. He has turned the whole lineup around by bringing in Manny Ramirez, and we have all seen how his hitting has inspired his teammates to play better. Finally, he pulls the trigger on the old gunslinger Greg Maddux and brings him back to anchor a young rotation that is eager and willing to heed his advice.

He will join Dodgers ace Chad Billingsley, World Champion Derek Lowe, Japanese import Hiroki Kuroda, and the young flame-throwing lefty Clayton Kershaw. This makes the Dodgers five-deep and with a very reliable bullpen, with the prospect of Saito making a comeback soon, things are looking up at the Ravine.

Maddux is having a good year with the Padres. Do not take his record as an indication of his success (6-9) because the San Diego Padres offense has been microscopic this season. He has a good ERA of 3.99, and will not only help the Dodgers with his arm, but with his mind as well.

The term "crafty lefty" has been tossed around baseball circles since Babe Ruth was knocking 'em out of the park on hot dogs and beer, but "crafty" is a term that can be very well applied to Greg Maddux. He has always been a pitcher that has not relied on his speed, but rather his smarts to succeed. Maddux has sniper accuracy in the strike zone, and Clayton Kershaw is excited to learn from the best.

From Dodgers.com:

"If he does get to come, I definitely would ask him as many questions as I can," Kershaw said. "Hopefully he likes answering questions, because I'm definitely going to be doing a lot of that.

"He obviously has a lot to teach. He's been out there so long. He knows a lot more about the game than I do right now, so I'm definitely going to just try to listen to him, pick his brain."

The last time Maddux was with the Dodgers, he took them into the playoffs in 2006. In my opinion, the team as situated now, is a better team that won the Wild Card two years ago. With Brad Penny on the DL, this move couldn't have came at a better time. Especially, since future Dodger James McDonald struggled when Colletti paid a visit to watch in person in Vegas.

The Dodgers will share some of the remaining salary on Maddux's contract with the Padres (about 2.3 million) and pitch in two players to be named later or cash considerations.

Hey Ned Colletti...not bad, not bad at all.

Thanks For Finally Spending My Money Wisely Ya Jackass!

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Are Dodgers Dunn For?


Another big missile was fired yesterday, and I'm not talking about the ones flying over Georgia right now. Adam Dunn is now an Arizona Diamondback. This was a retaliation strike from the earth-shattering Manny trade that has captivated Los Angeles.

No, Dunn won't make the big cultural splash that Manny did. He won't come with all the bells and whistles of a two-time World Champion and future Hall of Famer. Rather, the D-backs will get a player who can straight up hit the ball 400 feet about every 10 at-bats or so. Dunn has ridiculous power, but he is susceptible to striking out.

The Big Donkey has struck out 120 times already this season but he also has 80 walks. He's only hitting .233, but his OBP is a good .373. He hasn't driven in a run in August however, but now that he's with a playoff caliber team, expect that to change. His former teammate in Ken Griffey Jr. was traded last week on the same day that Manny-Mania swept L.A.

All in all, this is a great move by the D-backs. Management showed their players and fans that they are IN IT TO WIN IT. Dunn will provide Arizona with added pop and a legitimate threat. With Orlando Hudson likely out for the season, this trade needed to be made.

The Dodgers are already having a tough time winning with Manny (going 5-5). They should be 7-3, but they had those heart breaking losses in San Francisco. Plus they have a one-run loss in that 10-game stretch, with a loss in extra innings as well. The point is that with Manny playing so well, the Bums might look back on this stretch run and figure that was what decided their season.

The Dodgers should have no excuses now. They are relatively healthy. Nomar Garciaparra is back, Casey Blake has solidified third base, and Manny is the best bat in baseball. The pitching staff is healthy with Brad Penny back, but they are hurting at the same time.

Saito is on the DL and you better believe he would've closed those games down in SF. Rafael Furcal was the MVP of the season, and his return is doubtful.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot that they have Joe freakin' Torre as their manager now. He kinda has four rings, and is a future Hall of Famer manager as well. It's time for him to start making his money and lead this team into the playoffs.

Every team has to go through injuries, and the Dodgers addressed those issues with the great trades that Ned Colletti made. Now that Andruw Jones might be headed to the DL...
NOW IS THE TIME! HAKU MACHENTE!!!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Manny-MANIA!

Manny Ramirez is a Dodger. I will now repeat what I just wrote for the Dodgers fans who are still in shock. Manny Ramirez is a freakin' Dodger!

In what had to be one of the most unlikely scenarios in Dodger history. The bums actually came through looking like the hustler in a trade! There was no Delino, Wilton, or Jeff Shaw. No, it didn't take Andre Ethier or Matt Kemp to get him ether. This was simply a very desperate team in the Boston Red Sox giving up their superstar future hall of fame player to a team that desperately needed a power hitter.

"It's unbelievable," catcher Russell Martin said. "We feel like we just won the lottery."

Manny has already gone 8-13 with 2 HR and 5 RBI. That almost equals Andruw Jones' total of HR and RBI for the SEASON, but let us not speak of the bench warmer ever again.

Yuck Don't Let Your Great Hitting Rub Off On Me!

Besides the Dodgers going 2-1 with Manny on the first place D-Bags over the weekend, Ramirez' biggest impact might be on the box office. Friday's game immediately sold out, and let me tell you, I hopped onto that price-gouging rip-off known as Ticketmaster and got my tickets quick! I knew that Manny's first appearance as a Dodger was something to behold...and the free Dodger cooler bag didn't hurt! Too bad the parking hurts more than watching A. Jones strike out...


$125,000 worth of number 99 shirts and jerseys were sold over the weekend, and can you imagine how much the Dodgers will make if they sign this guy long-term? I hope that this guy isn't a two-month rental, since the Dodgers do like to sign the worst free agents possible. They will probably let him go, but if they do keep him, you'll see me sporting the new Manny blue dreadlocks that will be on sale after the road trip!


The Stadium went berserk when Manny came up to the plate on Friday. I have never witnessed a batter receive that kind of ovation at Dodger Stadium. The deafening chant of Man-ny, Man-ny, echoed throughout the Ravine. All weekend he could do no wrong. Even as he grounded out, the fans would stand and cheer for their savior has arrived. With help from the young guns and the grizzled vets, the Dodgers will win the West.

Los Angeles, welcome to the brand-new season premiere of "Manny-MANIA in LA LA Land!"


Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Rich Get Richer


On Tuesday, the Angels had the best record in baseball at 66-40. They were in Boston playing the Red Sox, who were recent victims of an Angels sweep in Anaheim. The Angels were running on all cylinders. They were scoring a ton of runs in July, the pitching was phenomenal, and Mike Scioscia was able to win while batting Maicier Izutris 3rd. It seemed like things couldn't get any better for the Halos. That is until their new General Manager Tony Reagins stepped in, and did something that Bill Stoneman could never do...GROW A PAIR.

Ever since their World Series win in 2002, former GM Bill Stoneman was very reluctant to make any big trades to put the Angels over the top, at the cost of prospects. The Angels were swept away in 2004 and 2007 by Boston teams that overpowered them at the plate. It's not like they couldn't have made a move to put themselves in a better position.

The Angels minor league farm system is one of the best in baseball. The guys that are playing right now in the majors prove that: Jared Weaver, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Mike Napoli, and the now former Angel Casey Kotchman. Also don't forget about the Angels' highly prized prospects in flame-thrower Nick Adenhart, and shortstop slugger Brandon Wood, who both had a cup of coffee with the team this year.

Finally, Tony Reagins saw an opportunity to win a championship and he pulled the trigger. He dealt their good young baseman Casey Kotchman and a minor-leaguer (not one of their A talents) to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Mark Teixeira.

Now this is what I'm talking about! I don't care if he's just a rental player. Even if the Angels don't win it all, it's still a great move, because this GM did everything it took for the Angels to go out and get a brass ring. You go all-in when you have a chance to win a championship! Forget those ridiculous wild card and division winning pennants that hang next to that rock pile in center. It's world championships that people remember, and all 6'3 and 220 pounds of Mark Teixeira is going to give it to them.

With this move, the Angels have punched their ticket to the World Series. They should be the favorite to face who ever comes out of the weak National League.

Sure, the Angels have long-term problems with their option contracts and free agents, but the time is now! This is a move that no one saw coming because as early as Monday morning, Reagins was telling people not to expect anything major and that he was happy with the club. Then, a All-Star 1B comes in having more homers than anybody on the team (20), and puts them over the top.

The Angels have it all: Pitching, Defense, Relief, Hitting, Managing. This season is over everybody, light up another Halo championship.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Lakers Rage With The Machine!

The Lakers and Sasha have agreed to a 3-yr. $15 million contract. He was threatening to leave to Europe, if he didn't get the contract he wanted. Apparently, it came down to his agent Rob Pelinka asking for $1 million more per year than the previous offer of 3-yr. 12 million. It might've also came down to the no-hair cut clause Sasha insisted upon as well...

It was reported by various media outlets, that Sasha was going to leave to play in Europe if the Lakers didn't meet his contract demands. That noise Friday afternoon was a collective sigh of relief from Lakers fans across the world. Fans thought he would go the way of a guy who also played on the west coast for Stanford, in Josh Childress.

Don't worry about Childress though. He will be making $21 million over 3 years after taxes.

There has already been a number of players who have bolted the NBA to play in Europe already. Childress is the most well-known player on the list that includes Carlos Delfino and Bostjan Nachbar.

The Lakers already received a blow by losing 1/2 of their energy duo in Ronny Turiaf earlier this week to the Warriors.

It is now become clear that teams did not extend qualifying offers to Sasha because they believed the Lakers would match it.

Sasha started his career when he was a teenager. He played in Italy from 2001-2004 for Snaidero Udine.

He spent three shaky seasons in L.A. before finally getting it together and showing the world just what the Lakers knew he had. Vujacic was known as an "11 o'clock player," by Phil Jackson or a practice player who shriveled when the bright lights were on.

He turned it around this season, shooting a career high 45% from the field and was a spark plug off the bench. Jackson would often leave him in to end the game, allowing him to suffocate a defender with his annoying lock down D, while icing the cake with a killer shot from the corner.

Sasha earned the nickname of "The Machine," because of his ability to knock down shots. Instead of raging against The Machine, the Lakers decided to rage with him.

Vujacic already looks like a rock star, so let's hope he can Rock and/or Roll the Lakers to another championship.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Televised Appearances

Hey peoples, you can check my No Limits MMA story on KVMD "Southern California Life." It will air Friday at 5:30.

Also, I'm having fun and interviewing fans on "Talkin' Sports with Gary Carter," on KDOC Saturday at 7 a.m.

I hope you all can catch both shows, but if you miss my MMA story, I will post it on You Tube later this week!

Monday, July 14, 2008

Artest....a Laker? Pull The Trigger!
















You people of my beloved "JAKked Up," blog have attracted my attention with a possible trade of Ron Artest going to the Lakers for Lamar Odom. I wanna shout out Drew specifically, for scouring the ESPN landscape and breaking it to the Massis (oops I mean MASSES!)

It is true. There have been talks that involved the once heated rivals of Sacramento and Los Angeles were in trade discussions revolving Lamar Odom and Ron Artest.

To be frank...PULL THE TRIGGER LAKERS!

To me, this trade will be a no-brainer for the Lakers. I know there are the nay-sayers out there who say that Ron Artest is a malcontent, who likes to be beat up his wife in his spare time after games where he jumps into the crowd and clocks some guy in the face.



These cynics will talk about how Ron Artest will ruin the great Lakers team chemistry. They will go on to say that now with the ultimate cheerleader Ronny gone, (let's face it Lakers fans) Artest will become a lethal poison to a young team hungry to get back to the Finals.

I say, that's a bunch of Chicago BULLSH-UT YO MOUTH!

Speaking of those Chicago Bulls, is anyone old enough to remember the malcontent crazy Newport Beach dwellin' resident Dennis Rodman. This dude was the craziest cat to ever grace a basketball court. I mean the guy married himself, kicked a cameraman in the go-nads, and sported a new hair color every time he went out on the court.

Yeah um, that's a recent picture of Rodman...words just can't do it justice, I'm sorry! Anywho, back to my point. Phil Jackson has a history with crazy malcontents like Dennis Rodman, and to a lesser extent the quitter Scottie Pippen. The Zen Master was able to balance Rodman's craziness off the court and turn him into a focused mad man by the time the ball was tipped into the air.

Phil Jackson will be able to handle Ron Artest and make sure that he plays like his all-star caliber self on the court. Hopefully, he won't have a mid-life crisis like Rod"man" and end up like him.

Ron Artest also provides a shooter that Phil Jackson desperately covets. Vladimir Radmanovich is too much of an inconsistent threat, and if the Lakers are unable to sign Sasha Vujacic, the Artest deal will become even sexier for the Lakers. He shot 38% from 3-pt. land last season, which was even better than Kobe.

Artest also provides a defensive stopper. Kobe won't have to guard the team's best player, which tires him down the stretch when he's at his most valuable. Not to mention that Ron Artest is very good friends with Kobe Bryant, and Lamar Odom by the way. Both sides can facilitate a trade.

That's JAKked Up: If the Lakers don't push and make this trade. Bringing Ron Artest to the Lakers will pratically guarantee L.A. many more championship banners hanging above Staples.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Turiaf Agrees To Offer Sheet With Warriors


BREAKING NEWS:

Ronny Turiaf has agreed to an offer sheet with the Golden State Warriors that will pay him $17 million over four years. He can't travel up north just yet, because he is a restricted free agent. The Lakers have seven days to match the offer. If they don't, Ronny Turiaf be a Warrior alongside former Clipper Corey Maggette.

So do they or don't they? Let's look at Ronny Turiaf's statistics:

18.7 MPG, 6.6 PPG, 1.4 BPG, and he started 21 games.

The stats are nice, but Ronny's true value lies in his intangibles. He is a hustler in every sense of the word. He plays every possession like it's his last. Turiaf is a physical player who puts team play above his own priorities. Ronny is a phenomenal role player that any team would love to have, but should the Lakers take on this contract?

I believe that the Lakers No. 1 priority this off-season was to take care of their players. The most important one being Andrew Bynum, but that's another story.

In a perfect world, the Lakers would re-sign Ronny, but there are salary cap issues that prohibit that, with the Lakers having a payroll of over $75 million. The Lakers will have to pay a hefty luxury tax for going over the salary cap of $58.68 million, so the Buss family will be careful how they spend their money. After all, the fans are taking a hit too: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers9-2008jul09,0,3927413.story

If the Lakers have to make a choice between Sasha and Ronny, I've always believed that the Slovenian Sharpshooter is more valuable. The man who went to Gonzaga U can be replaced by DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm, or even :gasp: Kwame Brown.

JAKked Up: Ronny leaving the Lakers! The guy is a better freakin' cheerleader than the Laker Girls!

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Mr. (Almost) Perfect


The stage was set. The docile and usually uninterested Dodgers fans were into it. The faces of the Dodgers infielders and outfielders had determination written all over them. Everyone in the ball park from the vendors to the announcers could feel it. The pride of Japan, Hiroki Kuroda, was going to throw a perfect game.

It made all the sense in the world. It would have been against the Atlanta Braves, who have a recent history with perfectos. Randy Johnson threw one against them in 2004, which was the last time a perfect game was registered in the majors.

What a way it would have been for Hiroki Kuroda to break into his first year in the bigs. He would've stood alongside with all-time great Dodger lefty Sandy Koufax as the only Dodger to have thrown a perfect game.

Hiroki was efficient, needing only 91 pitches to shut out the Braves. Kuroda threw a perfect seven innings of baseball before Mark Teixeira ruined all the fun with a double to left. Kuroda's final line was 9 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 6 K.

That's JAKked Up: Gregor Blanco.
I can't believe this guy tried to ruin the perfect game in the top of the seventh by laying down a bunt. It took an incredible play from Blake DeWitt to save the 100% completion attempt. I don't care what people say, as far as Blanco trying to make plays and win the game. That was bush. Anytime a pitcher in a position in the seventh inning to throw a perfect game or no-hitter, you gotta earn it. Why didn't the Braves do that to Randy Johnson in 2004 you ask? Well, it's because Randy would've clocked the next guy harder than his "bird ball" in Spring Training.



Luis Gonzales' flair single to beat the Yankees in 2001 thinks that's unfair.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Only The Dodgers...






That picture of the scoreboard above shows something that may never happen again in my lifetime. It's only the fifth time in Major League Baseball's storied history that this has ever happened. The Dodgers won a game without getting a hit. Yeah, that's why I saved that ticket you see on the top left.

L.A.D. beat L.A.A. 1-0 after Jared Weaver pitched six hitless innings, along with Angels reliever Jose Arredondo, who blanked the Dodgers for two innings.

"It's the most bizarre game I've ever been part of," said Russell Martin.

That pretty much says it all doesn't it? The last time this happened was in 1992, and for someone like me who actually went to this game, and witnessed Dodger history, it was a night I'll never forget.

This was my first time going to a Freeway Series regular season encounter. Dodger Stadium was rocking, especially in the pavilions. Every time Angels fans would walk up to their seats in the left field pavilions, the Dodgers fans would let them have it. They couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without being booed heavily by the home crowd. The Angels fans backed them up though, clapping for their brave (or stupid) fans for flaunting their Angels love.

The atmosphere was fantastic. The best part being when a Dodgers fan ripped the hat off an Angels fan and threw it 20 rows deep.

Finally, the weirdest part of going to the game (besides getting there by the 5th inning, lousy 5 Freeway traffic!), was the helicopter circling around the stadium during the 7th inning! The flying bird had it's searchlight on, and ambulances were seen after the game, so we can only hope that no one was badly injured. What do you expect when rowdy L.A. fans get together?!

Anyways, back to the game! The Dodgers proved once again how anemic they are offensively, with their only run scoring on a Matt Kemp walk, a stolen base, throwing error on Mike Napoli (which allowed Kemp to go to third), and a sacrifice fly by Dodgers rookie Blake DeWitt.

It's fair to say that the Angels had trouble scoring this weekend as well, since they were blanked yet again by the Dodgers pitching staff. The Angels scored only one run in this series, and at one time, they were held scoreless for 20 straight innings.

I'll never forget this game...the players won't either...the coaching staff will always remember....and the fans got to see the Dodgers do something that only the Dodgers could pull off.

That's JAKked Up Dodgers!

Friday, June 27, 2008

The Freeway Series

The time has come upon us yet again. It's timeeeeeeeeeeee for L.A. Baseballlllllllllllllllllll. That's right the L.A. Dodgers are taking on the L.A. Angels, and by the looks of things, the Dodgers might as well give up their 'L.A.' title and hand it over to the Angels. I mean, I'm a Dodgers fan, but I see the light people.

The Dodgers have turned into one of the worst major-market franchises in sports. I can only think of the New York Knicks as a worse example of front-office floundering in a big market. The Angels changed their name to the absolutely ridiculous title of "The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim," in January of 2005, and they've been owning L.A. ever since.

The Dodgers have been constantly outplayed by their neighbors from the south. The Bums are 28-37 all-time against the Angels. They already lost the series in L.Anaheim, and with Chan Ho pitching tonight, expect to see a lot of GRAND play from the Angels.

The Dodgers are also a horrendous 18-42 in interleague play since 2005. GO BLUE! The worst part of this series for Dodgers' fans is that there is a coaching mismatch in this series. Mike Scioscia's Angels have always gotten the upper hand of Joe Torre's Yankees (even beating them twice in the post-season). Now that Torre has considerably less talent then he did in New York, the Dodgers have no chance!

Get this: In the last 11 meetings with this club, the Angels have gone 9-2 against "the real" L.A. team, outscoring their opposition from the north by an average of almost 4 runs a game. During those 11 games, the Dodgers also had a Rosie O'Donnell ERA of over 5.

The Angels have a team that can pretty much do everything that the mediocre sub .500 Dodgers cannot. Vlad impales the Dodgers whenever he sees them, and he's only hitting .424 this month.


Come on Vlad, it's not like the Dodgers passed you up in the Dominican while you were just a young boy, picking your older untalented brother instead! You have no basis to be upset Vlad!

That's JAKked Up: The Dodgers will bring back Wilton Guerrero to put a hit on Vlad. Rory Markus will attempt to stuff seven Dodger Dogs down Vin Scully's gut. Finally, Mike Scioscia will be held hostage by Tommy Lasorda who will then force him to watch the last great Dodgers moment. IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO PEOPLE!



Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Help From Within


The 2007-2008 Los Angeles Lakers defied all the critics and finished first in the Western Conference. Not only did they get the top seed in their conference, the Lakers made it to the NBA Finals, where they were actually favored to take home the Larry O'Brien trophy. They were chosen to finish eighth at best, especially with the West being so tough, but the team grew faster than anyone expected.

What do the Lakers need to do to get back to the Finals? Trade Lamar Odom? Bring in a veteran? Play more Fluke?! Well, my answer my friends, is not much.

To think that they went all the way to the NBA Finals, without their starting small forward and center is mind boggling. That's how deep this team was.

The biggest hit of the Laker season came when Andrew Bynum went down with an injury Jan. 13. He was the anchor to the Lakers' defense, rebounding and blocking shots like it was his god given right to do so. He averaged 13 PPG and 10 Rebounds before he went out with a devastating knee injury, which was originally misdiagnosed as a two-month rehabilitation.

Watching Pau Gasol try to play center was comical compared to what Andrew Bynum did early in the season. Gasol rarely gets a rebound in traffic, as he is constantly out-hustled around the basket. Bynum on the other hand is a beast down low, who thumps his chest and rips down rebounds with pride.

Pau is also very slow when it comes to rotating to his man on defense. His help D leaves a lot to be desired. Someone call 911 when Fisher gets beat off the dribble, please! Bynum however has the quick feet necessary to block shots on the help side (he swatted 2.1 during the season).

Trevor Ariza is another player the Lakers missed. Sure, you're probably telling yourself, "but hey Jonathan, Trevor was playing in the Finals!" The problem was that he didn't get enough minutes. Now, most of that was because he wasn't in proper game shape, as he was out for a considerable amount of time. He also needs to develop a consistent jump shot. However, he should have played more minutes over the embarrassing Luke Walton and the slower than slow-motion Slalom Radmonobitch.

Bynum and Ariza give the Lakers more length than any team this in NBA history this side of the 80's Celtics. I mean think about it...You have Andrew Bynum with his ginormous wingspan. Pau Gasol is playing his true position at power forward. All 6'11 of Lamar Odom will be at small forward and Trevor Ariza's lanky ass on the bench.

Everybody was talking about how the Lakers were bullied by the Celtics in the Finals. The truth is was that they were. The Lakers D was deplorable at times, and their rebounding left a lot to be desired. Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum help those areas tremendously, but a certain Slovenian Sharp-Shooter needs to return....He goes by the name of THE MACHINE!

The Bottom Line: The Lakers need to re-sign Andrew Bynum and Sasha Vujacic. Critics will say that Andrew Bynum needs to prove his consistency over a whole season, and that Sasha only had his breakout season to get a big contract. Those are valid points but the Lakers need to pull the trigger on both of them if they're serious about being CHAMPIONS. Salary Cap? Schmalary cap! Sign them both, and a new Laker Dynasty will begin.

Mark me down as saying that if everyone is healthy next year, and presuming Sasha Vujacic comes back...The Lakers will win over 65 games next year and dominate their way to a championship.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Boston wins the NBA Championship

Just when you thought the NBA Finals couldn't have been more embarrassing for the L.A. Lakers, they did something to top their 24-pt. epic collapse in Game 4. They got completely annihilated by Boston in the clinching game 6. Boston won the championship over the L.A. 131-92 and set multiple Finals records along the way:

Game 4: Biggest comeback in a Finals Game (Boston was 24 pts. down)
Game 6: Largest ASS-WHOOPING in a Finals clinching game (39 pts.)
Game 6: Most Steals by a Finals Team: Bos (18 steals)

Coming into the game I had some confidence in the Lakers knowing that there were a bunch of unforeseen circumstances:

1
. Ray Allen had an illness in his family. Who knew where his head would be at, especially with his hideous Eastern Conference playoff performances.

2.
Kendrick Perkins was a game-time decision. When Perkins didn't suit up for Game 5, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol were dominant in the paint, scoring 39 points.

3.
The Celtics didn't land in Boston until 8:00 PM PST Mon. because of flight problems.

None of these factors mattered, except maybe
for Perkins. He barely played in Game 6, but they didn't need him because the Celtics were raining 3's on the Lakers all game long. It looked like the Lakers were the team who were running on fumes staying all day at LAX.

The Lakers gave up 131 points to a team that couldn't even touch that total during the regular season. It was the highest scoring output of the season (regular and playoffs) for Boston in the last game of the NBA season. When it was all said and done, the Celtics played more playoff games than anyone else in history.

Paul Pierce was named the unanimous MVP of the series. Ray Allen had been the most consistent and scorched the Lakers from 3, erasing his past playoff woes. Kevin Garnett chose a clinching game to finally show up and demolished the Lakers on both ends of the court. "The Big Ticket" finally earned his nickname.

L.A. was sloppy all game long giving up 19 turnovers. Rajon Rondo had six steals and was excellent ripping the ball away from Kobe.

Speaking of the devil, Kobe Bryant had one of the worst games of his career. He may have
statistically been worse in other games throughout his career, but this game meant more than any other. Kobe had one assist and four turnovers. He was 7-22 shooting with 9 of those shots coming from 3-pt. distance. He only made three 3's, and once again settled for outside jump shots, refusing to drive into the paint at times. When he did slash, he was met my multiple Boston defenders and turned the ball over.

It was like he was playing Boston for the first time. He became a rookie all over again, just like in the playoffs against Utah in 1997. He Launched one prayer after another, trying to make the right play, but he fell short of his 4th championship, but more importantly...

Kobe fell short of winning a championship without Shaq.
If he never wins one, it will forever stain his brilliant career. Kobe won the MVP, and had a phenomenal season, but Boston crushed him in the Finals. He never had a breakout game, and I give most of the credit to the Boston D. They shut him down. Everyone can now officially put the Michael Jordan comparisons on hold.

Bryant's career isn't over. His team should be back and better than ever next year, but that's another blog all together.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Your thoughts and predictions for Game 6!

Enough of my ramblings. You all know that I think this series is OVA! I wanna know what you guys think! What's going to happen in Game 6?! Gimme your predictions...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

24 Reasons Why The Finals Will Be Over Soon

Well, I thought in memory of Game 4, I would commemorate the 3-day anniversary of the biggest recorded Finals collapse in NBA history with a list. I haven't done a list on this web site before, so I might as well start now. Therefore, in no particular order, here are 24 reasons why The NBA Finals are OVAH!

24. The Celtics Big 3 are better than the Lakers Big 3 period. . . .
23. Celtics experienced bench wins over Lakers young and more talented bench
22. Phil Jackson has had match-up nightmares and hasn't taken time outs in key situations
21. Doc Rivers coached the best game of his life in Game 4
20. Celtics random performers: Cassell (Game 1), Powe (Game 2), Posey & House Game 4
19. Boston's suffocating D on Kobe Bryant (reminiscent of Detroit Finals defense in 2004)
18. Lamar Odom is lost offensively and can't stay out of foul trouble
17. Pau Gasol has channeled his inner Kwame Brown by dropping passes left and right
16. Paul Pierce has outplayed Kobe Bryant in this series
15. Ray Allen woke up from the slumber he had during the Eastern Conference playoffs
14. The Lakers inability to get key rebounds and play tough around the basket
13. Have you ever seen a machine cry? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5XroW3nGXQ
12. Pau Gasol's numbers have dwindled every single playoff series.
11. Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf have combined for 19 points in this series...wow
10. The Lakers need to get in 100 point range to win, because of Boston's perceived lack of fire power, but only one game has gone over the 100 pt. mark and the Celtics won it 108-102
9. Defense, rebounding, and athleticism have gone the Celtics way...Andrew Bynum anyone?
8. Even with all the Celtics banged up, (Pierce, Rondo, Perkins) they have more heart
7. Kobe Bryant hasn't shot well in this series. Mostly because of the Celtics D and partly because he is confused between trying to be a facilitator and/or scorer.
6. The Lakers have no home-court advantage. Unless...they give away free tacos! Or they can put those annoying "Get Louder!" noise meters on the giant screen, they're doomed!
5. The Celtics are both mentally and physically tougher than the Lakers. The difference in the series is that the Celtics didn't allow the Lakers to make their comeback in Game 2, while the Lakers opened up their defense and invited the Celtics right into the history books.
4. What happened to Kobe Bryant "willing" his team to victory? His teammates haven't responded.
3. P.J. Brown dunking on Kobe?! That's a series right there
2. The Lakers' help D has been atrocious. Kobe can't guard everybody out there, and Pau Gasol moves like he's stuck in quicksand. Gasol and Walton should race up and down the court just to piss Kobe off.
1. Everybody picked the Lakers to win this series. All the pundits/analyst/experts/family members. I blame all of you! Just like in 2004, the Lakers were heavy favorites and it has all come crashing down.

If the Lakers have any pride left or emotions left, they will not let the hated Boston franchise celebrate on L.A.'s home court. Jerry Buss' old heart won't be able to take it, but he'll probably be gambling on top of a hooker, while drinking, and wondering why he's paying Phil Jackson $10 freakin' million dollars.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Great Article by Scoop Jackson of ESPN.com

You guys gotta read this. It's an article Scoop Jackson wrote where the Lakers are making a concession speech to Boston. He makes a lot of good points on the series and the article is very optimistic for next year!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=jackson/080613&sportCat=nba&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

Friday, June 13, 2008

That Didn't Really Happen...Right?


The number 24 is cursed.

Kobe Bryant wears the number 24, which so happens to match the 24-pt. lead the Lakers squandered, in Kobe's 24th Finals game.

Now, I'm not a superstitious person. I don't believe in signs, things happening for a reason, or karma, but I guess we can safely say that Kobe Bryant will never be a fan of the show "24."

Even Jack Bauer couldn't have saved the Lakers from the worst tank-job in the history of the NBA Finals.

To think that everything was going well for the Lake show. Their offense was clicking. I mean Lamar Odom was 6-6 shooting in the 1st quarter alone. As unbelievable at that seems, Lamar was the best player on the planet for that stretch of time. All this while Kobe Bryant only had four points at the half when Jordan Farmar hit that amazing running three-pointer at the buzzer.

I hate Jordan Farmar. I know I picked him as my stand-out performer (he failed me miserably by the way), but that's not the reason why I loathe him. It's because I was watching the game with my cousin James at the time.

I told him that if Farmar runs the court in the 5 seconds they had left on the clock, and makes a 3, that I would jump in the pool. Well sure enough, the big-eared freak made the shot and I was forced to jump in with all my clothes on. Thank you Jordan. Then, when James told me that they only counted it as two points, I wanted to drown myself. Thankfully, my cousin is a joker, but not even he could predict what kind of joke this game would really become.

The bottom line is that Doc Rivers coached a magnificent ball game, that had Phil Jackson looking as confused as ever. When Rivers starting big man Kendrick Perkins got injured, for the second time this series mind you, he went to small lineup. Keep in mind that Rajon Rondo was completely ineffective because of the previous injury he had on Tuesday. Doc didn't even put a true point guard out there and went with his best offensive lineup to chip away at the Lakers lead. He had Laker killer Eddie House, 3-pt. shooter extraordinare James Posey, and the Boston Three Party just dissecting the Lakers in and out.

All of a sudden, Boston had firepower. Their three pointers that were rattling in and out, were now being sunk in. James Posey and Paul Pierce played great perimeter on Bryant and suffocated him from getting to the basket. He was forced into taking tough perimeter jump shots, just like in Game 1.

The star of the night had to be Ray Allen though, as he played all 48 minutes of this ball game, and was Captain Clutch down the stretch. He made an unbelievable reverse lay up, where he seemingly hung in the air long enough to kiss the sky. He also broke Sasha Vujacic off with his final driving lay up when Gasoft was too late to help-defend. Allen finished with 19 points, and are you kidding me...9 rebounds!

Game Notes:

-The Lakers bench was terrible and out-played by the older and more experienced Boston pine-stars
-Sasha had 3 points (a far cry from the near-perfect 20 he had in Game 3)
-Ronny Turiaf once again provided nothing.
-Paul Pierce once again outplayed Kobe Bryant outscoring him in 20 to 17 and made big plays down the stretch.
-Eddie House and James Posey combined for 29 points
-The Lakers scored only 33 points in the second half, which was less than their total for the 1st qtr. (35 pts.)

This was all just a bad nightmare right? This couldn't have really happened...nah no way, Kobe would've never allowed this to happen...You have got to be kidding me...

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Wow...BOS 97 LAL 91

That was absolutely embarrassing. The Lakers blew a 24-point lead at home. I'm currently speechless so if anyone wants to comment, be my guest. I will blog about this later on.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Thoughts After An Ugly Game 3


Wow, that game was Sam Cassell ugly. I don't think anybody is going to look at that game and say that was the deciding game of the series. It definitely won't be remembered in 20 years like the Celtics classic clashes with the Lakers in the Bird-Magic era. Rather it was a game, where it looked like only three people belonged on the court. For the Celtics, it was Ray Allen (25 pts.) and for the Lakers it was Kobe Bryant (36 pts.) and Sasha Vujacic (20 pts.).

The story of the game was that four of the big stars of the Celtics and Lakers, didn't even show up. Kevin Garnett settled for outside jump shots going 6-21 while Paul Pierce was in foul trouble for most of the game scoring six points on a horrendous 2-14 shooting.

Now, a lot of that had to do with the Lakers defense, especially Kobe who stepped his D up against the hometown boy Pierce, but some of it has got to be him feeling the lingering effects of the Game 1 injury. Pierce wasn't as explosive going to the basket, which was evident when Farmar set himself up for a charge, giving Pierce another his fifth foul in the 3rd quarter. I don't believe Pierce was pressing because all of his family and friends were watching him, since he averages more points against the Lakers than any other team at 28.6 PPG. Expect to see Pierce to have a rebound performance while Kevin Garnett should be receiving more post-up opportunities against Paul Gasol.

Speaking of everyone's favorite Spaniard (and I'm not talking about Rafael Nadal) Pau Gasol, he resembled Casper yesterday night. Sure he had 12 rebounds, but he was completely useless in the post, as he repeatedly kicked it out when he was posting up Garnett. It was sickening to see a Laker re-post to him, only to have Gasol kick it out again! I thought that the Lakers were going to re-establish him early just like they did in Game 2 when he was 6-6 in the 1st quarter, but Pau has proven he does not want the ball. Phil Jackson will be in his left ear and Kobe in his right all night if he doesn't assert himself offensively. If he doesn't, the label of Pau "Gasoft" will be his to bear like the scarlet letter "A" for quite some time.

Lamar Odom might as well be on the show "Lost." The dude has no idea what is going on the court. Every time he attacks the basket, he is rejected by a Celtic, or he throws up a wild air ball. He was 2-9, but had 9 rebounds. Odom has to keep it simple. He needs to shoot the open jumper and make the Celtics pay for sagging off of him. Also, he needs to just be a steady rebounder, and defend the paint. If the Lakers get the little things from Lamar Odom, and consistency from Pau Gasol, they will be tough to beat in Game 4.

Finally, what to expect in Game 4? Well, to be honest, I don't really know. The Lakers were favored by 9 1/2 pts. in Vegas, and they couldn't even cover the spread. You don't really know which Lakers or Celtics team is going to show up, but I'm going to bet on the MVP Kobe Bryant.

The funniest stat of the night was that Kobe had only 1 assist. He took it upon himself to be aggressive and go to the hole. He sliced and diced his way through the Boston defense, and may have figured out how to get past the Green Hole that is the Boston D. Expect Boston to double team him more often on the catch, and make another Laker starter beat them. So far, no other Laker starter besides Kobe has had a huge impact on the series. The bench is another story...

THE MACHINE! MACHINA! EL MAQUINA! Whatever language you want to use, it sounds just as nice, because The Machine was locked, cocked, and ready to unload his offensive arsenal, as soon as he touched the ball. He was a highly efficient 7-10 shooting the ball making three 3 pointers, and he made me a happy man because I picked him to have a breakout game.

My next breakout performer will be Jordan Farmar in Game 4. The man is fearless as he stood toe to toe with that bully arm-pulling ancient Center P.J. "Clown." He would benefit playing more minutes as well.

Both teams looked exhausted when the game came to a close. Expect a cleaner and crisper Game 4. If the Lakers lose Game 4, this series will be over. They have to play with the same intensity, but better smarts. Boston will play better, so it's up to the Lakers to continue to hold serve. By the way, before I make my prediction, how awful was that Laker crowd?! The Lakers have officially priced out their home court advantage.

My Prediction: This one is up for grabs, DON'T BET ON THE GAME!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

What we learned from Game 1 going into Game 2


It has been two days since the opening of the NBA Finals. I predicted that we would see a sloppy game full of turnovers and ugly offensive possessions because of the players' nerves. After all, for 90% of the players on the court, the NBA Finals was a new experience. The first half was a well played basketball game for both teams. However, the second half played a lot better for the Irish than the men who wear purple and gold.

The Lakers are the most efficient team in basketball offensively. Phil Jackson has players that are perfectly suited for the triangle. They've been called the best passing team in basketball by many NBA pundits. This same offense scored 30 points in the 2nd quarter, but could only manage a meager 15 points to end the game, with only four field goals made in the 4th quarter.

A lot of the blame is going to Kobe Bryant, and rightfully so. He ventured out of the triangle offense on many occasions, and consistently relied on his fade-away jump shot. He shot 9-26, and I can count on my left hand just about how many times he drove to the basket. That's very unlike Kobe and shooting only six free throws for a guy who loves to slash, is simply unacceptable.

Kobe said after the game that he missed a lot of "bunnies" and he's due for a good game against the Celtics. The Celtics should get credit for not allowing him to drive into the paint and playing good help-defense, but the MVP of the league needs to be more aggressive.

I have never seen Kobe defer two wide open three pointers in my life. My cousin James told me that Kobe doesn't like to take wide open shots as much as he likes to create shots off the dribble, and I agree with him to an extent. The fact of the matter is we all know that Kobe can make a big three any time that he wants, but the fact that he deferred shows confidence in his teammates. Unfortunately, his fellow Lakers let him down as well.

Pau Gasol did not come to play in Game 1. He became Pau Gasoft again as he missed some wide open jumpers and was essentially Snuggles Soft around the basket, when he wasn't getting a clear dunk off Kobe's double-team. Pau needs to do a much better job boxing out the tenacious rebounder Kevin Garnett. KG out-hustled Pau twice down the stretch, and put the exclamation point on the game with his thunderous put-back jam.

Lamar Odom was back to his old self missing lay ups and disappearing on the court, so much so that Phil Jackson had him on the bench in crunch time.

The only player on the Lakers that played well was Derek Fisher. He was 4-9 with 15 points and played aggressively by getting to the hoop and shooting eight free throws. His backup was completely ineffective in Jordan Farmar. He only played seven minutes and was a non-factor.

The Battle of the Bench was definitively won by the Boston Celtics. Sam Cassell rose from the dead and knocked down four jump shots, while posting up Derek Fisher. They out-rebounded the Lakers bench 12-8 and beat them up inside.

The Lakers need to improve on two things going into Game 2:
1. Run the triangle, and make the extra pass.
2. Play better collective team defense. Boston shot the lights out in the 3rd quarter.

Paul Pierce has been a target for critics as well. Some people believe that he faked the injury in order to induce a Willis Reed type moment. It certainly worked for the crowd, since Phil Jackson took a quick time out in order to diffuse the crowd (something he rarely does).

I believe that he is actually hurt and he won't be close to 100% for Game 2. Most of the shots Pierce made when he came back from his injury were from the three point line. He scored an amazing six points in the first minute of the 3rd quarter. A truly gutsy performance by the pride of the Celtics.

With all that being said, the Lakers need to attack him like a shark smelling blood. He will most likely guard Vlad Rad, so the the Serbian Slalom needs to be more assertive offensively. Pierce won't have much lateral movement and Kobe needs to realize where is on the court so he can slash his way to the basket.

The Lakers played a horrendous 4th quarter and were in the game down the stretch. Boston is trying to give Kobe Bryant "The Jordan Rules," like Detroit did to him in the Finals in 2004, but this Lakers team is different. He actually has help now, and his teammates aren't all injured or brain-dead like Gary Payton or Slava Medvedenko! They need to make minor adjustments, and I expect them to win Game 2.