Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 128 – NBA Blog

Lakers assign Devin Ebanks to D-League

INDIANAPOLIS - APRIL 03: Devin Ebanks #3 of the West Virginia Mountaineers reacts in the first half against the Duke Blue Devils during the National Semifinal game of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 3, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned forward Devin Ebanks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Ebanks, who was selected by the Lakers with the 43rd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has appeared in 12 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.4 minutes.

The 6’9” rookie will be available to play for the Jam tomorrow night in their game vs. the New Mexico Thunderbirds.

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Nets trade Terrence Williams to Rockets; Nets get Sasha Vujacic, Lakers get Joe Smith

April 07, 2010 Milwaukee, WI. Bradley Center..New Jersey Nets Terrence Williams brings the ball up the court, Williams had 6 points coming off the Nets bench..Milwaukee Bucks won over the New Jersey Nets 108-89. Mike McGinnis/CSM.

The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired forward Joe Smith from the New Jersey Nets in a three-team trade, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. New Jersey will also send the Lakers Golden State’s second round draft choice in 2011 and Chicago’s second round draft choice in 2012. The Lakers will also receive the draft rights to Sergei Lishouk from Houston, as well as a trade exception. In return, New Jersey will receive guard Sasha Vujacic and a protected 2011 first round draft pick from the Lakers. New Jersey will receive a protected 2012 first round draft pick from Houston, while the Rockets will receive guard Terrence Williams from New Jersey.

Smith, currently in his 16th NBA season, was selected first overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 1995 NBA Draft, after averaging 20.1 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in two seasons with the University of Maryland.

After garnering multiple National Collegiate Player of the Year awards, being named First Team All-America by the AP, and being selected ACC Player of the Year after his sophomore season with Maryland, Smith finished third in Rookie of the Year voting and was named All-Rookie First Team after averaging 15.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in his first NBA season with Golden State.

In 1,018 career games (619 starts), Smith is averaging 11.0 points and 6.4 rebounds in 26.5 minutes. Signed by New Jersey as a free agent prior to the 2010-11 season, Smith has played in four games this season (three starts), averaging 0.5 points and 0.8 rebounds in 6.3 minutes.

Lishouk, a 6-11 forward from Ukraine, was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2004 NBA Draft, was traded to Houston in 2008 and currently plays for Valencia in Spain (ACB).

Vujacic, currently in his seventh season, was originally selected by the Lakers in the first round (27th overall) of the 2004 NBA draft after playing three seasons for Snaidero Udine of Italy’s top professional league. In 420 career games (12 starts), Vujacic is averaging 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.3 minutes.

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Andrew Bynum makes season debut

Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum poses for photos during the basketball team's media day at Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, California on Sept. 25, 2010. The Lakers will try to three-peat this season after winning back-to-back NBA championship titles. UPI/Jim Ruymen Photo via Newscom

Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum played his first game of the 2010-11 regular season Tuesday night in a 103-89 road win in Washington against the Wizards. Coming off the bench, Bynum played over 17 minutes, shooting just 1-of-5 for seven points, four rebounds, an assist and two blocks.

“I thought his first few minutes were good and then he tired after that…noticeable difference,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson after the game. ” He gave us something that we needed at the time. We had both Lamar and Pau with two fouls.”

Jackson does not plan on forcing Bynum into unnecessary action. “I’ll try to work him out somewhat similar to what we did tonight, short minutes, relief minutes and see how he goes in the game. I was ready to put him back in if we needed to tonight but that was a game in which we didn’t have to push it down the end.”

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Andrew Bynum making season debut Tuesday

June 15, 2010 - Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES - epa02204142 Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum (R) goes to the basket as Boston Celtics' Rasheed Wallace defends during the first half of game six of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, USA, 15 June 2010. The Celtics lead the series 3-2.

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports (via blog):

Andrew Bynum is set to make his season debut Tuesday vs. the Wizards after one final successful practice Monday.

Bynum had surgery to his right knee on July 28 to reattach cartilage damaged last postseason and will have missed this season’s first 24 games.

Bynum has been expected to be the starting center again immediately. Phil Jackson wants Bynum to carry over his knee looseness from pregame warmups to game action instead of stiffening up on the bench.

The Los Angles Times reports:

“I’m definitely playing tomorrow,” said the Lakers’ center, who has not see game action since undergoing knee surgery last July.

The Lakers, on a 9-7 skid after winning their first eight games, have been waiting for Bynum to return, though there was no timetable for how many minutes he might play Tuesday against Washington.

“I don’t know how long,” he said Monday after practicing with teammates before they met with President Obama. “The practice felt very good. Obviously I’m not myself yet, but I can definitely go out there and help the team, and I’m going to go do that.”

Ron Artest still does not understand the triangle offense

Los Angeles Lakers NBA player Ron Artest wore his championship winning team s colors, purple and gold, as he made his way through a sea of fans outside Voyeur Nightclub in West Hollywood, California on June 24, 2010.Ron Ron sported a large necklace that reads True Warier. Fame Pictures, Inc

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Ron Artest acknowledged during an interview with ESPN what almost every Lakers watcher has assumed since he signed with the team as a free agent during the summer of 2009. He admitted he doesn’t know the Lakers’ offense.

“See, I can’t really understand the triangle,” he said in a story posted Saturday on ESPN.com. “There’s 1,000 plays in the triangle. It’s such a challenge. I get so frustrated about it. So I just stay in my one spot in the corner.

“If I leave my spot, I get yelled at. (Lakers coach) Phil (Jackson’s) gonna say, `What are you doing over there!’ So I just don’t move.”

Artest made his comments Dec. 3 during a day-long visit with Rick Reilly.

The Lakers called off Saturday’s scheduled practice, so Artest was not available for comment. He was the first player to leave the locker room after the Lakers’ loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday, the first game on their six-game trip.

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Andrew Bynum completes first full practice since offseason knee surgery

Jun. 08, 2010 - Boston, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES - epa02192971 Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum (R) goes to the basket as Boston Celtics' Kendrick Perkins defends during the first half of game three of the NBA Finals at TD Gardens in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, 08 June 2010. The Lakers defeated the Celtics 91-84 to lead the series 2-1 in the best of seven games.

The AP reports:

Center Andrew Bynum participated Monday in his first full practice with the Los Angeles Lakers since offseason knee surgery.

Bynum still isn’t sure when he’ll return to the Lakers’ starting lineup, but he intends to play in December.

“I made it through practice with no pain, no symptoms, so it’s pretty good,” Bynum told reporters after practice. “I just want to get a couple of practices in. I want to play within the month, anywhere. I just want to get enough practices in so it’s not too far when I get into a game, I can keep up the pace and stuff like that.”

Phil Jackson describes Cavaliers home game atmosphere as “obnoxious”

In today’s edition of “Phil Jackson says fun stuff,” the Lakers coach chimes in on Cavaliers home games.

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Many NBA followers are eager to see LeBron James’ return to Cleveland when Miami players there Thursday.

Not Jackson.

“That’s not of interest to me,” he said. “I hate to listen to the Cleveland broadcast. Their announcers are so loud on the court. It’s just an obnoxious place.”

But almost everybody will be watching on Thursday.

“That’s my night off,” Jackson said, smiling.

The thing is, home crowds are supposed make the game “obnoxious” for the visiting team. So, it’s almost a compliment. Somewhat. Maybe. Or something.

As for the LeBron at Cleveland game, I’ll be watching. The boos Cavs fans hurl at LeBron may be of record-setting proportions. Also, basketball will be played, and that’s a nice supporting attraction.

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Phil Jackson ponders possibility of Heat changing coaches

Miami Heat's head coach Erik Spoelstra (L) listens to LeBron James during a break in the first half as they met the Detroit Pistons during their NBA pre-season basketball game in Miami, Florida October 5, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

ESPNLosAngeles.com reports:

With expectations so high going into the season after team president Pat Riley assembled his dream team, the pressure is on Erik Spoelstra to deliver. When the Heat struggled to an 11-10 start to the 2005-06 season, Riley shocked the league by replacing Stan Van Gundy on the Miami bench. He hadn’t coached since the 2002-03 campaign but led the Heat to the NBA championship.”The scenario that sits kind of behind the scene, is that eventually these guys that were recruited — Bosh and James — by Pat Riley and Mickey Arrison, the owner, are going to come in and say, ‘We feel you [Riley] can do a better job coaching the team. We came here on the hopes that this would work,’ and whatever, I don’t know,” Jackson said. “That’s kind of my take on it, is that eventually if things don’t straighten out here soon, it could be the Van Gundy thing all over again.”

The two-time defending champion Lakers are cruising along again at 12-2. The Boston Celtics, whom they faced in the 2010 Finals, are still the beast of the East, according to Jackson.

“The Celtics have a defense you have to plan for. Their defense is overwhelmingly a factor in the ballgame,” Jackson said. “They’re going to smother. They’re going to really contest. They’re going to body guys. There’s going to be double-teaming underneath the free-throw line. There are a lot of things that go on there that you have to start planning for.

Pau Gasol shoots 10-of-10 in Lakers win over Warriors

The AP reports:

Gasol scored 28 points without missing a shot, Kobe Bryant added 20 points and the Lakers took a 30-point lead in the first half of their fourth straight victory, 117-89 over the Golden State Warriors.

Gasol went 10 for 10 from the field, 8 for 8 from the free-throw line, and had nine rebounds and five assists. Until Gasol shredded Golden State’s shoddy interior defense, Charles Barkley and Matt Barnes were the only players ever to produce games of at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists without missing on at least five shots from the field and the line.

“Matt told me, ‘Welcome to the club,'” Gasol said. “I said, ‘Happy to be in there.’ It’s kind of weird that it happened that way. It’s weird, but it’s obviously a good sign.”

Barnes scored 24 points and hit seven shots — five 3-pointers — without a miss at Minnesota on Friday night. While Barnes was impressed by Gasol’s copycat effort, he noted the 7-foot Spaniard’s advantages as well.

“He was playing against little midgets, though,” Barnes joked. “That’s not something you play for, but 10 for 10, 8 for 8, he topped me. It’s amazing.”

Toddler dies in fall from luxury suite at Lakers game

UPDATE: THE BOY DIED

Police say they are investigating the death of a 2-year-old boy who fell 50 feet from a Staples Center luxury suite after a Lakers game.

Officer Julie Sohn said Monday the child abuse unit is investigating because of the boy’s age.

The Los Angeles Times, citing unnamed people familiar with the case, says the parents of Lucas Anthony Tang of Garden Grove had been searching for him when they learned he had fallen Sunday night.

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports:

A young boy fell from a luxury suite after the Lakers’ game Sunday against the Golden State Warriors, tumbling into the lower bowl at Staples Center.

The boy was believed to be from 2 to 5 years old and was transported to an undisclosed hospital. The boy was moving his arms and legs as he was moved onto a stretcher, according to a witness who declined to be identified.