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The NBA’s opening day rosters are official, and now posted on InsideHoops.com.
This evening was the deadline for NBA teams to trim their rosters down to 15 players or less.
The 2008-09 regular season starts Tuesday, October 28. InsideHoops is your online basketball home. We’re pumping out more content this season than ever.
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The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised a fourth year contract option for the 2009-10 season on Jordan Farmar, it was announced today. In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the Lakers had until October 31 to exercise their option on Farmar. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
Selected by the Lakers with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2006 NBA draft, Farmar, a third year guard out of UCLA, averaged 9.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 20.6 minutes over 82 games last season (all career-highs).
A participant in the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge during the 2007 and 2008 All-Star Weekends as well as the first player in league history to play in both an NBA and NBA Development League game in the same day, Farmar led the Lakers in scoring (12.3 ppg) and assists (3.4 apg) this preseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers have waived free agent guard Coby Karl, it was announced today.
Karl, who was signed by the Lakers as an undrafted rookie free agent on July 30, 2007, appeared in 17 games last season, averaging 1.8 points and 0.8 rebounds in 4.2 minutes.
Karl also played in 17 games with the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League last season where he averaged 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 37.6 minutes while posting a .411 3-point field goal percentage. In the D-Fenders’ two playoff games, Karl averaged 13.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 steals in 37.0 minutes.
Karl, a 6-5 guard from Boise State, averaged 14.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists as a senior and was named First Team All-WAC. Karl’s 1,698 career points ranks third on Boise State’s all-time scoring list while leaving Boise State as the all-time leader in games played (127) and three-pointers made (266).
The Los Angeles Daily News (Elliot Teaford) report: Not to be overlooked was the play of backup guard Jordan Farmar, who ignited the second unit during the preseason. He has never lacked for confidence, dating to his days as a prep standout at Taft High of Woodland Hills and as a collegian at UCLA. But he raised his game to a new a level in October, prompting Odom to say of the 21-year-old Farmar, “At a young age, he’s found his niche.” The Lakers’ second unit, their so-called Bench Mob, was one of the best in the league last season. Coach Phil Jackson declined to stick with the status quo this season, however. He moved Odom to the bench, for instance.
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant, coming back from a knee injury, made a brief appearance at the start of Los Angeles’ final preseason game Friday night and appeared to be moving fine in the Lakers’ 105-94 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder… Los Angeles’ Andrew Bynum had 23 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while playing 29 minutes in the final tuneup for both the Lakers (5-2) and the Thunder (1-6). Bynum was 10-of-15 from the floor. Jordan Farmar had 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting for Los Angeles… Rookie Russell Westbrook scored 23 for Oklahoma City, and Kevin Durant added 15.
The AP reports: Pau Gasol scored 13 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Charlotte Bobcats 88-77 on Thursday night without the ailing Kobe Bryant… Adam Morrison scored 13 points for the Bobcats, who finished the preseason 0-7. The fifth-year team will open the regular season Oct. 30 at Cleveland under Larry Brown, who is coaching his ninth NBA team following the firing of Sam Vincent in April… Despite Jason Richardson’s 1-for-8 shooting in the first half and Charlotte’s 27.0 field goal percentage, the Lakers led only 36-30 at intermission.
The Los Angeles Lakers have requested waivers on guard Joe Crawford and forward CJ Giles, it was announced today.
Selected by the Lakers with the 58th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Crawford, a 22 year-old native of Detroit, Michigan, played four seasons at the University of Kentucky, averaging 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 127 games (76 starts). In six preseason games with the Lakers, Crawford averaged 2.8 points in 7.3 minutes.
Giles, a 6-11 forward who finished his collegiate career at Oregon State after playing two seasons at Kansas, averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds in ten games last season for the Beavers. Giles played in four preseason games with the Lakers where he averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 7.2 minutes.
The Lakers preseason roster now stands at 15.
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant injured his right knee in the second quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 102-98 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night and did not return to the preseason game… The extent of Bryant’s injury is not known… Andrew Bynum scored 16 points, Trevor Ariza added 14. Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher scored 12 points apiece for the Lakers in limited playing time. Jason Richardson and Gerald Wallace each had 16 points for the Bobcats, who close out their preseason schedule on Thursday against the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers have requested waivers on guard Brandon Heath, it was announced today.
Heath, a 6-3 guard out of San Diego State spent last season playing in France for Entente Orleans 45 where he averaged 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 25 games. In five preseason games with the Lakers, Heath averaged 1.4 points in 8.6 minutes.
The Lakers preseason roster now stands at 17.
The AP reports: Jordan Farmar scored 16 points and sparked a fourth-quarter surge with an electrifying dunk over Chris Bosh, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 112-89 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night. Kobe Bryant had 13 points and six assists in 24 minutes before sitting out the fourth quarter. Trevor Ariza also was a factor in the final period, scoring six of his 14 points. Lamar Odom, still adjusting to his new role as a reserve, had 10 points in 19 minutes. Anthony Parker led Toronto with 14 points. Just 16 days earlier, Parker’s sister Candace – who plays for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks – became the first player to be honored as that league’s MVP and rookie of the year in the same season.