SB Nation User Blog: Jhun

Lamar Odom: The Missing Piece That Never Fit (Editorial)

Jhun — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:34:52 -0000

Lamar Odom - The Goods, The CandyMan, The Enigma.

Riddle Me This, Candy-Man:

Lamar Odom's life has always paralleled that of a misshapen puzzle piece. Like an out-of-place segment with too many jutting curves, Odom has always been such an enigmatic player - so diverse in his skill-set that nobody could ever quite peg down his true player-type or properly define his game. His coaches have forever tried utilizing him in a variety of different ways, playing him here, playing him there - always hoping that he would somehow develop into the missing piece that they needed for that specific moment and time. Analysts, on the other hand, continually went crazy over how such a creative talent as Odom could simply coast through entire seasons without scoring 30 pts at least once a month. For fans, his consistent inconsistency and lackadaisical style of play simply drove them nuts...while Odom simply continued to drive left...and eat nuts - candied ones. Perfect piece to the puzzle? Hardly; he seemed more like the stray piece to an entirely different one altogether. In the end, many will agree that such an analogous depiction of Odom has always extended far past the figurative comparisons and straight into the literal. Because for most everyone, Lamar Odom has always been, quite literally...puzzling.

Nowadays however, many will concur that he represents a good, unique kind of puzzling. For as frustrating as Odom can be for the team that has him on its roster, opposing teams who don't have him on theirs are equally as frustrated when it comes to defending him. And it's been that way ever since Lamar Odom entered the league...or started dribbling a basketball...or realized he was ridiculously long, lanky, and tall...or started referring to himself in third person...or realized candy was sweet. You get the 'picture'. But let's backtrack first, redo that horrible inbounds pass with Lamar, and reevaluate the history of an enigmatic player who went from underrated puzzlement to well-deserved underrated-ness... in the 'bling' of an eye.

I'm in L.A., trick. I'm in Miami, trick:

Lamar's Game Winner in Rhode Island. Let the hype begin.

Coming out of Rhode Island and being drafted at #4 by the Clippers in 1999, Lamar Odom was immediately touted as a dynamic, game-changing player that one could build an entire franchise around. Odom was 6'10, with the lanky arms of an adept rebounder, the inherent mentality (and occasional ability) to hit threes like a dead-eye shooter, and the court vision and handles like that of a premiere point guard. His rookie numbers? Try 17 ppg, 8 reb, 4 assts, 1 stl, 1 blk, 36% 3pt. Numbers of a star. There was definitely nothing puzzling about those numbers, but up-and-coming stars usually tend to top their own impressive starts year-by-year, not plateau out as Odom eventually did. He showed flashes in his first few years in red and blue, but after awhile (after some unfortunate injury-riddled seasons and continual underwhelming performances), it became apparent that, even for the struggling Clippers of the early 2000's, Odom simply was not built to be the dynamic franchise player that everyone was demanding him to be.

As his rookie contract ran out, the Clippers inevitably turned their eyes away from Odom and set their sights towards more established franchise-pieces such as Elton Brand, allowing other teams like the Heat to take their own chances with the risque forward. The Heat did just that in 2003, as it was onto Miami (I'll make this quick in sensitivity to all of our recent apprehensive indignations towards a Heat-Wade Summer) for Odom, a place where he experienced one of his most efficient and noteworthy campaigns of his career. For the first time, he confidently and successfully took on the role as the designated team leader, legitimately almost making the all-star team and nearly leading a young core of Dwayne Wade and Caron Butler to the eastern conference finals. It was a 'revival by Heat' of sorts, but just when he thought he had found his niche, he was sent packing once again back to Los Angeles - except this time, it was with the legendary Purple & Gold.

I'm in L.A., trick...again:

As if he hadn't been burdened enough with high expectations in the past...He was always expected to be the star, but a star on teams like the Clippers and the Heat (no disrespect). This was Kobe and the Lakers. Careers rose or fell based on championship involvement(or lack thereof). Somewhat fittingly at the time, the Shaq trade to Miami was remembered more by Laker fans as the deal that failed to include Dwayne Wade than the deal that garnered them Caron Butler and Lamar Odom. Typical Odom neglect.

Where the eff is Wade...

And it was neglect (and a larger feeling of disdain) that Odom would receive from Laker fans during much of his early years with the Lakers, as he and Kobe failed to mesh and, more importantly, make it out of the first round of the playoffs. When the Lakers traded Caron Butler away to the Wizards and watched him blossom into an all-star, many wondered why the Lakers hadn't kept Butler and traded away Lamar Odom instead. In Washington, Caron Butler was seemingly morphing into the exact Scottie Pippen type player that people had always dreamed of pairing Kobe with, while Odom was simply becoming more and more known as the dead-weight player that took Dwayne Wade's spot in the Shaquille O'neal trade. It also didn't help that the guy the Lakers got in return for Butler was the great KwaMAY Brown, starting power forward for the Sucklahoma City Busts alongside Darko Milicic and Michael Olowakandi. Regardless, it became very clear during Odom's earlier tenure with the Purple & Gold that the Scottie Pippen/Magic Johnson labels continually being tacked onto him were never going to stick (his candy always had a better chance of sticking to him than those lofty comparisons).

Supporting Greatness:

Everything changed in 2008 when Pau Gasol got traded to the Lakers and Odom went from being second option failure to... role player (and eventually) bench player extraordinaire. For the first time in his career, even while Odom's stats dropped significantly across the board (from 14 pts to 11, 10 reb. to 8), fans finally began recognizing just how significant his contributions truly were to a burgeoning Laker team vying for contention. He literally did what was best for the team in every situation. Whether it was taking a backseat and letting his stats slip for the betterment of a deep, developing Laker squad, or being completely ready to take over the reigns as the starting power forward once Andrew Bynum went down (and doing a better job of it too), Odom once again displayed that stats never truly tell the entire story when it comes to describing true value.

In the latter part of the playoffs this year, and especially these past Finals, Odom stopped coasting and showed the world what a true force he can be on the court when he plays with a little more sustained focus and intensity. For once, instead of relying solely on his God-given talent to do just enough to get by, he relied on his God-given heart (the same heart that got him through two horrific deaths in his life) to summon forth his utmost effort night-in and night-out to play some of his best, most inspired ball, despite also battling against an excruciatingly sore back, towards the latter half of the Lakers' playoff run. Through his gritty perseverance, Odom helped turn the Lakers' 'soft' label around by providing a much-needed toughness to a team constantly in search of brave souls (besides Kobe Bryant) who were willing to stand in the trenches and get their hands dirty.

In winning his first NBA title this past June, Odom showed his true versatility in more ways than one - not only in his ability to play multiple positions on the court and display a full repertoire of skills, but in his ability to do whatever was asked of him to perfection. Coming into the NBA, he was supposed to be the go-to guy who could do it all, and when he showed everyone how effective he could be doing less, we now realize...he can do it all. We were just focusing too much on the flashier statistics and honors to realize it back then.

The True Heart of a Candy-Man:

In reality, outside of adding a little more mental toughness and overall intensity to his play, Odom hasn't really done anything revolutionary to his game which he hasn't already done in any of his previous years with the Lakers. It just didn't work out back then because those previous Laker teams (Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, Brian Cook) needed him to perfect his scoring game, even when he had already perfected filling up every other statistical category in the game (including the weirdest turn-overs stat). And while a little more consistency and overall focus can always be asked of Odom, it's hard to stay mad at such a silly, down-to-earth personality who, despite all of his life struggles, has continued to live his life like a carefree, A.D.D. child who continually sees a more optimistic, hopeful scenario to every obstacle placed in front of him.

Odom brings so many small intangibles to the game whenever he's on the court, but his contributions often go under-appreciated because the fans and the media want what's tangible - and that usually means high scoring statistics and eye-grabbing highlight plays they can cling unto. But Odom has never been and never will be that dominant 20 pt scorer that people have always clamored for, even though he could probably avg 20pts in his sleep if he truly wanted to. He's that talented without trying, and maybe that's what's frustrated people the most about him - that someone with as much natural talent as Lamar Odom could never quite connect all the dots and fulfill his true potential as the complete NBA star that everyone else saw but him.

Things Hit A Sour Patch, But All things End Sweet for L.A.:

This past July, after experiencing what it's like for the first time to not have 100% clarity over Odom's future as a Laker for life, Laker fans can all humbly admit that they've greatly taken his presence here in L.A. for granted. Every summer since he's joined the team, Lamar Odom has always been the main trading chip that fans wanted to parlay to other teams in exchange for a more established star. Now he's the guy everyone wants to keep and secretly, we're terrified at the thought of seeing him in another jersey against us. And while at times, negotiations and even Lamar himself were as frustrating and puzzling as he's always been, Lakers' fans all knew inside that they did not want to lose such a solid, upstanding human being, much less basketball player.

I want to win 6,7,8,9,10 more titles. (We always knew you'd play till 40.)

Fortunately for everyone repping P&G, cooler heads prevailed this Summer and the Lakers and Odom sour-patched things up to meet in the middle , as Odom once again played his role to perfection by ultimately sacrificing himself for the betterment of the team. Except this time his acts of humble unselfishness had nothing to do with basketball courts or playing time. In the end, Odom sacrificed not only his money, but a part of his pride as well, never opting to take things personally during negotiations even though inside, he was definitely hurt by Buss's offer withdrawal. Despite what others may say, Lamar Odom was definitely the bigger man this Summer. Instead of confiscating tapes, eating Vaseline, blaming it on the devil, or crying and immediately jetting to Miami with Will Smith, Odom saw the bigger picture - the winning one. And Laker fans could not have been more overjoyed when he finally re-signed with the Lake-Show. Today, the only 'Lamar Sucks' insults you'll hear from Laker fans will be the ones accompanied by the word 'lollipop' at the end.

World Piece - World Championship Piece:

Kung Fu Panda's Furious Five Has Got Nothin' On Ours.

He's the piece that can seemingly fit into a number of different spots on the puzzle board, but can never quite fit into that one spot when you actually try. It's because of this reason that he's usually disregarded and kept to the side while the more important, less complicated pieces are assembled first. For too long, teams, including the Lakers, have tried fitting Odom into the more focal spots near the center of the puzzle board - even when his true place has always been near the corners. While we all know full well who the central pieces are going to be on the team this upcoming season(Kobe, Gasol, Bynum Artest), we now also realize that the complementary corners are going to be the main points of difference by which sustained success shall hinge upon - especially when people are always so easily drawn to the more dynamic center to even notice just how important the supporting borders truly are. Today, Odom is no longer regarded as the confusing piece that never fit, but as the missing one that completes the whole picture - a picture that looks a whole lot like a championship dynasty with him in place. After all, he does want to win "6,7...8,9,10 more championships."

I have a feeling...that this year's gonna be a good, good year. Thank you Black-Eyed Peas.

The Fridge Is No Longer Puzzled,

Jonathan Hernandez (Chick's Fridge)

Click Here For Original Link & More Laker Content:

http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/lamar-odom-final-puzzle-piece-that.html

What Stays In Vegas - Analyzing Blake Griffin's NBA Debut & The Clipper Youth Revival

Jhun — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:22:17 -0000

Blake Griffin listening in during some pregame talks to Kim Hughes on the left.

This is completely unlike the excitement of 2006.

As great as it was to be one "Raja Bell over Daniel Ewing" three pointer away from reaching the Western Conference Finals, Clipper Fans knew "Sam I Am" was not going to lead them back to such a euphoric state at 37, 38, and 39 years of age over the next few years. And with Shaun Livingston still a major question mark at the time, we all knew that the window of success was closing in much much faster than Daniel's close-out on Raja.

But this week in Las Vegas, the Clippers are showcasing three (maybe four) highly promising 20-something studs on their Summer League Roster with Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and Mike Taylor running the show. I was lucky enough to witness and experience this newfound excitement in Clipperland.

I believe in Mike. My name is also Mike. And you may also believe in me after I sang this familiar Clipper Nation tune. Or not.

The First Three Possessions

From the very first possession of their Summer League campaign, the Clip

per fans were presented with what will likely become the bread and butter play of many 4th quarter sets to come.

Gordon and Griffin set up on the wing for a pick and roll. Driving hard off the pick, Gordon drew the offense and dropped a dime to Griffin for a beautiful lay-up.

The very next offensive possession, Blake showed off his nice touch around the basket, removing the remorse of any (if any) Zach Randolph spokespersons within Clipper Nation. Blake got the rock drove to the basket, absorbed contact, and hit a touch shot off glass while fading away.

On the third offensive possession, Blake once again removed the memory of Z-bo from my mind by hitting an open three pointer at the top of the key. At this myself and the few clipper fans around me went high-fiving and jumping up and down like we just got rich in Vegas.

I want to talk for a minute about each of the four signed players playing in the League (Blake, Eric, DeAndre, and Mike)

Blake Griffin

Blake would go on to showcase much more than his scoring prowess. I am certain many would call me over-the-top for this statement, but after watching Blake in person, I think his best NBA comparison is not in Tim Duncan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, or any other classic Power Forward Superstar in the League. Instead, Blake better resembles Lebron James than anyone else I've seen.

Please. Don't yell just yet.

Rebounding and scoring were already in Blake's resume before coming to the League. What most people have overlooked are his more-than-average handles, high basketball IQ, smart decision making and excellent court vision.

Blake ran the break a number of times throughout Monday's game. He would pull down a rebound and take off, showing off his handles before either dropping a dime, or going up to get fouled. His handles are far superior than your traditional 4 man. When he has the ball you don't get the feeling you get when Z Bo or Kaman are dimwittedly dribbling around, you feel the excitement of a Nash or a LeBron, waiting to see what he'll do with it. Blake had a number of great passes, most of which ended with a basket or a foul and freethrows. As far as passing and handles go, Blake is far greater than Elton Brand, Zach Randolph, and anyone else who played the power forward spot for the Clippers, ever. Blake followed up his night by dropping 5 assists on the Hornets on Tuesday.

Returning to my LBJ comparison, I take it that Blake was used at the power forward spot in OU and throughout his career because of his height and efficiency on the block. Because he was so dominate playing the 4, he didn't have to step out away from the basket much.

Lebron on the other hand was used mainly as a point guard throughout his career. However, Blake and Lebron are just about the same in terms of height, weight, and freakish athleticism. They were just advertised differently coming into the League. Lebron easily could've been an effective 4 if he playe

d it throughout his career.

Their similarities really are across the board if you ask me: (Rebounding, scoring, ball-handling, passing, court vision, leadership, and attitude).

Eric Gordon

Gordon and Griffin are great founding blocks for the Clippers. As they grow into leadership roles, their best asset to the organization will be their work ethic and professional demeanor. Hopefully they will establish a winning culture, much like Cassell and Mobley started to do their first year with the team.

EJ was EJ, reminding us all that he isn't one dimensional (which is precisely what Adam Morrison continued to show us in Monday's game). What makes Eric so good is that aside from his wet jumper, he has a strong body and is fearless when attacking the basket. And being that he still isn't allowed to do grown up things in vegas until December, his future is only looking up right now.

Maybe he'll grow 6 inches by October and become an instant hall of famer.

DeAndre Jordan

Seeing DeAndre up close is an experience unto itself. He has a gorrilla's wingspan and is 7". He threw down a number of sweet alley-oops Monday night and will continue to do so throughout summer league and his career.

Dunleavy has said he drafted DeAndre and Mike Taylor, thinking that they were three years away from being real contributors to the team. DeAndre might be much more ahead of the curve.

Defensively, he looked much more confident with his assignments (granted he had zero competition in the lakers' summer league squad). His timing on coming from the weak side was great, and he altered many looks with his presence in the middle.

Offensively, he shocked me and the rest of the clipper section. He showed off some nice moves in the post, with spin moves and little hook shots on the block.

If the Chris Kaman experiment is done for, the Clippers will be just fine moving on with Camby and DeAndre playing the middle.

Mike Taylor

Of the 4 players, Mike had the roughest night, throwing the ball away numerous times, and possibly being outplayed by his Summer League back up: Notre Dame's Kyle McAlarney. Mike showed that his quickness is on par with the fastest in the league, and his athleticism is to be noted, as he dunk against the Grizzlies last year got in NBA TV's top 3 dunks of the year.

He has the tools, but currently he lacks the decision making, and leadership skills needed to run an NBA team. I, for one, am hopeful for Mike and he continues to be my favorite player on the team. He will hopefully play much better throughout the week.

Moment of the Night

I would not have thought this to be cool if anyone else did it but DeAndre showed off his sensitive side Monday night in Vegas.

Mike Taylor, being frustrated with his performance, got in a yelling match with Kim Hughes and the other assistant coaches on the clipper bench. After a time out and a personal conversation with some of the coaches, Mike went off to sit at the end of the bench.

A few plays later, DeAndre got a breather and chose to sit next to his buddy Mike. Sitting directly behind them, I saw DeAndre hear Mike complain for a few minutes. DeAndre then seemed to speak some words of encouragement to Mike and capped it off with a brief side hug that (would've usually lost points in my book, but in this case) showed me a new side to his character that is missed despite his candid blog and vlog updates.

Conclusion:

All in all, Clipper Youth Movement is looking very good. Oh yeah, and here's an alien sighting:

Alien jokes aside - Sam Cassell is one of my all time favorite NBA Aliens - I mean players.

Law's Been Laid, Mike Whang (Lawler's Bingo Card)

Original Link:

http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/clippers-vegas-summer-league-analyzing.html

Video-Tame James: The Greatest Steal of His Career (Kobe Won't Get Dunked On In His Camp)

Jhun — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:16:45 -0000

Cue scene:

Game 7. NBA Finals. Cavs Vs. Lakers. Lakers up by 1. Laker Posession. 4 seconds.

Lamar Odom is the inbounder. No, he doesn't dribble the ball in-bounds himself to receive a violation.

Or throw it to Sasha Vujacic who's sitting on the opposite side of the court on the Lakers bench - open for three.

No, he does none of these things. He's focused. His eyes shift back on forth, carrying the ball high above his head with his long, lanky arms. He's looking for Kobe, of course.

Kobe quickly wraps around three Cavs defenders (including Lebron) to get better position. As he races to the top of the key, seemingly unguarded, Odom throws the ball inbounds -

BUT WAIT! Lebron James turns on his accelerator and steals the inbounds pass from Kobe. He quickly races to his basket on the opposite end as the clock reads 3. Kobe races down with him to prevent the score. 2 seconds.

Lebron just passes the free throw line and takes off. Kobe, right behind him, takes off as well with his left arm ready for the swipe-in from behind.

BANG! DENGGGGGG (not luol, the buzzer)! Lebron throws in a VICIOUS WINDMILL DUNK at the horn RIGHT OVER KOBE AND HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARMS! LEBRON AND THE CAVS ARE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS OF ------------------------

Oh wait, what? That's not the steal we were talking about? Oh ok...then what steal were we talking about? ................................................

Let's reset the scenario.

Jordan Crawford has the ball. Who? Yeah, Jordan Crawford. He's on that great NBA team...uh, Xavier.

It's the first half. Of a pick-up game. In the summer.

It's as intense in there as it is in a press conference room where Chris Kaman is yelling, "He grabbed my balls!" during post-game interviews.

Lebron's eyeing Jordan (ironically not Michael, but Crawford) on defense.

As Crawford drives to the baseline, Lebron quickly leaves his man and goes in to help.

Crawford rises. Lebron rises. Probably one of those crazy Lebron swats from the help side that we've all grown accustomed to, huh? Nope.

SLAM!

Lebron gets posterized in front of his entire camp by JORDAN CRAWFORD OF THE XAVIER...Xaviers?..uh...MUSKETEERS! All for One and One big Slam Over Lebron for All!

Play's not done yet though. Nope.

Lebron counters with the best defensive play of his career.

It's later on in the day. But Lebron hasn't forgotten the posterization done unto him earlier.

It's a dead ball. Lebron glides effortlessly to a Nike offical.

And just like a future Defensive Player of the Year, he cuffs his hands so delicately to cover his mouth, slyly leaning his head over to a Nike official to point out the fact that two attendees had been ILLEGALLY videotaping the event the whole day.

In order to BLOCK them from uploading his demise at the hands of Crawford the Musketeer, Lebron proposes a STEAL and gets the Nike official to apply full 'public relations' court pressure on the two videographers.

The Nike official strolls gingerly in a SportsCenter-highlight-of-the-night kind of... stroll. With arms extended, he opens his palms and curls his fingers towards himself, motioning for the two videographers to hand over the tapes to him. Not allowed.

Confused and disappointed, the two videographers hand over the tapes that contain one improbable, King-sized posterization that shall now forever be immortalized in NBA summer camp lore.

As the tapes are confiscated, Lebron James can be seen on the court grinning (and whiping some sweat off his forehead in relief). And although this stat will never be recorded (just like the videos), Lebron still stands very satisfied with the greatest steal of his career.

...

Meanwhile, in Kobe Bryant's Summer camp...

(This is actually true. Click Here.)

Kid: "You won't be able to win at Lebron's camp!"

Kobe: "I also won't get dunked on in my own camp."

Ironically, this small jab by Kobe towards Lebron is probably about the best action we'll get this summer from the two superstars after hopes of a Kobe-Lebron (and puppet friends) Finals matchup fell through in June...thanks to Lebron. And like always, Kobe wins. Lebron? Well, he sure can steal better than Kobe can. 'Check his stats.'

The door is closed, The lights are out, The butter's getting hard, and The jello'ssss jigglin,

Jonathan Hernandez (Chick's Fridge)

Original Link:

http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/video-tame-james-greatest-steal-of-his.html

Abstract Art-est On Display: Analysis of the signing from a Laker & Clipper fans' perspective

Jhun — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:11:38 -0000

original link: http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/artest-ed-development-in-depth-analysis.html

Fresh Out the Fridge (the Laker perspective):

Playing pool at Odom's crib. - Ron Artest's Twitter

Whether or not this was truly an update from the Tru Warier himself is irrelevant now, for right after seeing such a seemingly random tidbit on Artest's Twitter late last night, I instantly became certain that Lamar Odom had this particular 96 ball cornered in just the right pocket. Ok fine, so maybe there isn't any pool ball that's numbered 96, but as of tonight, July 2nd, 2009, there IS a new Laker that's numbered 96 (although knowing Artest, he'll probably choose a new number...like 3.14), and we can all thank Odom, pool, candy, and friends for that! In reality, Kobe and Mitch sat down with Ron Artest for a cup of tea today and prodded him to eventually join the Purple and Gold. The Twitter story just sounded more interesting. Although I'm sure Lamar "The CandyMan" Odom, who Artest played organized ball with in Queens as a kid, played a crucial role in Artest's final decision - his sweet stash and Laker eye candy were probably too much for Artest to say 'No' to. That sounded inappropriate.

In regards to Trevor Ariza, Laker fans can only lament his sad fate and thank him for his hustle, hard work, and overall admirable services in helping the team get its 15th Championship. However, as is so often the case in these sorts of dealings, the business side of things had to come in and ruin all the fun. Enter Agent David Lee, who after hard-balling Buss and Kupchak for the past 24 hours and attempting to squeeze out as much payday from them as he could, now finds himself having to tell his client (who grew up in LA, loves LA, and supposedly "bleeds purple and gold") that he will have to settle for the mid-level offer and continue playing with a Chinese teammate...except this offer was not from the Lakers, and not with the Rising Sun Yue, but from the Houston Rockets, and the Fallen Tower Yao Ming. (Ron Artest Owning NBA Forward David Lee. On this day, he also owned NBA Agent, David Lee)

Putting it simply, David Lee made a mess out of this entire situation and screwed Ariza over. If there is any similarity between the agent and the soon-to-be ex-player from the Knicks (also David Lee), it's that both love to scramble for rebounds. In Agent David Lee's case, the Houston Rockets became their desperate rebound option, and sadly for Trevor, it was his agent, not him, who let the ball slip with the Lakers. David Lee betrayed his client and ironically tried to pull a Trevor Ariza and 'steal' some extra cash from a Laker front office that simply wasn't going to budge. He should have known that the Lakers had an ace in the hole in Ron Artest and that he couldn't win in a bluffing game with Mitch and Jerry, one that he initiated. But who knows, maybe Trevor Ariza will get his chance to shine and see if he can become the cornerstone of a franchise - which is exactly the situation he'll find himself facing on a team with a deteriorating Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady headlining the Rocket Launch (or Failure to Launch, starring Matthew McConaughey).

In the end, I wish him the best and truly hope he can fulfill his utmost potential. Knowing Trevor's focus and strong work ethic, there's no reason to think he won't.

There's also no reason to think that the Lakers won't win their 16th Championship next year either. Provided that the Lakers ink LO7 soon, with the addition of Kobe's new German Shepherd, Ron Artest, the Lakers have just gained a little more toughness, offensive power, and...insanity. The wild card. In what was basically a trade between the Lakers and Rockets involving Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza, the Lakers came out the glaring victors for at least the short-term. Artest instantly provides a more polished and reliable three point shot (when he decides to take good shots) and a rough, bull-dog tenacity on defense that will allow Kobe to conserve energy on that end and prolong his overall productivity for another 3-4 years. He's also just a weird, scary player that others don't really want to rub the wrong way. Translated - the Lakers are now a weird, scary team that hate back rubs (I don't know).

In the end, I'm ecstatic about the trade and ready for another exciting, if not unpredictable, title run in 09-10. For those with doubts about Artest, let's not forget that Phil Jackson was able to reel in a player by the name of Dennis Rodman, who once came to a book signing wearing a wedding dress. Nothing about Dennis Rodman, books, and wedding dresses sound enticing, but he sure did help get Phil some rings. Ron Artest hopes to do the same baby. LAKE TOWN, SHAKE TOWN.

The Fridge Is Closed, The Lights Are Out, The Butter's Getting Hard, and The Jello's Jiggling, Jonathan Hernandez aka Chick's Fridge

Laying Down The Law (the Clipper perspective):

Imagine playing pick up ball with your buddies. It's point up, win by twos. The game has gone back and forth and the intensity is picking up with each play. Overly zealous players are fighting and shoving for position down on the block, bickering over calls and hard fouls. Finally someone hits the game winner. And just as everyone starts complaining about the shot, you see a friend of yours break off a piece of wood from a bench and shank the guy in the heart.

Such is the background of newest Los Angeles Laker, Ron Artest.

Well known for his hard-nosed play on Defense, Ron's only glaring weakness in recent years is his erroneous assumption that it is to his team's benefit that he should create shots for himself on his own and put up 15-25 FGAs per game. Such assumptions should be put to rest when playing with one who somewhat unerringly feels the same way in Kobe B.

Being on a team where Ron rarely needs to create his own shot, he should benefit greatly on the offensive end over the next few years. It'll be interesting to see how Trevor Ariza does the rest of his career without Kobe creating wide open jumpers for him.

Congrats to the Lakers on not overpaying Ariza, and upgrading to an All Star and former Defensive player of the year in Ron-Ron at the MLE. No doubt about it, they are top dog contenders for the NBA crown over the next 3 years. This really has no relevance towards the Clippers except that the Lakers have once again stolen the little bit of thunder the Clippers had for a short while just as their fortunes seemed to have turned with Blake Griffin falling into their laps, and desperate enough teams like the Memphis Grizzlies taking on Zach Randolph's $30+ million over the next two years. Just as the Clippers had begun to see glimmers of light at the end of this elongated post-2006 tunnel, the Lakers once again have reminded us all that the Clips are still far off from being an upper-echelon team. But at least the pieces are falling in good places for both teams this offseason.

Lawler's Law Always Prevails,

Mike Whang aka Lawler's Law

...
http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/

Elton Brand Could Never Hit a Trey Like Z-Bo!: A Clipper & Laker Fan chat about the Zach Randolph Trade

Jhun — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:04:15 -0000

Original Link:

http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/elton-brand-could-never-hit-trey-like-z.html

I remember shouting out loud with my section that EB could never hit a three like that! (Here's Zach Randolph doing exactly that. Amazing JUST Happened.)

Chatting with Chick's Fridge and Lawler's Law on the recent Zach Randolph trade to the Memphis Grizzlies:

Lawler’s Law (Mike): I was actually a big time Zach Randolph fan.

Chick’s Fridge (Jon): My condolences.

The kind of guy you'd bring home to your mother.

Lawler’s Law: I was at his first few games at staples center. Clipper nation was still bitter over Elton Brand. And Z-Bo helped us get over EB.

Chick’s Fridge: I feel some awkward reminiscin’ coming on. Cue the Korean drama music…

LL: Z-Bo was exciting, especially when he knocked down some big time threes. I remember shouting out loud with my section that EB could never hit a three like that!

CF: Hahah…I guess you gotta hold on to something…I find it hilarious when guys like Z-Bo take random threes like that.

LL: If there was one small portion of gladness that came out of the Clipper ‘s season last year – it was definitely Z-Bo’s first few games. I think they won three straight. We were in euphoria.

CF: I don’t think the Lakers have even lost three straight in two years. I guess you gotta hold on to something

LL: Anyway, I will gladly cheer for him when Memphis comes into town. But I won’t miss him missing his defensive assignments and letting guys blow past him. Nor will the front office miss his ridiculous contract. Holy crap, the Z-Bo trade saved us $24.6 million. Clips can go after some goods next summer! Holy crap, imagine Lebron James and Kobe Bryant sharing Staples Center.

CF: Looks like the Clips are going to be active in the Summer of 10’. Interesting.

LL: Anyway, with Z-Bo gone, we can start anew. I’m excited to see how Blake Griffin progresses this season. It is exciting to have him on the team.

CF: Yeap, you guys got the only ‘sure thing’ in the draft this year. Wonder how Olowakandi’s doing…He’s so irrelevant now that any swagger he had left has all been jacked by the new Candy Man, Lamar Odom.

LL: Although the starting five of Baron, Gordon, Thornton, Griffin, Kaman doesn’t really jump out at anyone, it does give the clipper nation hope. And I’ll be ecstatic if they play .500 ball this upcoming year. I’m also very interested in seeing Deandre Jordan’s development and I think Eric Gordon is still flying way under the radar.

CF: At the very least, hopefully you guys can relive the 2001 days or something, when people had you guys pegged as one of the most exciting, young teams in the NBA – and everyone was doing the D-Miles, QRich head bump. I guess that’s why you guys traded for Q.Rich. Revival.

LL: Yeah, hopefully. They keep saying they’ll play more up-tempo, but I’ll have to see it to believe it.

CF: Yeah, you gotta have more ‘flatulations’ as Lawler said.

Lawler: "Ahead to Lamar - the lob - THE JAM! WHAT A FLATULATION WATCHING THIS ONE! ME OH MY, WHAT A PLAY!"

LL: Odom to D-miles. Classic.

CF: I still think you guys shouldn’t have turned down the Darko deal with Memphis. Even if he wouldn’t have gotten playing time, in the NBA, it’s never too much to have a luxury of bigs. Plus, his contract is up next year as well. And unlike Q, at least he can play D.

LL: Hmm. I think that’s irrelevant. Kaman, Camby, and Deandre cover the 5 spot.

CF: At the very least, he would have been a good practice player to push the other bigs. Just don’t come crying when someone gets injured. *cough* CAMBY *cough*

LL: I don’t think anyone has ever cried for Darko to be their team’s savior. Who is Darko Milicic? I guess he’s an NBA champion, so what do I know.

...

It starts with Z-Bo, and ends with Darko. It only makes perfect sense here at OhMeOhMy,Jello’sJigglin NBA Chat, where two Clipper and Laker minds collide to provide…we’re not really sure ourselves, but we’ll keep hustlin’.

Fridge is closed, Law’s been Laid,

Jonathan(Lakers) & Mike (Clippers)

Visit http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/ for a unique take of the NBA world from the shared, double perspective of a Clipper fan and a Laker fan. Some may love it, most will hate it.

Article: Ex-Clipper Lakers Make It Hard to be A Clipper Fan

Jhun — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:49:06 -0000

Found at:

http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/ - a Clipper AND Laker shared insight blog. Double perspectives

Ex-Clipper Lakers Make It Hard to be A Clipper Fan

by Mike Whang (Lawler's Law) & Jonathan Hernandez (Chick's Fridge)

Lawler's Law:

I'm on the Lakers official website and there he is smiling as wide as ever. NBA Championship Trophy in his hand. The greatest prize in all the NBA is right there in his hands!

A year ago he was a starter alongside Dan Dickau for the Clippers, and now he is forevermore an NBA Champion after playing relatively significant minutes for the Lake Show.

Guys like Josh Powell make it tough to be a Clipper fan.

Chick's Fridge: Guys like Dan Dickau make it tough to be a Clipper fan. or a basketball fan. or a 'white, short guy with curly hair' fan.

In other news, Dan Dickau will also play Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming movie, The Hobbit.

Seeing Ex-Clipper Lamar Odom as an NBA champion is a little bit easier to swallow and grasp for Clipper fans I'm sure. Just be glad that the Lakers didn't win it all last year. Or else you'd probably also be lamenting the fact that Vladimir Radmanovic, who once tried to hit the slopes to fulfill his dreams of Winter X-Games glory, would also forever be immortalized as an NBA Champion. Yes, this guy:

Join me in a state of bliss.

Summer's Long,

Lawler's Law, Chick's Fridge.

Actual Link: http://ohmeohmyjellosjigglin.blogspot.com/2009/07/random-summer-musings-ex-clipper-lakers.html

Tell us what you think!