Preview: New Orleans (2-4) at Los Angeles (5-1)
$Bill
Preview: New Orleans (2-4) at Los Angeles (5-1)
Currently: Los Angeles, CA
Temp: 61� F
Game info: 9:30 pm EST Sun Nov 8, 2009
TV: CST, FSW
By MATT BECKER, STATS Senior Writer
The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have gone through the first week
and a half of the season at less than full strength, relying on Kobe Bryant to
carry the team.
The 11-time All-Star may be close to getting some help.
Seeking their fifth straight victory, the Lakers could have Pau Gasol and
Andrew Bynum back from injuries Sunday night against the sluggish New Orleans
Hornets.
Gasol was instrumental to Los Angeles' championship run in 2008-09,
averaging 18.9 points and 9.6 rebounds in 81 games, but has missed the team's
first six contests this season because of a strained right hamstring. He has
returned to practice and warmed up before Friday's 114-98 victory over Memphis
but was inactive.
"I'm already frustrated," Gasol said. "This recovery has been slow for my
taste. So right now I'm thinking about one day at a time and not getting ahead
of myself."
Bynum also sat out Friday with a strained right elbow after averaging 20.0
points and 10.6 rebounds in five games. The injury is not considered serious,
and he's expected to face New Orleans.
Last season, the 7-foot Spaniard teamed with the 7-foot Bynum to control the
paint and open up the floor for Bryant.
So far this season, Bryant has been doing just fine.
He scored 41 points for the third time in four games Friday leading the
Lakers (5-1) to a fourth straight victory. Bryant also became the youngest
player to reach 24,000 points, reaching the milestone 38 days before Wilt
Chamberlain, and overtook Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson for 16th place on the
NBA's career scoring list.
Most of Bryant's baskets came on turnaround jumpers and inside moves against
the undersized Memphis defenders in the low post, skills he learned from Hall of
Famer Hakeem Olajuwon over the summer.
"What can I say? This is a guy who sees a weakness in a team and exploits
it," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Bryant.
Los Angeles took three of four from the Hornets last season. The teams split
two games at Staples Center despite Bryant scoring 39 in each.
New Orleans (2-4) could have trouble slowing down Bryant again. Coming off
back-to-back playoff appearances, the Hornets are off their worst start since
2005-06.
Most of New Orleans' struggles have stemmed from a defense struggling to
slow down its opponents.
The Hornets, fifth in the NBA in scoring defense in 2008-09 at 94.3 points,
are yielding an average of 105.5 this season. It likely won't be easy for them
to come up with key stops against a Lakers team averaging 109.0 points during
their winning streak.
With the defense having trouble, Chris Paul has been doing his best to carry
the team, but he struggled at times in Friday's 107-90 loss to Toronto.
New Orleans led by two at halftime, but was outscored 34-14 in the third
quarter. Paul had a team-high 21 points - 7.5 below his season average - and
season-high 18 assists, but did not score in the third, when the Raptors hit
more 3-pointers (8) than the Hornets had field goals (6).
"I saw a lack of energy," New Orleans coach Byron Scott said. "For the life
of me, I can't understand why we came out without any energy."
The Hornets, winless in three games away from New Orleans, will have to
quickly harness some energy with their next three games coming on the road.
Gary Collard
really have a strong front line (Okafor is ok but the rest suck) we are
a pretty ordinary team without the two bigs.
Can they replicate the extreme effort from Friday? Does the 4th in 6
including two OT's start to wear? Can NO continue to suck that bad?
Lots of variables here...very dangerous.
$Bill wrote:
> Preview from http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview?gid=2009110813
>
> Preview: New Orleans (2-4) at Los Angeles (5-1)
> Currently: Los Angeles, CA
> Temp: 61� F
--
Gary Collard
SABR-L Moderator
gmcollard at yahoo dot com
http://twitter.com/LakerGMC
http://sarcastipundit.blogspot.com/
"If Obama�s skin was any thinner, he�d have a reservoir tip on
the top of his head." -- Thorley Winston
Ammammata
september.org:
> Paul had a team-high 21 points - 7.5 below his season average - and
> season-high 18 assists,
next Lakers move on the market: trade Paul from NOH, giving Walton & two
first round picks
--
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Gary Collard
Now how much of that was our good and how much NO suckitude? If I'm a
fan of theirs I'm pretty worried about now.
And our boy BScott is out of there, possibly even before the 82nd game.
Gary Collard
> Kudos to the guys for allaying my fears.
>
> Now how much of that was our good and how much NO suckitude? If I'm a
> fan of theirs I'm pretty worried about now.
>
> And our boy BScott is out of there, possibly even before the 82nd game.
Or maybe before the 10th!
--
Gary Collard
SABR-L Moderator
gmcollard at yahoo dot com
http://twitter.com/LakerGMC
http://sarcastipundit.blogspot.com/
"There are some ideas so wrong that only a very intelligent
person could believe in them." -- George Orwell