Lakers Full 2010-11 Schedule

After weeks of speculation, the full NBA schedule has finally been released.  We already knew when Miami was coming to town, and now we know that Shaq and the C's are coming at the end of January.  Check out the entire schedule below.  All times Eastern.


OCTOBER
Tue, Oct 26 Houston 10:30 PM TNT
Fri, Oct 29 @ Phoenix 10:30 PM
Sun, Oct 31 Golden State 9:30 PM

NOVEMBER
Tue, Nov 2 Memphis 10:30 PM
Wed, Nov 3 @ Sacramento 10:30 PM
Fri, Nov 5 Toronto 10:30 PM
Sun, Nov 7 Portland 9:30 PM
Tue, Nov 9 Minnesota 10:30 PM
Thu, Nov 11 @ Denver 10:30 PM
Sun, Nov 14 Phoenix 9:30 PM
Tue, Nov 16 @ Milwaukee 8:00 PM
Wed, Nov 17 @ Detroit 7:30 PM
Fri, Nov 19 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
Sun, Nov 21 Golden State 9:30 PM
Tue, Nov 23 Chicago 10:30 PM
Fri, Nov 26 @ Utah 9:00 PM
Sun, Nov 28 Indiana 9:30 PM
Tue, Nov 30 @ Memphis 8:00 PM

DECEMBER
Wed, Dec 1 @ Houston 8:30 PM
Fri, Dec 3 Sacramento 10:30 PM
Tue, Dec 7 Washington 10:30 PM
Wed, Dec 8 @ LA Clippers 10:30 PM
Fri, Dec 10 @ Chicago 8:00 PM
Sun, Dec 12 @ New Jersey 1:00 PM
Tue, Dec 14 @ Washington 7:00 PM
Wed, Dec 15 @ Indiana 7:00 PM
Fri, Dec 17 @ Philadelphia 7:00 PM
Sun, Dec 19 @ Toronto 1:00 PM
Tue, Dec 21 Milwaukee 10:30 PM
Sat, Dec 25 Miami 5:00 PM
Tue, Dec 28 @ San Antonio 8:30 PM
Wed, Dec 29 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM
Fri, Dec 31 Philadelphia 10:30 PM

JANUARY
Sun, Jan 2 Memphis 9:30 PM
Tue, Jan 4 Detroit 10:30 PM
Wed, Jan 5 @ Phoenix 10:30 PM
Fri, Jan 7 New Orleans 10:30 PM
Sun, Jan 9 NY Knicks 9:30 PM
Tue, Jan 11 Cleveland 10:30 PM
Wed, Jan 12 @ Golden State 10:30 PM
Fri, Jan 14 New Jersey 10:30 PM
Sun, Jan 16 @ LA Clippers 3:30 PM
Mon, Jan 17 Oklahoma City 10:30 PM TNT
Wed, Jan 19 @ Dallas 9:00 PM
Fri, Jan 21 @ Denver 10:30 PM
Tue, Jan 25 Utah 10:30 PM
Fri, Jan 28 Sacramento 10:30 PM
Sun, Jan 30 Boston 3:30 PM

FEBRUARY
Tue, Feb 1 Houston 10:30 PM
Thu, Feb 3 San Antonio 10:30 PM
Sat, Feb 5 @ New Orleans 8:00 PM
Mon, Feb 7 @ Memphis 8:00 PM
Thu, Feb 10 @ Boston 8:00 PM
Fri, Feb 11 @ NY Knicks 8:00 PM
Sun, Feb 13 @ Orlando 3:30 PM
Mon, Feb 14 @ Charlotte 7:00 PM
Wed, Feb 16 @ Cleveland 7:30 PM
Tue, Feb 22 Atlanta 10:30 PM
Wed, Feb 23 @ Portland 10:30 PM
Fri, Feb 25 LA Clippers 10:30 PM
Sun, Feb 27 @ Oklahoma City 2:30 PM

MARCH
Tue, Mar 1 @ Minnesota 8:00 PM
Fri, Mar 4 Charlotte 10:30 PM
Sun, Mar 6 @ San Antonio 3:30 PM
Tue, Mar 8 @ Atlanta 7:00 PM
Thu, Mar 10 @ Miami 8:00 PM
Sat, Mar 12 @ Dallas 8:30 PM
Mon, Mar 14 Orlando 10:30 PM
Fri, Mar 18 Minnesota 10:30 PM
Sun, Mar 20 Portland 9:30 PM
Tue, Mar 22 Phoenix 10:30 PM
Fri, Mar 25 LA Clippers 10:30 PM
Sun, Mar 27 New Orleans 9:30 PM
Thu, Mar 31 Dallas 10:30 PM

APRIL
Fri, Apr 1 @ Utah 10:30 PM
Sun, Apr 3 Denver 3:30 PM
Tue, Apr 5 Utah 10:30 PM
Wed, Apr 6 @ Golden State 10:30 PM
Fri, Apr 8 @ Portland 10:00 PM
Sun, Apr 10 Oklahoma City 9:30 PM
Tue, Apr 12 San Antonio 10:30 PM
Wed, Apr 13 @ Sacramento 10:30 PM

Sports Illustrated's Lakers Offseason Grade: A

Sports Illustrated has been grading the offseason moves of all the NBA teams by division, and today writer Lee Jenkins did the Pacific Division and of course the Lakers were at the top of the class. Read the Lakers part of the article below or click here to read the entire article. 



WHAT WENT RIGHT
Happy returns


Kobe Bryant wanted Phil Jackson to return as head coach, and after weeks of soul-searching, Jackson did. Bryant wanted Derek Fisher to return as point guard, and after weeks of negotiating, Fisher did. Jackson will make less than he did last year and Fisher will make less than he was offered by other teams, but neither could turn down Bryant.



Ideal additions


After months of speculation that the Lakers would slash payroll, they added to it, finding several bargains to bolster their bench and keep their starters fresh for the playoffs. Steve Blake will split time with Fisher and provide much-needed three-point shooting; Matt Barnes (pictured) will spell Ron Artest and bring the same rugged defense; Theo Ratliff is another big body behind Andrew Bynum. The Lakers even managed to bring back Bryant's understudy, Shannon Brown, making their second unit better than last year's.




Competitive imbalance


The Lakers opponent in the Western Conference finals, the Suns, lost Amar'e Stoudemire. The Lakers opponent in the Western Conference semifinals, the Jazz, lost Carlos Boozer. Despite the emergence of the Thunder, and the staying power of the Mavericks and Spurs, the Western Conference is not the gauntlet it used to be.




WHAT WENT WRONG
Heat is on


Though the Lakers remain the obvious choice to win the West, they are no longer the clear-cut favorite for the championship. Last season, they were more talented than any team they might have faced in the Finals, but that is not the case anymore. If the Lakers meet Miami for the title, they will have the advantage inside. Stopping the Heat's dribble penetration, however, will be problematic.




Bynum's knee, take three


For the third straight season, Bynum suffered a serious knee injury, and surprisingly he waited until the end of July to undergo arthroscopic surgery. The operation was successful and the Lakers insist that Bynum will be ready for training camp, but his knees rank as the biggest areas of concern for the Lakers. As everyone saw in the Finals, when Bynum plays, the Lakers are almost unbeatable. When he does not, they are vulnerable.




BOTTOM LINE
In an organization headlined by Bryant, Jackson and Jerry Buss, Mitch Kupchak does not get a lot of attention. But he showed this summer why he is one of the savviest general managers in the league, negotiating discounted deals for Blake and Barnes.

Shannon Brown Returning to Lakers

According to reports, the Lakers high-flyer Shannon Brown has agreed to return to the team for 2 years and $4.6 million. This is good news since the Lakers are a deep team yet still don't have much backing Kobe off the bench at the SG position other than Sasha Vujacic (whom the Lakers are actively trying to trade). Shannon gives the Lakers youth, excitement, athleticism, and energy on a bench that has already been vastly upgraded this offseason. 

Glad to see winning another ring is more important than playing for some scrub team for more money. Same can be said for Ron Artest, Matt Barnes, Lamar Odom, and to a lesser extent, Phil Jackson. Seems like sacrifice is becoming a common theme for this squad. 

Click Here for full story!

Shaq to the Celtics

Now while this site is all things Lakers, I'm posting this due the obvious relevance. It was announced that Shaquille O'Neal's NBA tour will make its next stop in the city of Boston. This means Shaq will be the first person of relevance to don both the Purple & Gold as well as Green since Rick Fox and Whitney the Laker Girl.

While many Lakers fans have an understandable resentment towards Shaq and feel that he's doing nothing more than chasing rings at this stage in his career, I have no problem with him joing a team that's close if he feels that he can legitimately help push them to the finish line.  However, there is an ongoing debate among Lakers fans about whether the Big Fella should have his number retired in the rafters at Staples next to the Lakers greats (which I think he should). Barring some kind of Wilt Chaimberlain-like season where Shaq leads the Celtics to the title almost singlehandedly and averages 50 points a game in the process, I don't see him getting his number retired in Boston.  And while I think his number should and will eventually be retired at Staples, it doesn't help his case that the tail end of his career was spent wearing the jersey of the Lakers biggest rival.   

All in all, this move only helps the C's who are uncertain of what Kendrick Perkins will be able to give them this season and Rasheed Wallace retiring.  And with the signing of Jermaine O'Neal in the offseason, the Celtics now have 2 lazy O'Neal's in the middle, but that's better than nothing.

NBA Releases Partial Schedule for 2010-11

2010-11 NBA Opening Week Schedule


Tuesday, Oct. 26 Heat vs. Celtics TNT, ESPN Radio 7:30 ET

Tuesday, Oct. 26 Rockets vs. Lakers TNT 10:30 ET

Wednesday, Oct. 27 Bulls vs. Thunder ESPN, ESPN3.com 8 ET

Wednesday, Oct. 27 Blazers vs. Clippers ESPN, ESPN3.com 10:30 ET

Thursday, Oct. 28 Wizards vs. Magic TNT 8 ET

Thursday, Oct. 28 Suns vs. Jazz TNT 10:30 ET

Friday, Oct. 29 Magic vs. Heat ESPN, ESPN3.com 8 ET

Friday, Oct. 29 Lakers vs. Suns ESPN, ESPN3.com 10:30 ET




2010 NBA Christmas Day Schedule

Date Matchup Coverage Time

Saturday, Dec. 25 Bulls vs. Knicks ESPN, ESPN3.com Noon ET

Saturday, Dec. 25 Celtics vs. Magic ABC 2:30 ET

Saturday, Dec. 25 Heat vs. Lakers ABC, ESPN Radio 5 ET

Saturday, Dec. 25 Nuggets vs. Thunder ESPN, ESPN3.com 8 ET

Saturday, Dec. 25 Blazers vs. Warriors ESPN, ESPN3.com 10:30 ET




2011 Martin Luther King Jr. Day Schedule

Date Matchup Coverage Time

Monday, Jan. 17 Bulls vs. Grizzlies ESPN, ESPN3.com 1 ET

Monday, Jan. 17 Magic vs. Celtics TNT 8 ET

Monday, Jan. 17 Thunder vs. Lakers TNT 10:30 ET

Lakers Announce 2010-11 Coaching Staff

The Lakers announced that Frank Hamblen, Jim Cleamons, and Brian Shaw will return to the bench this upcoming season under head coach Phil Jackson.  Joining the trio of assistants will be Chuck Person, who served as a special assistant last season helping players, most notably Kobe Bryant with shooting.  

While it wasn't expected for any big names to leave or join the bench this offseason, the significance of this news is that it ensures that Brian Shaw will again be on the sidelines after serious mutual interest with the Cleveland Cavaliers just days before Lebron-Gate.  Shaw is considered and hoped by many to be the successor to Phil Jackson should he choose to retire at the end of the season as is speculated.  

Click here for the full story.

Kobe Bryant Gets Shown Love in China

Kobe Bryant = Global Icon