The Lakers seem to be suffering in relative silence

I remember sitting in the Lakers practice facility near the end of training camp as part of my visit with Steve Nash.

The tape recorder was off, we were just shooting the breeze about family and friends and just telling tales and he looked quite content as he said:

“I think this is going to be fun.”

Oh, what a difference less than three months makes.

Given the expectations and the roster, there is not a team more disappointing than the Lakers anywhere in the league, nor one in more disarray.

They are 15-18 and have to considered longshots to even make the playoffs, they are on their second coach of the season and are on a road trip today without Dwight Howard (shoulder), Pau Gasol (concussion) or Jordan Hill (hip).

They are a mess on and off court, I think everyone would agree.

But the funny thing?

I don’t get the sense that there are nearly as many people filled with glee at their misfortune than I would have thought.

No one’s laughing at the plight of the Lakers, at least not to the degree I would have expected given what’s occurred.

Odd, isn’t it?

Here was a team that simply spent and traded its way to presumed dominance, Howard whined his way out of Orlando after months to join one of the marquee franchises in the league and Nash and the Lakers management seemingly bamboozled Phoenix into what looked like a one-sided sign-and-trade to create the newest version of an NBA Big Three.

But no one hated them for it, it didn’t seem. There certainly wasn’t the same seething among fans as there was Miami built its roster; fans seemed kind of excited to see Nash run high screen-and-roll with Howard, pick-and-pop with Gasol while Kobe Bryant was Kobe Bryant with more talent around him than ever before.

Wonder why?

Personalites? Maybe.

But I’m guessing it’s because of the manner in which the group was formed. There was no The Decision; Nash had a very public dalliance with two other teams before landing in Los Angeles for reasons of family and while Howard weasled his way out Orlando, he didn’t immediately sign a long-term contract extension in Los Angeles.

Funny how things are can be pretty much the same and so very different.

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What’s this I hear about new Bowie music out yesterday and a new album coming in March?

If there’s a tour, that would absolutely be a show I’d pay money to see.

Won’t be like these good old days, though.

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Right, this is Tuesday, I’m home finally, the kids are back at school so that’s why I had to shuttle Super Son to school for his 7 a.m. start.

And whoever thought about starting classes at 7 a.m. needs to have a talking to.

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Hang on a sec!

The TFCs whacked another coach yesterday and hired someone else?

That’s, what, eight coaches in six seasons?

Yikes.

And here I thought the HOTH, who have had eight in the 18 years they’ve been around, were a model of instability.

Hell, looking around the offices over there, Dwane has to feel like Gregg Popovich or something given his tenure of almost two seasons.

What an organizations.

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You know how sometimes I lament the absence of truly brilliant sportswriting these days?

And I think it’s disappeared mostly not because of the talents of those in the craft – we have true giants of all-time among us – but because in this day and age of immediacy and 24-hour news cycles and tweets and blogs and the interwebs it is virtually impossible for writers to have the time to truly delve into their subjects to get the kind of personal look needed.

Toss in the fact subjects are now so leery of writers – we are almost everywhere they turn, we are often too confrontational, too seeking of dirt rather than drama – and it makes for a perfect storm.

We don’t have the time or the space, they don’t have the willingness to open up; readers are the ones who lose out.

All this is a way of saying sportswriter – hell, writing as a craft of itself – lost one of the greatest of all-time yesterday with the passing of Richard Ben Cramer.

He was as gifted a political writer as ever walked the planet but that was not his limit.

This Esquire magazine story on Ted Williams is widely considered by many to be the best long-form sports story ever published.

You should read it; and lament the passing of its author.

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Now I know why some people consider the American college football championship that sport’s version of the Super Bowl.

It was a dog of a game that didn’t come close to the hype.

And that, thankfully, gave me cause to switch over to watch Celtics at Knicks and that was as intense a regular season game as you’ll see for a long time.

And how’d it end?

Well, the dispatches say it ended with Carmelo Anthony trying to confront Kevin Garnett in the bowels of Madison Square Garden at the Boston team bus.

Of course, nothing came of it because nothing ever does – NBA players are the fauxest faux fighters of all time – but Anthony’s actions are sure to attract the attention of the league’s poobahs and a wee suspension wouldn’t surprise me at all.

And speaking of teams going off the rails … I have the Knicks as the next “good” team to have some serious issues.

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Scott Skiles out in Milwaukee?

Colour me shocked.

Now, I have great friends who speak very highly of Skiles after covering him; I see a guy with a four-year contract and a 2 1-2 year “best before” date and I’m not at all surprised it happened.

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Comments

[Sam]

Good morning Doug: I just read on hoopsworld.com that Jeff Green for AB7 is a possible trade. if it goes through, would it be 1-1 trade or some pieces may get involved.....

Blogger's note: You're kidding, right?

[Michel G]

Thanks for the Bowie video Doug. One of the best live concerts I ever saw. It would be hard to pick between him and Springsteen.

Regarding TFC, don't you think that it's best for the new President to start with a clean slate? Both Colangelo and Burke inherited the coaches they had when they first arrived and never seemed quite content in the situation.

[Jeff D]

Way back before the season started I asked you what the over/under number would be on the number of games into the season before the Lakers lost 7 games (since their record in pre-season was 0-7 at the time...turns out they went 0-8). Anyway, I offered 42 I think and you countered saying they'd start slow. Doug Smith 1, over-excitable Irregular 0!

I would be basking in the Lakers misfortune if it weren't for Nash. Regardless of how bad this season goes off the rails though, I think deep-down he still has to believe he made the right decision if it means a better family life. Too bad he couldn't have his cake and eat it too.

[Moshigh]

Well for all those people who wished Nash was a Raptor at the start of the season, this is why you dont give him a 3 yr deal at whatever they were offering 32-36Mil.
Nash is still a excellent offensive player, but his defense is non existent. He has been back several games and the team doesnt look any better.

D'Antoni was the wrong choice, Lakers will get killed for this end of year. Should have went all the way with Phil. Again they have to make a run sooner or later or maybe a trade comes down the line.

Skiles a good coach I guess, but rotations are crazy. Also Fantasy team owners will be glad he is gone!!

Some of us still love great sports writing, but the masses I guess just want instant news/gossip.

Trade rumors in Raptorland are quite, I like that, that means something may actually get done.

[Sam]

Hi Doug: Here is what was said @ hoopsworld.com:

One interesting possibility might be Toronto’s Andrea Bargnani, who is clearly not in the team’s plan moving forward. Unlike the Kings and Grizzlies, the Raptors might see a Bargnani move as addition by subtraction, an improvement unto itself, and Toronto might see a package involving Jeff Green as more of a help to the group that has played so well with Bargnani on the bench.

Does Bargnani make the Celtics radically better? Perhaps. Not the way Rudy Gay or DeMarcus Cousins would. Still, if the offer from Boston doesn’t involve any of their core players, Andrea Bargnani might be the most they could hope to land.
Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-why-an-eric-gordon-trade-is-unlikely/#WJwYEsfriujtsUrP.99

Blogger's note: Seriously, I don't care. Fiction bores me

[Rob.V]

I think that a lot of people envision that the Lakers would eventually turn it around and go on some super human winning streak on the way to the title however they've got a tough week ahead and could very well be 6 games under .500 later this week.
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I find it just as interesting that the Heat have virtually been sleep walking their way to 23-9. No one is talking about them either and they are somehow (strangely) very quietly at the top of the heap, with another 3 or 4 gears to get to yet.
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Wouldn't it just be perfect if the Raptors went 3-0 this week and the Lakers (81) went 0-3!
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And speaking of the Lakers isn't KG the greatest. I still love that cat. He's your fathers NBA player. Tough as nails, knows how to get under your skin. Melo was averaging what 33-35 a night over the past week. Last night? Shoots 6-26!!
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KG got Melo thinking about parking lots, mouthing off, fouling, fighting, and whatever else he wanted him to think about. You know, everything... other than the game of course.
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The thing is KG is so use to fouling on every play, trash talking on every play that it doesn't affect his game at all. Melo trying to bully back is just not going to work for him. Garnett gets you physically, and then he gets you mentally. The head trips he puts on players is just a beautiful thing to watch.
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KG, Sheed, Oakley, Rodman - the league never has enough of these guys for my liking.
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I will say this though. As much as I am not a Knick's fan it is good to see meaningful Basketball being played at the Garden, there's just something right about that.

[Sharkey]

My take on the Lakers: I'm upset for Nash. He deserved this opportunity. Howard, though, he deserves this mess. In my view the way he treated the Magic franchise -- not just his pleas to leave, but the opt-out drama, the press conferences -- was actually a bit worse than what Vince did here. I was hoping he'd get himself into a complete mess of a team, at least for one season, but that's just me. I really think after this year Dwight's going to sign with Dallas.

[Lola]

When coaches get fired, is the balance of their contract paid out?

Blogger's note: Yes, all the guaranteed money in it is

[AT]

Re Lakers: I think they are just like the Celtics, you either Love them or Love to Hate them so their demise is disappointing to many. If it were Miami on the other hand, that is a different story.

Great quote from my new favourite Raptors Alan Anderson:

"I’ve been in all different types of positions. Europe, D-League. You’ve got to have confidence in yourself, you’ve got to be in the right situation. Every second you’re out there, you’ve got to make it (like it’s) your last,”

If only some of the other raptors had the same attitude, their record would be much much better.Not surprising to hear that Anderson is friends with Keven Garnett.

[larry lukeeborg]

i'm having a devil of a time trying to figure out what this sentence means.

"I don’t get the sense that there aren’t nearly as many people are filled with glee at their misfortune than I would have thought."

Blogger's note: An extra "are", will fix

[LeeZ]

"Toss in the fact subjects are now so leery of writers – we are almost everywhere they turn, we are often too confrontational, too seeking of dirt rather than drama – and it makes for a perfect storm."
I recently listened to a podcast interview of Larry King in which he described his interviewing technique, and why he is so successful getting his subjects to reveal so much without him having to resort to being confrontational or seeking dirt. It was an absolutely fascinating interview on a wide range of subjects. Best podcast I've listened to in ages. Check it out. The podcast is called "The Nerdist".

[Colin]

@Sam. You need to understand the difference between a writer putting out a suggestion and a lead. The author of the article you referenced does not say anything about this being true or even something he has hear from a "source" he is merely throwing out his own thought.

[james]

I recall that another Carmelo confrontation several years ago, this one on-court, inspired one of Sam's funniest extemporaneous routines comparing basketball fights to hockey fights. The Celtics were pretty impressive, especially without Rondo.

[bill]

I've been watching a lot of Lakers games recently because I enjoy to see them loosing...

[Chris]

The Knicks Celtics game was men vs men. Except for Spike Lee.I love the raps, but I seriously doubt whether outside of Lowery and Kleiza, if anyone could handle that kind of physicality. I hope we get the chance to play in some of those games to test ourselves and gain some much needed toughness and expereince. Tyson Chandler gets away with a lot of junk. Dont like him. Melo too was out of control all night, just a foul machine but of course hes melo so still in the game.
I hope we dont trade Bargnani. I hope Bargnani has grown some, and wants to prove like a man that he can play. He must be tired of all the bashing and want to prove us all wrong. Even if he doesnt make shots, he can still work hard, and I think that is all fans want to see. Some sweat and hustle. Not the guy barely doging it over half and launching il advised 3's, or allowing guys to line up to draw charges when he is outside the 3 point line. We all need to be reminded how he has the il mago nickname for anything good related to his play.

[Brad B]

Regarding TFC, I don't think MLSE is in control of that franchise anymore. Sure they pay the bills, but as a one-entity league MLS couldn't take the ongoing circus and parachuted in Payne to clean up. I get the feeling that Mariner realized he wasn't Payne's long term plans and chose to quit, leaving Payne scrambling to find a replacement. Today's press conference left more questions than answers and I foresee another year of the wheels falling off at TFC. And I don't know if the franchise will survive it.

[Rob]

Re the TFC hires,,, its mind boggling, the guy they hired as their next head coach was a top player of his team in one the best leagues in the world just last week, he has no coaching experience whatsoever .... what is the TFC brass thinking... It s getting tougher and tougher to get behind the home teams (all of them )

[Alex]

Hi Doug,

The Cramer article... absolutely fantastic read. Thanks for sharing it.

I wonder what the author was thinking while on the highway with the great Williams, who had a greater disdain for reporters and a tendency to flip the switch in his gut? I wonder if I might be a tad bit hesitant...

[Peter]

Holy crap! The Leaves got a rock in their dressing room too?!?! Did they steal Dwane's rock or did they get their own?

Blogger's note: Their own, the copycats

[kent]

um...if anything, Dwane Casey copied Gregg Popovich, who made "pounding the rock" the Spurs' team mantra like 10 years ago.

Blogger's note: Yep. And tell me where it was suggested otherwise. And if you do some research, don't think Pop was first, either

[joeu]

Regarding the TFC circus, at some point you would think that stability and continuity become more important than any incremental improvement from changing up the head coach.

Yet more oddly, it seems that the new coach is an active player, still under contract to his team, and no commercial agreement has been pre-arranged.

[Chris]

Isnt that why Brian Burke went to Halifax for training camp?

[Lorie]

Hello Doug,
Lovely your mention of Bowie (and were you aware that today is his 66th birthday?) and the info about the new album. And that great clip. As well, today is the 41st anniversary of the release of another classic Bowie tune: http://youtu.be/zbnJo88kuP8. Went to see him in concert about 8 years ago and I remember marvelling at his seemingly boundless energy. A 3-plus hour show without a break. Unreal. And unforgettable. And your mention of how you and your high school buddies would sit around and recite the entire White Album reminded me of something me and my high school pals enjoyed doing. There were about eight of us - girls and guys - and we could recite every single bloody line from our favourite album "Monty Python's Flying Circus". We could (of course!) do "The Dead Parrot", "Nudge, Nudge", and "Albatross". But this one as well: "Self Defence Against Fresh Fruit" (But we've done fresh fruit for the last nine weeks!!! Why can't we do pointed sticks???) http://youtu.be/5RKTSwAVaoU In very loud falsetto British accents. Complete the required righteous indignation. But without the crimplene A-lines and blue-rinse perms. (Most times.) We thought we were hilarious. And brilliant. And oh-so-audacious. Wonder if our audience on those midnight TTC subway cars felt the same way? And thank you so much for the link to Richard Ben Cramer's story. Have moved "What It Takes: The Way to the White House" to the top of the To Be Read pile.

[GM]

Count me as one who is happy with the Lakers losing. I'm a Nash fan, but my disdain for "super-teams" trumps that. Nash has had a great career and is a winner with or without a ring, so I don't think it tarnishes his career if he doesn't get one. I wonder if the sentiment is different in the States. So many of my friends in Canada all jumped aboard the Laker bandwagon when Nash joined them. We've got a lot of nationalistic pride riding on him.

[Marius]

Hi Doug
What do you think Memphis could ask for Rudy Gay? Could Toronto get him? Is he a good fit for the Raptors?

Blogger's note: Don't know. Don't know. Yes.