Lakers at the Bottom of the Barrel Early: Nash Gets Hurt as L-A is 0-2

ImageWell, the Celtics certainly didn’t get off to the start we had all hoped for, but on a brighter note our arch nemesis, the Los Angeles Lakers, are on the same page and find themselves at the bottom of the Pacific division standings. To make matters worse for L-A, one of the marquee players they brought in during the off-season, point guard Steve Nash, was injured in their recent loss to the Portland Trailblazers.

The 38-year-old Nash collided with Portland Trailblazers rookie point guard Damian ImageLillard in the 2nd quarter of Wednesday nights 116 to 106 loss. Nash suffered a lower left leg contusion and was only able to play one series of the second half before being sent to the sidelines for the rest of the night.

 

Nash was quoted on ESPN.com saying “I guess I wouldn’t want to say right now, but I’m definitely hopeful” on whether he’ll be game ready for this Fridays contest against the Los Angeles Clippers.

While Laker Nation should by no means hit the panic button this early in the season, it certainly brings up two main question to consider.

1. Can the Lakers keep everybody (especially Nash) healthy? Of the Lakers starting five, only Dwight Howard (26-years-old) is under the age of 30. Kobe Bryant (34), Metta World Peace (32), and Pau Gasol (32) are all above 30 years-of-age (including the aforementioned Nash, 38). Age could play a key role in whether this L-A squad can keep everyone out on the floor and not sidelined with injuries.This will also factor in to how many wins and losses the team will produce and whether or not a post-season will be in the picture.

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2. Can this Lakers offense, filled with so many different personalities, actually co-exist? When you put this year’s Los Angeles Lakers team under a sports micro-scope, you’ll see a breeding ground for one of two contagious diseases. The first is success. This Lakers squad is no doubt loaded with talent. If they can build a solid team chemistry, they could find themselves edging out the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs for a trip to the NBA Finals when it’s all said and done.

However, the second is more deadly and could lead to the Lakers demise…failure. Can Steve Nash facilitate the rock and Kobe still get his shine? Will Dwight Howard be too big of a distraction on and off the court? Will Metta World Peace stay sane long enough to actually help the team this season? Is Pau Gasol still happy to be playing in the purple and gold after numerous trade talks swarmed his psyche last year?

Alright so that was obviously more than two questions, but the 2012-2013 Lakers have a lot of question marks and sadly there is no clear answer to any of them just yet. We will simply have to wait, watch and wonder what will become of L-A this season. Until then, let us rejoice in their recent shortcomings. The C’s might be 0-1, but it beats 0-2 and are guys are healthy.

The Ugly Faces of Lebron James

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Ahh, the Celtics are back. What better way to start off the season than to go down to Miami and remind LBJ there will always be an asterisk next to his only ring, won during a lockout-shortened season. Similar Posts … Continue reading

2012 World Series Game 1 Recap: A Giant Splash from Sandoval

ImageWhile there may not be much interest in this year’s World Series from Boston fans (as the Yankees aren’t there to root against and hate with a passion, and the Sox aren’t in it to win it) Red Sox fans are still baseball fans at their core and one thing every baseball fan loves is…the long-ball.

Panda Power: Well, San Francisco Giants 3B Pablo “Kung Fu Panda” Sandoval offered plenty of firepower for San Fran fans and baseball fans alike with not 1, not 2, but 3 homeruns to help the Giants cruise to an 8-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers in game one. San Fran pitcher Barry Zito went 5 and 2/3 innings allowing only 1 earned run and 6 hits.

Shocking Start to the Series: Sandoval and Zito surprisingly outperformed the likes of Triple Crown winner, Tigers 3B/1B Miguel Cabrera and last year’s Cy Young winner/MVP Tigers ace pitcher Justin Verlander (Cabrera went 1 for 3 with an RBI, Verlander gave up five earned runs in just four innings of work).Image

 

Historic Highlights: Not only did Sandoval and Zito shine but they made a mark in World Series history. “Kung Fu Panda” and his 3 towering homers added him to a prestigious list of October Sluggers. Sandoval joins Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, and Albert Pujols as the only players to hit 3 home runs in the World Series.

Meanwhile Zito made history with the help of Tim “The Freak” Lincecum as it marked the 2nd time in World Series history that one Cy Young award winning pitcher came in to relieve another Cy Young Award winner (Zito won it in 2002 with the Oakland A’s, Lincecum in 2008, and 2009 with the Giants). The 1st was in the 1983 World Series when Jim Palmer came in to relieve Mike Flanagan against the Philadelphia Phillies.

When 2 Watch: With the victory the San Francisco Giants lead baseballs fall classic 1-0 over Detroit. Game 2 has both teams back at AT&T Park in San Francisco tonight at 8pm on FOX .

Hump Day Humps in Sports

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This week seems to be crawling by. Here’s a little distraction to help you guys get through the day. What’s better on Hump Day than a few sports related humps? Happy Hump Day! Similar Posts You’ll Enjoy

Video Match Up – Top One-Handed NFL Catches

Nothing like bringing back the old Video Match-Up to get you through Hump Day this Tuesday that feels like Wednesday. To get the ball rollin we’re going to get a little crazy and give you the Top 4 one handed catches in the NFL so far this year. Who ya got?

James Jones – Green Bay Packers

 

Brandon Gibson – St. Louis Rams

 

Reggie Wayne – Indianapolis Colts

 

Kyle Rudolph – Minnesota Twins

 

 

A New NBA Legend?

Guess whose drawing comparisons to top 50, hall of fame basketball player James Worthy? If you guessed Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo, then you are wrong. The answer is Jeff Green. OK, so the nickname was said by Brian Scalabrine on Comcast SportsNet, but still, those are big shoes to fill. Green said on twitter: “I’ve got a message for Scal: You have to ask the great James Worthy if I’m able to have that nickname of James Worthy, because that’s a top 50, one of the greatest players to ever play this game, and for me to be called that, it’s an honor, but you have to ask his permission. So Tweet it, call him, email, whatever you need to do, because I don’t want to be called that without his permission.”

James Worthy is a 7 time all-star, 3 time NBA Champion, and former #1 draft pick. He also was an NCAA Champion at UNC in 1982. Big Game James averaged 17.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG over 12 seasons. He played his whole career for the Lakers during the Magic Johnson era. It is great that Scal wants to compare Green to a Laker great, but I think he needs a few championships first. Also, it is going to be tough to be compared to the great Worth because Green is not slated to start for the C’s this season. He started while he was in Oklahoma City, and was great, but his role is a little bit different with the Celtics.

Should championships always be a factor in determining great players’ legacies? Forget about the Jeff Green-James Worthy comparison for a minute. Kevin Love is one of the best players in the game today, and he will probably never win a championship, unless he is traded, which is unlikely. Charles Barkley never won a ring either.

Replacement Refs Fail Video

The NFL can’t seriously go another week with these guys. Not to mention I don’t think these refs can bare another week of getting shredded by every single football fan in America. There’s got to be a point where they just quit themselves. I mean it’s just an all around embarrassment. It’s your move Roger.