Lakers: Mark Willard

The Triangle: Celebrating Kobe's 33rd birthday and his achievements

August, 25, 2011
8/25/11
1:46
PM PT
Kamenetzky By Andy Kamenetzky
ESPNLosAngeles.com
Archive
Kobe Bryant turned 33 on Tuesday, as good a reason as any to look back at everything The Mamba has accomplished during a HOF career. The K Bros and 710 ESPN's Mark Willard tackle a few questions that, to say the least, offer options for responses.
  • Beyond the titles, what is the most impressive aspect of Kobe's career?
  • What is your prediction for Kobe's next great achievement?
  • What is your favorite moment of Kobe's career?

Check out what we said, then offer your two cents.

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The Triangle: What if the new CBA brings "Capmaggedon?"

August, 22, 2011
8/22/11
10:24
AM PT
Kamenetzky By Brian Kamenetzky
ESPNLosAngeles.com
Archive
If the owners have their way, the new CBA is unlikely to bring much good news for the Lakers, and as I noted last week, in such a scenario the Lakers need to do everything they can to maximize their chances of winning before hard cap provisions kick in. (If there's a salary can to kick down the road, get to kickin'!) In the newest installment of The Triangle, ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne and 710 ESPN's Mark Willard join in to expand the conversation.

Among the topics of conversation:
  1. How should the Lakers prepare for a potential "Capmaggedon?"
  2. Long term, what changes about the way in which the Lakers operate?
  3. Should any sacrifice be made now to try and set things up for the NBA's new financial order?
  4. In the NFL, hard caps have resulted in many long-time stars of one team finishing their careers with another. Would a hard cap in the NBA increase Kobe Bryant's chances of ending his playing days in another city?
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The Triangle: On Kobe's health and more

August, 18, 2011
8/18/11
11:45
AM PT
Kamenetzky By Brian Kamenetzky
ESPNLosAngeles.com
Archive
The last few days have been filled with news on Kobe Bryant, highlighted by his 43 point performance at a Drew League game Tuesday afternoon, so it's no surprise to see he's the subject of the newest installment of The Triangle. This week, I'm joined by ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne, as well as 710 ESPN's Mark Willard. The questions on the table:
  1. How healthy and effective does Kobe need to be this season-- we're assuming there will be one-- for the Lakers to again reach championship form?
  2. Is Kobe still capable of hoisting a team on his back through a playoff run? (I say no, at least not purely as a scorer, because it's so much harder for him to generate easy points at the basket at this point in his career. But if the Lakers need a superhuman performance from Bryant in next spring's postseason, they're not going to win, anyway. It takes a village, and the villagers were lacking last season against the Hornets and Mavs. This isn't specific to Kobe. For any team, asking one guy to carry the load through four rounds against the NBA's best isn't a winning formula. Dallas got it with Dirk Nowitzki, but a) he did have help, and b) it's the clear exception to the rule. Stars need to be stars, but can't go it alone.)
  3. Based on what we've all seen so far this offseason, do you expect Kobe to play the 2011-12 campaign in good health?
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TEAM LEADERS

POINTS
Kobe Bryant
PTS AST STL MIN
27.3 6.0 1.4 38.6
OTHER LEADERS
ReboundsD. Howard 12.4
AssistsS. Nash 6.7
StealsM. World ... 1.6
BlocksD. Howard 2.4