ESPN

Brian and I have spent a lot of time recently debating the likelihood of Dwight Howard getting traded, whether to the Lakers or otherwise. I think he will be. Brian doesn't. However, we do agree if Howard relocates before the deadline, it'll come down to the wire, unless the Magic experiences a seemingly unlikely tailspin. Until that time arrives (or doesn't), the Lakers are a team in need of help, and the trade exception from the Lamar Odom deal provides the flexibility to obtain a player without sending one out in return.

One such candidate I've recently pondered is Grizzlies reserve guard O.J. Mayo. From a skill set perspective, he addresses some glaring needs: Mayo is a wing capable of creating his own shot and connecting from outside, plus serving as a reasonably reliable play-maker. He's hardly a panacea, particularly on the defensive end, but at the same time, the Lakers have considerably more issues scoring than stopping, and beggars can't be choosers. Mayo could provide a real shot in the arm. He's been shopped by the Grizzlies before, and would actually be a Pacer right now were it not for last minute snags.

I've wondered over the last couple weeks if the Griz might be willing to pawn him off simply for the privilege of no longer paying his salary. From there, it's a matter of the Lakers picking up a $5.6 million tab, and unless the front office is already writing off this season, they'd have to consider it.

Now, though, it seems this scenario may not be likely. Via Ronald Tillery, Commercial Appeal:

Truth is, Griz management isn't seriously thinking of dealing Mayo nor is his possible, restricted free-agent status this summer a major concern. Mayo likely will remain with the Griz this season because of his productivity and the Grizzlies' ability to control his future with the right of first refusal on contract offers.

Although Mayo is eligible to negotiate a long-term contact extension with Memphis by Wednesday, the Griz aren't compelled to agree to a deal or trade him at the moment.

"It remains to be seen whether something happens or not," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said about a Mayo contract extension. "If it doesn't happen I wouldn't read much into it. We didn't extend Rudy and re-signed him. It's a floating situation. I wouldn't say (Mayo) is a lock to be with us after this year and I wouldn't say he isn't. There's so much ground to be covered between now and July."

(Read full post)

They say you don't get style points for a pretty win, which, by extension, means you don't lose points for an ugly win. And that's fortunate, because the Lakers otherwise might have ended the night with -2 on the scoreboard. The W was secured, but they didn't look so hot making it happen.

Here are five takeaways from the game:

1) Kobe Bryant played an exceptionally well rounded, efficient game.

I was curious to see how Kobe's game might be affected by the presence of Tony Allen (among the best in the league at defending Kobe) and his wrist, which might leave him susceptible to the former Celt's relentless, hawking D. It took just over four minutes, however, for this issue to be rendered dead in the water. After getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar on a turnaround J from Kobe, Allen had to sit with his second foul. Right on cue, Bryant made both of his free throws, then set up Matt Barnes for a three-pointer, a clear announcement of this being a strong night in the making.

Whether setting up teammates to the tune of nine dimes or putting up 26 points on a clean 50 percent shooting, Kobe was aggressive, but also under control and worked extremely hard to involve his teammates. During the first quarter, he ran pick-and-pop to perfection to perfection with Troy Murphy, putting the stretch forward in perfect position for a long deuce. Later, he manufactured an alley-oop for Pau Gasol and set up Steve Blake for a corner three via a cross-court fastball tossed with enough heat and accuracy to make Mariano Rivera jealous.

And I specifically used the Yankees pitcher for the baseball parallel, because Bryant also went into "closer" mode, albeit not during the literal last minute. With 4:38 remaining and the Laker lead down to five, Kobe drilled back-to-back J's from 14 and nine feet, creating enough separation on a night where the fourth quarter turned muddy.

There was even a toe dipped into the fountain of youth. The Staples Center faithful was whipped into a frenzy after Bryant drove the baseline past Rudy Gay, then threw down a reverse jam with the authority of his days in a #8 jersey.

Good stuff.

(Read full post)

The Lakers again sit one game above .500 as their roller-coaster season pushes forward. Save for the home victory over Denver, they've yet to beat a team universally viewed as good, and it's hard to say that Sunday's opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies, qualifies as such. For many NBA scribes, including yours truly, this was the sexy pick for "dark horse contender." But myriad injuries -- most notably Zach Randolph's torn MCL -- have led to a 3-4 start.

Still, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley Jr. and O.J. Mayo can all do damage; Tony Allen (a must-follow on Twitter) is capable of making Kobe Bryant work hard; and Lionel Hollins is a good coach. Plus, I don't think it's going out on a limb to say -- or at least hope -- the Lakers aren't firing on all cylinders at the moment.

For more perspective on the Griz, we called upon Chip Crain, who runs the TrueHoop Network's 3 Shades of Blue blog. Here are his thoughts on five questions about the Grizzlies.

Land O'Lakers: How drastically has Zach Randolph's injury affected the Grizzlies, whether in production, presence, etc.? For that matter, the frontcourt is pretty thin, with Darrell Arthur also hurt. How has this changed the way the Griz operate?

Chip Crain: Z-Bo’s injury hasn’t affected the Grizzlies any more than the Lakers' losing Kobe for at least six weeks would. It’s a huge loss to lose your All-Star player and dominant paint player. Throwing his injury on top of losing Arthur, a key bench player for the Grizzlies, has left a huge hole at a position that was an area of strength heading into the season.

So far, the Grizzlies have responded by moving Gay and Sam Young to power forward at times and playing a faster tempo. It has worked so far because Mike Conley, who sprained his ankle against OKC in the second game, returned, and the team was able to push the tempo without dramatically increasing turnovers. It is not a long-term solution, however. Neither is Marreese Speights, for whom the Grizzlies traded after learning of Randolph’s injury, but they had to have someone to put next to Gasol.

LO'L: Mike Conley made a pretty drastic leap forward last season after most people roundly mocked his contract. (He also had a habit of carving up the Lakers.) Has that evolution continued, and do you see him as a potential high-end PG in the making?

CC: As I said, Conley has been instrumental in keeping the Grizzlies' heads on tight and managing to win games (2-0 since Randolph’s injury was revealed). Conley is not a big-stat point guard. He’s not going to shoot a bunch of shots, nor does the Grizzlies' offense set up for huge assists, but he keeps everyone focused and on the same page. What Conley lacks in stats he more than makes up for in composure. It’s difficult to measure composure in a box score, but the team is plus-40 when he is on the court since his return.

(Read full post)

Before coming up just shy on Saturday against Houston, the Griz were riding a five-game winning streak, which tied the longest roll since 2006. They've also won eight of their last 10 and boast a credible 16-7 record at FedExForum, with one win coming at the Lakers' expense. In other words, building on a victorious start to this monster roadie isn't impossible, but it won't be a walk in the daisies.

Here are some items to watch once the ball is jumped:

Can Pau Gasol's aggressiveness continue?
Ever since Kobe Bryant implored Pau to be more "Black Swan" before a win over the Rockets, El Spaniard's on-court demeanor has been noticeably more forceful. Over his last three games, fantastic numbers have been produced, and Gasol has consistently attacked defenders as opposed to settling for path-of-least-resistance jumpers. That these mid-range shots are well within his range isn't the point. There needed to be a more conscientious effort by Pau to drive against defenders and put them at risk of picking up fouls. These days, he's been putting the ball on the floor, absorbing whatever contact and ratcheting his effectiveness.

(In adopting this attitude, even his J's have turned feistier. During the New Orleans win, he and an equally red hot David West were trading jumpers in each other's grill, and Pau seemed to enjoy going right back at West whenever the power forward got the best of him. When the dust finally settled, the clear victor was Gasol.)

I'm curious to see, however, if this mind-set carries forth against his hermano and former franchise, which hasn't always been a good situation for him. There were signs this mental block had been overcome during a 19 point win at Staples, but a 19 point loss at Staples featured Pau operating as a listless rag doll. Sandwiched in between was a Graceland performance with 14 rebounds, but inefficient shooting and the inability to take the game over.

Pau vowed after the Houston win to remain in aggro mode 24/7. Keeping to his word in this setting would go a long way to convince fans his bouts with inconsistency this season are truly a thing of the past.

(Read full post)

Under most circumstances, I would peg a week against the Grizzlies, Rockets and Kings (a trio with 16 wins between them) as relatively easy. Then again, most circumstances don't typically feature the Lakers hitting the road on a two-game losing streak, but here we are today.

Does this mean I'm worried about the Lakers? No, nor do I think fans should be. It's far too early in the season for such a reaction. Having said that, the Lakers on the schneid makes it illogical to take things lightly. There's a positive roll in need of creating. Thankfully, the chance to enjoy the upcoming Saturday on a three-game win streak is a real possibility, should the opportunity be seized.

Game of the week

Tuesday @Memphis, 5pm PT

None of these squads boast a winning record, but Memphis is at least above .500 at home, whereas Houston hasn't been terribly successful in any locale, and Sacramento is in the midst of an extreme tailspin (1-9 in the last 10 games). Beyond the ability to challenge inside FedExForum, the Griz have been consistently competitive in defeat. Of their ten losses this season, six came by six points or fewer. Throw it all together and Memphis may be outmatched on paper against the Lake Show, but not incapable of providing fits.

There are the usual plot lines to monitor. Los hermanos Gasol going mano y' mano, a showdown historically causing familial conflict-of-interest for Pau. (Outplaying his sib in early November was a theoretical sign of a mental block being conquered.) The Southpaw battle between Lamar Odom and Zach Randolph. A bruised tailbone prevented Z.Bo from participating in the Lakers' November win, but the game changes dramatically with the All-Star power forward in the fold. Randolph is draining nearly 51 percent of his shots (16.8 ppg) while pulling down 11.3 rebounds a night. Four offensive boards per game are especially impressive, so the Lakers must remain conscious of boxing out.

Moreover, there's the new wrinkle in O.J. Mayo's recent shift to the bench, a lineup switch also intriguing Phil Jackson when I broached the subject with him before the Indiana game. During the last meeting between these squads, Randolph's absence thrust Arthur into the first five, further accentuating Memphis' lack of second unit scoring punch. With Mayo as a 6th man, the Laker reserves now must account for a potentially explosive option, albeit one struggling with his shot. The baller USC refuses to acknowledge put up 23 off the pine Friday against the Warriors and represents a handful for Shannon Brown, the Laker jumping to PJ's mind as Mayo's primary defender.

In the meantime, Laker fans will be deprived of the familiar sight of Kobe Bryant attacking -- destroying, to be blunt -- Mayo on defense. Guarding 24 in the post had been especially brutal for O.J., and P.J. noted how this offensive-defensive matchup had been specifically utilized to "take [Mayo's] game away from him by that process." Rookie Xavier Henry now starts, and the kid's superior size (6-6, 220) isn't lost on Jackson. Backing down Henry could be a tougher proposition for Kobe.

Then again, it could be cake. Jackson doesn't really have a solid bead on the Kansas product as a defender, and in all likelihood, there's an element of surprise still in play for Memphis as well.

"They're still not in sync yet with that lineup," explained Jackson.

Finally, Henry is largely anonymous to the casual NBA fan, the kind of player Kobe often decides isn't worthy of his respect and attention. This assessment has a strange habit of giving C-Listers their 15 minutes of fame. Something to keep an eye on.

(Read full post)

The Grizzlies were among the league's bigger surprises last season, whether you're talking their 40 wins (up from 26 in 2009), Zach Randolph fitting in, or Allen Iverson failing to follow suit. Okay, the last development was more predictable your garden variety Hollywood rom-com, but still, the Griz emerged a tough competitor in the West, and provided fits for the Lakers while splitting their final two meetings. They're looking to build on that momentum, while the Lakers try to remain undefeated. Here are a few items to ponder as we see if something gives:

Pau vs. Marc
We've now entered the third season of Pau competing professionally against his younger brother Marc, and if the process has become old hat, it would represent a major milestone. Gasol's numbers against his old team lag by his career standards, indicative of the difficult psychology of playing against a franchise you once lent a face, plus the issues inherent with this setup. There's no question which brother is the more polished, complete player. But Marc has rapidly evolved into a quality NBA big, and in the meantime, has appeared less thrown by the concept of tussling with his hermano.

Of course, Marc's perspective contains less ennui.

Pau is a heady cat. For the most part, this intelligence is a major plus, whether on the court or away from it. But a hyper-aware brain has drawbacks, certainly the case for Pau while squaring off against his younger brother. The two are very close, and Pau is very sympathetic to the strides Marc's made to overcome the stigma of being associated with a trade initially considered the most lopsided in recent NBA history... plus a persistent tag.

"At first, he was always 'Pau's brother,' " noted Gasol during Monday's practice. "He had to work really hard. People started calling him by his name instead of being my brother. It took a little time, but I think that helped him, to fight through that and be eager to get to that point."

And that, boys and girls, is the rub.

(Read full post)

The seemingly obvious call would be Kobe Bryant's game-winning three-pointer, canned with four seconds left and set up by a beautifully designed inbound play allowing the superstar to use a Pau Gasol screen to run off ball and free himself for glory in his return to action.

I could instead go slightly less obvious and nominate Kobe's game-tying trey, which squared the game at 96 apiece with just a minute to go. On that possession, Mamba utilized another Gasol screen, then casually pulled up a foot or so behind the arc. Nothing but net.

But honestly, I think the game's real "moment" came during the second quarter when, on consecutive possessions, Shannon Brown made two bad decisions with wildly different results. These "Jekyll and Hyde" 21 seconds were the embodiment of both why the Lakers emerged victorious and why the game came down to the wire in the first place.

(Read full post)

That would be Kobe Bryant 's shooting percentage in two games this season against Memphis, to go along with 42.5 points a contest and a 57.1% mark from downtown.

Playing primarily from the post, Kobe was 19-30 on November 6th at Staples, back when the Grizzlies still had Allen Iverson on the roster. February 1st in Memphis, he was 16-28 en route to 44 points and the top spot on the all-time franchise scoring list.

O.J. Mayo must be totally stoked to have Kobe back on the floor.