Laker Nation

7:30 Lakers Standard Time

Television: Fox Sports Net, NBA Pass

Fatty: Sorry, I’m late with the take. It was Fatty’s 31st anniversary last night. Which leaves me only a few minutes this AM to put together the preview.

If this was last year.

Last year the Lakers would get us all excited by competing well with some of the best, then only to stink up the place, in losing to lousy teams. Had to be the most frustrated thing to watch, don’t you think? New Orleans is not lousy, but they’re not the Suns or Utah either.

This is the game that may show us how much we have improved from last year to this year. Can we get up for the game? Will this squad display the workman like attitude missing from the previous season?

As Lakers Fans, we don’t ask for much. We are extremely easy to please. We are like the little kid who’s happy with a cardboard box to play with, that doesn’t need the expensive toys. All we want and ask from our Lakers is to play hard, hustle, and spice it up with a few dunks, a few blocks, and a few great passes. We’ll take the occasional loss, as long as we have the effort.

I think this time we will see the new and improved Lakers. And why the new found optimism? Look no further than Derek Fisher. He’s not the Lakers captain. He’s more like the Lakers Foreman or lead man. A tough union guy, who doesn’t come to play, he comes to work. He gets his satisfaction not from scoring, but from the satisfaction of a job well done. Fish won’t let his crew goof off. He’s there to win.

Now on to the game preview…

New Orleans – Our good friend Byron Scott leads his team into LA. Pretty much the same team as last year, except they are healthy and 3 – 0. They were the Big Easy last year. The not so easy this year.

Key Match Ups of the Game:

Chris Paul vs. The Smushless Lakers

Tyson Chandler vs. Andrew Bynum: Who schools who? Hornets lack depth at the center position. They can’t afford fouls. Chandler the kid from Domingez goes against the kid from the Staples.

David West vs. Ronny: West is a premier forward in the NBA. Ronny gets another test. I say he passes it.

Who’s Hot? For the Hornets, nobody.

Who’s Not? Peja was 1-10. West missed his first 8 shots against Denver. Yet, they still managed to win at Denver. And why? Byron had them coming to work and playing some scrappy D.

Game Strategy: Work hard, hustle and Win.

Tonight’s Game Cheer:

Go Lakers, Stand tall…

Give us a win…

And give us your all.

Tonight’s Game Prediction: The ‘Big Easy’ won’t be so easy. But I predict a hard fought game, with a hard fought Lakers win.

GAME PREDICTION CONTEST: As Mr. Miyagi said to the The Karate Kid, on Okinawa, before the big fight. “This not practice, Daniel-san, is real thing” Its race for the Hoodie time. 15 games of a grueling competition. As we learned in the movie Highlander, “There can be only one.” If you think you are good enough to wear the ‘Hoodie’, and be The One, don’t miss a game.

Tonight’s Challenge (Just copy and paste. Put your answer in the preview thread):

1. Game Winner (5pts):

2. Lakers High Scorer (5pts):

3. Lakers Top Rebounder (5pts):

4. Lakers Assist Leader (5pts) :

5. Trivia Challenge (5pts): Last Laker to be perfect in Field Goals in a game (min 7 attempts)?

6. Margin of victory bonus (10pts):