29 replies to this topic

[West Coast]

MEMPHIS -- The Lakers needed to talk. So they did. Loudly.

They held a clear-the-air team meeting before Wednesday morning's shoot-around, with Kobe Bryant very directly asking Dwight Howard if he disliked playing with the long-time Lakers star.

"Guys went at each other a little bit," said a person who witnessed the meeting.

Coach Mike D'Antoni started it by saying he was tired of reading newspaper stories about players questioning his offense or wanting more touches. Bryant and Howard each fell under that category after the Lakers' lifeless 95-83 loss Monday in Chicago: Bryant said the offense needed to slow down while Howard expressed displeasure after taking only five shots.

D'Antoni then told the team to stop worrying about offense and start playing better defense. The Lakers are fifth in scoring (102.6 points a game) but 26th in defense (101.4 points a game).

He then asked players to speak up. Steve Nash went first.

Nash, in his first season with the Lakers, said he didn't care how they played, whether it was via pick-and-roll or fastbreak or whatever. He just wanted everybody to be comfortable in the system. It was seen as a sacrifice by Nash, who played four seasons under D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense in Phoenix and won two NBA MVP awards while doing it.

Bryant also spoke up, acknowledging he could be "hard to play with" and asking Howard if that bothered him.

Howard's answer was unclear, though he did not engage Bryant in nearly as vocal a manner as Bryant engaged him.

"He didn't go back at Kobe," said the person who witnessed the meeting.

It was not known how long the actual meeting lasted, but the Lakers' shoot-around went an hour longer than expected.

Howard was contrite with reporters afterward, saying he was sorry for demanding more touches two days earlier. The meeting seemed to have affected him.

"It starts with me," he said Wednesday. "I have to be more of a player out there on the court and not worry about anything, not complain. Just do what I do best."

After scoring only eight points on five shots against Chicago, Howard kept telling reporters to "look at the stat sheet" after the game.

"That was immature," he said Wednesday. "I shouldn't have done it.

"I've just got to go out there and dominate defensively and make it tough for teams. I just have to get back to doing that and not worry about the offense."

D'Antoni, for his part, told reporters that the team would "maybe slow it down" on offense. He reiterated his defense-first assessment.

“The focus needs to be on the right thing. Our defense has to get better," D'Antoni said.

The Lakers (17-24) are lodged in 12th place in the Western Conference. They play Memphis on Wednesday night.

Howard tried to hit reset on the Lakers' season, which hit its midpoint Monday.

"I think this will be the start of a new season for us tonight. Hopefully our effort and energy is where it needs to be," he said.

D'Antoni used similar words in saying the team was "restarting" its season last week. The Lakers beat Cleveland and Milwaukee but lost three in a row after that.

[ツ]

enough with the "new season"

[24allday]

He gonna coach some defensive plans for more than 30 minutes?

[True Lakers Fan]

Well, then that clears that, and can I suggest something? can we had one big "Laker Drama thread" seems to have alot of Cluster around here

[LakeShow805]

wow MD talking about defense.....thats a first

[lakersp4p]

interesting
wanna see how they respond tonight

[WhatUSaid]

This is junior high BS.

[last stand 2.0]

Sounds wonderfully awkward

[WhatUSaid]

Sounds wonderfully awkward

this team is awkward.

[djcovi]

I like that. But turn the record over, I've heard them say they need to play better defense, I've heard everybody has to sacrifice. The only way I'l believe they mean what they say is if they show it on the court.The season started back in October, wake up.

[magicmoment]

*in Kevin Hart voice* First of all, let's get this out the way...

[last stand 2.0]

I can see Kobe saying that and Howard looking around and the whole room silent, fumbling his words, throwing a couple "uhs", and then saying something ambiguous like "we'll figure it out"

^ Sounds pretty accurate.

This is junior high BS.

That's what it's come to though, we have no choice. Complete & utter pathetic desperation.

[alexthegreat]

Interesting. Would have loved to hear Dwight's response to Kobe

^ Maybe TMZ will release it later.

[fozi]

How is this leaked ?? Things like this should not be reached to other than players and the coach ...


Anyways, this doesn't prove anything,, as i said guys need to be on the same page, but thats only the blueprint, winning games and playing for the team is an evidence ,, but post games interview and some reports doesn't hold water with me..


Play like you are paid over 100 million and win .. Theres nothing else to be concerned about ..

How is this leaked ?? Things like this should not be reached to other than players and the coach ...

It was probably secretly that to some Lady_V like chick Ramona.

[Disaster in Paradise]

Another new season?

[t-1]

wow MD talking about defense.....thats a first

Not really he has been talking about alot this season.

[tsidebotham]

I was just going to post this... how many seasons do the Lakers need to play under .500 ball?