Free agent profile: Tracy McGrady

How he might fit with the Lakers.

Detroit Pistons shooting guard Tracy McGrady

Type of free agent: Unrestricted

Positives: No NBA team can make any moves during the lockout and can't even be in contact with players or their representatives, unless of course it's Mark Cuban's appearing onstage with his players accepting an ESPYS award for the best team. So with the Lakers unable to even make a phone call, it doesn't take much connecting the dots to know that McGrady's Photoshopping himself wearing a Lakers uniform and sharing it via Twitter shows he's interested in wearing the purple and gold.

But let's not forget who McGrady is. Before microfracture surgery on his left knee during the 2008-09 season as a Houston Rocket, McGrady was a seven-time All-Star and two-time league scoring leader. Even though his eight points per game last season in Detroit was his lowest scoring average since his rookie season in 1997-1998, McGrady shot a solid 44.2% and showed that he can still make a contribution.

There's several areas he can help the Lakers. Shannon Brown's opting out of his $2.37-million contract left the team without a reliable backup to Kobe Bryant, a role McGrady could fill because of his slashing and aggressive abilities. At 6-foot-8, McGrady would add further wing depth to the team's defense. Say what you will about Ron Artest's poor 2010-11 season, but McGrady's former Rockets teammate at least can present tangible evidence that his Game 7 heroics in the 2010 NBA Finals came in part because he had accepted a reduced role for the team's benefit.

Negatives: Stop jumping up and down in excitement because there's a good chance this would be a horrible move. McGrady still has a toxic persona and I doubt he would shake out of that with the Lakers. McGrady was one of the players who skipped a morning shootaround with Detroit to protest Coach John Kuester. When he was ejected during a regular-season game against Philadelphia that very night, several Detroit players, including McGrady, could be seen laughing over the incident.

Some could argue that the veterans on the Lakers could keep McGrady in line. Too bad Kuester has been hired as one of Mike Brown's assistant coaches, making the likelihood of McGrady's signing slim.

There's also concerns on where McGrady would fit in. He would help the Lakers in a reduced role, the only problem is I don't see McGrady accepting a bench role when he sees himself as a dominant scorer.

Verdict: There are good reasons why the Lakers avoided signing McGrady in years past when he expressed interest in joining them. It may be tempting to sign McGrady to a league-minimum salary with a one-term deal, but that would only make sense if the Lakers had Phil Jackson still at the helm and there was a sense of continuity on the team. The Lakers are going through a big transition with Brown, and the last thing they need is another area that may take some time sorting out.

CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE SOURCE:

DUE TO LACK OF TIME .. SITE IS DOWN, WILLING TO LET IT GO... CONTACT ME @ info@thelakersconnection.com

Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons: Lakers win, 103-90

Lakers 103, Pistons 90 (final)
The Lakers have replaced a recent two-game losing streak with a two-game winning streak.

Kobe Bryant had 33 points, making 11 of 20 shots and all eight of his free-throw attempts, in the victory Wednesday night at Detroit.

Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers (10-2).

Neither Bryant nor Gasol played in the fourth quarter even though the Lakers' reserves lost most of a 26-point lead.

The Pistons (4-8) pulled to within 11 late in the game but came no closer.

Pistons guard Richard Hamilton was ejected quickly after arguing a foul call with referee Derrick Stafford with 7:01 left in the quarter. Hamilton had four points on two-for-five shooting at the time.

After years of struggling on the road against Detroit, the Lakers have won their last three games here.

Click here for Article Source:

LAKERS VS. PISTONS GAME PREVIEW

The Los Angeles Lakers showcased their depth in a victory to open a three-game road trip that should pay dividends for the remainder of it.

They'll play the second half of a back-to-back set of games Wednesday night when they visit the Detroit Pistons.

Los Angeles (9-2) avoided its first three-game skid since March 4-7 with a 118-107 victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The highest scoring team in the league trailed by two at halftime before using a 61-point second half to dominate a Milwaukee squad that entered the contest allowing the fewest points per game in the NBA.

"We talked about it at halftime, doing a better job defensively, we were really poor in the first half, just giving layup after layup," superstar guardKobe Bryant said. "It was good. It was not what we're used to doing, but it's a step in that direction."

Bryant led the way with 31 points, but the second-leading scorer was an unlikely source. Shannon Brown scored a season-high 21 points as he took advantage of fewer minutes for Ron Artest.

"I'm going to keep working and we're going to keep winning," Brown said. "It's more about doing what I've got to do to help my team win."

Brown averaged 8.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting last season - his first with Los Angeles. He's averaging 11.3 on 52.3 percent shooting this season.

"He's even a better shooter than he was last year," Bryant said. "You see him now making plays off the dribble, making plays for others, passing off the dribble. He continues to get better. This is just the beginning for him."

Artest only played 17 1/2 minutes and asked to come out of the game, but insisted nothing was wrong afterward. Coach Phil Jackson said Artest would play Wednesday - the forward's fifth game at the Palace of Auburn Hills since the infamous brawl in 2004 with Indiana.

While Detroit (4-7) will be the underdog, the Pistons do have a strong bench like Los Angeles. Two of the Pistons' three top scorers - Ben Gordonand Charlie Villanueva - play primarily as reserves.

The bench keyed a huge comeback that fell short Monday in a 101-97 loss at Golden State that completed a 2-2 road trip. The Pistons cut a 32-point deficit down to two before losing.

"The passing we showed in the second half is the way we kept this thing within striking distance," coach John Kuester said. "The guys worked hard and showed a lot of grit. It was a heck of a comeback."

Gordon and Villanueva combined for 32 points to help fuel the rally.

"We came back down 32, and when you're doing it in that short of a period (of time) there really isn't any margin for error," Gordon said. "I had some bad turnovers. We didn't execute a couple times on what we wanted to do."

The Lakers have won three straight in this series since losing 12 of 16, including four of five in the 2004 NBA finals.

click here for Article Source:

LAKERS VS. PISTONS GAME PREVIEW

The Los Angeles Lakers showcased their depth in a victory to open a three-game road trip that should pay dividends for the remainder of it.

They'll play the second half of a back-to-back set of games Wednesday night when they visit the Detroit Pistons.

Los Angeles (9-2) avoided its first three-game skid since March 4-7 with a 118-107 victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The highest scoring team in the league trailed by two at halftime before using a 61-point second half to dominate a Milwaukee squad that entered the contest allowing the fewest points per game in the NBA.

"We talked about it at halftime, doing a better job defensively, we were really poor in the first half, just giving layup after layup," superstar guardKobe Bryant said. "It was good. It was not what we're used to doing, but it's a step in that direction."

Bryant led the way with 31 points, but the second-leading scorer was an unlikely source. Shannon Brown scored a season-high 21 points as he took advantage of fewer minutes for Ron Artest.

"I'm going to keep working and we're going to keep winning," Brown said. "It's more about doing what I've got to do to help my team win."

Brown averaged 8.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting last season - his first with Los Angeles. He's averaging 11.3 on 52.3 percent shooting this season.

"He's even a better shooter than he was last year," Bryant said. "You see him now making plays off the dribble, making plays for others, passing off the dribble. He continues to get better. This is just the beginning for him."

Artest only played 17 1/2 minutes and asked to come out of the game, but insisted nothing was wrong afterward. Coach Phil Jackson said Artest would play Wednesday - the forward's fifth game at the Palace of Auburn Hills since the infamous brawl in 2004 with Indiana.

While Detroit (4-7) will be the underdog, the Pistons do have a strong bench like Los Angeles. Two of the Pistons' three top scorers - Ben Gordonand Charlie Villanueva - play primarily as reserves.

The bench keyed a huge comeback that fell short Monday in a 101-97 loss at Golden State that completed a 2-2 road trip. The Pistons cut a 32-point deficit down to two before losing.

"The passing we showed in the second half is the way we kept this thing within striking distance," coach John Kuester said. "The guys worked hard and showed a lot of grit. It was a heck of a comeback."

Gordon and Villanueva combined for 32 points to help fuel the rally.

"We came back down 32, and when you're doing it in that short of a period (of time) there really isn't any margin for error," Gordon said. "I had some bad turnovers. We didn't execute a couple times on what we wanted to do."

The Lakers have won three straight in this series since losing 12 of 16, including four of five in the 2004 NBA finals.

click here for Article Source:

Lakers guard Shannon Brown: Give me a nickname

The suggestions are coming in as fast as Shannon Brown on a fast break. And I want to make sure you're a part of it.

Coming off an impressive fourth-quarter performance in the Lakers' 118-107 victory Tuesday over the Milwaukee Bucks, Shannon Brown is asking his Twitter followers to come up with a nickname for him. With enthusiasm growing for Brown as the league's most improved player, surely some of you have some ideas. Share your nicknames for Brown in the comment threads below with some explanation. I'll be sure to send the results to Brown's Twitter feed and also show him some of the ideas once the Lakers return from their three-game trip.

click here for Article Source:

Lakers talking to free agent Jake Voskuhl

In search of a big man to add to an ever-thinning front court, the Lakers have talked to the representative for free agent Jake Voskuhl, a 6-foot-11 center known for his physical play.

Voskuhl, 33, did not play in the NBA last season. He was invited to the Clippers' training camp this season but was cut in favor of reserve center Jarron Collins.

With Andrew Bynum out until around Thanksgiving and Theo Ratliff out at least four to six weeks after knee surgery, the Lakers need a player down low.

"The Lakers are a great situation," said Voskuhl's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "Any time they call, you're certainly going to listen. Hopefully something's going to happen."

Voskuhl was close to being signed by a couple of teams last season and mulled some offers in Europe, but he sat out the season in part because his wife was having a baby, Bartelstein said.

"He's stayed in shape," Bartelsetin said. "There's no doubt he can help an NBA team."

Players cannot be signed to 10-day contracts until later in the season, but the Lakers can sign Voskuhl to a non-guaranteed contract on a weekly basis.

Voskuhl has played for five teams in a nine-year career. The Lakers consider him to be an active defender and rebounder despite career averages of 3.4 rebounds and 0.4 blocked shots a game.

click here for article source: