Starting small forward Ron Artest has fit in very well with the Lakers this season. He has played in 66 games (all starts) for the Lakers this year and he is averaging 34.1 minutes, 11.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Artest has behaved all year long and he is still playing at a very high level defensively. The hunger for a NBA Championship has gotten Artest focused and motivated to be a team player making him a huge asset to the Lakers.

PF/C Pau Gasol has really turned in another solid year for the Lakers this season. Gasol has played in 54 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 36.9 minutes, 17.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game. Gasol doesn’t have a big ego so he doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to Kobe Bryant which has been a big key to the Lakers’ success in the last couple of years. The Lakers need Gasol to stay healthy the rest of the year if they are going to repeat as NBA Champions this year.

The Los Angeles Lakers headed into their matchup last night against the Toronto Raptors with a three-game losing streak.  It looked like the Lakers might be on their way to their fourth straight loss, as they were down 58-50 at halftime and they headed into the 4th quarter down 84-81.  The Lakers fought back in the fourth quarter though and they had a 107-104 lead late in the game.  Lamar Odom had the opportunity to seal the win, but he missed a key free throw with 19.6 seconds left.  Odom really needs to come through in moments like that, because free throws down the stretch are so important.  After Odom’s miss, Raptors star Chris Bosh then came down and hit a three to tie the game at 107-107 with just 9.5 seconds left.  That was plenty of time for the Lakers to get the ball to their star and let him do what he does best, finish games.  Kobe Bryant got the ball on the right wing, saw the double team coming and swept baseline, took two dribbles and rose up to hit a fadeaway corner jumper with 1.9 seconds left.  The shot won the game for the Lakers, making it the seventh time Kobe has hit a game-winner this season.  That is pretty amazing!  Kobe may not be the favorite for the MVP right now, but he is still right there in the mix.  With all of these great game-winners this season, if he has a late season surge of great play and keeps his Lakers atop the Western Conference, then he will likely get his second MVP Award.

When Kobe Bryant went down to injury Shannon Brown started in his place and stepped up. Brown played in 11 games in February for the Lakers and he averaged 27.0 minutes, 10.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He has now played in 59 games (4 starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 8.1 minutes, 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Brown is only 24 years old so he will likely be with the Lakers for a while and he does appear to have a nice upside.

Kobe Bryant has missed the past five games for the Los Angeles Lakers with an ankle injury, but he was back in true form for the Lakers in his first game back last night.  With 4.3 seconds left and the Lakers down 98-96 to the Memphis Grizzlies, Kobe nailed a three from the right wing to put the Lakers up for good.  It was Kobe’s fifth game-winning shot this season.  Kobe went 13-19 from the field and finished with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.  He also put the Lakers on his back in the final 2 1/2 minutes, scoring the team’s final 9 points and also outscoring the Grizzlies 9-3 by himself in those final minutes.  Although the Lakers played well without Kobe (4-1 in his absence), they don’t have a closer who can make big shots down the stretch consistently throughout the season.  Kobe is the best closer since Michael Jordan, so the Lakers are ecstatic to have him back.  Kobe’s play last night is a great sign for the Lakers, as his ankle handled 40 minutes last night and he looks healthy again.

Kobe Bryant has now missed three straight games for the Los Angeles Lakers, but they are 3-0 without him.  The main reason why is Pau Gasol who has really stepped it up in Kobe’s absence, especially in the last 2 games.  In Kobe’s first game out of action against the Trail Blazers, the Lakers got an easy 99-82 win and Gasol had 13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.  That is a bad game compared to Gasol’s last two.  In a 101-89 win over the Spurs, Gasol had 21 points, 19 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks, and 1 steal.  He followed that up with nearly an identical stat line of 22 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks, and 1 steal in a 96-81 win over the Jazz.  The Lakers were also without one of their other top players, Andrew Bynum, so Gasol’s phenomenal play is coming at a great time for the Lakers.  Gasol has been a great sidekick to Kobe Bryant, but he has proven he can hold down the fort while Kobe is out healing up.  If the Lakers can get healthy for the playoffs, I see no reason why they won’t repeat as NBA Champions.

Ron Artest has fit in really well for the Lakers this season as their starting small forward. He has played in 47 games (all starts) for the Lakers this season and he is averaging 33.1 minutes, 11.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. Artest isn’t causing any problems out in L.A. as head coach Phil Jackson is used to dealing with players like him. Artest has not only been playing well on defense as usual but he is shooting 40.1% from the three point line. Artest was a smart addition for the Lakers.

Kobe Bryant has a badly broken finger, an aching knee, and now has a sprained ankle to deal with.  That isn’t going to stop the “Black Mamba” from playing though, and he is expected to play tonight against the Denver Nuggets.  Kobe knows how to play through the pain, which he has proven by playing most of this season with a broken index finger on his shooting hand.  It hasn’t really affected his game too much either, with Kobe averaging 27.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals while shooting 46% from the field.  The one part of his game that his finger could be limiting him is his three point shooting.  Kobe is only hitting 32% of his threes this season, which is his lowest three point percentage since the 2001-’02 season.  Kobe has been playing great overall though, and the Lakers are atop the Western Conference with a 38-12 record.  Without Kobe they go from arguably the best team in the NBA, to just a decent team, so they can not afford to lose him.  Kobe’s competitive drive will keep him on the court as long as he can, and hopefully his injuries don’t get worse and affect him in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar guard Kobe Bryant has another lofty achievement to add to the long list of great accomplishments he has had in his career.  He became the 15th player to reach 25,000 career points and reached it at a younger age than any player in NBA history.  In tonight’s game against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kobe hit a free throw in the second quarter to bring his career total to 25,000 points.  Unfortunately for Kobe, his opponent in tonight’s game will likely get to 25,000 points even quicker.  Kobe will soon pass Jerry West (25,192) and Reggie Miller (25,279), and will likely pass Alex English (25,613) this season.  That means at the end of this season the 31-year-old Bryant will be 12th all-time in career points.  Kobe is having another phenomenal season, averaging 28.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.8 steals on 47% shooting.  What makes those numbers even more impressive is that Kobe has been playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand since early December.  He is definitely one of the best to ever play the game.

The very athletic Shannon Brown has really found a home with the Los Angeles Lakers, and is averaging career highs in almost every category.  Coming out of the Chicago area Proviso East High School, Brown was one of the most highly recruited players in the country and ended up with Tom Izzo at Michigan State where he had a very solid three year career for the Spartans.  Brown went on to be the 25th pick in the 2006 draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.  His NBA career never really took off and he never saw much playing time.  He bounced around from the Cavaliers, to the Chicago Bulls, to the NBA-D League, and to the Charlotte Bobcats before finally finding a home with the Lakers.  Brown really broke out of his shell for the Lakers in last years’ playoffs and this year has continued to make an impact for the Lakers.  Coming off the bench, Brown averages 7.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 18.2 minutes while shooting 47% from the field.  Brown is a strong defender and a great leaper who has made more than a few highlight-reel, momentum-swinging dunks.  It is hard to believe that all of those other teams could not find use for such an athletic guy, but Phil Jackson certainly loves this guys energy and athleticism.