HOOPSWORLD has learned that Trevor Ariza of the Los Angeles Lakers was given partial clearance to the floor from his broken foot. A source close to the situation says a CT Scan on Friday showed enough improvement that Ariza has been green lit to participate in basketball drills and non-contact practices.
A follow-up scan in two weeks will determine if Ariza is ready for a full return.
While Ariza would obviously have preferred to be cleared completely after today’s examination, it may have taken at least a week for the Laker forward to return to the lineup.
Assuming he gets a clean scan (around May 9th), he could be able to get back on the court in a matter of days.
While Ariza won’t be able to play against the Nuggets, there is a good chance he will be available at some point in for Round Two.
The Lakers have yet to release a statement on Ariza’s status.
Kenny Smith of TNT inside the NBA showed his rendition of Kobe Bryants Nike Commercial where he jumped over an Ashton Martin on wednesday night after the Lakers beat the Nuggets. Basically instead of jumping over the car, Kenny Smith gets run over by the car, very funny.
It was during a post game interview with Kobe himself. Kobe was cracking up, especially because Kenny was taken out of his shoes by the moving car, its pretty funny, check out the video below:
Kobe recently sat down with local Los Angeles sportscaster Fred Roggin and discussed the current Laker team, and how things have changed from last year. Kobe said,
“I’ve played on 3 championship teams and we still didnt have this type of …comradery…chemistry…and brotherhood. This is special, and it will be very difficult to walk away from. I enjoy playing with my guys.”
You can definitely tell if you watch all the games that this team gels well, not new news to a real lakerfan.
Here are the results from the NBA defensive player of the year voting. Kobe finished 5th, with Kevin Garnett taking the bulk of the voting. I believe it is rightfully deserved because he did change the defensive mentality over there in white town.
Kobe has been very lacksidasical in his defense this year, often cheating off his man to double team to play the ball, and then causing his man to score or get a wide open shot. Regardless of that, he still is among the best in the league, no one can be perfect.
Kobe is still top in the running for MVP, it should be announced beginning of round 2.
Here are the NBA defensive player of the year voting results:
Here’s audio from todays practice, where Kobe was asked if he wanted to stay a Laker for the rest of his career, and also why some of the off-season comments were made last summer. Kobe expresses that he took a lot of the blame for some of the decisions management made in the past years.
Here’s the audio:
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Pau Gasol had a game-high 36 points and 16 rebounds, and 8 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers had a powerful second half to beat the Denver Nuggets, 128-114, in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal.
Kobe Bryant had 32 points, 18 in the fourth quarter, with another game on Wednesday at the staples center. Lamar Odom had an aggressive 17 points and 14 rebounds, where he took advantage of the many mismatches posed by the Denver lineup.
Luke Walton also stepped up with 16 points and 4 rebounds, when he was called upon early by Phil Jackson due to Vladimir Radmanovic being in early foul trouble. This is good news to lakerscore readers, who thought Luke Walton was the Laker who needed to step up by a landslide amongst the other players in a recent poll.
Lebron James showed his class as well as humbleness when reporters asked him about the MVP race. He was quoted saying,
“I’d give it to Kobe Bryant,” James said before last night’s game. “What he has done this whole year, carrying that team to the No. 1 team in the West right now and playing probably the best basketball all-around . . .
“I’ve been quoted as saying Kobe has been the best player in our league for the last five years,” James said. “He hasn’t been named MVP, and I don’t know why. This is his year.”
Sacramento lost to San Antonio last night, Ron Artest, and Kevin Martin both did not play due to injury. I know the Lakers can take SAC with them, but it would be easier to clinch the West without.
Clippers play New Orleans tonight, So if the Lakers win tonight, they clinch if even New Orleans wins out the rest of their games.
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