January 2012 Archives

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

The search continues.

The Lakers have spoken to the Cleveland Cavaliers about trading for point guard Ramon Sessions in an attempt to bolster their backcourt, according to Yahoo Sports. The website, citing unnamed sources, also reported Tuesday no deal was imminent.

Yahoo also wrote the Lakers held a workout for Morris Peterson recently.

The team also has contacted free agent Gilbert Arenas about signing.

Sessions, 25, would be a younger alternative to either Peterson or Arenas.

Coach Mike Brown acknowledged the Lakers have been looking for help.

The Lakers have been using rookies Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris as backups to the 37-year-old Derek Fisher while Steve Blake recovers from a rib/sternum injury that's expected to sideline him for at least several more weeks.

Blake received medical clearance Tuesday to begin working out on a treadmill, the Lakers said. He also has been shooting baskets on his own. But a team spokesman stressed that there is no firm date for his return to the active roster.

The Lakers could use the $8.9 trade exception they received from the Dallas Mavericks in the Lamar Odom trade in December to acquire Sessions, who will be paid $4.3 million this season and has a player option worth $4.6 million for 2012-13.

Sessions averaged 13.3 points, 5.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds last season, his best in the NBA, but he has slumped while serving as rookie Kyrie Irving's backup and has averaged 9.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists this season.

The trade deadline is March 15.

A sneak-peek at tomorrow's story ...

MILWAUKEE -- Metta World Peace started Saturday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on the bench, but Lakers coach Mike Brown indicated his days as a backup to small forward Matt Barnes could be nearing an end.

"I like him on the second unit," Brown said. "I want to give him a chance to be with that second unit. But, at the end of the day, there is a chance I would throw him in the (starting) lineup if I thought it would help our team.

"Yeah, I'm not opposed to that."

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

Kobe Bryant pulled Metta World Peace aside in the locker room after the Lakers scrapped and clawed and snarled their way to a 96-91 comeback victory Wednesday night over the Clippers at Staples Center.

Bryant had a message for his teammate: play just like that all the time.

The edgy World Peace re-emerged Wednesday and helped to fuel the Lakers' rally with a blend of deft passing, strong rebounding, annoying defense and one timely 3-pointer when the game was on the line in the fourth quarter.

He admitted he lost his focus last season, but is on the rebound in 2011-12.

"I got bored with defense because it was so easy to stop people over the years," he said. "I got bored with it. When you're playing with guys and stopping them every single time, what else are you going to do? It caught up to me, but this year I'm doing better.

"This year I'm almost back to where I want to be."

World Peace's tangle with Blake Griffin of the Clippers, which led to a jump ball, was a highlight-reel sensation late Wednesday and well into Thursday. Peace certainly didn't break out as the Hallway Series reached new levels of bickering.

Bryant was pleased the Lakers didn't back down.

"Everybody played with the right attitude, the right temperament," he said. "Everyone did what they do best. Metta (the former Ron Artest) was himself. He wasn't trying to be this peaceful guy. I told him he just has to be who you are and we'll surround you and Pau (Gasol), as well, and myself. ... It was good."

Of his postgame conversation with World Peace, Bryant said:

"I talked to him after the game in the locker room and said, 'That's what you need.
That's who you are. You're a nice person. You're a great guy. Everyone knows you're a great guy. But when you get in between those lines, you have to be the person that you were in Indiana, the person we brought here and play with that type of attitude.'"

A sneak-peek at tomorrow's game story ...

Standing in one corner, wearing red, white and blue, the upstart Clippers.

Standing in the other corner, wearing gold and purple, the struggling Lakers.

Most seasons the Battle of Los Angeles has been nothing of the sort.

The Clippers and Lakers went at it like bickering neighbors Wednesday night at Staples Center, battling as if something more than just bragging rights were at stake in the second of three Hallway Series matchups this season.

It looked and sounded more like the playoffs in May or June than a regular-season game in January as the Lakers rallied for a 96-91 victory. The visiting Clippers led for most of the game in search of their second consecutive victory over the Lakers.

"It got chippy out there," coach Mike Brown said after the Lakers (11-8) ended a three-game losing streak overall with their 10th victory in 12 home games. "It was good to see our guys respond."

Kobe Bryant put the Lakers ahead for good 81-80 with a jump shot with 5 minutes, 2 seconds left in the game. He rallied the Lakers by scoring 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, and also had four rebounds and three assists in the final period.

Pau Gasol scored 17 of his 23 points in the first half and grabbed a team-leading 10 rebounds and Andrew Bynum had 19 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots. Bynum's dunk with 32.8 seconds left sealed the deal, giving the Lakers a 91-87 lead.

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

The Lakers' two-year reign as NBA champions ended with their second-round playoff loss last May to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks. They claimed a new title Wednesday as the league's most-valuable franchise, according to Forbes.

The Lakers vaulted past the New York Knicks with a value of $900 million, a 40 percent increase over last year thanks in large part to their new television deal with Time Warner Cable. The Knicks were second in value at $780 million, a 19 percent increase.

The Chicago Bulls were third at $600 million, followed by the Mavericks ($497 million), the Boston Celtics ($482 million) and the Miami Heat ($457 million). The Clippers were 20th in the 30-team league at $324 million, up 6 percent from last year.

Coach Mike Brown doesn't believe the Lakers can compare to the Clippers at this point.

"I look at it as it's not a rivalry," Brown said today. "Right now, they're ahead of us in terms of what they want to be doing with their team on both ends of the floor and, so for us, we're still searching. That's the state of where we are right now.

"We're a ways away from reaching our potential or being where we want to be at the end of the season. They're more settled and focused on where they're heading. If I were them, I would be thinking I would have an edge, too."

The Clippers won the first Hallway Series game 102-94.

When the Lakers fell Sunday to the Pacers 98-96, it marked the 11th consecutive game in which they failed to score 100 points or more. They are 6-5 in that stretch. They haven't gone 12 in a row without scoring 100 since 2003-04, when they went 6-6.

Furthermore, the Lakers finished 2003-04 by averaging 98.2 points, the lowest since the franchise moved to Los Angeles from Minneapolis in 1960. If they continue their 92.3 average, it would be their lowest since the shot clock was adopted in 1954-55.

The Lakers averaged 101.5 points last season en route to their fourth consecutive season with 57 victories or more. They failed to win their third straight NBA championship and Mike Brown replaced the retiring Phil Jackson as coach last May.

Adapting to Brown's changes has been difficult, especially on offense.

"Some of what we're going through is effort, some of it is energy, some of it is passion," veteran Derek Fisher said. "Those things are sometimes harder to kind of manufacture and bring out when you're thinking a lot. We're still thinking some as a team.

"We're not just playing our game and trying to be who we are. We'll figure it out, though. That's what our job is and that's what we'll do."

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

Brian Shaw rode the bus to Staples Center and walked down to the corridor to the visiting locker room for the first time in his career as an NBA player or coach. Then he stood at center court, with the Lakers' championship banners hanging behind him.

It was a strange feeling.

After all, Shaw spent 12 seasons as a player and a coach with the Lakers, winning three titles as a versatile guard and two as an assistant. He returned Sunday as an assistant coach with Indiana, helping guide the Pacers to a 98-96 victory.

"Obviously, those memories are never going to go anywhere," he said before his new team faced his old one for the only time this season. "I'm just trying to focus on what I'm trying to do with this team. ...

"My mentality is the Lakers are just like any other team. We're going to play 'em; we want to beat 'em. When the game is over we can hug and shake hands and talk. Now, they're an opponent that is standing in our way."

Conventional wisdom suggested Shaw was the right man in the right spot to replace Phil Jackson when he retired as the Lakers' coach last May. He didn't get the job that went to Mike Brown and landed an assistant's job with Indiana in July.

"I've never had a problem with the hiring of Mike Brown or anything like that," Shaw said. "My only issue was the way I found out and I understand the nature of the business. I've been in the business for a long time."

Shaw learned of Brown's hiring last May from news reports rather than directly from the Lakers.

"In terms of moving on, the toughest part is packing up the family and the house and finding a school for the kids," he continued. "Other than that everything is fine. When I look back on it, the entire time I was here, I was on a one-year contract.

"So, it never felt like there was a whole lot of security. It could have happened at any point, so I always kept that in perspective. I understand when a coach like Phil goes out and a new coach comes in, they want to bring their own people in or whatever else.

"I understand that part of it, so in terms of that it's not hard to move on."

Not only did the game go to the Orlando Magic and their center Dwight Howard, but Howard also one-upped Andrew Bynum in the quotable department after the game tonight. Howard scored 21 points and grabbed 23 rebounds (to 10 and 12 for Bynum). He also put the whole who's the better center deal and the possibility that they could be traded for each other into perspective after the Magic defeated the Lakers 92-80.

"It wasn't about Dwight Howard Night, it wasn't about Andrew Bynum Night," Howard said. "It was about the Magic and the Lakers, and ... the only thing on my mind was getting a win There's no need to go back and forth about me and him. We play the game different ways, we both have an objective and that's to win.

"He's won two rings and I'm trying to get mine."

Shaquille O'Neal said earlier in the week on TNT that he believed Bynum was better than Howard, calling him the game's best big man. Charles Barkley cast his vote with Howard, saying he was the better defender and rebounder.

A sneak-peak at tomorrow's story tonight ...

MIAMI -- Andrew Bynum was matched against the Miami Heat's Joel Anthony on Thursday night, which was a big mismatch in Bynum's favor. After all, Bynum stands 7-foot and weighs 285 and Anthony is relatively pint-sized at 6-9, 245.

The bigger test will be tonight when Bynum faces Orlando's Dwight Howard for the only time this season, the player he admires more than any other NBA center and the man some pundits around the league believe he could be traded for sooner or later.

Lakers executive Jim Buss isn't among them, but that's a story for another day. It might not be worth it for the team to swap Bynum for Howard since Bynum could be the better of the two behemoths, especially with the ball in his hands.

Bynum is averaging 16.3 points on 52.9 percent shooting and 13.8 rebounds after he had 15 points and 12 rebounds in the Lakers' 98-87 loss against the Heat. Howard is averaging 20.1 points on 58.7 percent shooting and a league-leading 15.6 rebounds.

"The guy is definitely more proven," Bynum said of Howard. "I always look up to him and want to be able to get the ball and do the things he does with it. I think I learn a lot from watching him play. ... It's a fun game (to play against him)."

So, who is the better big man?

Depends who you ask.

Shaquille O'Neal, a former Lakers center and a current TNT commentator, gave the edge to Bynum on Monday, telling viewers: "Andrew Bynum is a true big man with a back you down jump hook. Dwight Howard has one or two moves on the block. Andrew Bynum has a right jump hook and a left jump hook. He's a true big man."

Charles Barkley, O'Neal's TNT sidekick, voted for Howard.

"Dwight Howard is a much better defender and a better rebounder," he said.

The Lakers are one of the NBA's best defensive teams so far this season, but their offense is near the bottom of the league. It could explain why their 10-5 record to start the season could be considerably better.

After all, the Lakers are holding opponents to 89.4 points, the fifth-lowest mark in the league, on 40.9 percent shooting (third-lowest). Chicago has the league's best defense, giving up 85.0 points, and Philadelphia is best at opponents' shooting (40.6 percent).

Offensively, the Lakers are averaging 93.3 points, which is only 19th-best in the NBA, on 45.7 percent shooting. The Miami Heat, Thursday night's opponents, are averaging a league-best 106.2 points on 48.7 percent shooting.

"We're trying to find our way offensively," coach Mike Brown said. "You can see in stretches where it is really discombobulated. The ball comes to a stop. I'd like to feel if we don't score, we can still win games. Hopefully, our guys understand we can win with defense."

The Lakers scored only seven points in the third quarter of their victory Monday over the Dallas Mavericks, one more than the franchise record for the fewest points in a quarter in the shot-clock era, set in 1977. They finished with 73 points, which is three more than the club record for the fewest points in a game, set in 2002.

Kobe Bryant was named today to the preliminary 20-man roster for the 2012 London Olympics, which wasn't a surprise given his gold-medal performance with Team USA in 2008. U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo each talked about keeping tabs on Bryant's health as the Games approach.

They want him healthy and contributing.

"I think Kobe really wants to be in London and depending on injury, that will be his choice, but it will have to be something very, very serious (to sideline him)," Krzyzewski said. "He has a number of years left, but I know he would want another Olympic championship. He's about championships, and we need him ... because of that mentality and being one of the leaders for our team."

Said Colangelo: "He's such a competitor, he'll do anything to play and he wanted to take any role he was asked to play. So in this particular case, Kobe is going to keep us posted and we'll watch him as closely as we can. We don't want to put him in any jeopardy whatsoever, and we won't."

Bryant has been playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist. He also has had issues with his right knee, pinky, index finger and ring finger in recent seasons. He traveled to Germany during the offseason to have a procedure performed on his knee.

The final Olympic roster must be pared to 12 by June, or before the U.S. begins its training camp sometime after July 4. The Games will be held July 27-Aug. 12.

An expanded version of tomorrow's story today ...

Lakers coach Mike Brown said today he wanted the NBA would take a closer look at Blake Griffin's post-whistle shove to Darius Morris while the rookie guard was in midair late in the first quarter of the Lakers' 102-94 loss Saturday to the Clippers.

Paul fouled Morris a nanosecond earlier, but Morris continued to the basket and dunked as Griffin shoved him. Brown went into a rage on the sideline and had to be restrained by his assistant coaches and drew a technical foul.

"Whether the shove was blatant and, boom, or was just a little shove, when a guy is in the air, that's a dangerous play," Brown said. "Nothing was called (on Griffin) and I wondered why. So I'm going to ask (the league) to review it mainly so I understand."

Brown didn't say he believed Griffin meant to harm Morris, but he said he was confused by the referees' explanation of events.

"I would like to know the league's ruling on that after they watch it on tape to see, so I have a better understanding," he said. "What I was told, in a nutshell, is that its OK to push a guy in the air as long as he doesn't get hurt, or it doesn't look like he's going to get hurt. So it's a judgment call because the whistle clearly had been blown."

Griffin upset the Lakers last season and during two exhibitions earlier this season because they believed he celebrates his dunks a little too excitedly and jumped on their backs while going after rebounds he clearly cannot get.

Griffin did not apologize for Saturday's play.

"All last year, if I ever kept going after the whistle (stuff happened)," Griffin said when asked after the game about the shove on Morris. "I got told early in the season that was going to happen. It's an unwritten rule. If you're going after the whistle, be prepared."

A sneak-peak at tomorrow's story tonight ...

With the veteran Steve Blake sidelined for up to a month because of a fracture of the cartilage where the ribs meet the sternum, Lakers coach Mike Brown planned to turn to the rookie Morris as a replacement. Brown said there was no Plan B.

"I've got a lot of confidence in him until he screws up," Brown said of Morris before the Lakers renewed their Hallway Series rivalry with the Clippers at Staples Center. "It's probably just going to be Darius and Fish."

Fish is Derek Fisher, the Lakers' 37-year-old starting point guard. As Fisher's backup, Blake is averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 assists in 12 games, tops among the Lakers' substitutes. Fisher is averaging 24.8 minutes; Blake is averaging 24.3.

"He's good enough to start for a lot of other teams," Brown said of Blake. "There are times late in games when he's on the floor with our first unit. I can go on and on about him. It's a big blow for us. Another guy is going to step up to get it done."

For now that guy is Morris, a Los Angeles native who was a standout at Windward High before playing two seasons at Michigan before the Lakers selected him in the second round (41st overall) of the NBA draft last June.

The Lakers' second unit took a hit when the team announced during tonight's 97-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers that backup point guard Steve Blake would be sidelined for about three to four weeks because of a costochaondral fracture.

In layman's terms, he fractured the cartilage that connects the ribs to the sternum.

Blake was originally hurt in Tuesday victory over the Phoenix Suns and then he aggravated it in the second half of Wednesday's victory over the Utah Jazz. He is averaging 7.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

Playing without Blake and Metta World Peace, who had a sore back and Achilles' tendon, the Lakers' backups combined for only four points tonight. Rookie guard Darius Morris, who figures to fill in for Blake, had three points in only his second NBA game.

A sneak-peak at tomorrow's story ...

Lakers coach Mike Brown did not leave two tickets for Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert tonight. "He's got enough money to buy 2,000 or 20,000 let alone two," he said. Gilbert fired Brown after the Cavs won 61 games in 2009-10.

The Lakers hired him to replace the retiring Phil Jackson last May.

Brown said he has no hard feelings toward his former employer.

"He gave me an opportunity," he said. "He gave me an opportunity for five years. He did everything as a coach you hope an owner would do to help you have a chance to win. We just didn't get it done. Sometimes it happens. It's his team, his money.

"I've got a good life. I don't think it would be right if I was upset or acted a different way with the type of money I'm making. There are a whole bunch of other people who are struggling and don't make what I make and get fired every day.

"I'm blessed. I try to keep it in perspective."

Backup guard Steve Blake suffered a fracture of the cartilage that connects the rib to the sternum, an MRI exam today showed. He was hurt during the Lakers' victory Tuesday over the Phoenix Suns and aggravated it during their overtime victory Wednesday over the Jazz in Utah. He left the game and was treated in the locker room, returning to watch the last few minutes of overtime from the bench.

The Lakers said Blake would be re-evaluated in the next few days. They list his status for Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers as day-to-day. Rookie Darius Morris could be used as a replacement for Blake. Morris had four points in his NBA debut Wednesday.

The team didn't practice today and neither Blake nor coach Mike Brown was available for comment.

A sneak-peak at tomorrow's game story tonight ...

SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah Jazz center Al Jefferson had the ball and the game in his hands with the final seconds ticking down in overtime Wednesday night in front of a raucous crowd at EnergySolutions Arena.

Then, suddenly, he didn't.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum reached up and swatted away what could have been the game-winning layup in the closing seconds. The ball ended up in the eager hands of teammate Kobe Bryant, who was fouled with 0.7 seconds remaining.

Bryant sank two free throws at the other end of the court for the last of his team-leading 40 points in a nerve-jangling 90-87 victory for the Lakers over the Jazz, their first on the road in four tries and their fourth consecutive overall.

"I liked our perseverance," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. "We found a way."

When it seemed the Jazz might roll over the Lakers to start the 5-minute extra period and it looked as if a Bryant's one-on-one play might prove costly instead of beneficial, things went in a very different direction in crunch time.

Bynum's block was one of several monster plays.

Bryant made a 3-pointer after Paul Millsap gave Utah an 82-78 lead to start overtime with a breakaway layup and then a jump shot. Millsap seemed poised to simply bulldoze his way through the Lakers in overtime, but it never happened.

"He's an athletic shooting guard in a power forward's body," Brown said of Millsap, who is listed at 6-foot-8 and 253 pounds. "I don't know how you defend him. You try to stay in front of him and you hope he'll miss. He's unbelievable."

Lakers power forward Pau Gasol sank a 3-pointer after Bryant drove into traffic and found him alone in the left corner. Gasol's first 3 in his fifth attempt of the season gave the Lakers the lead for good at 86-85 with 2 minutes, 2 seconds remaining.

A sneak-peak at tomorrow's game story ...

His pinky is damaged. So is his forefinger. His wrist is missing a ligament.

Overall, his right hand looks bloated and misshapen. Lately, he's been wearing something that looks like an oven mitt on his hand for off-court protection. Against all medical odds, everything seems to be functioning properly, however.
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Kobe Bryant can still put a basketball through a hoop.

Again and again and again, as he proved while dropping a cool 48 points on the helpless Phoenix Suns during the Lakers' electric 99-83 victory tonight in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center.

"If you open him up he might be a machine, I don't know," Lakers coach Mike Brown said after watching Bryant score 16 of the Lakers' final 22 points during their third consecutive victory and their fourth in their last five games.

Bryant ignited a 16-1 closing run, scoring the Lakers' final 10 points.

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

Matt Barnes is one of the few Lakers who likes to run ahead of the pack with the ball in his hands. He's also as grating as sandpaper when he's playing defense. He's gone from sitting on the bench to earning the starting small forward position.

The auditions ended tonight, coach Mike Brown said.

Devin Ebanks, a second-year player, started the Lakers' first four games before Brown decided he might get better results with the veteran Barnes in the starting lineup and the inexperienced Ebanks sitting on the bench.

Metta World Peace started all 82 games when he was known as Ron Artest last season, but Brown wanted him to play an important new role as the leader of the second unit. So, the starting job went first to Ebanks and then to Barnes.

Brown said he was impressed enough by Barnes' 16 points, plus six rebounds and five assists in the Lakers' victory Friday over the Golden State Warriors to keep him in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Barnes then won over Brown by scoring 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting and grabbing 10 rebounds during the Lakers' 90-82 victory over the Grizzlies at Staples Center. He also blocked three shots, including two in the fourth quarter.

"He's my small forward for the foreseeable future," Brown said. "He earned it. He's held onto it and he's played the right way for us at that position. ... I thought Matt deserved to be out on the floor.

"Matt Barnes played a whale of a game on both ends of the floor. He's playing within the system and it's exciting to see a guy his size, with his athleticism, with his energy and his quickness play the game the right way. He had 15 (points) and 10 (rebounds), but the defensive intensity he brought to the table tonight (also) was good to see."

Tomorrow's story tonight ...

Kobe Bryant has received pain-killing injections before every game since tearing a ligament in his right wrist Dec. 19, Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed less than 90 minutes before Friday night's contest against the Golden State Warriors.

Bryant hasn't missed a regular-season game since he was hurt in a fall in the Lakers' exhibition loss to the Clippers at Staples Center. He was advised to rest his wrist and that surgery would not correct the problem.

Bryant wasn't immediately available for comment.

Brown said he wasn't concerned because Bryant and the team's medical personnel aren't concerned, adding, "I believe in our training staff and I believe in our doctors, so they're telling me everything is all right with it.

"There's not anything to worry about. There's no minute limitations or anything like that. If Kobe feels ready to go then I'm ready for him to go. For me to try to throw my two cents in an area where I don't know anything about wouldn't make any sense."

PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Lakers launched 11 shots from beyond the 3-point arc in tonight's 107-96 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and 11 missed the mark. Kobe Bryant was 0 for 4, Steve Blake was 0 for 5, Metta World Peace was 0 for 1 and so was Jason Kapono. It was the first time since Nov. 16, 2003 that they failed to make a 3 in a game.

The Lakers' continued a pattern to start the season. They are an abysmal 31 of 136 on 3-pointers (22.8 percent) in their first eight games. Bryant, playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, is 7 of 37 (18.9 percent). Blake is a credible 11 of 36 (30.6 percent).

So, is Lakers' coach Mike Brown troubled by all the bricks being tossed from deep?

"I'm not concerned with that yet," he said. "I truly believe we're going to shoot the ball. We scored 96 points on 47 percent shooting (against the Trail Blazers), and we didn't shoot that well. We still had a chance to win the game."

Kobe Bryant once implored Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to dump Andrew Bynum, saying it was time to "ship his (butt) out of here." Kupchak resisted in 2007, Bynum grew up on the court a good deal and Bryant has been pleased by the results.

"We all know the amount of talent he has and he's really worked on it," Bryant said of Bynum after watching him score 21 points and grab 22 rebounds during the Lakers' victory Tuesday over the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

"The thing I like about him is that he has an engine inside of him and he wants to do well," Bryant continued. "He wants to dominate. He has ambition to be great. I think that's the biggest positive about him aside from all of the physical attributes."

It kind of sounded like a plea to Kupchak to keep Bynum in the fold rather than trade him to Orlando for Dwight Howard. If there's one thing Bryant admires over everything else it's a fellow player's dedication to his craft. Sounds like he's sold on Bynum.

If Lakers executive Jim Buss, the son of team owner Jerry Buss, didn't want to trade center Andrew Bynum to the Orlando Magic for Dwight Howard in a swap of big men before the season began Christmas Day, how do you think he's feeling now?

Is isn't just that Bynum's statistics that are so jaw-dropping, it's how he is scoring and rebounding. Bynum has been a physical force in three games since returning from a four-game suspension for decking J.J. Barea in the playoffs last May.

He has dunked on people and knocked them around while battling for rebounds.

The difference in the numbers is staggering. Bynum is averaging 22.7 points on 62.2 percent shooting and 17 points in three games and Howard is averaging 17.7 points and 15.3 rebounds in six games. Bynum is shooting 57.1 percent at the free throw line and Howard is shooting 41.5 percent.

Now imagine what happens when Bynum finally gets into game shape.

Lakers coach Mike Brown did after watching Bynum score 21 points and grab 22 rebounds for his first 20-20 game in his career during the team's 108-99 victory tonight over the undersized Houston Rockets at Staples Center.

"He was very productive in the 38 minutes he played," Brown said. "His conditioning is getting a little better and if he can ever get it to a point where it's great ... oh my gosh."

Said Pau Gasol of his fellow 7-footer: "It's not just tonight, but the way he's played these three games. He's been really aggressive and really decisive and just pursuing every ball pretty much. I'm glad to see him with this level of intensity and energy and desire because it takes desire and will."