October 5th, 2010 
Scott Asai 
Posted in 
Monday night’s exhibition game between the Lakers and Wolves in London was more about giving the bench players a chance to strut their stuff (for the Lakers at least). If it weren’t in London, I doubt Kobe would have even suited up. Lamar Odom, just off a gold medal at the Worlds, looked the sharpest. Shannon Brown had flashes and Pau Gasol did his thing in limited minutes.
Enter the new guys. Steve Blake may be the acquisition that flies under the radar. He can play the 1 or the 2, hit the open shot and defend quick point guards. Matt Barnes looked a bit uncomfortable in the offense, producing some charges, yet he plays tough D. Theo Ratliff gets his hands on a lot of tips and loose balls. He’s going to come in handy since Bynum’s projected return date is pushed back to December. Devin Ebanks (Trevor Ariza’s stunt double) was able to get to the hole a few times with his athleticism. Kobe seems to be high on this kid, so I’m sure he’ll do well in limited time. Character looks to claim every rebound and could be one of the steals of the draft.
The Wolves cared more about winning the game than the Lakers did. They played their starters longer and their effort was at a higher level. On a side note, I was thrilled to NOT see Jordan Farmar on the bench. Letting him go was addition by subtraction. It was good to see a preseason game, since I dread summers when nothing is on but baseball. Phil Jackson doesn’t take the preseason too seriously, so don’t look for a winning record in the next couple of games. I love the new additions to the Lakers. Although the target may be on the Heat, the Lakers are the team to beat.
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