Mavs decide they need Lamar Odom ASAP for tonight's game against Utah. D-League stint canceled. Story w/Jeff Caplan going up now.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Mr. Khloe Kardashian will not have to 'lower' himself by reporting to the D-League, after all.

The Dallas Mavericks did send Lamar Odom to their minor league affiliate, the Texas Legends, for a conditioning stint after his return from personal leave.

The Mavericks, it turns out, need Odom for tonight's match against the Utah Jazz, so he's been recalled.

Here’s the question: is Odom ready to contribute?

He has spent months whining like a reality TV diva about his beloved Lakers including him in the nixed Chris Paul trade. Odom could have stayed with the purple-and-gold but forced a move to Team Cuban.

The versatile swing has had a reduced role in Rick Carlisle’s rotation. All his numbers are down.

Odom must improve to earn decent money next summer when the Mavericks buy out his contract to chase chase free agents Dwight Howard and/or Deron Williams.

--Got thoughts? Well get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.  
 

The Lakers initially tried to trade Odom to the New Orleans Hornets in a deal for Chris Paul in December. The proposed trade upset Odom, and after the NBA vetoed the deal, Lakers officials said Odom told them he wanted out of L.A. Odom now says the trade wasn’t his doing. “Everybody knows that,” he said. “It was something that they were willing to get done no matter what. I think it is OK for them to admit that.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Lamar Odom, get over it.

Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers, the franchise you loved, traded you -more than once, in fact.

After all, Commissioner David Stern and the NBA nixed a three team deal that would’ve sent you to the New Orleans Hornets for superstar Chris Paul.

Then things got fuzzy. You say the Lakers continued shopping you, while the Lakers say you refused to report after ‘Paul-Gate’ and demanded a trade.

Bottom line: you ended up on the world champion Dallas Mavericks.

There could be worse things than playing for Team Cuban. However, you've pouted, played poorly, taken a leave without permission, tried for a buyout, and had to apologize when you didn’t get a buyout.

Instead of focusing on the present, instead of doing everything to help your struggling Mavericks, you insult the Lakers in an interview.

Not surprisingly, your play has suffered. And so will the market for your services when you become a free agent in July.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

“He resents the show for taking his focus off the game,” a source close to Lamar reveals. The source adds that Lamar feels reality television and his association with the Kardashians has ruined his reputation! And Lamar is blaming the show for his trade to Dallas and the all the scrutiny over his personal life for his basketball woes.  As a result of his frustrations, Lamar is isolating Khloe and has even stopped being intimate with her! “He really shut down and told her to leave him alone for awhile,” the friend shares. Lamar is so upset he’s even stopped undergoing fertility treatments with his wife. “Khloe is trying to stand by him, but it’s hard,” the source shares. “He’s always so angry.” Khloe’s rep denies any of the problems are true.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Lamar Odom, sort of, gets it.

The versatile forward has learned the NBA -  and most sane members of society - won’t take him seriously if he’s doing reality TV with dilettante Khloe Kardashian.

The versatile forward has also realized his reality TV career (if you can call reality TV a career) will turn off teams this summer when the Dallas Mavericks buyout the final year of his contract and make him a free agent.

So he’s - allegedly - thinking of pulling the plug on his marriage to the less famous, older Kardashian sister, which would - hopefully - end their ‘Khloe and Lamar’ shtick.

Bottom line: it’s on Odom.

Restoring his reputation as an NBA player means ending the second rate celebrity sideshow and performing on-court.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

We have a good relationship," Bryant told the "Mason & Ireland Show" on 710 ESPN on Thursday when asked about Jim Buss. "People misunderstand that relationship. We have a good time. We've had dinner together and things like that. He's a great guy and he wants to do the right thing and he wants to help us win a championship. The biggest thing, which was the same with his father, who he has learned from, is that he's not going to make rushed decisions. He's going to be patient and he's going to take his time."The one thing I will say about him and about the Lakers' organization is that it's one of those franchises that always seems to land on its feet. Always seems to make the right choices. Always seems to make the right decisions, even the tough ones."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Kobe Bryant approves of Jim Buss … for now.

Bryant, the straw that stirs the drink for the Los Angeles Lakers, apparently likes the job Buss is doing in the owner-executive chair.

This is good for Buss. His survival, and the survival of the Lakers, depends on Bryant supporting management.

It doesn’t matter if the Buss family owns the team. Bryant - arguably, the greatest Laker ever and a once in a generation talent - is in charge.

Bryant’s comments are surprising, though. After all, the Lakers have made no secret of their desire to cut costs, which led to Lamar Odom getting sent to the Dallas Mavericks.

There were rumors Pau Gasol was getting traded. The chatter will resume this summer if the Lakers don’t win the west.

Still, all seems well in Laker-ville. Ramon Sessions is a terrific addition, adding speed and quickness on both ends of the floor.

This is just a moment, though. And moments change rather quickly with the NBA’s glamour team.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Odom tried to find an ounce of humor in the sad situation, but the reality is it appears Carlisle is done with the spin, done with the positive reinforcement and maybe even done putting Odom on the floor with nine games left that are so vital to the defending champs' postseason hopes in this strange, strange season. "I can’t read it," Odom said of the immediate future. "It is what it is. What can I do? Coach is always right."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Lamar Odom became a target the moment he went on TV for something other than basketball.

People fall in love. And Odom fell in love with Khloe Kardashian. But he didn’t have to be part of her reality world, hawking their relationship and various lifestyle products on the ‘E’ network.

Being such a public figure means perhaps he gets more of the blame than he deserves for the Dallas Mavericks’ poor play.

Make no mistake about it, Odom has been disappointing since coming over from the Los Angeles Lakers in a pre-season trade.

But what did Team Cuban expect?

Odom -- when unfocused and uninspired -- is a soft player. There was no way he could do any of things Tyson Chandler did for the Mavericks’ championship run.

Of course, the Mavericks never really wanted Odom. They wanted his contract, which they’ll buy-out at season’s end in order to chase free agent point guard Deron Williams.

Here’s what Odom should do: contact his former brother-in-law Kris Humphries. The Nets’ power forward, after an acrimonious divorce to Kim Kardashian, has kept a low profile, given up on being a second-rate celebrity, and focused on basketball.

Odom should do the same. His career, as a basketball player, depends on it.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Lamar Odom's brief and bumpy ride with the Dallas Mavericks has come to an abrupt end. The Mavericks and Odom spent Easter Sunday working out a parting, according to sources close to the situation, that frees the struggling Odom to leave the team immediately without actually being released.

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HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call: The Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom parted ways on Easter Sunday, ending a short, unsuccessful run together. The Mavericks have struggled to find their form, while Odom never accepted the Los Angeles Lakers trading him -even though he requested a change after the nixed Chris Paul trade.

The Mavericks will likely be fine. In fact, the defending world champions may be better without Odom and the circus that surrounds him.

After all, the former Sixth Man of the Year contributed little on-court, so the Mavericks will simply give his minutes to other players, buy-out the final year of his deal before July, and use the cap space to chase Deron Williams this summer.

Odom will take a hit, however. He was distracted all year and few teams will have interest in signing him after the debacle in Dallas.

Of course, the few teams that do have interest in Odom will then have to decide if they want the reality TV monster known as Khloe and Lamar in the locker room.

The answer is likely no.

Since shacking up with a Kardashian about two years ago, Odom has been distracted and confused. Perhaps he needs to return to being a basketball player.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“I like Lamar as a person, but I’m disappointed about everything that happened in Dallas. And it’s a shame that the Mavs got to pay him, to be honest with you. He don’t deserve to get paid for what he put out there this year. He doesn’t deserve it, plain and simple.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: So where does it end?

According to Charles Barkley, the Dallas Mavericks shouldn’t have to pay Lamar Odom because he did nothing for the defending world champions.

Well, should the New York Knicks ask for a refund from Eddy Curry? Or, how about the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards with Gilbert Arenas? Do you think the Detroit Pistons would want a re-do on Charlie Villanueva’s three-year, $24 million pact?

Look on every NBA team’s roster and you’ll find a bad contract or two. And bad contracts have always been a part of David Stern’s league because the union was smart enough to make sure those bad contracts were guaranteed.

But Odom will get his. He’ll likely end up a free agent this summer when the Mavericks buy out the final year of his contract this June.

And who will want an emotional power forward with more baggage than his Hollywood socialite wife?

Odom`s wallet will take a hit. He may get the mini mid level exception this summer, which would be a $5 million reduction in salary.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“It was short lived, too bad it couldn’t work out but things happen for a reason. My life has been so crazy the last couple years, as far as issues with my family, as far as going through personal tragedy. And I felt like God was saying, ‘You know what Lamar, I’m going to give you a little time. A little time to step back and soak everything in….”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Lamar Odom is not Socrates or Dr. Phil, but he was rather introspective when discussing his fall with the Dallas Mavericks.

In case you’ve been living in a cave: the Los Angeles Lakers included  Odom in the nixed Chris Paul deal, Odom got mad and demanded a trade, and the purple-and-gold obliged by sending him to the Dallas Mavericks for a paltry trade exception.

Odom was a peculiar fit for the defending world champs’. He was out of shape. He’s also a finesse player and Rick Carlisle’s bunch needed grit to replace Tyson Chandler. And his reality TV relationship with Khloe Kardashian didn’t help matters -even though Mavericks owner Mark Cuban runs the Shark Tank and was an epic failure on Dancing With The Stars.     

Then there were the cap implications. The Mavericks only acquired Odom to buy him out at year’s end and use the financial flexibility to chase free agent Deron Williams.

Add it up and Odom struggled miserably in the Lone Star State. Fans booed him. Teammates questioned him. And he had a run-in with Cuban before being told he was on paid vacation.

To be fair, there was much we didn’t know. Odom’s marriage, even if it’s a reality TV spectacle, was stumbling. And his cousin was murdered.

So the forward needed some personal time. Hey we’ve all been there.

Don’t count Odom out, though. He’ll have a few offers this summer and will surely take the Mini-Mid level exception to join one of his two former teams in Los Angeles.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Lamar Odom tweets his reasons for sucking.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Stop tweeting. You look like an idiot.

Lamar Odom has plenty of time to think. The Dallas season is over and his season with Dallas was over weeks ago when they dropped him from the team following an argument between owner Mark Cuban and Odom. Just one full season removed from his 6-man of the year award, he now has been dropped by Dallas and looking for someone that wants to take a chance on a one-time potential All Star getting deeper into his thirties.

Lamar recently tweeted some reasons for why he couldn't focus with the Mavs. Lamar has long been known as thin-skinned and a very sensitive player, so his difficulty in dealing with the death of his cousin and close friend is understandable, but the facts remain the same.

The facts are Lamar struggled to produce even marginal numbers with the Mavs last season leaving many experts wondering if his career is simply over. Odom put up 6.6 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game, and shot only 35% from the field. These aren't exactly All Star numbers. The question for general managers in the NBA is was this a fluke year or is Odom simply at the end of his NBA career? He's played 13 years in the NBA which is a full career by anyone's standards. Now that he's in his 30s and looking toward life after basketball, the question is whether that life will start now or later.

Odom traded to Los Angeles

HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Lamar loves LA. Now let's see if he can still play ball.

Lamar is headed back to Los Angeles, but not back to the Lakers. He's heading back to his original LA team, the Clippers. The only difference is this time they actually have a descent team. This is all part of a three team deal. The Clippers, Mavs, and Jazz all have their hands in the cookie jar in this trade.

The trade sends Odom to the Clippers and Mo Williams to the Jazz. The Jazz are capable of absorbing Williams's $8.5 million price tag due to an $8.2 million trade exception, similar to the one that brought Odom from the Lakers to Dallas last season.

The deal hinges on Williams exercising his $8.5 million player option for next season, but sources say Williams is game. The Clippers are clearly banking on the fact that having Lamar back in LA where he feels comfortable, he will be able to bounce back to his 2010-2011 form as the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year and not his 6 points per game form in Dallas. The Jazz are happy to get their hands on Williams's 13.2 points per game as Mo is known as an offensive machine.

According to an In Touch cover story, Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian are ready for a divorce.

Hoopsvibe's Quick Call:  Keep in mind, this is merely a rumor.

Rumor has it....and as much as it pains me to even report on this...

Hoopvibe's quick call:  Khloe Kardashian is finally pregnant with Lamar Odom's baby.

The Quick Hit: For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic, it’s all or nothing.

The all is having Commissioner David Stern hand over the Larry O’Brien trophy in two months and pronounce them world champions in a champagne soaked ceremony.

Only the all will do. Only the all will satisfy their demanding fan base. Only the all will satisfy their demanding owners, who have taken on multi-million dollar luxury tax payments for this precise moment.

While nothing, or falling short of an NBA Title, will force Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Orlando to make wholesale changes this off-season. Right or wrong, fair or not, these are the stakes when playing for a contender.

Gregg Popovich, the brutally honest and sometimes abrasive coach of the San Antonio Spurs, summed up what every team in the Western Conference was thinking when he told us all that no one wanted to play the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. In doing so, he broke one of the unwritten rules of sports: Never let your opponent know you're afraid of them. You can be afraid and they can know you're afraid, but you can't actually say it. Once you do, they have an advantage over you. They don't only know that they're better than you, they know that you know they're better than you. And at that point, they're free to impose their will upon you and send you home in four or five games.

The Dallas Mavericks are about to sign a player they've long coveted, reaching terms Saturday on a one-year contract with free-agent forward Yi Jianlian, according to sources with knowledge of the deal.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: I like Yi. I, however, don't like him on the Dallas Mavericks.

The four-man is tall, skilled, and talented, which means he could be a rotation player for most teams.

But the Mavericks are different than most. The world champions do not need another skilled guy like Yi, as they recently added Vince Carter and Lamar Odom.

Here's what they do need: a grimy, blue-collar big to fill part of the void created by Tyson Chandler's departure to the New York Knicks.

Chandler brought an intensity, especially on the defensive end, that took the Mavericks from good to great. He was a one-man zone that solidified the back-end for Coach Rick Carlisle.

That's gone. And since they haven't replaced Chandler, so are the Mavericks' chances of repeating.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

I’m sitting here listening to Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack.” Peep his pimp hand in the music video as he crushes it in front of his ex. That is some grimy ass stuff. Nuff said. If I ever was a wrestler, that is probably my entrance song. Mark Morrison looks like a cross between Grace Jones and DMX, though. The song has nothing to do with Pau and Kobe. Sometimes, it is nice to go back to simpler times. In 2011 Laker land, things are complicated.

Fresh from the TMI files comes another of KK's discussions of her definitely-not-a-publicity-stunt marriage to the Candyman.  Now it transpires that while Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom aren't planning children, Khloé isn't using the Pill either.  

"We're just being a healthy married young couple. I'm not sitting here staring at an ovulation calendar. I'm not saying to Lamar, 'Okay, it's time, let's go!' Yes, I'm not on the Pill, but people stir my words around."

 When you stop playing defense, doesn't that imply that you're trying for a baby?  Is this the way people who like surprises plan a family?  If you know, please inform us.

Khloé Kardashian has a plan to keep Lamar Odom faithful on road trips.  That plan, as you may have guessed already, is terrible.  It is in a scene in her soul-crushingly dull reality TV show that we discover that the largest of all the known Kardashians has taken a break in her studies on Quantum Theory to formulate a scheme to make sure her new hubby doesn't stray when the Lakers are playing away from Staples.

“We look old and slow and out of shape — a bad combination,” said Dirk Nowitzki, who scored 20 points and sat out the entire fourth quarter for a second straight game, yet another indication of how bad things are going. “I still think this team has a lot of potential. But we have to turn the corner.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Dirk Nowitzki is right. The Dallas Mavericks are old, slow, and out of shape.

This, however, is not their greatest problem. Their greatest problem is a lack of enthusiasm.

Tyson Chandler, for all his limits on the offensive end, is a terrific defensive player, who anchored and dominated the paint for Rick Carlisle’s squad. J.J. Barea was a spunky scorer, who changed the energy, flow, and feel of every game he played in. 

Both were key to the Mavericks winning the NBA Title. And both are gone.

Chandler inked a four year, $58 million pact with the New York Knicks, while Barea accepted the Minnesota Timberwolves multi-year pact for $19 million.

Their replacements: Vince Carter and Lamar Odom.

Carter and Odom are talented, but don’t bring the second effort or consistency that Chandler and Barea did.

For instance, Carter once admitted in an interview that he didn’t always give his all for the Toronto Raptors. Odom seems more interested in his career as a reality TV star than playing basketball.

So getting younger, faster, and in shape is only part of the solution for Dallas. They need true replacements for Chandler and Barea.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

With a frame that would serve her well in the NFL and a smile that causes my testicles to retreat to my abdominal cavity for safety, you'd hope that Double-K would at least have the good sense to keep herself clean.  Unfortunately, we now know that in her totally-not-phony marriage, she ranks second on the personal hygiene leaderboard.  We are aware of this fact because Khloé Kardashian herself confessed to OK! Magazine that husband Lamar Odom is cleaner than she.  To up the creep factor, she also added this horrifying detail:

"[Lamar Odom] is constantly cleaning down there."

Q: Do you see yourself retiring with the Lakers? There’s been speculation you might want a change.

Bryant: “I don’t know where that comes from. I don’t have any feeling about [leaving] whatsoever.”

Q: So you definitely want to stay a Laker?

Bryant: “Of course. No question. Why not? I’ve been here for 16 years. I’m going to up and leave now?”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Black Mamba isn’t going anywhere. Unless he wants to.

Yesterday Kobe Bryant, the superstar guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, told Yahoo Sports he would not be asking management for a trade.

Bryant has perhaps the best contract in sports. He earns between $25-30 million per annum; holds a no trade clause; and receives a large portion of his salary early in the season, which can then be invested.

Translation: Bryant isn’t upset about the changes in Laker-land.

He will work with new coach Mike Brown -even though he’s not Brian Shaw. He accepts that Andrew Bynum will have a greater role. And he has forgiven management for tying Lamar Odom in a bow and giving him as a gift to the world champion Dallas Mavericks.

All is good between Bryant and the team he has spent sixteen years with. For now.

--Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below with thoughts.

This position will be fruitful for years to come especially with the rise of Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap. Long time underrated guys such as David West are no longer on the top 10, but they remain very useful if you come by one. Long time stalwart and future Hall of Famer, Tim Duncan, is no longer on the top 10 either. The time has arrived. It’s sad to see him go. The present and future are still bright for power forward aficionados. Stats are up to date as of December 2, 2010.

One of his closest friends on the Lakers, Lamar Odom, was traded Saturday night to Dallas for a first-round pick in the 2012 amateur draft, depriving the Lakers of their top rebounder and a solid character guy in the locker room. "I don't like it," Bryant said Sunday. "I've known Lamar for a long time, and for the team itself, he's meant a lot in terms of his versatility, his personality. He's a big presence for us in the locker room, just from a team chemistry standpoint. He's great at bringing guys together and things of that nature.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The straw that stirs the purple-and-gold's drink has spoken. And he isn’t happy.

Kobe Bryant, arguably the game’s best player and franchise face for the Los Angeles Lakers, is unhappy that forward Lamar Odom was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks in a salary clearing move.

Bryant was unhappy for a few reasons:

First, Odom was a key guy in the locker room, bringing different people and factions together into a cohesive whole.

Second, Odom, a former Sixth Man of the Year, had his best season as a Laker in 2011, despite being supposedly distracted by his reality TV duties as Mr. Khloe Kardashian.

Third, Odom went to the Dallas Mavericks, the 2011 world champions and arch rival of the Lakers.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

“Maybe I’ll see you there,” Odom said, “but I doubt it. You don’t want to go to no place you’re not wanted. I’ll try to give them what they want as much as possible.”Odom also felt bad for his teammate.

“Imagine how Pau feels,” he said. “Pau came to the Lakers and played here for four years, went to the Finals and lost, won two NBA championships and then got swept [by Dallas]. Wow!

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The trade was shocking -even though Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom’s names had been in trade rumours for years.

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers cut ties with Gasol and Odom as part of a three-team deal to get superstar point guard Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets.

Or, so they thought.

The NBA owns the Hornets and nixed the trade for 'basketball reasons'. The outcry was significant and all sides are still talking about reviving the deal.

This means Gasol, Odom, and Paul are in holding, waiting for the deal to go through again or get cancelled for good.

The shock will wear off. Whatever happens, Gasol, a four-time All-Star, and Odom, a former Sixth Man of the Year, must accept the team they won two championships with no longer wants them.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

This is another episode in the long series called, “Can anybody other than Kobe score?” In the game 5 episode called, “The one where Kobe gets hot in the 3rd quarter,” Pau Gasol still has not shed the “soft” label. Ron Artest’s offense is crappy. People will make excuses for him not being familiar with the triangle offense. That is crap. Man up. This is the Finals. Boston’s defense is just that good to make him look dazed and confused.

Come on Los Angeles. You’re better than this. Shout outs to Shrek and Donkey AKA Big Baby Glen Davis and Nate Robinson.  They stepped up when it mattered. Davis added 18 points and Nasty Nate provided 12 points. Lamar Odom disappeared as usual with 10 points in nearly 40 minutes of game time. Andrew Bynum could not get his game going, which resulted in Phil Jackson yanking him out early. The nagging injury is really affecting him.

Black Jesus was en fuego. How did the Lakers’ defense let this man get hot like that? After game 1, you had to know that the Boston Celtics were not going to play like that again. Ray Allen lit up the NBA world with eight three pointers – NBA Finals record. The certified top 4 point guard in the league, Rajon Rondo, posted up a triple double: 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce played like trash, but the Celtics escaped LA with a win.

I'll be taking quick notes as I watch the game here. Feel free to drop in your comments below. They update in real time.

- What is Andrew Bynum drinking? A pre-game shot shows him chugging a foaming red liquid from a water bottle.

- OKC tosses the ball to Durant for the first play.  He dribbles around for a few seconds before tossing up an awkward brick. Bad opening.

- Pau connects on a shot with so much arc the ball came down with snow on it.

- That red stuff is obviously working for Bynum, who connects on his first attempt.

- Durant botches an open layup. Let's hope that's a fumble and not a sign of the pressure getting to him.

Eva  Longoria may have her eye on a new baller. The actress shared a flirty dinner with LA Lakers forward Matt Barnes in New York.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Before 'Kris and Kim' and 'Lamar and Khloe', there was Tony and Eva.

As in the San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker and television actress Eva Longoria.

Then Parker had a salacious texting-affair with the former wife of ex-Spurs teammate Brent Barry, so he and Longoria split.

It was messy. Still, the French table-setter and Desperate Housewives star were amicable in public  -like when being filmed by TMZ.

That détente could change if reports are true that Longoria is moving on with Los Angeles Lakers forward Matt Barnes. 

Parker’s Spurs and Barnes’ Lakers are bitter rivals. And there’s little respect league-wide for Barnes' scrappy style.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

it’s ya boy @RealLamarOdom !" Odom tweeted to Gasol. "My dude really want 2 talk 2 u! Really thinking about going 2 play in Europe after this season!"

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Who knows Lamar Odom’s real motivation?

The two-time world champion, superstar sixth-man, and reality TV King is thinking of plying his trade in Europe if the lockout cancels part or all of the NBA season.

So Odom tweeted his L.A. Lakers’ teammate Pau Gasol to ask his advice. No phone call. No e-mail. No text. No Skype. No face-book message.

Such information and manoeuvring is intentional and deliberate when your part of the multi-million dollar brand known as the Kardashians. 

Odom wanted you, me, and the public to know about him possibly going to Europe.

And this represents a larger issue for the Lakers, who lost in the second round of the playoffs to the world champion Dallas Mavericks.

They’re trying to get back atop the NBA, while Odom seems pre-occupied with his show and selling stuff.

Something has to give. It may end with the Lakers trading their versatile forward or not picking up the last year of his contract in 2013.

--Oly Sandor. 

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

With the Lakersshowing more signs that their basketball mileage is catching up with them, they need to inject speed into their lineup. And with Mike Brown planning to abandon most of the triangle offense, they need a solid point guard. ... [Chris Paul] has the edge over [Deron Williams] because of his youth (26) and uncanny speed.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: With the 2012 season in limbo, many have turned to speculating on next year’s free agent class.

One rumour keeps making the rounds: Chris Paul walks on the New Orleans Hornets to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers next July.

Before you roll your eyes at the new Collective Bargaining Agreement for not fixing the migration of stars to big markets, recognize that this makes sense for Paul.

The Lakers will have financial flexibility. They have $67 million in committed salary for the 2012-13 season, but the club holds options on $25 million for Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.

While they won’t walk on Bynum, the purple-and-gold will gladly bolt on the final $8 million on Odom’s pact. There are other ways to trim salary.

Regardless of the system - hard or soft cap - the Lakers will be able to make a competitive offer for Paul.

New coach Mike Brown will replace the Triple-Post with a drive-and-kick system that relies on the point guard penetrating and running pick-and-rolls.

Sounds perfect for Paul, right?

The New Orleans Hornets can’t afford Paul. The league owns the team and the city can't generate enough revenue to pay for a top supporting cast.

So it’s generally accepted that Paul will leave New Orleans and join Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire in New York.

Not so fast.

Last I checked the Knicks played in the Eastern Conference. Each year, Paul would have to go through Miami’s Three Kings to reach the NBA Finals.

And when the Heat have a down year, Paul would likely face 2010 MVP Derrick Rose and his upstart Chicago Bulls. The Bulls, with their air-tight defense, are no pushovers.

So Paul’s best bet at championship glory may be out west with the Lakers.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It’s just what we need -an NBA forward and his celebrity wife showing us their 'real' life.

Oh wait, there's Khloe Kardashian and Lakers forward Lamar Odom. There's also Kim Kardashian and Nets four-man Kris Humphries with their show.

Now there's Carmelo Anthony and wife LaLa Vasquez getting air-time to inform, educate, and enlighten about their ‘day-to-day’ existence.

If 'Melo and LaLa is your thing then click the video preview and get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts.

--HoopsVibe News

“According to a brief report from KGO-TV, during a Pro-Am game between Barnes’ Dream Team and East Bay at the Kezar Pavilion in San Francisco, Barnes punched a member of the East Bay team. But since an official didn’t catch the altercation, play continued after a break and Barnes was not ejected. As of Friday morning, it appears no one has posted a video of the punch, but one fan at the game did capture the incident’s aftermath and members of both teams retreating to their own benches.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Get in a fight. Hit the game-winning shot.

Players who can do both are rare. And this is the reason contenders covet Matt Barnes. One moment he's scrapping. The next he's a stone-cold assassin.    

Bottom line: top teams love Barnes' edge.

Remember, his 'edge’ made him a cult-hero with the ‘We Believe’ Golden State Warriors when they upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks.

Orlando Magic fans took to his 'edge’ when he declared viral jihad against Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Those same Lakers showered him and his 'edge’ with praise when, as a member of the purple-and-gold, he went at the Mavs’ Jason Terry on-and-off court.

No team will publicly condone Barnes initiating a donnybrook at a Pro-Am match. Privately, behind closed doors, it's a different story.

Best of all, it wasn't a fan, right Mike Beasley? Watch the videos of Barnes’ altercation and game-winning shot and then get at HoopsVibe News with thoughts in the comment box below.

(Barnes scrapping.) 

(Barnes hits game-winning shot.)

--Oly Sandor.

Kim and Kris have been filming different parts of their lives, including wedding prep, but their show hinges on Kris contract negotiations,” an insider close to the production tells us. “Currently he’s a free agent, but it all depends on what teams he ends up with and their rules for their players and outside commitments.”

Our source adds, “If he is given time and the okay, he and Kim will do their own show. But if his other obligations force him to not film as much, then they will just put all the stuff they’ve shot toward Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Apparently, one reality television show starring a Kardashian sister and an NBA forward is not enough.

Like Khloe and Lamar Odom, Kim and soon-to-be husband Kris Humphries will soon get their own platform to inform, enlighten, and educate the masses on their day-to-day existence.

We are indeed lucky.

--Got thoughts on Kim and Kris? Well, get at HoopsVibe in the comment box below.

“I don’t know about the talks he had with the front office or where they ended before the lockout, but as of right now, he’s still a Warrior,” Curry said of Ellis. “We want him with our team. He makes us better. And I think with a fresh start and all the new faces with the organization that will help him forget about the past and not really affect what is going on right now.

“I know there has been a lot of turmoil with him and the organization in the past. I can’t speak for him, but I think the new look of our organization will help him make a difference.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: It would have been easy for Stephen Curry. Very easy.

Nearly two years ago, Monta Ellis ‘welcomed’ Curry to his first pro' training camp by telling reporters the two couldn’t form a backcourt for the Golden State Warriors.

Today, the Warriors have a new owner and coach. And today, they’re also shopping Ellis around the league.

Ellis has been linked to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic, Andre Iguodala and the Philadelphia 76ers, and Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers.

He recently grew tired of the rumors and requested a trade.

Now Curry could have extracted a little revenge and kicked Ellis when he’s down. Or, he could have offered a terse 'no comment' when asked about the situation

Instead, Curry had Ellis’ back. He explained how the Warriors’ core want him to return and are inviting him to training sessions during the lockout.

Such maturity is the difference between Curry and Ellis. And such maturity is the reason the Warriors prefer Curry over Ellis.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

A few days ago, it appeared as if the Warriors had decided to keep (Monta) Ellis despite some very attractive propositions. However, late yesterday, they were back to giving serious thought to moving him if the pitch blew them away. Word has it Ellis' agent, Jeff Fried, who did not return my call, informed management his client wants to be dealt.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: In today’s interconnected world of rumours and gossip, teams can’t explore trading stars without consequences.

The star will find out. He, or his people, will read it here, there, or everywhere online. He’ll read analysts’ opinions. He’ll read fans turning into E-Thugs and spewing venom in the comment section.

The relationship will break. The star and team will have to part. It’s inevitable. 

Take Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors. Ellis is a talent, who averaged 26 points per game on a bad Warriors squad in 2011.

New owner Joe Lacob has never been sold on Ellis, though. Lacob hired Mark Jackson to coach, who -surprise, surprise- isn’t sold on Ellis, either.

While publicly praising the combo guard’s skill, these two were privately shopping him. Of course, it didn’t stay private for long.

And the rumors became more intense. In fact, Ellis has been in more rumors than an infamous Hollywood actor, who believes he’s ‘winning’.

Talk radio, the internet, and even the more conservative print media has traded Ellis thousands of times. There was Ellis for Dwight Howard. There was Ellis for Lamar Odom. And there was also Ellis for Andre Iguodala.

Ellis, tired of the rumors, finally asked the Warriors to move him. Nobody knows what’s next for player or team, except the rumors will continue.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

Kim Kardashian is engaged to Kris Humphries after six months of dating and quite a bit of PDA. Exciting as the news is, the real shocker is that the reality star kept her megawatt engagement ring hidden for a week.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: There’s good and bad to NBA post Kris Humphries getting engaged to reality vixen Kim Kardashian, I suppose.

The good:  Kardashian will continue attending games, so ABC, ESPN, and TNT will continue panning to the beauty during games. For instance, fans got numerous shots of Eva Longoria during Spurs games before text-gate broke her and Tony Parker up.

The bad: we get more of this. Yes, Kardashian may include Humphries in her reality television show like her sister included Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe in the comment box below.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Amar’e Stoudemire, tell us how you really feel.

To make matters worse, Stoudemire went on to say that Pau Gasol's finesse game isn’t an issue because Los Angeles Lakers like Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom cover him with their length.

Ouch. Talk about an insult.

Here’s my issue: Stoudemire hasn’t won anything in the NBA. He has no rings. Perhaps he should tone down the rhetoric.

Sure, Gasol has a better supporting cast, running with four All-Star calibre players: Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant, Bynum, and Odom. And sure, Gasol isn't the toughest customer on the low block, either.

However, the purple-and-gold weren’t contenders until they stole the Spanish sensation from the Memphis Grizzlies in a blockbuster trade three years ago.

So he has the upper-hand on Stoudemire. With the Lakers’ soaring, Gasol –soft or not- looks positioned to continue his winning ways this playoffs.

Where will Stoudemire’s New York Knicks finish?

-Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The new couple, who tied the knot in September 2009, currently have a houseguest – Khloe’s younger brother, Rob — and Khloe said she’s none too happy to be living with family again after leaving the nest. “Lamar’s the one who invited him to stay – I was like, not for it,” Khloe told Access. “I was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ He has whores over! He’s just like, a gross little kid.”

“He doesn’t have whores over?!” Lamar interjected. “Yeah, that’s because he’s not allowed to have whores over, but trust me…,” Khloe added. “I don’t want a 24-year-old wild kid at my house when I’m a married girl with my husband and we just want our time. I don’t want these little skanks coming over.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: HoopsVibe is pretty sure this isn’t news.

However, some are interested in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Khloe Kardashian. Those folks will be entertained by Lamar Odom defending brother-in-law and housemate Rob Kardashian’s choice in women.

To recap: Lamar, the star reserve for the L.A. Lakers, thinks Rob doesn’t bring ‘whores’ (his words) to the house, while Khloe thinks Rob doesn’t bring ‘whores’ and ‘skanks’ (her words) to the house only because she won’t allow it.

Oh, that clarifies things.

Sadly, Khloe and Lamar have a successful reality show. You'll have to watch to find out what other meaningful and worthwhile discussions they'll have.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

" … I was throwing it to Smush Parker, said Bryant, referring to the wayward point guard who played two seasons with the Lakers. "I shot with three [defenders] on me. That's the difference [with Fisher]. Now I only shoot with one, maybe two."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Once upon a time, Smush Parker made the not so wise decision to mess with a bull named Kobe Bryant.

Yesterday, he got more of Bryant's horns.

Parker had a less than stellar run with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2005-2007. While the journeyman guard posted decent numbers, his heightened sense of self-importance alienated teammates and coaches.

Parker’s greatest mistake was angering Bryant. The two didn’t click. As teammates, Bryant once publicly mocked Parker and didn't like the former street ball star joking to reporters that he'd trade Lamar Odom to the Los Angeles Sparks.

After leaving the Lakers, the 'Sparks' really flew. Parker trashed Bryant in an odd interview and even imitated the MVP's shooting form in an infamous youtube clip.

So it was hardly a surprise Bryant slammed Parker, and praised his longtime teammate, friend, and backcourt mate in Derek Fisher. It didn't matter that Parker is out the league and essentially a non issue.

With Bryant, when you mess will the bull you get the horns.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

He complained about his lack of playing time, his lack of touches and the Lakers' lack of effort. I was out there playing hard, man," Bynum said. "In the second half, I didn't really get in the game."

Bynum played only 23 minutes 8 seconds. He scored nine points, shooting only six times, making three. In the second half, Bynum played 8:07, and not at all in the fourth quarter. He scored one point after halftime, and got only one shot.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: For the Los Angeles Lakers, he’s the difference between mediocrity and greatness.

When Andrew Bynum is injured, struggling, or frustrated, the Lakers are vulnerable against bigger, athletic teams. Like, say, the Charlotte Bobcats.

On Monday, Team Jordan had their way with the purple-and-gold, dominating the paint in a blow out victory over the Lakers. 

While Bynum’s complaints about minutes and touches aren’t reason to panic, Coach Phil Jackson must keep Bynum happy. His well-being, both physical and mental, must be monitored.

After all, Bynum was involved in some viral gossip last week –the Lakers and Denver Nuggets reportedly discussed swapping the seven-footer for Carmelo Anthony. 

When Bynum is relatively healthy and focused, the Lakers are a tough match-up because of his size. Few teams can handle a frontcourt of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Bynum.

For instance, Bynum, even with a wonky knee, was too much for the Boston Celtics to handle in game seven of the NBA Finals. His frame, length, and wingspan were key to the Lakers winning the championship.

To have any chance at a thee-peat, the Lakers need a healthy and happy Bynum. 

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.
 

He wants to be better than Michael Jordan. Most people would be scared to admit that because that guy was that good and did that much. So you have to understand that what Kobe’s trying to get as a basketball player and what it takes to get there, a lot of us don’t even have the gall, the balls, the will.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Put the blame on Lamar Odom.

In a recent interview, the Los Angeles Lakers’ renaissance forward re-opened the Pandora’s Box known as Kobe-versus-Mike.

Odom states that Kobe Bryant’s goal is to be better than Michael Jordan, and the Black Mamba believes he can achieve this by passing His Airness’ total of six championships.

If only it were so simple.

Championships are one measure of a player’s greatness. The other has to be how that player performed during those championship series. In the other words, when the chips were on the line, what did the player do?

In this respect, Jordan has Bryant beat. It’s not even close.

After all, Jordan went six and zero in the NBA Finals. He never lost; nobody could touch him, as he won six Most Valuable Player awards.

Bryant is 5-2 in the NBA Finals. His Lakers have lost to the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. For his first three championships, Bryant was a co-star next to the ‘Most Dominant Ever’ in Shaquille O’Neal.

Bryant wants to be better than Jordan; however, he can’t touch The Greatest of All Time. Not now; not ever.

--Oly Sandor.

Got thoughts? Well, get at HoopsVibe News in the comment box below.

The Lakers (30-12) were also outrebounded and outmuscled, part of the reason Odom grabbed Griffin's jersey after Griffin bulled into him while getting position after a free throw in the final seconds.

Griffin wasn't pleased with the jersey grab and neither was Baron Davis, who started jawing at Odom, which led to some seriously harsh words between Davis and Odom as four players got ejected (Griffin, Davis, Odom and, curiously, Artest, whose apparent crime was trying to pull Odom away from the fray).

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: A rivalry is brewing.

Yesterday, the lowly Clippers beat the two-time world champion Lakers in the battle for The City of Angeles.

However, the Clippers’ 99-92 win was only one part of the story. Blake Griffin, the runaway favourite for Rookie of the Year, was involved in an end-of-game shoving match with the Lakers' Lamar Odom.

Mr. Khloe Kardashian took exception to Griffin trying to gain position on a missed free-throw when the game was decided. Then all hell broke loose.

Fortunately, the good folks at youtube have the highlight reel for your viewing pleasure. Click the link and get at us with thoughts in the comment box below. 

--Oly Sandor.