Kobe Signs Two-Year Extension With Lakers

Kobe Bryant signed a two-year extension on his contract worth 48.5 million dollars, 23.5 in the first year and 25 in the second year making him still the highest paid player in the NBA

“This is a very happy day for Lakers fans and for the Lakers organization,” Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak said in a statement released by the team. “We’ve said all along that our priority and hope was to have Kobe finish his career as a Laker, and this should ensure that happens. To play 20 years in the NBA, and to do so with the same team, is unprecedented, and quite an accomplishment. Most importantly however, it assures us that one of the best players in the world will remain a Laker, bringing us excellent play and excitement for years to come.”

The salary cap has been a big talking point of the Lakers as they don't have many other contracts for next season and were primed to make a big splash in Free Agency namely Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James. The Lakers still have enough money to offer a max contract next season but that would make it virtually impossible to keep Pau Gasol as he has stated he wont take a pay cut, also it would be hard to see how they keep Jordan Hill, Farmar, Steve Blake, Meeks, Kaman and Wes Johnson should they spend their remaining 22 million on a max contract.

This extension adds more questions about the Lakers' future now with many fans hoping Kobe would take a Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett style pay cut and accept a 10-15 mill contract.
Kobe is all about winning but we have to wonder was this the best option for a ring? He will most likely be a Laker for life now unless he is traded down the road.

The Mamba has been Cleared to Return to Lakers!

Kobe Bryant has received full medical clearance to return to the Lakers.

From Lakers.com:

The Lakers got some good news over the weekend: Kobe Bryant has been fully medically cleared to resume all basketball activities.

As reported by Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding, Bryant has no restrictions on his continued progress in his rehabilitation from the torn left Achilles tendon suffered seven months ago.

Bryant made his much-anticipated return to practice on Saturday, where he went through 5-on-0 drills and did some half court drills with his teammates.

"He looked real good," said Jordan Hill of Bryant at practice after his own career-high game against Detroit. "He was going real hard. I thought he wasn't going to be able to go that hard but he was really pushing it. And, I know he's not ready yet but he's coming along and he should be ready pretty soon."

The Lakers do not play again until Friday against the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center, no word on whether he will play in that game but he will be back very soon. The Lakers are 5-7 currently and could definitely use his 25+ points per game and coming up big down the stretch in the 4th quarter as they have struggled so far in the final quarters of games. His return also further bolsters the bench which is already averaging the most PPG, as Jodie Meeks would most likely come off the bench and he is averaging a team best 13.7 PPG so far!

Celtics SHOCK Miami!

Up by 4 points with 3.6 seconds left, the Miami Heat managed to choke away their lead. 

Miami shot 66.7% from the field in the fourth quarter and still found a way to lose the game to the Boston Celtics still without Rajon Rondo

Down the stretch it was Avery Bradley making a tough 3 and a floater to keep the Celtics within striking distance. Dwayne Wade lost the game with bad plays on offense and defense!

With 3.6 seconds left Gerald Wallace hit a quick contested layup and immediately fouled Dwayne Wade with 0.6 on the clock. Wade missed the first and intentionally missed the second so that time would decrease however he failed to hit the rim which gave the ball straight back to Boston with 0.6. It was then an incredible inbounds play which say Jeff Green catch the ball in the opposite end of the court and make an impossible three with Lebron's hand outstretched.

Green ended with 24 points, Bradley 17 and Crawford 15

Lebron had 25 points 10 assists and 8 rebounds, Bosh 20 & 7, Wade 18 & 7 assists

Celtics are now 3-4, Heat 4-3

Steve Blake hits three over Dwight for the WIN!

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their chance to play against Dwight Howard's Houston Rockets and it was an incredible game winning 99-98.

Some roster changes were made for the Lakers, Kaman started in place of Sean Williams which worked very well early in the game also Nick Young started in place of Xavier Henry. Henry was quiet for only 3 points, Young had 11 but didn't have as much court time because of Jodie Meeks' incredible shooting performance.

At one stage the Lakers held a 19 point lead and were up by 14 at the half. However the Rockets, led by James Harden came storming back and had a 6 point lead with around 2 minutes remaining. The Lakers went Hack-A-Howard in which he was 5-12 from the line.
Jodie Meeks had a great game going 5 from 7 from deep and was the high man for the Lakers with 18 points. Wesley Johnson has really found his groove and has showed his talent this season he had another great game today with 16 points, 2 blocks, 4 rebounds including three threes!
The Lakers bench had 54 points again today! Jordan Farmar another solid all around game 11 points 7 assists and 4 rebounds. The Laker bench is averaging an NBA-high 57.8 PPG, (current league avg = 32.9). Bench accounting for 57.5% of team's points!

Dwight's face LOL

Pau Gasol was underwhelming with only 2 points and 12 rebounds

For the Rockets James Harden was outstanding and got them back into the game. He finished with 35 points 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals
Dwight Howard had 15 points and 14 rebounds and you can bet Laker fans are happy beating him!
Houston had 52 attempts at the line compared to Lakers just 15
It was Steve Blake's three that was the story of the night. 1.3 seconds remaining and he made the shot over Dwight Howard!

Lakers are now 3-3 and have to be happy with their first win on the road and all of this without Kobe and will play in New Orleans tomorrow night.
Rockets now 4-2

Kobe Bryant to Return on the 15th of November?

After speculation the mamba may return around Christmas time, his last tweet has led us to believe he will return on the 15th of November against the Memphis Grizzlies.

His latest tweet was: #blackout #bearhunt
Black out= Hollywood Night
Bear Hunt= Memphis Grizzlies

After tearing his achilles in April Kobe Bryant was expected to be out 6-9 months however he has indicated he is slightly ahead of schedule. His twitter avatar was 1225 in regards to ESPN's outlandish projections of the Lakers finishing 12th in the West and Kobe being the 25th best player in the league, however some believe this was his return date for Christmas day. 

So far the Lakers are 2-2 and would play only another 6 games without Kobe before his return. They have received impressive performances by Xavier Henry, Nick Young, Jodie Meeks and Jordan Farmar. The bench has definitely been a surprise, beating the Clippers in the last quarter and scoring 50+ points in most of the games thus far. 

NBA DAILY WRAP UP November 3rd

Detroit Pistons V Boston Celtics

Boston scored 13 points in a row to take a 65-63 lead in the fourth but the Pistons then answered with a 10-0 run.

Brandon Jennings made his Detroit Pistons debut tonight!
Finished with 14 points, 4 steals and 4 assists
Andre Drummond had 15 points12 rebounds, Greg Monroe 15 & 10, Josh Smith 15 & 7 as Detroit beat the Celtics 87-77

Rookie Kelly Olynyk had 15 points and 8 rebounds for the Celtics Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford had 13 a piece

NOTE: Greg Monroe recorded his 69th double double since the 2011-12 season which is an Eastern Conference high

Boston is now 0-3, Detroit 2-1

Miami Heat vs Washington Wizards

Miami led by as many as 23 points and won 103-93. There record improves to 2-2, Wizards remain winless 0-3

Lebron James had 25 points and 5 assists, Chris Bosh 24 points and 7 rebounds, Dwayne Wade 20 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds

Marcin Gortat had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Wizards, Bradley Beal led the way with 19 points, John Wall with 11 points and 9 assists.

Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets

Orlando continue their surprisingly good form with a 107-86 win over the Nets and move to 2-2, Nets now are 1-2

Nikola Vucevic 19 points 12 rebounds, Victor Oladipo had 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and an incredible 360 dunk. Aaron Afflalo had 16 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds, Nicholson had 17 points and 11 rebounds

For Brooklyn, Brook Lopez was the standout with 21 points and 6 rebounds, Paul Pierce  was also good with 16 points and 7 rebounds

Oklahoma City Thunder vs Phoenix Suns

25 turnovers have killed the Suns today, but they look much better than expected!
OKC come out with the win 103-96

Derek Fisher with key plays on both ends down the stretch
Russell Westbrook with 21 points 5-16 FG 7 assists and 4 rebounds
Kevin Durant with 33 points and 10 rebounds

ERIC BLEDSOE IS THE REAL DEAL 26 points 14 assists 7 rebounds and 3 steals!!!
Gerald Green 21 points and 8 rebounds, Channing Frye 19 points

Suns take their first loss and move to 2-1, OKC are now 2-1 as well.

New York Knicks vs Minnesota Timberwolves

Wolves survive a late scare to beat the Knicks 109-100. The Knicks came back from a 20 point deficit in the third to with two points 100-98 with 4:49 remaining

Kevin Love 34 points 15 rebounds 5 assists having a great start to the season probably leading MVP in early stages
Kevin Martin has been a great addition he scored 30 points today

Carmelo Anthony had a great game too 22 points 17 rebounds
Metta World Peace had 17 points

Timberwolves remain undefeated and move to 3-0! Knicks are 1-2.

 NOTE: Timberwolves are averaging 37.3 PPG in the first quarter so far this season it was 40-19 at quarter time.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Atlanta Hawks

Xavier Henry started in place of Nick Young who came off the bench and it helped Nick Young who ended with 13 points 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

LAKERS WIN 105-103!!
Pau GASOL hit 2 FREETHROWS AND BLOCKS THE POTENTIAL GAME WINNER!! WOW
He finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds

Lakers coughed up an early 21 point lead, it was tied 103-103 with 36 seconds left. Lakers missed a shot and the big Jordan Hill came up with the offensive rebound to reset the clock. With 5 seconds left Pau attacked the basket and the call ended up needing a review to decide it was a blocking foul. Incredible moments down the stretch.

Wesley Johnson was great in the second half he ended on 9 points 7 rebounds and 3 blocks!
Xavier Henry 18 points
Steve Nash 13 points and 6 assists
48 bench points for the Lakers, Jordan Hill MASSIVE Down the stretch!

Kyle Korver was incredible for the Hawks six three pointers and ended with the game high 22 points
Al Horford had 12 points and 16 rebounds, Paul Millsap 14 and 7
Jeff Teague with 14 points 6 rebounds 4 assists

Lakers improve to 2-2 Hawks now 1-2

Russell Westbrook's Return!

Russell Westbrook has surprisingly been cleared to play tonight after he tore his meniscus in Game 2 of the playoffs against Houston. He was forced to have 2 surgeries which delayed his recovery and was not expected to play for at least another 2 weeks however he was cleared by doctors this morning:

"Russell Westbrook has gone through a methodical rehab process jointly created by our medical and performance teams and treating physicians," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in the release. "The process has been instrumental in getting Russell to this point and has included various physical and medical benchmarks. The final benchmark being unrestricted basketball activity. After hitting the necessary marks, all parties, including the team, consulting physicians, Russell's representatives, and most importantly Russell, jointly determined that returning to play was the correct next step."

This is a timely return for the Thunder who desperately need his presence. OKC are 1-1 currently they needed 42 points from superstar Kevin Durant to only just beat the lowly rated Jazz 101-98 and then got destroyed against the Timberwolves 100-81. Last season Westbrook averaged 23.2 PG 5.2 RPG 7.4 APG and 1.8 SPG and is one of the premier point guards in the league.

Philadelphia 76ers RIDICULOUS Start to the Year!

The biggest surprise of the year so far is no doubt the Philadelphia 76ers. They have started 3-0 against the Heat, Wizards and now the Bulls. Vegas had them projected to only win 16 games for the entire season and had them at 9,999 to 1 odds at winning the championship! Most expected them to tank for Wiggins, so far they are not doing a good job at that!

Carter-Williams impressive debut! Artwork:Beyond The Buzzer

VS the Heat

They played their season opener at home against Miami the reigning champions. Before the game Allen Iverson had his retirement speech and the 76ers were noticeably fired up and raced out to a 19-0 lead and ultimately won 114-110. The rookie Michael Carter-Williams almost had a quadruple double in his first game with 22 points 12 assists 7 rebounds and 9 steals (the most steals in a debut game), Evan Turner had 26 points including a dunk on Lebron, Spencer Hawes had 24 as the Sixers outscored the Head 29-16 in the final quarter!

VS the Wizards

They faced a 12 point deficit in the 3^rd quarter. John Wall tore apart the first half with 23 points but the Sixers managed to comeback. Carter-Williams hit a three with 6.28 remaining to give the Sixers their first lead and they didn’t look back. He only finished with 14 but Thaddeus Young scored 29, Evan Turner 23 and Spencer Hawes added 16 points with 14 rebounds!

VS the Bulls

Today the Sixers managed what may have been their biggest upset yet. Down 20 points at one stage they again found a way to snatch a victory. Led again by their rookie Carter-Williams with 26 points, 10 assists and 3 steals who was key down the clutch and had 13 in the 3^rd quarter comeback. Spencer Hawes was again impressive with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Incredible win against the Bulls Artwork: Beyond the Buzzer

Overall
Key performers:

Michael Carter-Williams 20.7 PPG, 9.0 APG, 4.3 SPG, 4.7 RPG in 35 MPG

Evan Turner: 23 PPG 4.0 APG 4.3 RPG in 37 MPG

Spencer Hawes:  19.3 PPG 11.3 RPG in 31 MPG

Thaddeus Young: 17.3 PPG 7 RPG in 32 MPG

Tony Wroten off the bench: 11.7 PPG 4.7 RPG in 21 MPG

New Head Coach: Brett Brown formerly Head Coach of the Australian Boomers at the 2012 London Olympics

Coached NBL teams North Melbourne Giants and won Coach of the Year and the Championship in 1994.

He was an assistant coach for the Spurs in 2007

Remember they are doing this with their starting center Nerlens Noel the 6^th pick in this years draft who may miss the entire season due to his ACL injury.

Can the 76ers continue to shock and make the playoffs, or will they eventually come back to Earth?