Starring: Excitement in Lakers Land over our new point guard. After a thoroughly dominating win over the Mavs, Lakers fans have to be excited about our prospects this season. Kobe Bryant talked about being a contender:

"We are a championship-caliber team," Bryant said. "I've never understood the talk about us not being a contender. I've never understood it from the start of the season until now. You have myself, you have Andrew (Bynum) and you have Pau. Who has three players like that on one roster? And then you have Metta (World Peace) and you have (Matt) Barnes.

Kobe has got to be excited as hell about Ramon Sessions. The Lakers addressed their one pressing need this season in the point guard position, and it is paying off better than most could have expected:

But in the 100 minutes Sessions has played, the Lakers have scored 114 points per 100 possessions, a mark that would lead the league by a mile, according to NBA.com's stats tool. The Lakers have been more efficient in just about every way possible during those 100 minutes.

Although this a small sample size, we've pretty much found our own version of Linsanity. With only about 20 games left in the season, this is the perfect time for the Lakers to gain some momentum heading into the playoffs.

In other news, we play the Blazers tonight, the Clippers are melting down, the Nuggets lose another player to injury, and Derrick Rose isn't close to returning.

Much more after the jump...

Lakers News:

• Lakers Friday preview: vs. Portland Trail Blazers (22-25) - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
• Derek Fisher's new digs could uproot the Lakers - latimes.com
• Lakers' Ramon Sessions has options for his future - latimes.com
• Lakers can integrate Ramon Sessions further during easy schedule next two weeks - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
• Kobe Bryant Shows Some Support for Former Teammate Lamar Odom | Lakers Nation

NBA.com:

• Sessions Impressing " Lakers Blog
• Where’s The Beef (Cousins Vs Harris)? | Hang Time Blog
• Del Negro Firmly On Hot Seat | Hang Time Blog
• Welcome To The Doghouse Darko! | Hang Time Blog
• They Paid Him To ‘Watch’ Jordan | Hang Time Blog

ESPN:

• Kobe Bryant: Jim Buss is "a great guy," and other interesting nuggets - Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
• Kelenna Azubuike to sign with Dallas Mavericks, sources say - ESPN Dallas
• Kobe Bryant says Los Angeles Lakers can compete; Jim Buss doing well - ESPNLA
• Denver Nuggets' Rudy Fernandez expected to miss rest of regular season - ESPN
• Tension high among Los Angeles Clippers players, Vinny Del Negro, sources say - ESPNLA
• The trouble with Los Angeles Clippers' Del Negro - ESPNLA

Probasketball Talk:

• Kobe Bryant says some really nice things about Jim Buss
• Does Ramon Sessions make the Lakers second best in West?
• Baseline to Baseline recaps: George comes up big for Pacers
• Report: Kyrylo Fesenko to sign with Pacers for rest of season
• Celtics look like road warriors, maybe division champs after beating Bucks
• New night, same problems haunt Clippers in loss to Hornets
• Derrick Rose "week-to-week" with groin, not running yet
• Ray Allen on Heat next season? That would feel odd.

Yahoo Sports:

• Al Jefferson’s buzzer-beating putback puts Kings away, gives Jazz fifth straight win | Ball Don't Lie
• The strongest voice in the Boston Celtics locker room, weirdly, belongs to Mickael Pietrus | Ball Don't Lie

Slam Online:

• Anthony Parker Thinking of Retiring from the NBA?
• Tyreke Evans Keeping Himself Out of the Starting Lineup
• Ryan Hollins to Join the Boston Celtics
• Indiana Pacers Signed Kyrylo Fesenko
• Rudy Fernandez to Have Season-Ending Back Surgery

Other Lakers Links:

• LA Lakers... so, who really are they at the moment? | LA Lakers
• The Lakers' Championship Run Is "In Session" - Lake Show Life
• Devin Ebanks' Future with the Los Angeles Lakers Looks Short Lived | Lakers Nation
• Kobe Bryant Expects Emotional Return for Derek Fisher | Lakers Nation
• Ramon Sessions Reinventing The Lakers - Lake Show Life
• Kobe Bryant Ready to Take on Derek Fisher | Lakers Nation
• Kobe Bryant On Facing Derek Fisher: "I’m going to demolish him" - Lake Show Life
• Class is in 'Sessions': Ramon's Coming Out Party | Lakers Nation

Other Links:

• Things of Note for March 23, 2012 | The Basketball Jones
• The Thunder are handshake crazy | The Basketball Jones
• Kobe Bryant plans to ‘demolish’ Derek Fisher | The Basketball Jones
• Mike Woodson Can’t Explain Carmelo Anthony - NYTimes.com
• NBA Lottery Watch 2012: The Genius Of The Blazers - SBNation.com

Multimedia:

• Video: Samuel L. Jackson introduces the New Orleans Hornets starters | Ball Don't Lie
• Video: Jason Smith got cheered for hip-checking Blake Griffin | Ball Don't Lie
• Video: The Wolves sing Britney Spears’ ‘… Baby One More Time’ | Ball Don't Lie