Let's do-si-do around Lakerdom this fine Saturday....
Mitch Kupchak - is making it sound like Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter have good shots at making the Laker roster. The key factors are a need to save money and the possible departures of free-agents Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga. He tells ESPN Los Angeles:
When you have a roster like we do, which is frontloaded with players that make a substantial amount of money, you balance it with two or three players that you hope can make a contribution and get paid at a level that allows you to add them to the roster. Young players, in addition to them making a contribution, you give them time to grow and see if they can develop. So that's another benefit to getting a young drafted player. . . . We'll need some help there this year. [Powell and Mbenga] are free agents, so there's some spots there that you can fill if you can maybe show some promise.
I interpret that last comment to mean we shouldn't expect Josh and DJ back next year.
Brian Shaw - will interview with the Cavs for their vacant head-coaching position. This could mean several things. One is that the Lakers, who granted permission for Shaw to take the interview, are confident Phil Jackson will be back. Or that, even if Phil doesn't return, they just don't view Shaw as a suitable replacement. Or that no one's pointed out to Shaw that the Cavs are located in Cleveland.
Kobe Bryant - is at Team USA's World Cup match against Ghana. Also, he's blessed both Shaw and Byron Scott as potential Laker head coaches, according to Shawn Powell of NBA.com. Powell reports that Shaw's preference is to "stay within the Laker family."
Pau Gasol - threw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium last night. The good news is, he got it to the catcher without bouncing it.
The bad news is, he chose to wear a collared shirt under his jersey... turns out, there is no bad news. Sorry about posting the wrong video earlier.
Vanessa Bryant - apparently doesn't hate Khloe Kardashian.
Ron Artest - attended the premiere of the new Twilight movie. Let's never speak of this again.
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