The Los Angeles Lakers will defend their NBA title with a team that looks better than last year’s squad. If Andrew Bynum can stay out of his own way, and Ron Artest falls into line like Kobe and Phil want him to, they’ll represent the West in the NBA Finals.

Phil Jackson knows repeating is difficult and he’s laid out a couple of plans to get the team ready. He wants to familiarize Ron-Ron with his new environment and to limit the players use of social networking sites.

From the Whittier Daily News:

“We want to try and make this transition for Ron Artest seamless, get our players playing at a level that they can approximate the chemistry they’ve had in the past and get some of our players in condition, like Lamar (Odom), who’s been busy all summer.”

“There’s a certain amount of privacy we’re going to have to demand from them, so that our business doesn’t become street business. I think that’s where the distinction has to be made. These guys are professionals, and I think they’ll understand that.

**UPDATE**
Phil Jackson video:

Nice subtle “Lamar Odom has gotten fat” line from Phil. And Sorry Laker fans but Ron Artest is gonna miss a couple of weeks to start the season. He’ll be in rehab for Youtube, Twitter, and attention addiction.

LAKERS: Jackson eager to tell players it’s time to get down to work [Whittier Daily News]

This video of Phil Jackson’s Game 4 postgame interview F-bomb comes courtesy of the fellas at Tirico Suave, and shows the Zenmaster’s frustration with his team’s 99-87, no-show loss to the Houston Rockets Sunday.

Phil didn’t do the reporter like Bob Knight did the guy that asked about the chair throwing accident, but he was clearly irritated. Good. He should be. But not with the reporters. With his own team for blowing a chance to put the Rockets in a stranglehold.

Ron Artest is on an emailing rampage since installing himself as his own agent. First, Ron sent messages back and forth with Marc Stein of Espn over the weekend. Artest said there’s no love between him and the team, the Maloofs say it’s all good.

If the Kings are looking to move Artest they can scratch the Denver Nuggets from the list of trade partners. Even though Ron was rumored to be headed to the Rocky Mountains at February’s trade deadline he has no interest in playing for the Nuggets now.

Artest exchanged a series of emails with the Rocky Mountain News explaining his stance.

“I cannot play in Denver because they question my drive to finish my career off strong and not embarrass my family,”

“That’s not even an option to be a Nugget,” he wrote. “They let me know how they felt about me already.”

Ron is trying to say or do whatever he can that gets him closer to the Los Angeles Lakers. He would’ve had leverage if he had opted out of his deal. As it is now, Ron Artest is gonna end up on the team that offers the Sacramento Kings the most in return.

Ron Artest, Sacramento Kings, trade talk, Denver Nuggets

5 weeks after reconstructive surgery on his left ankle and 1 week since surgery on his right shoulder, Kwame Brown looks good to go.. To the club. He was spotted at the Here Lounge in West Hollywood last Thursday, enjoying himself to the fullest. While primarily a gay men’s bar, Thursday nights at the Here Lounge is for the ladies.

Here are 2 pieces of good news for Laker fans. Good News#1: Kwame wasn’t bouncing around on the ankle. He was playing the wall and dancing with two ladies at the same time. He wasn’t raisin’ the roof or walkin it out, just gettin’ his freak on. Good News#2: This happened after Kobe’s shopping center video rant. KB24 woulda had another reason to talk about ”fucked up situations”.

I’m a fan of the girls that like to party with girls so I’m not knockin’ the former #1 overall pick for this. I’m sayin though, if you mix Kwame Brown, scoring problems, lesbian bar, Michael Jordan allegedly calling Brown a flaming faggot, and Phil Jackson’s comments together, you get one helluva punchline.

**Shout out to Bad Gyrl for the tip**

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Jay-Z/Michael Jordan: Jay donned himself the MJ of rap and everybody rolled with it. Both are considered by many to be the greatest to ever do it in their fields.. although Jay and MJ came out of retirement with performances that made us wish they had stayed away. Whether its Tupac/Biggie/Rakim or Magic/Bird/Wilt, somebody will use one of those names in an argument against Sean Carter or Michael Jordan. They’re similar all the way down to their work ethic and figure head positions.

Dr. Dre/Phil Jackson: If you’re having a problem getting your project or your team to the next level these are the guys you want to call. Phil Jax has the rings, Dre has the plaques. Lately, neither has shown a sense of urgency about current projects, and will let cats sit on the bench for no given reason.

 Eminem/Larry Bird: White guys that dominated the “Brothas Game”. If Bird was a teenager today he’d be listening to Em’s “Lose Yourself” on his mp3 player while warming up before some AAU tournament.. Their forays into the front office have brought mixed results. Both lost a close teammate recently.

Young Buck/Stephen Jackson: Neither are superstars but they’re valuable parts on a team.. Opponents get nervous just thinking about ‘em. They will both have your back in a scrap no questions asked, and both show glimpses of greatness that they can’t reach consistently.

Ice Cube/Doctor J: They took an element of their fields and raised it to new heights.. Gangsta rap and the dunk contest are boring now, but their contributions will always be remembered. They get mentioned in top ten lists and occasionally somebody will call them the greatest ever. Does a parallel between the ABA and the late 80s West Coast rap scene work?

Dame Dash/Isiah Thomas: They were critical parts of great teams in the past. Their independent ventures are unsuccessful whether it’s a league or a record label.. Both would get 85 cents back on change for a dollar, but somehow always land on their feet.

50 Cent/Kobe Bryant: Kobe’s balling skills are 100 times better than 50′s rapping skills, but that’s not the comparison I’m making. They’re the two most polarizing people in their professions. Hate ‘em or Love ‘em you can’t deny Kobe’s hoop game or 50′s business game. You never have to wait long to hear their names in the news, and they both go for 50 every night.

Here’s a few outside of the NBA…

Ras Kass/Ken Griffey Jr: Two dudes that seemed like mortal locks to be in the greatest of all time argument. Both are still decent but neither was able to maximize their potential. You have to worry if they’ll get hurt or hurt themselves when they walk outside.

DMX/Mike Tyson: Drugs, jail and wildin out. Check, check and check. Both exploded onto the scene. Both imploded when they reached the top and eventually went to Arizona to chill out. You shouldn’t let either of the two borrow your car.

LL Cool J/Brett Favre: Their contributions to the game have to be recognized but LL and Brett are currently over staying their welcome. Aside from padding their numbers, neither has any business performing anymore.

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