Adios PS2 and Friends, Part 2

The Xbox was actually the first of the current generation of game consoles that I purchased. However, the decision to buy it was not an easy one and I wrestled with it for weeks.

I hate Microsoft. I can’t stand its business practices and how it achieved dominance in the world of computers. I begrudgingly use their products and try not to purchase them. When word first came out that Microsoft would enter the video game market, I had absolutely no interest in it because I didn’t want to support the evil company.

But then the evil company did what if often does to get its way: it threw around some of its ill-gotten gains. In this instance, Microsoft used its substantial funds to buy the game developer Bungie. At the time, Bungie was working on a little something called Halo.

There was a lot of buzz surrounding Halo prior to Microsoft’s takeover. Many were saying it would be the best first person shooter ever. After seeing the trailer I was eagerly anticipating its release for the PC.

Microsoft was obviously aware of the buzz and figured it needed a top-notch exclusive game to launch the Xbox and Halo fit the bill. Halo eventually was released for the PC, but at the time it appeared it would only be available on the Xbox.

This put me into quite a quandary. Would I relent and give my hard-earned money to the evil company or would I stand by my principles. Well, once I saw the commercials and read the reviews for Halo, my decision was made and I purchased the Xbox.

I don’t regret my decision (though I still hate Microsoft) as Halo turned out to be one of the best games I ever played. I’ve gotten a lot of entertainment from the Xbox and it’s the console that I’ve played the most. Besides if I hadn’t purchased it, I wouldn’t be able to offer my thoughts on X-Play’s top ten Xbox games:

1. Halo 2

As much as I love the first Halo (and would have made it number 1 on this list) I hated Halo 2. Sure I enjoyed dual wielding weapons, the energy sword, and playing as a different character for parts of the game, but I abhorred the ending of the game. Most people that love this game are able to get past the horrible ending because the multi-player aspect of the game is so good. I on the other hand don’t usually play multi-player so I need a good single player campaign with a good story line for me to truly value a game. This game unfortunately gave me only half a story that left me cheated after I realized the game was over.

2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Now this game had a good story line. The game has a more engaging and intense plot than the last three Star Wars movies combined. This was my first turn based role-playing game. While the slower game play took a bit getting used to and isn’t as much fun as action games, the drama truly draws you into the game. Another aspect that sets KOTOR apart is that you have some control of whether to follow the light or dark side and the end of the game depends on the choices you make. I’ve played this game multiple times and it is one of my favorites of all time.

3. Ninja Gaiden

This game can be summed up in one word: hard. The first boss had me on the verge of quitting the game. But I battled through it and was rewarded with a great video game experience. It’s one of the best looking games of the last generation. The story is a little weak, but it at least provides a conclusion and the action more than makes up for it.

4. Burnout 3: Takedown

I was very surprised to see this game at number 4. It’s a good game and was a lot of fun, but it’s basically just a racing game with really cool crashes. Maybe if I was into multi-player I might enjoy it more. But I’m not and I didn’t.

5. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

I would also quibble with the ranking of this game. It belongs in the top 10, but I would probably have it down at number nine. In the game you play Riddick as he attempts to escape from prison. The game has a good mix of stealth and combat. This game is another example where the video game was better than the movie.

6. Psychonauts

I really loved this game, as did most video game reviewers. Unfortunately the video gaming public generally ignored the game. It has a very Tim Burton feel and look to it (I mean the pre-Planet of the Apes Tim Burton). It’s one of the funniest games I have ever played and it’s also one of the best platformers.

7. Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

I only played about ten minutes of this game. This was the third game in the series. While I played through the first one and found it very enjoyable, as I began playing Chaos Theory I didn’t really feel I was playing anything new so I stopped playing it. Apparently the multi-player and co-op aspect of it is very rewarding, but I wouldn’t know.

8. Beyond Good and Evil

Another game that the critics and I loved but didn’t do very well in terms of sales. It’s a very original adventure game with unique characters and great game play. You play a girl named Jade that’s trying to save the world with help from her half pig/half man friend. I’m not sure if it would make my top ten as it’s a little cutesy, but I truly enjoyed playing it.

9. Jet Set Radio Future

The staff at X-play really values originality and this game is undoubtedly unique. You basically go around a futuristic city on roller blades and painting graffiti. I played it for about half an hour before getting bored.

10. Forza Motorsport

Another racing game with on-line capability so you can race against your friends wherever they might be. Since that’s not my cup of tea I never picked it up.

Notable exclusions: Half-Life 2 (a port, it first came out on PCs, of one of the best first person shooters ever), Doom 3 (see Half Life 2), Prince of Persia (amazing adventure game with fantastic visuals and game play), Jade Empire (an action/martial arts RPG by the folks that brought you KOTOR), Dead or Alive 3 (a simple fighting game but a lot of fun), Max Payne (a great action game and the first video game to use Matrix-type bullet time), and NBA Street 2 (a cross-platform basketball game that was one of the most fun games I’ve ever played).

And Then There Were 15

Yesterday, USA Basketball trimmed its roster from 18 to 15 players. Adam Morrison and Luke Ridnour were the two players left off the roster along with Shawn Marion who suffered a minor knee injury earlier this week.

The 15 players that did make it are: Gilbert Arenas, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade, Joe Johnson, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Antawn Jamison, Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen, Elton Brand, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Amare Stoudamire, and Brad Miller. That’s not a bad collection of players.

The departures of Morrison and Ridnour are not surprising seeing as Morrison was the only remaining invitee without NBA experience and Ridnour, while a good player, does not have the talent that Arenas, Hinrich, or Paul have.

The 15 remaining players will continue to practice until August 3 when they will play an exhibition game in Las Vegas against Puerto Rico, who beat Team USA at the 2004 Olympics. Then they will travel to Asia for four more exhibition games before the 2006 FIBA World Championship on August 19 in Japan.

The team roster must be trimmed down to 12 before the world championship begins. And as a public service I decided to offer my advice to as to who should get the ax.

The most obvious candidate is Bruce Bowen. One of the criticisms of the most recent USA basketball teams is the lack of role players on the team. The argument was that the team needed players who would do some of the little stuff like play good defense and make perimeter shots. I can appreciate that argument and Bruce Bowen does fill that role. But I have to wonder how much he has left in the tank at age 35. In addition, it’s not clear that his aggressive defense will be tolerated in the international game. Finally, he plays for the San Antonio Spurs and the Spurs suck, at least in the eyes of this Laker fan.

The next cut is a difficult one. Even without Bowen, the team has four small forwards on the team in James, Anthony, Jamison, and Battier. James can play shooting guard and Jamison plays power forward for the Wizards. But it still seems the next cut should come from this group. James and Anthony are the two most talented. Jamison’s perimeter game would appear to be well suited to the international game. Battier also has a good perimeter game, plays good defense, and would be a great role player.

My initial inclination would be to cut Battier but after some reflection, the choice would be Anthony. Anthony is a great player but it’s not clear that his game is well suited to international play. In addition, it seems there is nothing he can add that isn’t already provided by another player. There are enough scorers on this team. There are better rebounders and perimeter shooters. Anthony is a great clutch shooter, but Wade can fill that role. This doesn’t mean I would exclude Anthony from future USA teams, just from this year’s team.

The final cut I would make would be one of the five big men: Brand, Howard, Bosh, Stoudamire, and Miller. Brand is probably the best post player of the five and Miller is the only true center on the team so they both make the roster. Although Bosh is a tremendous player and would look great in a Laker jersey, the few times I’ve seen him play it has appeared that his game is a little soft. While that’s not necessarily bad for the international game, it does raise some concerns.

However, my final cut would be Stoudamire. While he has apparently done well in practice scrimmages, that fact that he is still trying to come back from a major knee injury makes him too risky a pick for the team. If he is able to fully recover and has a strong season next year, then he clearly belongs on the 2008 Olympic team, assuming the United States qualifies. But for now, he doesn’t belong on the roster.

Of course, a lot can happen in the next three weeks as the team gets ready for the world championship. Fortunately for Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski and managing director Jerry Colangelo, they won’t have to make their final decisions until August 18. Let’s just hope they follow my advice and makes the right ones.

Adios PS2 and Friends, Part 1

One of my favorite television shows right now is X-Play. If you don’t play video games, you’ve probably never heard of it. Even if you do play them, you probably think the show has something to do with porn.

Unfortunately, the show is actually about video games, game reviews to be exact. It airs on G4, channel 354 on DIRECTV. The show has some of the funniest writing on television and it is perfectly delivered by the two hosts, Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb. Another plus is that Webb is hot. She might not fit the classic definition of beauty, but she gets extra points for her game knowledge.

Anyway, with the advent of the next generation of game consoles, Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s PlayStation 3 will debut and join the Xbox 360 by the end of the year, the show decided to do top ten lists for each of the current consoles. Since I’m too lazy to prepare my own lists and haven’t played all the games, I decided instead to simply offer my comments on their lists.

We’ll begin with Nintendo’s GameCube, the runt of the litter as it was the least popular of the three consoles.

1. Resident Evil 4

Absolutely no arguments here. The atmosphere and game play are amazing. My heart raced as I explored the creepy environments looking for or trying to protect Ashley, the president’s daughter from possessed villagers, crazy monks, and homicidal mercenaries. The game really pulled you into the action as you were forced to pay attention even during cut scenes. RE4 is undoubtedly one of the greatest games ever.

2. Metroid Prime

Another no-brainer, although I thought it might be at the third spot. I loved the original Metroid on the old Nintendo. The game was able to transition from a two-dimensional perspective to a first person shooter without losing any of the elements that made the original game so much fun. I do have a confession to make about this game though; I still haven’t been able to defeat the final boss. Hopefully it’ll happen one day.

3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker

I was not a very big fan of the original Legend of Zelda game but I truly enjoyed the two Zelda masterpieces for the Nintendo 64, Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask. Wind Waker was a fun game and deserves the third spot on the list, but the cutesy animation and the familiar game play left me wanting more. It looks like the next Zelda game, Twilight Princess, will deliver on what was missing in Wind Waker.

4. Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

I only played this game a couple of hours. It was an enjoyable game but too similar to the N64’s Mario Kart, which was a really fun game. I probably would have put it lower on the list.

5. Super Smash Brothers Melee

This is the first of four games on this list that I haven’t actually played. It looks like a good game but I just never got around to playing it. It’s basically a fighting game with Nintendo characters.

6. Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario is another series that I’m never been a big fan of. I played the original on the NES but never made it very far. I watched my college roommates play Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64 but never really felt like playing it myself. I guess the problem once again is that it appears too childish for my taste despite the great game play.

7. Animal Crossing

It’s a game about farming. Sorry to say, that’s not really my cup of tea.

8. Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Like RE4, this is one of the handful of mature games on the GameCube. As you might guess from the title, the story line is a bit dark. It’s also the best part of the game. The story fully immerses you into the game as you travel through times and play as different characters trying to stop the end of the world. Unfortunately the game play is a bit difficult to get used to. The combat can be very annoying at first and it’s not always clear how to progress in the game. But overall, it is very satisfying and something very different.

9. Viewtiful Joe

The fourth game on this list that I never played. It’s an old-fashioned two-dimensional scroller. I don’t know about you, but it’s hard to go back to 2D once you’ve played 3D.

10. Soul Calibur II

I’m not a big fan of fighting games, but this is a very good game. The game came out on all three consoles, but the GameCube version allows you to fight as Link. The game features a Weapons Master mode, which allows you to purchase many of the weapons Link has used in past games.

Notable exclusions: Unfortunately, with the GameCube's limited number of games, there aren’t any.

A Test at the Pyramid

Wednesday evening I headed over to the Pyramid at Cal State, Long Beach for the second time this summer to take another look at what the Lakers summer league team had to offer. The Laker team would be facing the Memphis Grizzlies team which included Hakim Warrick (Memphis’ first round draft pick last year), Rudy Gay (the eighth overall pick this year), and Kyle Lowery (the 24th pick).

The game began with a big disappointment when I saw that Andrew Bynum, the “future of the franchise,” was not in the starting lineup. I looked over to the team bench and saw that Bynum was dressed in street clothes. Later on I would find out that he had suffered a knee bone bruise. It’s not a significant injury and he should be healthy in two weeks.

That was little consolation to me given that I made the trek to Long Beach mostly to see how much progress Andrew had made at the close of his second summer league. I had watched him in his second game and was encouraged by his progress. I had also seen the box scores from his other games and was looking forward to seeing him play again. Unfortunately I’ll have to wait until October when he should get playing time in the Laker pre-season games.

Fortunately there was still Jordan Farmar, the Lakers’ first round pick, who had also impressed me a couple of weeks ago. His other box scores had also looked good. I thought this game, without Bynum, would be a good test for Farmar since he was joined in the starting lineup by Von Wafer, Devin Green, Marcus Douthit, and Ed Fobbs. Needless to say, I thought it would be tough for Farmar to get any assists.

Sure enough, the Laker team played very disorganized to begin the game and the Grizzlies team got off to a quick lead. But the team rallied back and was down by only five points at the end of the first half.

Since Farmar could not rely on his teammates to do any scoring (he ended the game with only three assists), he put the responsibility for getting points on the scoreboard on himself. He made a couple of three pointers and drove to the basket, getting a couple of lay ups and some free throw opportunities. He also got his shot blocked a couple of times but it didn’t stop him from continuing to be aggressive.

That was one of the finest single half scoring performances I’ve ever witnessed at the summer league in the five years that I’ve attended. While I was pleased with Farmar’s offensive game, his defensive effort was disappointing. He was guarding Kyle Lowery who Memphis had selected two picks before Farmar was taken by the Lakers with the 26th pick.

Although Farmar had no trouble scoring against Lowery, he had some difficulty staying in front of him on defense. It seemed that Lowery could get past Farmar at will. Defense at the point guard position has been a problem for the Lakers the last few years. I was hoping Farmar would be better since he had a reputation for good defense in college. However, it looks like he’s going to have to continue to work on it.

The Grizzlies came out of the halftime break with a vengeance and got the lead up to 21 points in the middle of the third quarter. The Lakers rallied again but could only whittle the lead down to ten at the end of the quarter. Farmar tallied another seven points.

The fourth quarter began with Farmar on the bench and I feared he would remain there if the Grizzlies got the lead to 20 points again. However, the Lakers managed to stay within ten points of the Grizzlies until he got back into the game halfway into the quarter.

The stage was set. If Farmar could come in and lead the Lakers to a come from behind victory, visions of future NBA championships would dance in my head until the start of the regular season. If the Lakers lost, those visions would be replaced with images of the Lakers routinely making the playoffs only to face first round elimination for the next few years.

I’ll give Farmar credit for trying but his effort came up short. He took a couple of shots after getting back into the game but missed on both of them and went scoreless for the rest of the game. He also had a couple of passes that were not converted.

Nevertheless, the Lakers managed to stay in the game with some big plays by Devin Green, including a three-pointer and a drive to the basket. Green’s play this summer merits an invitation to the Lakers training camp, but it seems that with the acquisition of Maurice Evans, Green’s days with the Lakers will come to an end at training camp. Despite Green’s heroics, the Lakers lost the game 111-108.

So Wednesday’s game did turn out to be a good test for Farmar. He started off with the right answers but the Laker loss and his struggles in the fourth quarter changed my grade for him from an A to a B. Which isn’t bad, but it makes me wonder if it’ll be enough to get the Lakers to the next level. I guess we can only wait and see how he does on his next exam.

The Selfish Patriot

Saturday morning I learned that Kobe Bryant underwent knee surgery and would need eight to twelve weeks to recover. After the initial surprise, I found myself unusually happy about this development.

Given that I’m a Laker fan, you would imagine I’d be concerned to hear that Kobe went under the knife, even if it was only to clear up scar tissue and loose cartilage in his knee. Let me explain. You see, prior to learning of the surgery, I had read that the United States men’s basketball team would be getting together soon to prepare for the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.

I’m probably one of the handful of people that still cares about the US basketball team. America loves winners, not underachieving prima donnas. After the dismal sixth-place performance of the US team at the world tournament in 2002, a lot of American basketball fans soured on the team.

Frankly, they weren’t that supportive to begin with as attendance at the tournament in Indianapolis was low. Support for the team took another blow when the 2004 Olympic team became only the third American team (along with the 1972 and 1988 teams) to fail to win gold and ended up with the bronze medal.

But I still care. It’s one of the few things that I actually feel patriotic about. There is a lot to love about the United States, but there is also a lot to be ashamed of. So I’m not always vocal of my support for the US in athletic competitions. In fact, when the United States faces Mexico in a soccer match or little league baseball game, I find myself rooting for my parents’ homeland.

When it comes to basketball though, I want to see the US dominate. I love basketball. Without a doubt it’s my favorite sport to watch and play. I mostly reserve my viewing to NBA basketball rather than college because I want to see the very best in the world. I know that the NBA still features the best players, but when I see the US lose to other countries it makes me wonder. It’d be like being an NFL fan and finding out that the teams in the Canadian league are better.

Even after the sixth place finish in 2002 and the bronze medal in 2004, I was looking forward to seeing the US compete this summer. I was hopeful that with Bryant on the team, the US might win the championship and get the automatic berth for the 2008 Olympics.

But another part of me was worried that Kobe might get hurt during the tournament or the additional wear and tear of playing organized ball over the summer would lead to injury during the regular NBA season. The worry was compounded by the fact that Lamar Odom, the only other legitimate starter on the Lakers, had also been invited to play for the team and might also be exposing himself to injury.

So when I found out that neither Kobe nor Lamar (whose infant son died last month) would be playing for the US, I felt a sense of relief (along with sympathy for Lamar’s loss). As much as I want to see the United States emerge victorious, my sports loyalty will forever remain with only one team: the Los Angeles Lakers.

Besides, the US team will still be very talented as those that have been invited to play for the team include: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Gilbert Arenas, Chauncy Billups, Chris Paul, Elton Brand, Michael Redd, and Kirk Hinrich

With so much firepower on the team, the US will undoubtedly still be one of the favorites. Of course I’ll be loyally watching them and rooting for them. But I’ll also be grateful that whatever happens, it won’t adversely affect the Lakers’ chances to make the playoffs next season. Maybe that means I’m not a true patriot. Well, at least I won’t be rooting for Argentina.

Kwame in the Clear?

Yesterday, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office announced that there would be no sexual assault charges brought against Kwame Brown. While I’m happy for Brown and hope the allegations were indeed unfounded, I don’t know if this announcement was necessarily the best news for the Lakers.

I know I’m a horrible person for thinking this, but after the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs, it occurred to me that it might not be so bad if Brown was charged and either plead guilty or was convicted. Then the Lakers could void his contract and sign a high-priced free agent next summer.

While it’s true that Brown played well in the final month of the season, averaging 12.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in April, I can’t forget how disappointing he was leading up to March 14, when he assumed the injured Chris Mihm’s place in the starting line-up. He also continues to be maddeningly consistent in his inconsistency, getting just 2 rebounds in one game and 11 in the next as he did against the Suns.

This disappointment was compounded towards the end of the season, despite the good play, when I learned that Brown had been given a full three-year deal, rather than two years with a team option as reported the previous summer.

To be honest, I was never in favor of the Brown trade. At one point in the 2004-05 season I had considered the possibility of trading Caron Butler for Brown. But by the end of the season, as Butler finished the season strong (with Lamar Odom out of the lineup) and Brown ended up suspended by his team during the middle of a playoff run, I no longer had any interest in Brown. I also became convinced that Odom could play the power forward position in the triangle offense.

What made the trade bearable was that with a two-year deal, the Lakers might still be able to preserve cap space for the 2007 free agency period. The Lakers would be over the salary cap until then because of the enormous Brian Grant contract the team received when it traded away Shaquille O’Neal.

While it was true that Yao Ming and Amare Stoudamire had already signed contract extensions and would no longer be free agents in 2007, there were other good players available, like Rashard Lewis, who might help Kobe and Lamar win a title for Los Angeles.

However, those dreams died when I learned that the Lakers would not be able to dump Brown after the 2006-07 season and he would probably be a Laker until 2008. In addition, this summer the Lakers signed Vladimir Radmanovic to a five-year deal so it seems the plan to clear cap space has been abandoned.

Since Radmanovic’s contract is reasonable, part of me thought it could still be traded away if Brown was found guilty and cut. Now that the district attorney’s office has announced its decision, the team is stuck with Brown.

I guess there’s still a chance for the Lakers to get Lewis, the team might still be able to trade Kwame for an expiring contract. One can only hope. Either that or hope Brown proves me wrong and demonstrates he deserves the $8M or so he’ll be making next year.

Farming at the Pyramid

On Sunday afternoon I headed out to the Pyramid at Cal State, Long Beach. Although the atmosphere did not match last year’s buzz with the debut of Andrew Bynum, there was still excitement surrounding the drafting of Jordan Farmar and continued hope for the development of Bynum.

It was the fifth year I had made the trip out to Long Beach. And if you ask me why I keep making the trip, it’d be tough to give you an answer. The level of basketball is vastly inferior to the NBA and it’s getting worse every year as NBA teams abandon Long Beach.

This year the number of NBA teams was down to four: the Lakers, Grizzlies, Mavericks, and Wizards. Teams like the Clippers, Raptors, and Knicks have taken their NBA hopefuls to greener pastures in Vegas and other cities.

Most of the players will never make it to the pros and since the NBA summer league teams don’t come together until right before the league starts, the games are only slightly better than pick up games at the Y. (Although they are still more entertaining to watch than any women’s basketball game.)

I guess what keeps me coming back is the hope of seeing a diamond in the rough that will help propel the Lakers to another championship. Last year, although Bynum’s name was on the marquee, he was upstaged by Smush Parker, an obscure player that had been in and out of the NBA. While I would have never imagined he would turn out to be the Lakers starting point guard, it was clear at first glance that he had NBA talent and would help the Lakers in a triangle offense.

So the hope of finding another Smush compelled me to see what the 2006 Lakers summer league team had to offer. Unfortunately, this year there was no new Smush. However, the trip was not disappointing as I got to take a look at another player who might be able to drive the Lakers a lot closer to another championship: Jordan Farmar.

Prior to the draft Farmar’s name had been bandied about as a possible Lakers pick. To be honest, I wasn’t that impressed by Farmar’s performance for UCLA in the NCAA tournament. But the fact that he was clearly the leader on a team that got to the final game got me thinking he might not be a bad choice and I was pleased when the Lakers drafted him.

So I was anxious to see him on Sunday. Farmar was almost in a no-win situation. If he failed to excel, the Lakers pick would be another lost opportunity. If he performed well, it wouldn’t mean anything since players like Devean George, Darius Miles, and Nikoloz Tskitisvili have looked like potential hall of famers in the summer league only to turn out to be mediocre at best in the pros.

Nevertheless, I really hoped Farmar would show me something. And he did, even before the opening tip. One of the most surprising things that I learned after the Lakers drafted him was that Farmar has a 42-inch vertical jump. He never struck me as very athletic the few times I saw him play for UCLA. Well, he put to rest any doubts I might have had when he made a couple of dunks during the lay-up drill.

Once the game began, he continued to impress. Farmar had played well the day before, but I had to see him in person to really get the impression that he could play in the NBA. He clearly looked like the best player on the court and exuded a certain calm confidence.

Farmar was in control of the tempo of the game but did not try to force anything. His athleticism was also on display on a couple of rebounds and a jump ball. He guarded his man well and stayed with him over screens instead of going under them.

He didn’t have much of a second quarter, but his strong play in the third helped the Laker team build an insurmountable lead. Farmar showcased his offensive game in this quarter with a couple of floaters that reminded me of Jeff Hornacek (in a good way) and a three pointer. Granted all this was against Dallas’ B team (their A team with their first round pick, Maurice Ager, plays in Vegas), but it was still comforting to see.

As for the rest of the squad, Bynum and Devin Green impressed me a bit and Pinnock showed flashes. Although Bynum’s offensive game is not developing as fast as one would hope, he continues to be a defensive presence on the court. He was swatting away balls with ease and was a monster on the boards and ended up with 5 blocks and 15 rebounds.

One of my concerns about Bynum is that he doesn’t finish at the rim despite his seven-foot frame. Jelani McCoy, a former UCLA bruin who’s been in and out of the NBA the last few years, was guarding him throughout the game.

There were a couple of times when he was a foot away from the rim and instead of just going up to dunk it, he tried to coax the ball into the rim and either got blocked or missed wildly. However, in the third quarter he started to play with a little more poise and was a lot smoother at the rim, including an alley-oop dunk off a pass from Green. It was also nice to see Bynum make his free throws as he promised he would after he was drafted. The previous year, nerves appeared to affect his shooting stroke.

Another concern I have about Bynum is his stamina. While he played great in the third quarter, by the time he was taken out of the game with a minute left, he looked like he needed an oxygen tank. I can understand that lugging around those 275 pounds would take its toll. But the guy is not overweight and is only 18, so you would think he would have more energy. Hopefully as he continues to train and develop he’ll find a way to stay on the court a little longer.

Finally, Devin Green had a very strong third quarter after a horrible first half and Von Wafer played well in garbage time. However, it’s not clear that either deserves a spot on the Lakers’ real roster. I plan to take another trip to the Pyramid on the 19th and will report on whether either earns that spot and how Farmar and Bynum progress.