***Shockingly, he lost the opening tip.
***Dwight’s inaugural contribution came in the form of an assist to Kobe Bryant (the traditional christening of each and every newly-minted LA Laker). All hail Lord Mamba; no exceptions.
***The first of Howard’s 19 points came in the form of a high-low alley-oop play set up by Pau Gasol (expect to see A LOT of this). The Lakers continuously attempted to force Howard the ball throughout the entire game (especially early on, and mostly via lob), making them appear a bit sloppy. They were successful at times, but the over-passing ultimately led to 22 costly turnovers. Still, one can feel nothing but intrigued by the way the Lakers attempted to share the ball. Once they get themselves on the same page, this team ought to become nearly unguardable.
***DeMarcus Cousins was outplayed, but, surprisingly, he managed not to make a complete fool of himself. Boogie did foul five times, turn the ball over another five times, shoot a three-pointer, and throw a ridiculous pass in transition, but he was able to maintain a steady demeanor and refrain from participating in any extracurriculars. He also scored the four points that essentially won the game for the Kings. Decent overall showing, especially considering the situation. I kind of expected his narcissism to develop into a primary subplot, but it never did.
***Physically and athletically, Dwight looked downright fantastic. As his 12 rebounds suggest, he was a dominating force on the glass. The majority of his field goals were of the slam dunk variety, but he did showcase a swooping left hook on a second-half drive. Defensively, he was a game changer, finishing with 4 blocked shots. I thought he looked a bit rusty at times, as if he was struggling to get a feel for the basketball… but isn’t that to be expected? And if he’s out there, rusty, giving you 19 and 12 in 33 energetic minutes… you’ve got to be pleased with that.
***Forgetting to put a body on Thomas Robinson: a fatal mistake that Dwight probably won’t make twice.
***In regards to the loss (LA’s sixth of the preseason)… look at it this way, folks: the Lakers were as excited as you were to have Dwight in the game. It showed in their lack of discipline, and that’s perfectly okay. Remember, the outcome of this contest never mattered. Come November, the Lakers won’t be playing like they’ve just discovered the alley-oop button in 2k. Tonight, I saw Kobe pass up more looks than I have in my entire life. I watched Steve Nash make a few passes that weren’t really that good. I sat through 8 minutes and 24 seconds of Chris Duhon. Absolutely none of this will carry over into the actual NBA season, and anyone who talks as if it will should have his or her mouth taped shut.
