The last game of the regular season is upon us, as the Oakland Raiders hit the road to take on the San Diego Chargers this Sunday afternoon.

What was to be a season of promise (mostly by Raider Nation standards), turned out to be a year of disappointment and rebuilding for the Silver and Black. I’m sure the organization, and Raider Nation saw this year  as a big gigantic step backwards after competing for the division title two years in row.

But what else can you expect from a team that has had so much turnover at the head coaching position over the last several years?

The much maligned late-great Al Davis was criticized for a lot of his decision making after the Raiders 2002-03 Super Bowl run (in which they loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers unfortunately), but before he passed away, he finally got it right with the head coaching position by hiring Hue Jackson. But that decision will never be remembered due to his passing away midway through last season.

Even though the Raiders did falter down the stretch last year, the consensus amongst Raider Nation was that Jackson had the right personality to turn this franchise around. But when there is turnover in the front office, there is usually a trickle down effect. That took shape in the form of firing Jackson and hiring Dennis Allen.

Allen has failed to motivate, and instill any sense of fight in this year’s Raiders squad. Am I the only one who still can not get a sense of who Allen is? I digress for now, but if the Raiders don’t have an incredible draft, and an off-season filled with much needed acquisitions, the Silver and Black could be in the same predicament next year.

Which brings me to today’s game against the Chargers. Besides salvaging a season split with San Diego, the real question becomes do you lose this game to gain a higher position in the upcoming draft?

Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer is out today due to injured ribs. Terrelle Pryor passes Matt Leinart on the quarterback depth chart to start in today’s game. And Allen expects to lean on running back Darren McFadden today, as if McFadden’s average of 3.3 yards per run (third lowest in the NFL) will really help out a wet behind the ears Pryor.

If you’re trying to evaluate talent at the end of the season, during ball games, chances are you’re not really trying to win those games, but I digress once again.

All this looking to the future talk sounds logical, but who is Allen trying to convince, the team, Raider Nation, or himself? I believe it to be the latter because the team and Raider Nation believed they had a quality enough product to win this season, but new schemes on both sides of the ball, and injuries put the Raiders behind the 8-ball from the jump.

Over the last two years, the Silver and Black came into the last week of the season with a somewhat legitimate chance to make it to the playoffs, but this year all they are playing for is a high draft position and future aspirations, much to the dismay of Raider Nation.

The Los Angeles Lakers get a rare win on Christmas Day by defeating the New York Knicks 100-94.

With the victory, the Lakers got an unlikely “W” on Christmas for the first time in five years, extended their winning streak to five games, and finally are back to playing .500 basketball (14-14).

It was indeed a Merry Christmas for everyone associated with Laker Nation yesterday afternoon.

With head coach Mike D’Antoni’s maestro, Steve Nash, back running the show for the Lakers, this was the type of performance everyone in Lakerland expected to be witnesses to on a regular bases. But with injuries to key players, none of that type play had manifested before yesterday’s nationally televised game on ABC.

With his second straight game back from injury, Nash once again played an intricate role in deciding the outcome of Tuesday’s Christmas showdown with the Knicks. He finished the game with 16 points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds, and made pivotal baskets and assists late in the game that all but sealed the win for the Lakers.

Kobe was indeed in Black Mamba mode for Christmas, scoring 34 points, and turning back the clock with some vintage Mambaesque athleticism on a number of acrobatic shots. Dwight Howard finished the game with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks, and was pretty much the defensive difference maker the Lakers knew he would become, anchoring several defensive series for the Lakers late in the 4th quarter, that eventually led to a Laker win.

Metta World Peace had another big performance off the bench scoring 20 points, to go along with 7 rebounds. World Peace had a “Ron Artest” flashback moment in the second quarter, dropping 16 points in the period, with consistent outside shooting, and tough drives to the basket. If he can play at this level with consistency, the Lakers will definitely become a big problem for teams come the playoffs.

Last but not least, is Pau Gasol, who had the defining moment of yesterday matchup . With 14 seconds left, Gasol drove to the hole, and finished with an emphatic two-handed dunk that extended the Lakers lead to 99-94, and pretty much sealed the victory for the Lakers. Gasol finished with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Obviously, D’Antoni seems to be doing a better job of finally finding the pulse of this team. I’m glad he realized he was screwing up the usage of Gasol, especially in the fourth quarter, and that there heart to heart talk last week (extremely way overdue) gave him a better perspective of who Gasol was, and how he needs to be used.

The Lakers are finally heading into the right direction, and it will be up to D’Antoni to make more adjustments as the season progresses. D’Antoni must be able to utilize all of the talent on this roster to the best of his ability, which means he needs to find a way to instill some confidence in Antawn Jamison and include him in the rotation. I know Jamison was slumping before he racked up his current string of DNP’s, but there’s no reason to have a player on your bench that can score 30-plus points any given night out of the rotation. I digress for now, because his current rotation is producing wins, but ultimately he has to figure out a way to make it work, or eventually trade Jamison for some young horses (that are currently not on the market).

The Lakeshow will be playing the second game of a back-back against the Denver Nuggets in Denver tonight. And after tonight’s contest, they play four straight home games (one of them being a road game against the Los Angeles Clippers). It will be interesting to see if the Lakers can keep up their winning ways, and stay above .500 for good.

With yesterday’s victory against the Knicks being considered a turning point in the Lakers season by Laker Nation and some pundits, one can only hope that the real Lakeshow squad emerges from yesterday’s Christmas win as the favorites they were projected to be in 2013.

The Los Angeles Lakers managed to narrowly escape the Staples Center last night with a 101-100 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Led by the Black Mamba’s vengeance, the Lakers were able to claw their way out of an 18-point deficit they faced midway through the third quarter. Kobe Bryant finished the game with another 30-point effort (his seventh straight 30-point game) to go along with 7 assists and 6 rebounds. Dwight Howard had a solid double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds, while Metta World Peace (who came off the bench) and Jodie Meeks scored 17 points apiece. Pau Gasol returned to action for the Lakers last night, and although his stat line of 10 points and 9 rebounds weren’t great, he still managed to be productive when he was out on the floor. After Gasol gets back into game rhythm, the Lakers hope to be getting back the Pau of two years ago.

What does last night’s win say for the current state of the  Lakeshow?

There are several ways to look at it. Last night’s game could have been their worst loss of the young season, or a defining moment for a struggling team trying to find their way. And although a come from behind win against a far inferior team at home nonetheless doesn’t scream Lakers resurgence, it does display that this current Laker team actually has some type of fight in them.

The main issue is that head coach Mike D’Antoni has to utilize his team properly, and help establish an identity for this wayward group of players (outside of Bryant of course) wearing the purple and gold. As they wait for the return of Steve Nash, D’Antoni has to find a way to take advantage of Gasol’s strengths, keep developing the young players off the bench, and make sure he includes Antawn Jamison in the mix (I’m still scratching my head on the DNP next to his name last night, was he hurt?), because now is the time for the Lakers to dig themselves out of this big whole they’ve created for themselves if they really want to surge back into the playoff picture as a possible top 4 seed.

The Lakers hit the road to play an improved Golden State team on Saturday. Which Laker team shows up to play that game is the current million dollar question for Laker Nation? Then there’s the proverbial Christmas trap game for the Lakeshow (in which they have a sub .500 record over the last several Christmases) against the New York Knicks. It’s unfortunate that we have arrived at this point so early in the season, but all the fans in Lakerland want for Christmas from their team is a 14-14 record. Hopefully, they can satisfy the Laker Nation wish list.

Kobe “Bean” Bryant, aka The Black Mamba, sets another career milestone by becoming the youngest player to reach the 30,000 point scoring plateau, en route to the Los Angeles Lakers taking down the New Orleans Hornets last night 103-87.

At age 34, 104 years old, Bryant is only the 5th player in NBA history to reach this elite scoring club, and he did it at an age younger than the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (the other members of the club). Bryant is currently 5th on the NBA all-time scoring list, and by the end of next season will more than like take over third place on that same list (which is currently held by Michael Jordan).

Lost in the moment of such a historic accomplishment, was the fact that the Lakers got a much needed and rare road win, Led by Bryant’s 29 points. But last not simply belonged to The Black Mamba.

“It’s just a tremendous honor,” said Bryant. ”I don’t really know how else to put it. I’ve just been very, very fortunate.”

NBA commissioner David Stern was in attendance at last night’s game, and had high praises for Bryant and his competitive drive.

“I want to shake his hand. I think Kobe is, as a talent and a competitor, he’s up there on the pedestal with Michael Jordan as one of the greatest,” Stern told reporters before the game. “Kobe has such an extraordinary run playing at the highest level for so long with the championships to prove it in a league that is extremely competitive.

“Kobe and the Lakers have been an important part of the league, and I wish him well for this season and beyond.”

Bryant spoke about Stern’s congratulatory sentiments.

“(Stern) said he was in (Las) Vegas when Kareem set his milestone and he just congratulated me and told me that I was one of the best competitors that he’s seen in this game,” Bryant said. “I really appreciated that. He’s done a lot for the game and obviously this kind of being his last in the office and so forth. It really means a lot.”

With this accomplishment and many more to come in the near future, it’s always interesting how pundits and today’s fan still don’t truly acknowledge in a consensus fashion, that Bryant is the only person that belongs in the same sentence with Jordan when you talk about making valid comparisons. For such a hallmark-type of career, Bryant doesn’t get that overwhelming cemented type of respect that you would think a player of his caliber should receive. But I digress, because Bryant has somewhat played a hand in that perception due to his past strained relationship with Shaquille O’Neal, and the disbandment of the early 200o’s Laker Dynasty.

And even with all of his accomplishments, there are a number of “old-school” journalists and fans who don’t even think he’s the best Laker of all-time, because that distinction goes to Magic Johnson, mainly for the way he transcended the game, and of course his NBA titles (even though Johnson will tell you that Kobe has had the better career). But again I will digress, because as he gets closer to the end of his Hall of Fame career, he will and should become more celebrated.

For the Lakeshow, this could possibly be a turning point in the season that brings about a new determined ball club that will live up to the expectations placed on them. One thing is for certain, they have the right man leading the charge, and hopefully they can follow his lead.

The Oakland Raiders host the Cleveland Browns at the Black Hole this Sunday afternoon.

With aspirations of making the playoffs all but gone for the Silver and Black, the Raiders look to simply put a halt to this four-game losing streak that has basically ended their season somewhat prematurely.

Oakland looks to get a much needed boost on offense with the return of running backs Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson. With these two back in the lineup, the Raiders may actually be able to establish some balance on offense early on in Sunday’s contest. The Raiders should be able to dominate the time of possession battle against a low level Browns defense, even in a Greg Knapp coached offense.

Defensively, Oakland needs to shake off this defensive rut their in. They have allowed 169 points during their four-game losing streak, the second most in a four-game stretch since the merger in 1970.

The Raiders will be without defensive tackle, Richard Seymour for a fourth straight game (possibly the main reason the defense has taken such a nose-dive in the last four games), and linebacker Rolando McClain (who is serving the first of a two-game self-imposed suspension by the Raiders). Oakland’s D faces a tough task today going up against Browns’ running back Trent Richardson (755 rushing yards).

Head coach Dennis Allen, and defensive coordinator Jason Tarver must instill a since of pride in this defense to stop the internal bleeding.

Will the return of RUN-DMC on offense, and a hopefully focused and intense performance from the defense put an end to this four-game losing streak? As the Silver and Black prepare to strap-up for yet another battle, Raider Nation hopes that they’re able to put them in a good mood come Sunday evening.

The Oakland Raiders travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals Sunday afternoon. The Raiders are looking to end a three game skid, and stop the internal bleeding (and hemorrhaging) for the Raiders and Raider Nation.

The presumed headline in today’s game would be Raiders QB Carson Palmer’s return to Cincy after leaving in a tumultuous manner last year. But with the Bengals second year quarterback, Andy Dalton, turning things around for the organization, and the Raiders coming into the game with a record of 3-7, there’s not any real big hype surrounding today’s game.

Whether or not Palmer would love to defeat his old team in the worst way, he knows his current employer needs this game more from a morale standpoint.

“It’s a big game,” said Palmer. “We have to get a win. We’re going to fight, we’re going to grind this week. We have a lot of room for improvement, a lot of areas we need to improve on.”

The main area the Raiders need to improve on is defense, as they are now ranked last in the NFL allowing 32.2 points per game, thanks to a three game losing streak in which they were outscored 135-69. Head coach Dennis Allen, and defensive coordinator Jason Tarver, have to dial up a defensive scheme that can restore some confidence in this defensive group.

Offensively, without possibly having Darren McFadden for a third straight game, the offense clearly rests on Palmer. And with no possible running game, it will be hard to control the time of possession when you’re throwing the ball more than running the ball. I expect Palmer to have a big game against his former team, mainly because he has been consistent statistics-wise (passing yards) for most of the season.

Will he lead touchdown scoring drives early in the game, and will the defense actually get off the field on third down, are the biggest questions for the Raiders today? I know Raider Nation is thrown off by the start time, but can deal with it as long as the Silver and Black manage to get a much needed win.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Brooklyn Nets 95-90, to give Mike D’Antoni a victorious debut from the bench as  the Lakers’ new head coach.

Although he has been with the team since last Thursday, Tuesday night’s game was the first he was able to coach from the bench, due to him recovering from knee replacement surgery he had two weeks prior to him taking over the reigns of the Lakeshow.

Ironically enough, the Lakers scored under 100 points in his first game on the sidelines, while they previously averaged 116.5 points per game with him coaching from the locker room. The good news is that they kept their opponent under 100 points as well.

Kobe Bryant poured in 25 points last night, none more crucial than the six points he scored in the final two minutes to seal the win for the Lakers. Dwight Howard had another dominant performance with 23 points, 15 rebounds and four blocks. Pau Gasol had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Metta World Peace scored 17 points to go along with 8 rebounds.

The Lakers are getting a lot of point production from their starters under D’Antoni’s system, but are getting minimal help from the bench, something that pundits felt would be the Achilles heel of this Laker team. With both Steve’s (Nash and Blake) MIA for at least another four games, it’s imperative that players like Antwan Jamison and Jodie Meeks step it up. Hopefully with D’Antoni back on the bench, the Laker reserves will get some added confidence and start producing, because it will be needed tonight when they hit the road to take on the Sacramento Kings (second game of a back to back).

Finally on the plus side of .500 (6-5) for the first time this season, D’Antoni and Lakeshow look to extend their three-game winning streak, as they take a “mini vaca” from the Staples Center with a three-game roadie starting tonight in Sacramento, as they look to get their first road victory of the season.

The Oakland Raiders lose to the New Orleans Saints 38-17, in what appeared to be an uninvited shootout.

Sunday’s game mirrored the same type of performance that took place against the Baltimore Ravens just a week ago. The game was decided by the middle of the 3rd quarter, Raiders’  QB Carson Palmer statistically had another great game, and by the end of the day Raider Nation seemed more bewildered and confused than ever before.

For the game, Palmer ended up with 312 passing yards, two touchdowns (and two interceptions). Fullback Marcel Reece, had the game of his life, racking up a 109 yards on the ground to go along with 90 receiving yards. Yet both of these big performances went for not, as they are clearly misleading to what actually took place yesterday afternoon for the Silver and Black. The Saints looked like a well oiled machine, and the Raiders didn’t, simple and plain. Palmer threw an interception late in the first quarter that put them in a 14-0 hole, and from that point on it was murder she wrote.

Offensively, the Raiders have struggled to get going in the first half of ball games, and yesterday was no different, especially playing without Darren McFadden for a second straight week. Defensively, playing without their defensive leaders in Richard Seymour and Tyvon Branch, the Raiders D looked dismal, and that falls squarely on the players, and the coaches.

The one thing I still can’t seem to wrap my brain around is, who is head coach Dennis Allen? Allen displays no intensity on the sidelines, and his laid back demeanor is rare among NFL defensive minds. I’m sorry, but when I think about the characteristics of a head coach for the Oakland Raiders, Allen definitely doesn’t fit the mode, but Hue Jackson did (I digress for now). He has yet to establish an identity with this team, let alone leave a paw print on this defense. There is simply no excuse for the lack of effort and motivation on defense during the last three games. Depth on this side of the ball was an issue during preseason if any of the starters became injured (which they obviously have), and has clearly come back to haunt the Raiders at this point of the season.

I was hoping I could actually stop prefacing upcoming games for Oakland as “winnable games” after Week 8, but clearly I was asinine to think such a thing. The Raiders head to Cincinnati next week to take on the Bengals in what they hope to be a winnable game. As for Raider Nation, I know Tuesday morning can not get here fast enough.

The Los Angeles Lakers surge past the Houston Rockets for a 119-108 victory at the Staples Center Sunday evening.

The Lakers have won four of their last five games since the firing of Mike Brown. They are 4-1 under interim head coach Bernie Bickerstaff (who will be retained under Mike D’Antoni’s regime), and technically 2-0 since D’Antoni was officially introduced as the Lakers new head coach.What we’ve learned  so far under D’Antoni’s system is that more offense is good all the time, and all the time more offense is good. The Lakers have increased their point total from nearly a 100 points per game to 116.5 points per game since the new offense has been installed.

Sunday night’s game was a microcosm of how everyone, from analysts, to pundits, to Laker Nation envisioned the new-look Lakeshow would play once their chemistry was able to develop, as well as them playing in the right scheme that fits this roster. The Black Mamba had a triple double of 22 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in 35 minutes of action. Superman II had 28 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks and dominated the paint on both ends of the court. Pau Gasol scored 17 points, while Metta World Peace chipped in with 15 points (most of which came in a third quarter surge). Second year point guard, Darius Morris, had a career high night of 12 points and 5 assists (numbers he will eventually clip as career highs), and played a solid floor game.

The starters have seemed to flourish in D’Antoni’s system, while the bench is still trying to figure out their “bench mob swagger”, mainly Antwan Jamison and Jodie Meeks. D’Antoni’s style of play was made for these two players, and hopefully they will figure it out sooner rather than later.

Jim Buss has to be feeling a little more easy with the outcomes of the first two games under D’Antoni, but then again they were victories against two low level teams. The elephant in the room that has to be talked about, and will continuously get talked about to a  certain level of ad nauseam is the defense. I understand that the Lakers have individuals that play great defense, but eventually their team defense will have to get better if they plan on maximizing their full potential. But I digress for now, because everyone in Laker Nation seems to be all smiles, for the moment that is.

Up on the slate this week for the Lakeshow are back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets (at home), and the Sacramento Kings (on the road) starting Tuesday. Then they play another another back -to-back against the Memphis Grizzlies and the Dallas Mavericks (both on the road), which takes place on Friday and Saturday. The Lakers seem to be heading in the right direction, and must continue their winning ways to not only catch up to the Pacific Division leading Los Angeles Clippers, but also the elite teams in the Western Conference. As of right now, Laker Nation can put away their panic button, because order has been restored in Lakerland by an unwanted coach who just might know what he is doing.

The Oakland Raiders take on a newly revived New Orleans Saints team in the Black Hole Sunday afternoon.

For Raider Nation, this game could be a toss up of either a surprising Raiders victory (like week 3 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers), or an unwanted shootout that finds the Silver and Black running out of bullets before the 4th quarter even begins (like last week vs. the Baltimore Ravens).

Here are three keys to success for Oakland, if they want to put themselves in a good position to get the “W” this weekend.

-  The Raiders must score touchdowns, not field goals! Carson Palmer has had big numbers statistically (yardage wise) throughout the season, but the one area he needs to improve on is finishing off drives with 7, not 3 points, especially against a high powered offense like the Saints. New Orleans doesn’t have a great defense, so Palmer should have a field day against them. With possibly no RUN DMC (Darren McFadden) for a second straight week, it will be up to Palmer to match Saints’ QB Drew Brees as this game wears on.

- Defensively, Oakland has to get off of the field on third down. In most of their six losses, this has plagued the Raiders when it comes to giving themselves a legitimate chance to win ball games. They must find a way to put Brees on his #$%, and disrupt the flow of the Saints offense if they seriously want to make this a competitive ball game.

New Orleans doesn’t have a great running game, but that doesn’t mean that the defense should fall asleep when it comes to containing their ground game. Intensity, determination and focus should bring about solid results for this Oakland D if they’re up for the challenge.

- Lastly, the Raiders must win the turnovers and penalties battle. When this Raiders’ defense can cause turnovers, they actually become more ferocious and fearsome. Turnovers also help the offense, putting them in easier situations to score.

Penalties have hurt the Raiders over the last four ball games, and must be limited when you play an offensive juggernaut like the Saints. Simply put, don’t take away points or positive plays from your team, and don’t give New Orleans a second chance to do anything offensively, because eventually you will pay for it.

Head coach Dennis Allen must find a way to motivate this struggling Raiders team, and there’s no better time to get it done than this Sunday afternoon. Will Raider Nation be in good spirits come Sunday evening? That’s the million dollar question we have to wait until tonight to find out.