Laker Linkage – 10/12/09

• The Story: Ron Artest is still looking to find his way in the Laker offense.  The Fire Says: Ron has looked pretty good so far this pre-season but it is clear he still has some work to do on the offensive end, then again that isn’t really why the Lakers signed him.
• The Story: The Lakers held a players only meeting after their pre-season loss on Friday.  The Fire Says: The players were upset with the general level of effort in the game and wanted to put a stop to it early.  This is a good thing, but it sure seems like the team is taking things a little too seriously this early in the pre-season.
• The Story: The Lakers cut Mickael Gelabale, David Monds and Michael Fey from the training camp roster.  The Fire Says: The Lakers are down to 15 players and Tony Gaffney and Thomas Kelati should be next on the chopping block as the Lakers seem deadset on carrying only 13 players into the regular season.
• The Story: Don’t expect a contract extension to for Jordan Farmar before the October 31st deadline.  The Fire Says: Nor should they seeing how Farmar has a lot to prove.  He’ll be a restricted free agent anyway, so if the Lakers decide they want to keep him they’ll have a chance to match any offer he receives.
• The Story: Laker fans are still renewing season tickets at an incredible rate despite the bad economy.  The Fire Says: 98% of season ticket holders renewed their tickets, the best in the league, which shouldn’t be a surprise given that the Lakers are defending the title.
• The Story: The Lakers Nation takes a look back at the “Summer of Ron.” The Fire Says: What should be more exciting than the Summer of Ron will be the Season of Ron.
• The Story: Will Bynum and Odom grumble over their minutes this year? The Fire Says: Both players are happy right now, but with so few minutes to go around, it wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both started getting pissy about not getting enough floor time.  This is probably a major reason Phil Jackson has been experimenting with a big line-up featuring Kobe at the 1, Artest at the 2 and Odom at the 3.
• The Story: Forum Blue and Gold previews the Laker season from a Mad Men point of view.  The Fire Says: A very entertaining read even if you don’t watch Mad Men, and kudos to them for admitting they are borrowing the idea from Bill Simmons rather than trying to pretend like it is their own.

Tags: Andrew Bynum, Daily Links, David Monds, Free Agency, Jordan Farmar, Lamar Odom, Michael Fey, Mickael Gelabale, pre-season, Ron Artest, transactions