Game Countdown: Ring in the New Season – Clippers @ Lakers

It is the most wonderful time of the year, the start of new Laker season.  And what better way to start off the quest for the repeat than with a pre-game ring ceremony for last year’s title win.

One ring to rule them all!

If there was ever a way to get a team properly focused and motivated for a season it is to get those big baubles that symbolize their triumph right before the opening tip of the season.  How can someone not get totally geeked up after that?  Really, I kind of feel sorry for the Clippers who are basically being offered up as sacrificial lambs for this Laker team that will be hellbent on asserting their dominance after the ring ceremony.  And this isn’t just about the Lakers establishing themselves as the top team in Los Angeles but over the NBA as a whole.

Los Angeles Clippers (0-0) @ Los Angeles Lakers (0-0)

Game Info: 7:30 PM PT TV-TNT  Radio-710 AM, 1330 AM

THREE Questions:

• Who will be the first guard off the bench for the Lakers?  Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown never settled their battle for back-up point guard and it sure looked like Brown might even be in the mix to overtake Sasha as the top reserve shooting guard as well.  Obviously substitution patterns are subject to change, but this should give the first real clear indication of which reserve guard Phil actually trusts at this point of the season.
• Will the Lakers let Joey Buss speak at the ring ceremony or did they learn their lesson?
• What ridiculous Laker-inspired hairstyle is Ron Artest going to be rocking in for his debut?  Personally, I can’t wait to see it.  The Ron Artest crazy train is about to leave the station.

TWO Predictions:

• Bynum had his monstrous 42 and 15 game against the Clippers right before he hurt himself last season.  Don’t think he doesn’t remember that and uses this game to get the season off on the right foot, scoring at least 25 points, grabbing no fewer than 11 rebounds and blocking a minimum of 2 shots.
• The Clippers fall behind early but rally in the second quarter to close the gap to 5 before the Lakers pull away for good and ultimately end up winning by 18.

ONE Wish:

• I wish that Blake Griffin wasn’t hurt.  He may be a Clipper but I was actually pretty excited to see the number one overall pick’s first game as a pro.  Too bad he has already been injured three times since being drafted.  Such is life on LA’s junior varsity basketball team.

ZERO Tolerance for… starting the season off with anything less than a buttkicking of the lowly Clippers.  I know Pau is likely out and Kobe is hurting a bit, but I don’t care.

Leave your own questions, answers, predictions or wishes as a comment or just hang out with us during the game.

Tags: Andrew Bynum, Blake Griffin, Game Countdown, injuries, Joey Buss, Jordan Farmar, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Clippers, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest, Sasha Vujacic, Shannon Brown