The Lakers pulled to within a game of the first-place Clippers in the Pacific division standings last night, trouncing the Bobcats at the Staples Center. The Pacific looks like it'll be a two-team race all season, as the Warriors, Suns, and Kings are a combined 20-40 so far. As the Clippers prepare to face the Jazz in Utah tonight, here are some updates on their L.A. rivals:
- Plenty of talk recently has centered around Kenyon Martin and when he'll be available to sign with an NBA team. However, SI.com's Chris Mannix (via Twitter) warns not to forget about Aaron Brooks, who is also under contract in China. Mannix thinks Brooks could be an impact addition for the Lakers, though he notes that inquiring teams would need to be creative since Brooks would be a restricted free agent for the Suns (Twitter link).
- Andrew Bynum on the team's upcoming six-game road trip: "These are big games for us coming up. We need to prove that we’re able to win, or else they’re going to start doing things." Dave McMenanim has the full story at ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- ESPN.com's J.A. Adande agrees that a slide over the next couple weeks would prompt the Lakers to make more dramatic moves than signing a low-cost veteran like Gilbert Arenas.
- Earlier today, we heard that the Lakers could be interested in signing retired forward Rasheed Wallace.