I Thought I Was Being Effusive . . .

. . . but Jackie MacMullan of the Boston Globe out does me, and then some. Seriously, since when are folks in Boston allowed to like Lakers?

Her article about Kobe glows with admiration.

Meanwhile, in the local paper, Coach Phil Jackson rips into Andrew Bynum (slightly), and tweaks Jordan Farmar.

I guess Phil Jackson is the person who thinks Phil Jackson can't coach rookies.

Bynum had a couple moments against Atlanta that I noticed. In the 3rd Quarter after fighting through the lane and not getting the ball in the post (in what would have been a contested and inadvisable pass), he showed his frustration and seemed to relax on the play instead of get into position to rebound. Second at the end of the game, with the outcome already decided, he found himself with the ball in his hands behind the 3 point arc with 12 seconds left on the 24 second clock. He's a kid, so he does what a kid would do in that situation, he shoots. Phil glowered, called a time out, yanked him from the game (with only about 45 seconds left), and didn't say a word to him on the bench. Bynum was still all smiles though, the shot was close and his form good, but Jackson was trying to show that what he did was fundamentally wrong.

The Lakers need Bynum to be solid, predictable, and play the way he's coached to play in the playoffs if the Lakers are to advance past the first round (which will likely be a road series against either San Antonio or Utah).

And Kobe's still putting together an MVP quality season.