2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers season
Division champions
Head coachMike Brown
General managerMitch Kupchak
OwnersJerry Buss
ArenaStaples Center
Results
Record41–25 (.621)
PlaceDivision: 1st (Pacific)
Conference: 3rd (Western)
Playoff finishConference Semifinals
(Lost to Thunder 1–4)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionHome: FS West HD Away: KCAL 9 HD
Radio710 ESPN
< 2010–11 2012–13 >

The 2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers season was the 64th season of the franchise, its 63rd season in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and its 52nd season in Los Angeles. For the first time since 2005, Phil Jackson did not return as the Lakers coach and replaced by former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown. Following the 2011 NBA lockout each team only played 66 games instead of the usual 82. At midseason they traded longtime point guard Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill and longtime forward Luke Walton to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ramon Sessions.

The Lakers finished 41–25, roughly the equivalent of 51–31, winning the Pacific Division for the 33rd time. They finished the season as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 1–4 in the Western Conference semi-finals. This season marked the final career playoff appearances of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum.

During this season, the Lakers were supposed to acquire Chris Paul from the New Orleans Hornets in a three-team deal that would send Lamar Odom, Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, and Kevin Martin to the Hornets and Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets, but then-NBA Commissioner David Stern had later vetoed the trade. Following the season, Andrew Bynum was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team deal.

Key dates[]

  • June 23: The 2011 NBA Draft took place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.[1]
  • December 19: The Lakers play their first preseason season game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
  • December 25: The Lakers play their first regular season game against the Chicago Bulls.
  • April 13: The Lakers clinch a playoff berth.
  • April 24: The Lakers win the Pacific Division.
  • April 26: The Lakers play their final game of the season against the Sacramento Kings.

Draft picks[]

Main article: 2011 NBA Draft
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Team

Roster[]

2011–12 Los Angeles Lakers roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY-MM-DD) From
F 9 Barnes, Matt 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 226 lb (103 kg) 1980-03-09 UCLA
G 5 Blake, Steve 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 172 lb (78 kg) 1980-02-26 Maryland
G 24 Bryant, Kobe (C) 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 212 lb (96 kg) 1978-08-23 Lower Merion HS (PA)
C 17 Bynum, Andrew 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 285 lb (129 kg) 1987-10-27 St. Joseph HS (NJ)
F 3 Ebanks, Devin 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1989-10-28 West Virginia
G 88 Eyenga, Christian 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1989-06-22 DR Congo
F/C 16 Gasol, Pau (C) 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1980-07-06 Spain
G 0 Goudelock, Andrew 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1988-07-12 College of Charleston
F 27 Hill, Jordan 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 1987-07-27 Arizona
F 6 McRoberts, Josh 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1987-02-28 Duke
G 1 Morris, Darius 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1991-01-03 Michigan
F 14 Murphy, Troy 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1980-05-02 Notre Dame
G 7 Sessions, Ramon 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1986-04-11 Nevada
F 15 World Peace, Metta 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 260 lb (118 kg) 1979-11-13 St. John's
Head coach
  • Mike Brown
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (DL) On assignment to D-League affiliate
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: April 26, 2012

Pre-season[]

2011 pre-season game log
hide
Pre-season: 0–2 (Home: 0–1; Road: 0–1)
Game Date Team Score High points High rebounds High assists Location
Attendance		 Record
1 December 19 L. A. Clippers L 95–114 Kobe Bryant (22) Andrew Bynum (12) Steve Blake (5) Staples Center
18,643 		0–1
2 December 21 @ L. A. Clippers L 103–108 Andrew Bynum (26) Andrew Bynum (11) Derek Fisher (8) Staples Center
19,060 		0–2
2011–12 season schedule

Regular season[]

Emergence of All Star Andrew Bynum[]

At the start of the season, Andrew Bynum did not play the first four games due to a suspension he earned in the final game of last year's playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. In his first game back against the Denver Nuggets, he scored 29 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help the Lakers to a 92-89 win.[2] He had his first 20-20 game on January 3 against the Houston Rockets scoring 21 points and grabbing 22 rebounds.[3] On April 11, 2012 Bynum further showed why he should be an all-star when against the San Antonio Spurs he recorded a career high 30 rebounds and helped the Lakers win the game 98-84.[4] His domination on the glass was further shown when the Spurs only managed to grab 32 rebounds as a team. This was all done with Kobe Bryant, the Lakers best player sitting out.[4] For the first time he was selected to play in the All Star game as the Western Conference's starting center.[5] He was awarded Western Conference Player of the Week for the week of March 12 through 18.[6] Bynum finish the season averaging a career high 18.7 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game (NBA 3rd overall), and 35.2 minutes per game.[7] His emergence as an all-star and career high numbers sparked a debate of whether Bynum was the best center in the league or Dwight Howard.[8] Previously, Howard was seen widely as the undisputed best center in the league. Shaquille O'Neal was one of the main supporters of Bynum as the best center in the league.[9]

Standings[]

Pacific Division W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP
y-Los Angeles Lakers 41 25 .621 0.0 26–7 15–18 9–5 66
x-Los Angeles Clippers 40 26 .606 1.0 24–9 16–17 7–7 66
Phoenix Suns 33 33 .500 8.0 19–14 14–19 9–5 66
Golden State Warriors 23 43 .348 18.0 12–21 11–22 7–8 66
Sacramento Kings 22 44 .333 19.0 16–17 6–27 3–10 66


Western Conference
# Team W L PCT GB GP
1 c-San Antonio Spurs * 50 16 .758 – 66
2 y-Oklahoma City Thunder * 47 19 .712 3.0 66
3 y-Los Angeles Lakers * 41 25 .621 9.0 66
4 x-Memphis Grizzlies 41 25 .621 9.0 66
5 x-Los Angeles Clippers 40 26 .606 10.0 66
6 x-Denver Nuggets 38 28 .576 12.0 66
7 x-Dallas Mavericks 36 30 .545 14.0 66
8 x-Utah Jazz 36 30 .545 14.0 66
9 Houston Rockets 34 32 .515 16.0 66
10 Phoenix Suns 33 33 .500 17.0 66
11 Portland Trail Blazers 28 38 .424 22.0 66
12 Minnesota Timberwolves 26 40 .394 24.0 66
13 Golden State Warriors 23 43 .348 27.0 66
14 Sacramento Kings 22 44 .333 28.0 66
15 New Orleans Hornets 21 45 .318 29.0 66

Record vs. opponents[]

2011-12 NBA Records
Team ATL BOS CHA CHI CLE DAL DEN DET GSW HOU IND LAC LAL MEM MIA MIL MIN NJN NOH NYK OKC ORL PHI PHO POR SAC SAS TOR UTA WAS
Atlanta — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Boston 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Charlotte 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Chicago 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Cleveland 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Dallas 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Denver 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Detroit 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Golden State 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Houston 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Indiana 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
L.A. Clippers 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
L.A. Lakers 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Memphis 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Miami 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 1–2 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Milwaukee 1–2 0–3 2–1 0–4 4–0 0–1 0–2 3–1 1–0 1–0 0–4 0–1 1–0 0–1 2–1 — 1–0 3–0 0–1 4–0 0–1 0–4 1–2 0–2 2–0 0–1 1–0 3–0 0–1 3–1
Minnesota 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 0—0 0—0 0—0 0—1 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
New Jersey 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 0—0 0—0
New Orleans 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
New York 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Oklahoma City 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Orlando 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Philadelphia 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0
Phoenix 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0
Portland 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
Sacramento 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0
San Antonio 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0—0 – 0–0 0–0 0–0
Toronto 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0 0–0
Utah 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 — 0–0
Washington 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 —

Trades[]

Game log[]

2011–12 game log
Total: 41–25 (Home: 26–7; Road: 15–18)
December: 3–2 (Home: 3–1; Road: 0–1)
January: 10–7 (Home: 8–1; Road: 2–6)
February: 8–5 (Home: 4–0; Road: 4–5)
March: 11–6 (Home: 6–3; Road: 5–3)
April: 9–5 (Home: 5–2; Road: 4–3)
2011–12 season schedule

Playoffs[]

Denver Nuggets[]

The Lakers were matched against the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. They won the opening game 103–88 after Andrew Bynum had a triple-double with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots. The blocked shots broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise record of nine, and tied the NBA playoff record set by Mark Eaton and Hakeem Olajuwon. Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and Pau Gasol added 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.[10] After the Lakers led the series 3–1, Bynum before Game 5 said, "Close-out games are actually kind of easy."[11] The Lakers won the series 4–3, and avoided becoming the ninth team in NBA history to blow a 3-1 lead in a series. Gasol had 23 points, 17 rebounds and six assists, Bynum had 16 points and a career playoff-high 18 rebounds, and Steve Blake scored a playoff career-high 19 points in a 96–87 win in Game 7. The Lakers blew 16-point lead in the second half before Gasol put the Lakers ahead for good with a tip-in basket with 6:30 to play. Denver had 19 turnovers in the game and shot just 7-of-27 shooting in the fourth quarter. Returning from his seven-game suspension, Metta World Peace scored 15 points, while Bryant had 17 points added eight assists.[12]

Oklahoma City Thunder[]

The Lakers were then matched up against the second seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the 2012 NBA Playoffs. During this series the Lakers did not have home court advantage as they did against Denver. In the first game of the series the Thunder blew the Lakers out 90-119.[13] In the second game, the Lakers led 75-68 with 2:08 to play but were unable to hold on. Kevin Durant hit the go ahead bucket with 18.6 seconds to go and Steve Blake missed a three-pointer in the corner resulting in a 75-76 Laker loss.[14] The Lakers won game 3 at home 99-96. Kobe Bryant scored 36 points going 18-18 from the free throw line including the last 2 free throws that put the Lakers up by 3. Game 4 ended with a 100-103 Thunder win.[15] The Lakers held a 9-point lead with 6:01 to play in the 4th quarter but were unable to sustain. This time it was Kevin Durant with the go-ahead three-pointer over Metta World Peace. Kobe Bryant had 38 points to lead the Lakers but Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant were able to both match him combining for 68 points. Ultimately, the eventual Western Conference Champions Thunder proved too much for the Lakers, winning the next game at Chesapeake Energy Arena 90-106, wrapping up the series 1-4. Kobe Bryant averaged 31.2 points per game in the series. Andrew Bynum, the Lakers other All-Star did not perform up to his usual standards and only averaged 16.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game. This was low considering during the regular season he averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, both career highs.[16] This marked the second year in a row the Lakers were defeated in the second round of the playoffs. The previous year they were swept 4-0 by the Dallas Mavericks.


2012 playoff game log
First Round: 4–3 (Home: 3–1; Road: 1–2)
Conference Semifinals: 1–4 (Home: 1–1; Road: 0–3)
2012 playoff schedule

Player statistics[]

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game

Regular season[]

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Matt Barnes 63 16 22.9 .452 .333 .742 5.5 2.0 .6 .8 7.8
Steve Blake 53 5 23.3 .377 .335 .778 1.6 3.3 .7 .0 5.2
Kobe Bryant 58 58 38.5 .430 .303 .845 5.4 4.6 1.2 .3 27.9
Andrew Bynum 60 60 35.2 .558 .200 .692 11.8 1.4 .5 1.9 18.7
Devin Ebanks 24 12 16.5 .416 .000 .657 2.3 .5 .5 .3 4.0
Christian Eyenga 1 0 19.0 .500 .000 1.000 2.0 1.0 .0 1.0 8.0
Derek Fisher 43 43 25.6 .383 .324 .830 2.1 3.3 .9 .1 5.9
Pau Gasol 65 65 37.4 .501 .259 .782 10.4 3.6 .6 1.4 17.4
Andrew Goudelock 40 0 10.5 .391 .373 .917 .8 .5 .1 .0 4.4
Jordan Hill 7 1 11.7 .467 . .625 4.4 .3 .7 .9 4.7
Jason Kapono 27 0 10.0 .382 .296 1.000 .5 .4 .1 .0 2.0
Josh McRoberts 50 6 14.4 .475 .429 .639 3.4 1.0 .3 .4 2.8
Darius Morris 19 0 8.9 .429 .444 .667 .8 1.1 .1 .0 2.4
Troy Murphy 59 0 16.2 .450 .418 .667 3.2 .9 .3 .3 3.2
Ramon Sessions 23 19 30.5 .479 .486 .713 3.8 6.2 .7 .1 12.7
Luke Walton 9 0 7.2 .429 .000 . 1.6 .6 .2 .0 1.3
Metta World Peace 64 45 26.9 .394 .296 .617 3.4 2.2 1.1 .4 7.7

Playoffs[]

Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Matt Barnes 11 0 16.8 .271 .161 .500 3.3 1.5 .9 .5 3.5
Steve Blake 12 0 25.5 .419 .419 .714 2.8 2.3 .7 .2 6.3
Kobe Bryant 12 12 39.7 .439 .283 .832 4.8 4.3 1.3 .2 30.0
Andrew Bynum 12 12 37.6 .477 . .783 11.1 1.5 .4 3.1 16.7
Devin Ebanks 9 6 14.0 .410 .000 .625 2.2 .7 .3 .8 4.1
Christian Eyenga 3 0 3.0 .667 . .000 .7 .3 .3 .3 1.3
Pau Gasol 12 12 37.0 .434 .400 .828 9.5 3.7 .5 2.1 12.5
Andrew Goudelock 4 0 2.5 .667 1.000 . .3 .0 .0 .0 1.3
Jordan Hill 12 0 18.1 .434 . .688 6.3 .1 .3 .7 4.8
Josh McRoberts 6 0 2.7 .250 .000 . .7 .2 .0 .2 .3
Darius Morris 4 0 2.0 1.000 1.000 .750 .0 .8 .0 .0 2.5
Troy Murphy 4 0 3.8 1.000 1.000 . .8 .0 .0 .0 .8
Ramon Sessions 12 12 31.7 .377 .160 .743 3.0 3.6 .3 .1 9.7
Metta World Peace 6 6 39.3 .367 .389 .750 3.5 2.3 2.2 .7 11.7

Awards, records and milestones[]

Awards[]

Week/month[]

The following players were named the Western Conference Players of the Week.

Week Western Conference Ref.
Jan. 2 – Jan. 8 Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/2) [18]
Jan. 9 – Jan. 15 Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (2/2) [19]
Mar. 12 – Mar. 18 Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/2) [20]
Apr. 9 – Apr. 15 Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles Lakers) (2/2) [21]

The following players were named Western Conference Players of the Month.

Month Western Conference Ref.
December – January Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers) (1/1) [22]

All-Star[]

  • Kobe Bryant was voted as an All-Star starter for the 14th consecutive time.
  • Andrew Bynum was voted as an All-Star starter for the 1st time.

Records[]

  • January 1: Kobe Bryant became the youngest player to score 28,000 career points at 33 years and 131 days old.[23]
  • March 27: Kobe Bryant passed Michael Jordan for second most points scored by a player for a single franchise after scoring 30 points against the Golden State Warriors.[24]
  • Andrew Bynum recorded 10 blocks against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the NBA Division playoffs tying an NBA playoff record set by Mark Eaton and Hakeem Olajuwon.[25]

Team records[]

  • January 28: Kobe Bryant made his 7,161st free throw against the Milwaukee Bucks, breaking the Lakers all-time free throw record set by Jerry West.[26]
  • January 29: Kobe Bryant made his 9,936th field goal against the Minnesota Timberwolves breaking the Lakers all-time record set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[26]
  • February 6: Kobe Bryant passed Shaquille O'Neal into 5th place on the all-time scoring list against the Philadelphia 76ers.
  • February 10: Kobe Bryant made his 10,000th career field goal in a game against the New York Knicks.
  • March 9: Kobe Bryant, at 33 years and 200 days old, became the youngest player to score 29,000 points in a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.[27]

Milestones[]

  • January 20: Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol scored his 14,000th career point in a game against the Orlando Magic.

Team milestones[]

Transactions[]

Free agents[]

Additions[]

Power Forwards Troy Murphy, Josh McRoberts, and Guard/Forward Jason Kapono, who was later traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Subtractions[]

Derrick Caracter

Pre-season trades[]

In December 2011, NBA commissioner David Stern vetoed a proposed three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul to the Lakers, Lamar Odom to the New Orleans Hornets, and Pau Gasol to the Houston Rockets. Stern said the Hornets were better off keeping Paul than accepting the terms of the deal. The league had acquired the Hornets from former owner George Shinn, and the commissioner's office had final authority over all management decisions.[28] Odom felt "disrespected" after he learned of the Hornets trade publicly, and he requested a trade from the Lakers to another contending team.[29] The Lakers were also concerned that Odom's contract was pricey since he was not needed to initiate the triangle offense with Mike Brown replacing Phil Jackson as Lakers coach.[30] Odom was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for a first-round draft pick and an $8.9 million trade exception on December 11.[31][32]

Mid-season trades[]

On March 15, 2012, the Lakers traded Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and a 2012 first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ramon Sessions, Christian Eyenga, and the right to swap a 2013 first-round pick for Miami's, currently owned by Cleveland. They also traded longtime Laker and co-captain Derrick Fisher and a 2012 first-round draft pick to the Houston Rockets for Jordan Hill.[33] These trades gave them the younger, quicker starting point guard they had been looking for to compete in a league that featured quick, explosive point guards on almost every team. Hill bolstered the Laker frontline which featured oft-injured Andrew Bynum. Both Sessions and Hill added youth to a Laker team filled with old veterans. Although Hill did not play immediately, he later planted himself as a key bench player after his breakout game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After Metta World Peace was ejected for elbowing James Harden, the shorthanded Lakers called upon Hill. In his first game with significant minutes for the Lakers, he scored 14 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots. Not only did he play an important role in both overtime periods, he was so productive that Coach Mike Brown played Hill instead of Bynum, the Lakers' all star center. Hill helped the Lakers defeat the Thunder, 114–106.[34]

June 23, 2011
 To Los Angeles Lakers
  • Future second-round picks
 To Denver Nuggets
December 11, 2011
 To Los Angeles Lakers
  • First round draft pick
  • $8.9 million trade exception
 To Dallas Mavericks
  • Lamar Odom
  • Second-round draft pick
March 15, 2012
 To Los Angeles Lakers
  • Ramon Sessions
  • Christian Eyenga
  • Right to swap 2013 first-round pick for Miami's, currently owned by Cleveland
 To Cleveland Cavaliers
March 15, 2012
 To Los Angeles Lakers
 To Houston Rockets
  • Derek Fisher
  • 2012 first-round pick

References[]

  1. ^ "Report: NBA draft moving to Newark". ESPN.com. October 27, 2010. Archived from the original on 30 October 2010. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  2. ^ "Andrew Bynum returns from suspension to power Lakers by Nuggets". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. December 31, 2011. Retrieved Feb 4, 2013.
  3. ^ "Kobe Bryant's 37, Andrew Bynum's 20–20 help Lakers stay hot". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 3, 2012. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2012/4/12/2942837/andrew-bynum-30-rebounds-la-lakers-san-antonio-spurs-score
  5. ^ "Howard top vote-getter in 2012 All-Star balloting". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 2, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-09-11. Retrieved February 2, 2012.
  6. ^ "Bucks' Gooden, Lakers' Bynum named Players of the Week". NBA.com. 2012-03-19. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
  7. ^ Andrew Bynum#2011–12 season
  8. ^ http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7486311/andrew-bynum-dwight-howard-respond-shaquille-oneal-remarks-best-big-man
  9. ^ http://espn.go.com/losangeles/nba/story/_/id/7486311/andrew-bynum-dwight-howard-respond-shaquille-oneal-remarks-best-big-man
  10. ^ "Bynum's triple-double leads Lakers past Nuggets". SI.com. Associated Press. April 29, 2012. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
  11. ^ McMenamin, Dave (May 9, 2012). "Lakers want to end series Tuesday". ESPNLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
  12. ^ "Pau Gasol-led Lakers top Nuggets in Game 7; Metta World Peace adds 15 points in return". ESPN.com. Associated Press. May 12, 2012. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  13. ^ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1183681-nba-playoffs-2012-lakers-takeaways-from-their-game-1-loss-to-the-thunder
  14. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpeCI_OFvB4
  15. ^ http://www.nba.com/games/20120519/OKCLAL/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore
  16. ^ https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bynuman01.html
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2012-05-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "Heat's James, Lakers' Bryant named Players of the Week". NBA.com. January 9, 2012. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  19. ^ "Bulls' Rose, Lakers' Bryant named NBA Players of the Week". NBA.com. January 16, 2012. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  20. ^ "Bucks' Gooden, Lakers' Bynum named Players of the Week" (Press release). NBA.com. March 19, 2012. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
  21. ^ "Celtics' Garnett and Lakers' Bynum named Players of the Week" (Press release). NBA.com. April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  22. ^ "James, Bryant named Eastern, Western players of the month". NBA.com. February 3, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved February 3, 2012.
  23. ^ "Gallinari scores 20 as Nuggets beat Lakers, 99–90". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 1, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  24. ^ Devine, Dan (March 28, 2012). "Video: Kobe Bryant moves past Michael Jordan on single-franchise scoring list, still wants the ball". yahoo.com. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  25. ^ http://www.nba.com/games/20120429/DENLAL/gameinfo.html#nbaGIboxscore
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kobe Tops Kareem, & Jerry". LAL. Archived from the original on 2012-02-04. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  27. ^ "Kobe surpasses 29,000 points". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  28. ^ Beck, Howard (December 10, 2011). "N.B.A. Reopens to Business as Unusual". The New York Times. p. D1. Archived from the original on 2011-12-11. Retrieved 2017-02-26.
  29. ^ Caplan, Jeff (December 13, 2011). "Lamar Odom on Lakers exit: 'Surreal'". ESPNDallas.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2011.
  30. ^ McMenamin, Dave (December 12, 2011). "Lamar Odom dealt to Dallas". ESPNLosAngeles.com. Archived from the original on December 12, 2011.
  31. ^ "Lakers Acquire First Round Draft Pick from Dallas in Exchange for Lamar Odom & Second Round Draft Pick". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. December 9, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  32. ^ Mavericks acquire 2011 sixth man of the year Lamar Odom Archived 2016-01-07 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7691006/los-angeles-lakers-deal-derek-fisher-get-ramon-sessions-cleveland-cavaliers
  34. ^ https://sports.yahoo.com/news/lakers-jordan-hill-finally-flashes-potential-fans-024000818--nba.html
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