Daily Debate: Worst weekend no-show -- Manny or the Lakers?

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Last week started on a high note for Los Angeles sports fans, only to come crashing down amid Manny Ramirez‘s 50-game suspension and the Lakers’ upset loss (and battle royale) against the Rockets.

The weekend provided opportunities for both to make amends. Neither did.

The Lakers were lackadaisical and Manny was misto.

LAKERS

Usually when you add insult to injury, the victim is the same. Not so with the Lakers and Rockets. Houston’s Yao Ming, out for the year with a broken foot suffered in the last game, enjoyed his time on the bench while the Rockets took a 29-point lead on Sunday. They would go on to win 99-87 and even the second round playoff series at two games apiece.

But wait! There’s less! Houston backup center Dikembe Mutombo was unavailable after being injured in the first round against Portland. Without Ming (7-foot-6) and Mutombo (7-foot-2), the tallest player left for the Rockets was 6-foot-9. The Lakers suddenly reversed the ‘mismatch’ and boasted the four biggest healthy guys in the building: Andrew Bynum (7-foot-0), Pau Gasol (7-foot-0), DJ Mbenga (7-foot-0), and Lamar Odom (6-foot-10). While Gasol had a big night with 30 points, the other three combined for two points in 37 minutes. Overall, the Lakers were out-rebounded on both ends of the court and 43-37 overall.

It was actually a little guy, point guard Aaron Brooks, who did the most damage for Houston by piling up 34 points. The Lakers countered with Derek Fisher, fresh off his suspension for a cheap shot in Game 2. He had two points and zero assists. It’s an odd night when Kobe Bryant leads the Lakers in assists (five) and makes just one shot in the second half.

Simply put, the Lakers failed to show up on Sunday. Both Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers do a great job taking them to task in today’s paper.

MANNY

Did anybody else grimace when Gasol dove for a loose ball with 12 seconds left in the game? Odom was already bruised up from a rough fall, and the last thing the Lakers needed was an injury to their star big man. But at least the Lakers tried, and slashed the deficit from 29 to 10 towards the end of the night. It was effort, it was pride, and it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Manny Ramirez? He physically didn’t show up this weekend. Hopefully he was spending Mother’s Day with his mother, because he sure wasn’t with his teammates. Or fans. Or media.

Rumor is that he’s been holed up in his Pasadena apartment, where he reportedly apologized to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. While Manny’s boss is convinced that the slugger is remorseful, there are a few other people to answer to. He can’t take the field, but the terms of his suspension allow Ramirez to join his team anywhere else. They certainly don’t prohibit him from talking.

The Dodgers entrusted Manny with not only a big contract, but an important clubhouse role on a team that suffered leadership issues in recent years. His experience and charisma might have helped a team that has been badly shaken. Without him, the Blue Crew ended their record 13-game home winning streak by dropping two in a row (one to the lowly Nationals) and taking only one out of three games against the Giants.

An impatient media might have to wait. Fans shouldn’t. But teammates, above all, should have heard from Manny by now. Back when they were called Da Bums, at least these guys were lovable. Until he reaches out, Manny might claim his place as the biggest bum of all.

-- Adam Rose

Top photo: The Lakers mope on the bench while getting shelled by Houston. Credit: Eric Gay/Associated Press.

Top right photo: Manny Ramirez on opening day at Dodger Stadium. Credit: Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times.