Halftime Hype

You might not know it, but they're both focused on the same thing: winning

"About time," said Matt Barnes, as he held up his new Los Angeles Lakers jersey. After seven seasons with seven different teams, Barnes has always dreamed of returning to L.A.

"It’s a lifelong dream to be a Laker. Growing up in California in the 1980’s, you had no choice but to love Laker basketball. I grew up a huge Showtime fan … Magic, Worthy, Kareem, Byron Scott. It’s come full circle now. I’ve had a hell of a road to get here, but I’m very happy to be a Laker."

Once he actually steps on the hardwood, Barnes will become the first NBA player to play for all four of California's NBA teams. Although the Lakers have had more important moves this off-season - getting Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher back were definitely more significant - Barnes is the most meaningful addition to an already talented championship roster.

With Luke Walton's injury possibly sidelining him for the upcoming season, the Lakers desperately needed a formidable backup small forward. They found the right piece in Barnes. Barnes, who also attended UCLA, is an intimidating perimeter defender with commendable offensive abilities.

His defense can be so intimidating, however, and often gets under the skin of opponents. The Lakers were no exception. In a regular season game between the Orlando Magic and Lakers last season, Barnes got caught up in a spat with Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. After the game, Odom proceeded to call Barnes "a monkey," and Barnes rebutted with a tweet, likening Odom to a baby. Despite past tension, though, all is forgiven now that Barnes is wearing purple and gold.

"He's a teammate now," Odom said while in Las Vegas for USA Basketball training camp on Saturday. "That was an on-the-court issue and he has a Lakers jersey on now, so it will be no big thing."

At his press conference, Barnes acknowledged that "Me and Kobe are cool. We've been cool. I think, you know, the media kind of made it more than it was. We were just two competitors competing...neither of us backed down...Now I'm fighting with him and I couldn't ask to fight with a better competitor."

It's no secret that Bryant has been trying to court his former enemies this off-season. Although an initial push to sign Raja Bell was unsuccessful, the Lakers managed to sign Barnes. There's no doubt that general manager Mitch Kupchak deserves praise for making the deal go through, but Bryant should get some credit for his part in making the signing happen, too.

In a radio interview last week, Barnes revealed, "Kobe's been the driving force behind this and I've been talking to Kobe back and forth like we were boyfriend and girlfriend for the last two weeks...He sent me a crazy text message today saying something like, 'Anyone crazy enough to mess with me is crazy enough to play with me.'"

If Lakers fans still can't find themselves rooting for Barnes, one must consider several things. First of all, the Lakers are the defending champions. Barnes was able to tussle with the Lakers and give the team a hard time last season, but in the end it was the Lakers, not Barnes, who came out on top. By the same token, he has given up millions of dollars to come to L.A. in search of his first ring and "be a small piece to win [championship] number three." It might sound cliche, but he really does want to win.

What's more, with Barnes on the Lakers, Bryant will have to match-up with one less reputable perimeter defender. Although Bryant is still lauded by many as the best player in the game - most recently by Michael Jordan - research has proven that he has his share of difficulties against good defenses. Statistical analysis indicates that Bryant is the 16th-best producer against "above-average defenses," between Danny Granger and Corey Maggette, respectively.

Heading into the season, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking pretty good. Although the Vegas odds currently have the Heat as the favorites, Barnes offered his own opinion. “To find three perimeter defenders like myself, Ron and Kobe in the league on the same team … I’d say Miami has a lot of firepower offensively … we have the same offensively, but we’re tough on D as well. So I can’t wait.”