Lakers Thread

Well I guess when you've planned it before and when you are close friends that'll eventually work. Not as ugly as this tho, well as I was expecting. Roles aren't defined well, and team chemistry is a big issue. Hard to say this but hope they can make it to the PO.

They almost pulled off the impressive comeback against the Spurs and once again they did play some decent defense at times down the stretch, though not unlike the Clippers the other day, the Spurs did get a little complacent and sloppy towards the end which left the door open. A close loss isn't that much comfort when they desperately start needing to string together some wins, but it may prove to be a confidence boost all the same. Earl Clark certainly had a career game.

selfless Heat trio > 2 selfish chumps. So bad even great Canadien can't save their ass.

Are we ever gonna admit Kobe's ball huggery and Dwight's unwillingness(to play by it) are killing the chemistry.

You are missing the point, friend. Being in denial is a very powerful thing...

I'm not your friend, guy.

Lebron guards Rose because he can. James is versatile enough to do that. Yeah I know Pf/C defensive assignments can be interchangeable. They do it in Chicago. Boozer will guard the opposition’s bigger guy and Noah takes the more mobile guy if you will.

But with the Lakers that is not the case. 3 time DPOY Dwight Howard has no business chasing PF’s on the perimeter. Gasol is forced to guard the other team’s quicker/perimeter shooting PF.

Again I will mention that “stretch” 4’s/5’s are the new trend. We all know that Gasol is not suited to guard these types of players.

And again as I said when Howard was acquired- it is not a good fit for Gasol on offense. His greatest advantage was being able to face up on big guys. Now you no longer have the slow, fat guy guarding Gasol. You have him being guarded by these uber athletic PF’s that are mostly quicker/some stronger than him. And there's no spacing because Howard is around the basket.

If you want to run post up’s for Gasol- where do you put Howard? Don’t embarrass yourself again and say “in the post”.

Chasing PF's on the perimeter? Griffin really isn't that much of a stretch four who plays on the perimeter. Wouldn't it make sense for Howard to guard the other teams quicker big since he is indeed quicker/more athletic?

Saying Gasol's "greatest advantage was being able to face up on big guys" is doing serious injustice to the back to the basket facet of his game.

You put Howard where you put Bynum before, on the weak side/high post. Play through Gasol, I don't understand how this baffles some people. You play through Howard he does his herky-jerky back down spin and gets either stripped or fouled to go shoot bricks. Put Gasol in that position, instead of having Howard move to the perimeter like D'Antoni is doing with Gasol, put him at the opposite side. Gasol is skilled enough to either make a post move on his own or find a cutting player (screen by Howard around the high post maybe), if Gasol's defender is being helped by Howards defender either have Howard go for the lob pass or pass to the player whose defender has switched to Howard.

I don't understand how you can find it more logical to give the ball to Howard who isn't as offensively skilled in the post, instead of at least TRYING to let Gasol run the offense from the post.

Is it the ideal offense? No. You would love a Kevin Love in this situation...but the fact D'Antoni doesn't even attempt something different goes to show he's not this offensive guru they make him out to be.

Are we ever gonna admit Kobe's ball huggery and Dwight's unwillingness(to play by it) are killing the chemistry.

Kobe has always been second fiddle to his bigs. The magic was in Jackson who made him believe he was either taking a back seat to let Shaq do his thing while he sacrificed MVP's (giggle) and that he was the focal point of the offense with Gasol/Odom/Bynum.

Well I guess when you've planned it before and when you are close friends that'll eventually work.

Nope.

I guess we'll just agree to disagree. But still that doesn't help either about this team's slump(so bad that jack can't even watch the remaining 8 mins of the OKC game). Again, as what I've said before the season started, team chemistry and bench will be a problem. Nash(double2 last season right?) is now turning to be a derek fisher, dwight the "tyson chandler" role. It's either they adjust to kobe(doing but got to be better) or kobe adjust to them(can't imagine this, it's kobe's team). There's gotta be a change. If they want to make it to the PO, they should win 70+% of their remaining games, and thats either 7th/8th seed.

Derek Fisher wishes he could be posting numbers like Steve Nash has been so far, which are down from last year in Phoenix but hardly terrible. On top of everything else, the team has been hit hard with injuries at the moment and they've just had a tough week facing the Rockets and Spurs on the road and the best team in the league in the Thunder. This week wasn't particularly kind to them and their continued losing streak, but the circumstances didn't allow for much better. They have a good opportunity to bounce back at home against the Cavaliers in a couple of days, though.

Im not even sure if they can make the PO, especially in the conference they're in.

And being old and bad is ugly business.

Im not even sure if they can make the PO, especially in the conference they're in.

It's starting to look like a distinct possibility. For what it's worth, in a quick poll I posted on our Facebook page, just as many people believe they'll bounce back and win the championship as those who believe they won't make the Playoffs at all. If they do miss the Playoffs though they won't even have the luxury of lottery pick, as Phoenix owns it from the sign-and-trade deal that brought in Steve Nash.

Howard's back and the losing streak is over. Not exactly the best opponent as far as proving their mettle, but a win's a win and I'm sure they'll take it right about now.

Howard's back and the losing streak is over. Not exactly the best opponent as far as proving their mettle, but a win's a win and I'm sure they'll take it right about now.

I wonder if Earl Clark will get to start more games? It looks like he needs to bulk up some more and add some post game. If he could do that he can really be effective at 4. In the mold of C-Webb or Rasheed Wallace.

It was a give away game, but sometimes it takes these types of game for a team to find their identity. Now that Hill is out for the season, the Lakers needs to adjust again. There are talks that the Lakers might be interested in signing K-Mart to fill in for Hill. But I think finding the right rotation for Gasol-Metta-Clark-Jamison would be far better than adding K-Mart and his baggage to the list of the Lakers problems. For me, the Lakers should address the 3 position first, With Clark and Metta getting time at PF, I think the Lakers should re-sign and add the versatility of Chris Douglas Roberts to fill in as reserve 3. And I think they can have him for cheap.

Loved:
great shooting percentage
metta not shooting too much
not floundering as much on rotations
containing irving and tristan thompson

Hated:
turnovers

In the next game, the Lakers should be doing more of the same with the Bucks, they should contain the scoring guards Jennings and Ellis then keep the athletic forwards sanders and mbah a-moute from making easy points and rebounds.

4 Howard to get his A game,he should be surrounded by 3 point shooters.. that's why he is so effective in posting up at Orlando co'z every time there will be a double team he can just pass the ball for a possible 3 point,(anderson) and because of this other teams who cant defend Howard one on one are hesitant to double him... for this lakers squads, i think they should place gasol as reserve and let Jamison or other 3 point gunner to play with howard in order to widen the space of howard in the paint..

How's Jodie Meeks doing right now?

You are missing the point, friend. Being in denial is a very powerful thing...

I'm not your friend, guy.

why?

it doesn't matter what kind of game Griffin has. Gasol can't guard him or other Pf's that shoot/attack from the perimeter. Howard is a 3 time Defensive Player. that is embarassing to suggest Howard guard perimeter bigmen/stay outside of the lane. Do you need explanation as to why Howard won the award?

Look at Gasol's playoff performance in the past 2 years. How about that meltdown vs the Thunder where Ibaka owned him?! There are no excuses to fall back on. No injury, D'antoni, or Howard to blame. He should be thriving in the playoffs since the game slows down. His numbers are down across the board- most glaringly his PER, and efG%.

Howard has been on a roll since Gasol's been sitting out.

Wow, Lakers lost to the Raptors. I think the Lakers has just hit a new low. They are approaching the Knicks during Isiah Thomas' years as GM for the level of subpar play and bloated contracts. Sooner or later, they have to implode.

They are approaching the Knicks during Isiah Thomas' years as GM for the level of subpar play and bloated contracts.

Everything comes off the books in another year and they still have a chance at the playoffs.

So after losing to the Raptors they got defeated by the Bulls w/o Deng and Rose. I can't even describe how disappointing this team is.

i had no idea who jimmy butler was until tonight. i was very impressed with his excellent on-ball defending skills

Kobe Bryant's frustration with Lakers' struggles grows: 'This isn't working'

http://www.nba.com/2013/news/01/21/lake ... index.html

OMG

Kobe on Dwight: “I’ve tried to go out of my way to get him the ball, sometimes I end up looking like an idiot.” (Yahoo Sports)

from that link by Andrew..

It's hard playing "Tyson Chandler" role I guess.

Tyson Chandler did it with Dirk the chucker and Kidd the old man. Why can't Dwight? He's also got the Kobe the chucker and Nash the old man. Lol.

I've got a shot, but I try to find him. But he thinks I'm going to shoot, so his back is turned. I'm trying to think about getting him the ball a lot – take care of him as much as I possibly can.

That's the problem. He's not a facilitator. He can't find the guys where they feel the most comfortable. Don't try to be LeBrick or Chris Paul. Let Nash handle the offense and Kobe starts paying more attention on D. Nobody wants his 25 ppt on 28 attempts.

Well we need to spread the floor, open up for Dwight which hasn't happened yet but we also need an identity and that's running, getting the ball up, getting Nash open, different things you know, so I think it'll work out.

That's from the Bulls - Lakers game.

The biggest thing about it when you do have talent is that you don't screw it up you know. You don't want to get too much control, try not to take too much of the blame or the claim for success and try to make it the best possible situation for the players that you have so that they can get themselves to this position (the Finals)

That's from game 06 back in 2000 Pacers vs Lakers.

All I'm saying is; if you as a coach don't know how to work with what you've got...you're a bad coach. Mike D'Antoni is an ass clown.

Regarding Howard wanting the ball more; dude, try not to get stripped on every other possession, then we'll talk.

I've got a shot, but I try to find him. But he thinks I'm going to shoot, so his back is turned. I'm trying to think about getting him the ball a lot – take care of him as much as I possibly can.

kobe got stuck going up for a shot, then looking to pass with butler's hand in his face about 3 or 4 times last night.