Crucifido’s Corner - Lakers vs. Clippers

Cruci's Corner

Clipping the Clippers

To a man, the Lakers really looked as if they came onto the court listening to scouting and knowing what had to be done. Yes, there were some rocky moments here and there in the first period, but it was just great to see the guys seal up some sore spots quickly and effectively.

Since it was such a fun game to watch and I’m feelin’ damn good today, I’ll run through it quick and keep the negatives to a severe minimum…

Lamar – No shock here, if Lamar has a good game, the Lakers win. It’s a theme we all knew was going to hold true this year from day one and nothing has been disproved at this point in the season either. He came out looking to score which was a big ol’ bonus. I’m sure his lackluster performance versus the Clippers this season had something to do with it, but it was good in his post-game comments to hear that he’s also acutely aware that every win matters huge right now. His play reflected that attitude, as he was doing absolutely everything he needs to do. One thing I did see Odom do tonight on defense was clog up the middle better than he had all year. He was placing himself in the lane within reach of his man, making him almost a kind of pivoting help man. It was an unusual thing to see, but if used consistently can give some nice bolstering to the weakened Laker front line.

His effort on the boards didn’t go unrewarded either. He showed some serious tenacity on the offensive and defensive boards, getting position and using it well without pushing himself into fouls. Honestly, one of the better games of the year for Lamar. This close to the playoffs it’s good to see Odom’s “good play” run continuing and getting stronger.

Kobe – What can you say about the best player in the game today. He was just that tonight, the best player on the court. He did force himself into some unnecessarily tough spots tonight, which would be something I’m sure we’d all love to see ease up a bit. However, with Kobe you have the bonus of a guy that can typically get himself out of those spots.

Again, you can see a bit of fatigue settling in on Kobe. To that end, it’s imperative that everyone on the team continue to do their best to step up and take on some of the load.

Smush – A little reversion from Smush in regards to letting early success dictate his attitude during the game. When Smush is at his best, he’s starts his game on defense. From there he can release quickly get into good spots and get more productive looks. Tonight, he was just taken out of the game by an array of screens up top without ever seeming to really recover. It wasn’t some horrible game for the guy, but I’d like to Smush buck up a bit more when contested on defense, The Lakers need that 3rd guy and he’s shown that if his mind in the right state he can be that guy with no problem.

Kwame – I find myself screaming praise at the t.v. with every passing game. Whether it shows itself in the box score or not, you have got to go back and look at the first few games he played with the Lakers this year. After that I defy you to tell anyone the guy has not improved tenfold. It’s not just with his handling of the ball (which is far more solid now) but also with his footwork. He’s keeping his feet strong when he has position and light when he’s needed up top or on the boards.

Above all, as we all know, the patience Kwame is showing right now is wonderful to watch. There’s no more (well few at least) panicked throws up to the hoop. He’s getting to his position fast, getting his feet set, then in motion and finding his shot, rather than forcing up the ball as soon as he sees the rim. Improvement from Kwame and Lamar are two big reason for the Lakers jump in team play lately. So say what you will about Kwame, but there’s no denying that if he keeps playing solid low post defense as he has been the Lakers can have a chance against most teams.

Luke – Throughout the season there’s been so many detractors of Luke. It’s been a sentiment I just can’t and will never sign off on. Luke’s big thing is finding his role on the team. It was when he was a rookie and it’s still true today. If Luke is getting consistent minutes he will find a way to produce. Naturally intuitive players like Luke don’t’ come along that often. I equate him to this team’s version of Rick Fox. He’s a versatile guy that can give you a variety of things every night. Tonight’s game was a great case in point. With hi8s confidence on the rise, starting him couldn’t have come at a better time.

I’d like to see him start for the remainder of the year for a couple reasons. First and foremost, he gives the Lakers energy from the get-go. There’s no trying to dredge up movement when he’s on the court. The triangle calls for motion off the ball and Luke gives that to the team constantly. Also, it’s good to balance the starting roster with Luke starting as well. With Kwame there’s the low post, Lamar is the mid to high post, Kobe being the slasher, Smush being the perimeter pass point and motion man and Luke roving. It’s a more balanced lineup that can lead to tougher match-ups for the Lakers’ opponents. Granted, defensively there may be some given up because of size, but if Odom can continue to play the clogging agent in the middle during broken down defensive sets, a lot of problems can be sealed quickly.

Anyway, Luke played within his game tonight – versatile and active.

Brian – If the guy is in his spot and is given the ball he’s money. I’m sure by now the reputation has found its way to a lot of NBA teams. I love when Cook pays to that strength in his game. He wasn’t attempting to take balls of the dribble or get himself into traffic where he’s most ineffective. He’s drew the defense out perfectly tonight by even threatening the shot by finding his way to spots with vigor.

His time will be limited though as (like I’ve said in the past) he continues to slack off of help defense. Defense isn’t the easiest thing to adapt to when you’re a predominantly defensive player, but Brian has the smarts to do it.

Sasha – For all of Sasha’s deficiencies, I do love one thing about the guy. He has a knack for getting into the opposing point guard’s heads. His pestering defense and always moving hands provide a nice edge to a team that is weak along the perimeter defense. If his defense doesn’t always result in a turnover I don’t consider it a failure. He’s been doing a good job of forcing fast decisions from guards. There’s no relaxing if Sasha is up on you.

Offensively, he did a much better job taking the shots that were given to him instead of putting himself or the team in a worse spot. The shot will fall eventually, but until it does Sasha would be well served to keep moving along the perimeter to find an open spot or if none are available dive in the middle with ball in the corners or mid post.

Overall, a lot of things were shored up in this game tonight. The passing angles were far better, defensive communication was better, players weren’t coming from weak to strong uncontested, help situations (if not covered quick at first) were sealed up the next possession and above all (my favorite thing to harp on if you’ve read any of these) the Lakers finally didn’t let opponents play to their strengths.

That is, they took the shot away from shooters and made slasher shoot. It seems so simple, but it’s rarely attempted or accomplished.

This team has shown some vital resiliency the last couple of weeks. They’ve come back from down quarters or even down games effortlessly. They’re not letting bad play one minute become bad play throughout. Once in a while some of the old bad habits here and there, but the mental awakening of this team seems to be beginning.

Veteran ClubLakers member crucifido writes nightly player analysis for each game of the Laker season.