Crucifido's Corner

crucifido · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:08 pm Post subject:

On the road to 7-2...

Lakers vs. Magic (Game 49 2/8/08)

Pau Goes The Lakers! Pop Goes The Magic!

Despite a less than exemplary defensive performance, the Lakers went into Orlando and exacted some revenge. A complete team game led by the tandem of Kobe and Pau had a little cardiac kids flashback, but in the end, the persistent focus of the Lakers in the second half won the day.

That whole defending the three thing looked like it was going to destroy the Lakers early on. For the umpteenth time the Lakers decided to keep fading off of proven or hot shooters on the arc. Sure there’s Howard to deal with and without Andrew everyone needs to help in the middle, but that was nuts. No matter how much help you’re looking to throw down to the paint, there shouldn’t be that many consistently open opportunities from long range. Doubling Howard is one thing, but the Lakers didn’t and don’t need to help out off of outside shooters for every ball that comes down the lane. Though not as consistent as Bynum, Odom, Turiaf and Gasol can handle most slashers making their way down the lane. The rest of the Lakers have to show the same faith they were learning to show with Bynum in the other Laker bigs.

One big soft spot was late help to drives in the paint. That late help opened up the middle and left Odom or Gasol looking back and forth as to where to go. Unfortunately, the outside was left gaping most of the time.

Doubles were also slow to let go in the first quarter. Once the rebound was wrangled by Howard the Lakers stood stagnant with two guys on him, often leaving a baseline run or open spots on the arc all over the place.

It wasn’t the offense of the Lakers in that torrid 1st, 33 points is usually enough to get the job done. Rather, it was the confused looking Laker defense that let the Magic get into rhythm early. That early rhythm is a dangerous thing to play around with. But, with the driven team that the Lakers are quickly becoming, the mistakes of the first were quickly sealed up and suddenly the Magic had trouble getting back to where they were.

Then came the 2nd quarter, and though it feels like I say it all the time – there’s a big difference when Ronny came in. Ronny was hustling from the top of the key to down low. He was canceling out any motion coming down the lane and negating passes running through the key from side to side.

Amazing how well a player can do when their hands work. Kobe was back into form tonight. Now with Kobe getting back to normal and Gasol sinking into the Laker groove, you can get a glimpse of the potential of the soon-to-be-powerhouse Lakers. Kobe’s work off the ball, particularly down low was much better tonight. The confidence to move amongst the trees was good to see. It’s never a problem for Kobe, but tonight he really looked to get into the mix down low, popping out for passes or keeping on the mid post to pull the Magic out from underneath a bit.

Otherwise, there’s not much to say about Kobe’s offense – it was coming from every spot on the floor in every kind of situation.

That dunk Kobe threw down from the dotted line in the key in the 1st quarter was incredible! Not to mention the floating lay-up with the foul he managed in the 3rd. Its apparent that Kobe’s legs aren’t dislocated.

What a trade – what a trade. A couple times I had to remind myself that the Lakers actually have Pau in the mix now.

I love Gasol’s work on the baseline – on the post – on defense and outside.

Starting on the low post and spinning to the baseline uncontested is a weapon that Pau uses to perfection. The spins he pulls out either to the baseline or to the paint on the low block are textbook. Better yet, he finishes a majority of those shots.

Pau’s screen and roll is perfect too. He stands still and rolls with the ball down low every time. There are no wandering picks or standing after the ball has dove down.

His composure after pressure has been thrown on him in the post is awesome as well. There are no panicked passes on bad angles or uncontrolled shots. If he got pushed out, doubled or contested, he got his way out of it and reset the ball outside. Heady play from the post isn’t as common as some may think in the NBA.

The rebound he got in the second quarter at the 2.02 mark and the board he reached out to get around Howard in the beginning of the 3rd goes to show the kind of work he put in this game and just what he can do for the Lakers for years to come. The thing is about what he did this game is that is in the flow. You can easily see how Kobe drawing the majority of defensive attention away from Gasol makes his game even simpler. There was no over-exertion at all. Gasol has yet to really feel the big effect on the Lakers while Bynum sits.

With the thought of Gasol and Bynum filling the block and the posts swirling in your head after games like this, its hard to keep your mind on the task at hand – getting home 7-2 on this trip.

The fundamental wide stance Gasol had against Howard was nice. Often, bigger players take a narrow stance and it lets guys like Howard overpower them even easier. Watching Gasol take charges the way he did in this game gratifying. That kind of talent willing to sacrifice his body for the good of a stop is invaluable.

The triangle is awfully easy to adapt to when you have the smarts that Pau has.

Jordan’s work defensively on Dooling was real good. Hustling through screens and leaving no shot uncontested, Farmar was working hard to keep Dooling about 2 to 3 feet outside of his comfort-shooting zone. It was Nelson that gave Farmar some trouble. Once he got his shoulder past Jordan, Farmar seemed to back off. Though catching up would result in a foul, there was slower recovery than normal. With the one shot h hit, it looks like Jordan may have hit a bit of a wall.

The speed of the magic point guard core gave Derek trouble the whole game. The energy he had to expend trying to keep up with the sweeping back and forth of the Nelson and company took some energy away from Derek’s offense. But due to Gasol’s presence all over the posts and Kobe rounding back into his normal “Kobe-ness”, Derek’s looks starting opening up.

Speaking of open looks, there coming in bunches for Radmanovic and Sasha too. Just wait until Bynum comes back. If Sasha and Vladi can maintain their confidence from outside until Bynum comes back, there’s no telling what can happen.

Odom’s finishing has been far better than it has all season. Gone are the little lay-ups once he gets free. He’s been throwing down every open chance he gets. That not only pays off now, but that kind of aggression will also pay off with the refs once people start contesting him. If he’s seen as an aggressive player like that, the fouls he gets now for sporadic tough play will fade away. Other than that Lamar is just sliding into his 3rd option role with ease. His work in the paint up high this game was admirable. Its tough to get in there with Howard in the game, but once Howard came out Lamar moved immediately lower to fill the space in the paint on both ends.

You can see that the game has lightened up for Lamar. He’s even hitting his 3’s. Now that he doesn’t have to score, scoring is coming easy for him. Now that he doesn't have to be the stopper in crunch time, he's free to block shots.

The Lakers have got to go for the jugular though. They had the magic down in the mouth and down on the scoreboard but failed to bury them when they had the chance. To keep winning and to keep teams thinking they have no chance to beat you once they’re down, you have to take them out when you can.

One other gripe – the Lakers, when close to a shooter have to deny the pass. They can’t let any pass get to shooters when they’re not in a help situation. The ball can’t move freely along the arc when you play a team laden with bombers like the Magic.

The patience and faith in their game the Lakers showed was key. After the scorching start from the Magic, the Lakers held steady. That steady, confident approach got them through. That’s a sign of a team with experience.

There is a big thing that may be ignored in this game, but something I absolutely loved to see. While the Magic went three point nuts in attempts and makes, the Lakers didn’t cop to it. They didn’t try to follow suit and jack up triples to keep up. The Lakers continued to run their offense and take the threes that were given to hem. There were no forced jacks being tossed up without regard to the clock or game. That’s a nice step forward.

So the road trip continues now, as it’s onto the shambles that is the Heat.
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

crucifido · Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 8:11 pm Post subject:

WOW!!

Thanks Killer and revgen - I'm honored anyone reads this stuff - let alone likes it!

man12

_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

crucifido · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:07 pm Post subject:

Some signs of tiring showed today, but in the end the Lakers pulled out another win on this crazy-long road trip.

Lakers vs. Heat (Game 50 2/10/08)

Road Weary, But Still Winning

First things first – you just didn’t want the Lakers to take this game lightly. Coming into a broken team like Miami on the high the Lakers are on could’ve been dangerous. You add the first game from Marion on a team desperately looking for an infusion of energy from anywhere and this game could easily spell trouble. The 4th quarter run of the Heat showed just how giving any team a look at a comeback can be bad news.

Off the bat, I loved Kobe’s takes on Wade’s typical lackluster defense (and no one semi-blocked shot doesn’t count as a game of defense) in the first quarter. Pushing the ball into the middle like he was along with Pau being inside had Miami immediately dumping all defense down low. When the defense was drawn in, Kobe’s mid range jumper was left wide open. Then when Kobe’s jumper got shut off, Sasha, Farmar and everyone else were spotting up at great angles for the pass (i.e. – Farmar’s 1st quarter ending three off of Kobe’s take).

Kobe’s passing was spot on today too. In fact I think he may have passed a couple times too many in the first half, but as usual Kobe getting his on offense is never a worry. The jab dribbling, and the pushes to the inside set the Laker rhythm up really nicely overall. That was as smooth a 30+ point performance as you’ll see in the NBA.

As we all know it’s not all about the offense with Kobe. Since he’s gotten the inspiration to play defense with determination from his international stint, he’s been on a tear. Though it wasn’t mostly the intense rebounding he showed in Orlando, today it was lock down perimeter D.

The stop Kobe pulled off on Wade in the 3rd quarter with seconds left; resulting in a travel was A sampling of the genius of Kobe’s D.

Odom played really good perimeter defense today. Rarely, if ever, biting on head fakes and keeping perfect distance between him and shooters or slashers, kept Miami from moving the ball through any defensive position he was filling.

Radmanovic did a good job early on playing off the curl to the basket. Coupling with Kobe’s jabs to the middle, Miami was sent scrambling pretty often. The problem with Vladi offensively was him crowding the lane almost every time anyone got the ball even in the mid-post. When he stepped out to the three after running through the key instead of holding up in the paint, everything eased up. Also, he’s lagging after missing a shot on getting back. There’s too much sulking or complaining for the foul from Radmanovic. He doesn’t have the speed of or defensive ability to carry that off. Stop griping and get back quick – every time.

Luke finally looks to getting himself back into shape and able to trust the ankle more. Some good passes off of the block and cuts underneath for a lay-up or two were more what we’ve come to expect from Luke.

Sasha has just been the unnoticed killer this season. It continued today as it has for the entire season. I’ll be the first to admit I gave up on him far too early in his career. This season he has been magnificent at spotting up. Whether he makes the shot all the time or not, Sasha’s understanding of the offense and where he needs to be has improved exponentially.

With Sasha nailing the shots like he did in this game, Miami was forced to go single coverage on the floor. Not being able to double Kobe off of Sasha (or Farmar either) was huge. Having yet another guy that the Heat couldn’t leave to shoot at will was just another thing that sent Miami’s “defense” into scramble mode even further.

Defensively Sasha did a decent job keeping tabs on his man. He crowded the shooters and kept from getting picked off as much as he could.

The thing about Gasol on offense that I find impressive is his almost immediate knowledge of spacing and where he needs to be on every single play. Already there are few times Gasol is crowding, out of step or slow to move from post to post.

His pass after cutting along the baseline to Walton for the lay-up was beautiful. Versatility in the post like that is a rare commodity in the NBA.

Defensively, Gasol showed his weakness in the post. It has always been a soft spot in his game, but the activity of Blount in the paint really froze Pau. Once he can get to the high post and swoop in to get boards or help defense with Andrew in the idle, that weakness won’t have that big of an impact on the Laker D.

It was yet another good game from the player of the game for me, Odom. Now that he’s free of having to do things he’s doing the same things with ease. Most impressive today was his rebound positioning – consistent, proper and strong, every time. When the 15-foot jumpers are flowing from Odom’s hands, you know he’s having a good game.

His rebounding was effortless and better than that, it was always under control. Controlled taps, two hands on all boards, kicking it back out to reset the offense and holding it well to set the Laker offense into motion off of defense.

His defense was good too. I liked him running from the free throw line down to the baseline with purpose. There was no hitch in his movement as he fought through a lot of traffic to consistently get involved in every play from the mid range down to the block.

Farmar woke up offensively. Though he was shooting a bit too much from the arc, it was good to see Jordan get his legs under him on his shot again. Defensively he was still about a step or two slow off of screens or off of lateral moves. It just looks like Jordan needs the All-Star break.

The Lakers had plenty of sleepy weak side moments again on defense. This season has gone from perimeter defensive problems from the last couple of years, to weal side defensive board lapses this season. There was far too much attention paid to the ball coming down the middle on the beginning of slashes. It’s of course proper to stop the ball first, but the Lakers were throwing 2 guys at the ball every time down the middle. They only needed to put one on the ball, but when they sent the extra man Pau was stuck guarding two guys on the block.

Along those same lines, there was a touch too much trapping on the outside on guys that didn’t need trapping – ala Davis.

Still frustrating to see guys like Blount or Wright go off on the Lakers, but the Lakers did good making the little guys try to beat them, rather then letting Wade go crazy on ‘em. With Bynum back you’d like to think that big games from mediocre bigg-ish guys will go by the wayside.

In the first half the Lakers were succumbing to the Heat’s running game a bit too. There were a lot of rushed shots, particularly in the 2nd quarter. Patient, post driven offense is the order of the day with the triangle and the Lakers personnel. Though they can run if necessary, The Lakers work better in the half court from the post out – no news there, I know, but in this game the Lakers were looking to play 7 second shot ball a little more than they should have.

Come the 3rd quarter the Lakers got back the deliberate play they do best with.

The Lakers were slow on their defensive transition as well. The first half saw too many 2 on 1’s happening. The 4 on 1 situation in the 2nd quarter with only Derek back can’t happen. There’s got to be a whole team effort to get back or at the very least 3 guys coming back on breaks. There’s no given make on a break. How many times have we seen Kobe or Lamar block a shot or Derek stuff a drive into a pull-up jumper without anyone backing them up to get the board?

There was one instance in the 3rd with Farmar, Walton and Gasol coming back to stop the break and low and behold they wound up forcing a turnover.

There were some hiccups with the Lakers today that looked like they may be symptoms of the long road trip kicking in. They have to hold it together for only 2 more games though, get home 7-2 and re-gain some energy during the All-Star break.

WTF Of The Game: That Miami announcer is just ridiculously annoying, not on par with the Pistons overbearing guy, but dang close. It’s the audio equivalent of watching special teams in football freaking out over an average tackle.

As this road trip slowly (really slowly) comes to a close, Andrew’s return gets closer and Ariza is on his way back, things are running as smooth as they can for the Lakers.

Off to Charlotte they go, looking for win 33.
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

LaLaKeRz4LiFe · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:12 pm Post subject:

nice read as always.
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R.I.P. to my grandmother, 4/17/07 : (

fusechris · Joined: 05 Oct 2006 Posts: 528 Location: Santa Barbara

lol at the WTF of the day segment.

We watched the same game, but you pointed out a lot of tendencies -that although true- I didn't really think of until now.

Nice read
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crucifido · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:04 pm Post subject:

Thanks Lakerz4Life! man12

Thanks for the kind words Chris! I'm trying to do the WTF Of The Game regularly. Tonight's is kinda the same though. I just can't take the PA announcers any more - its pitiful. freak2

Anyway, thanks for reading guys - here's the one for the Bobcats game.

Lakers vs. Bobcats (Game 51 2/11/08)

Cleaning The Slate In Charlotte

Charlotte hasn’t been a kind place to the Lakers lately, but things would change tonight, as the Lakers continued their push to 7-2 on this almost finished road odyssey.

The two-headed Pau/Kobe monster was in full effect tonight – and from the outset too.

Gasol starts off hot, and then settles down a bit. Then Kobe starts draining distance jumpers and breaking down the D with the drive. Once Kobe got more pressure put on him, Gasol moved back into the post and drew attention away from the mid range players, letting motion in the mid post down to the block ease up.

It was a taste of the 1-2 punch that Pau and Kobe can be (let alone what could happen when Andrew gets back into the fold).

Kobe picked up his smooth scoring right where he left off in Miami. Its tough to find a flaw in Kobe’s last couple of games (and this one too), he’s done an MVP job of setting up the team while balancing his own stats. The defense on the perimeter lost a step or two from the incredible job he did in Miami, but it wasn’t needed as heavily in Charlotte as it was against a scorer like Wade.

Not much else to say but Kobe’s kept his game rolling while integrating Gasol and the rest of the guys. Sounds like an MVP to me.

From the first ball given to him Pau looked to be in not so much rare form, but common form. Starting with the easy reception from a brilliant bounce pass from Kobe to get the Lakers’ 4th point of the game, Gasol was off to the races. His efficient scoring was great to see. Most of Gasol’s shots were within his skill set. There were no forced shots or plays beyond his capacity. That right there is enough to make anyone appreciate the things that Gasol can do and will do.

Pau’s did well with his defensive rebounding help on the inside. He was creating purple and gold traffic down low while letting Lamar reach for most of the boards. The noise he was making underneath was enough to push out most of the Bobcats (sans Okafor) out of ideal rebounding position.

Gasol’s problem is the one we knew when he got here – his post defense. He doesn’t have the strongest lower body and by default has trouble maintaining position against the powerful big guys Okafor or even against mobile big guys like Mohammed. It will help to have Andrew back so Pau can get back to his natural position of PF, but for now Pau would be well served to widen his stance and lean into his man a bit more.

Having Gasol and Kobe able and willing to set up the rest of the team with their play along with putting up points without really playing at their top of their game is a luxury to say the least. Thankfully, the rest of the Lakers are finding where to lineup beside Pau and Kobe.

Lamar did a real good job helping out on defense. Working the step to the baseline to shut off drives with perfection, Lamar kept his casual but strong performance streak in tact. Loved the dive down the middle of the paint in the 1st quarter. He was showing freedom of movement within the offense he hasn’t shown very often. Not handling the ball as much has left Odom with a ton of room to operate from top to bottom right down the throat of the Bobcats D.

He was once again aggressive with the chances given to him. He wasn’t turning away from gimmes.

The best thing about this game for me was the return of Ronny to the form he was playing with a couple weeks ago before the Gasol deal. He played very deliberate and in control this game. His turnaround jumpers from the mid-post were good to see come back. The shot’s been a little absent lately, but it looked like Ronny found his comfortable postposition in this one. He used the high and mid post as run-in spots to take stabs at boards and get involved inside off missed shots. If he didn’t dive into the paint, he popped out around small traffic for open looks around the elbow. That use of the mid-post is a nice area for Ronny to operate in with or without another big in the game.

Jordan had a couple spurts of play we got used to this year, but he still looks tired. Jordan can make things easier on himself by jab dribbling a bit more, pulling his man out of the paint. With a presence like Gasol inside and Lamar rebounding like a demon, there’s space for him to remain along the top of the key arc, instead of feeling obligated to take it the full distance to the rim every time. Maybe this way he can keep his man on his heels, create some space for himself outside and preserve energy until the much-needed All-Star break.

As far as Luke goes, the guy is working his way off of injury better with the game he played tonight. There was less shooting from the post and more work jumping out of the post to make room for better low block players. Rebounding was decent, but I would still like to see Luke operate in the mid range perimeter far more than he has this year. His work on defense was slow-footed, but I liked what he did keeping his eye on passing angles and getting a couple key steals towards the end of the game. It would be easier for Luke to get his legs back by playing active defense more than pushing low block offense. He’s adjusting to a different role with Gasol here now; he’ll have to adjust again once Bynum comes back too.

The bench unit was too slow on defensive switches. Luckily the Bobcats didn’t see a multitude of mismatches that were there for most of the time the full bench was on the court. They’ve got to recognize those quicker, if not eliminate them by better communication through screens and traffic.

I really liked the sporadic full court press of the Lakers tonight. If you press too much it gets predictable and easier to run around. But the Lakers did well mixing it up tonight. Mostly towards the end of quarters, the Lakers pushed up on the Bobcats with random perfect timing, making them turn the ball over or disrupting them at the least. (That Radmanovic steal in the full court set was beautiful)

The thing about the Lakers that surprises me is the ease of spacing the Lakers have been doing since Pau’s arrival. You’d think bringing in a major cog like Gasol into a team in the middle of a road trip would cause stumbles. Instead, it’s gotten the Lakers more confidence in where they need to be. Some of that speaks to experience, and some speaks to the talent level of this team. The I.Q. of the Lakers doesn’t hurt either. Adding a smart player like Gasol to a guy like Kobe backed with the steady hands of a team knowing the roles they need to play to be successful is a rare treat to watch.

Either or both ways its good to see the Lakers knowing where to be rather than screaming directions at each other like they were last year at this time.

Letting other teams into games late is a dangerous game to be playing. At some point it could bite the Lakers in the butt. Hopefully they’ll learn to push their will on teams for the whole 48. You can get away with this against the likes of the Bobcats and Heat, but like we saw in Detroit, it’s not a habit you want to get into.

To that effect, it would still be nice to see the Lakers notice when they have a team on the ropes and to push them over the cliff. Developing that takes a while. The leads have to come first. But now that the leads are starting to roll in with frequency, its time to tighten the screws on teams not only like the Bobcats, but on every opponent.

WTF Of The Game: The scourge of aggravating arena PA guys is becoming pandemic. Can’t wait for the Lakers to get back home, simply so I don’t have to hear a 30 second wail over a stinkin’ lay-up for a while. Save me Lawrence Tanter!

It felt like a quiet game tonight. Maybe it’s the road trip coming to a close, or maybe I’m just tired, but it feels like it’s almost the end of a big road trip for me as well as the Lakers. As they roll into Minnesota on a winning streak, coming off this voyage and looking forward to the All-Star break, its vastly important for the Lakers to not overlook this game.

Go out there and get yourself into the break with a streak of wins and a streak of confidence.

P.S. – Congratulations DJ!!
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

revgen · Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:17 pm Post subject:

crucifido · Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 8:26 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the compliment revgen. :)

True about Jordan getting a break, but that game is hardly a lot of work. All I want is for Farmar to come out healthy.

Enjoy the All-Star break everyone!!

Lakers vs. Wolves (Game 52 2/13/08)

7-2 & All-Star Break Report Cards

The Lakers were definitely showing signs of being a little exhausted. When you see so many shots fall short, you know the weariness has set in. Running up on offense, even in the half court was sluggish at times. Rotations and help on defense were also lagging in the 1st half, but it picked up after the half. Luckily, the slack to be a tad slow in the 1st half was there, but its something they should never count on, on the road or at home.

The Lakers did real well though in the 3rd quarter in particular, putting the hurt on the Wolves without mercy and in turn making a “gimme game” exactly that – a “gimme game”. That instinct to put away teams when you have the chance to is going to be monstrously important the second half of the season on into the playoffs.

Aside from the obvious great result, there’s been very little one pass or no motion off the ball offense on this road trip. Everyone is getting to their spots early or working on getting to option spots before the clock becomes an issue. It’s been a team game more than it has in a long, long time. Because of that, the Lakers came out looking like a team on the verge of something big.

Now onto mid-season report cards:

Ronny – Missed lay-ups mostly due to exhaustion were haunting him today. The post defense was a touch slow, but semi-effective.
Need to: Stop swiping so hard on blocks. Keep his swing under control a bit more, not coming down so far onto player’s hands. Don’t lose sight of the weak side rebounder sneaking in behind. Too many times Ronny’s gotten too far under the hoop to be mobile enough to defend both side of the block.
Keep on:Playing with that trademark energy that has now become the gold standard for the Laker bench. The jumper from the elbow needs to keep being worked on. Help defense from mid-post on down has been great too.
Grade: B

Sasha –
That pass from Sasha off of his drive along the baseline in the 2nd was just amazing to see. That’s what I was talking about – working off of drives about every 3rd or 4th shot. Doing that opens up shots for everyone else, but it also opens up his shot.
Need to: Keep working on putting the ball on the floor. Anticipate screens a bit more. He’s been lagging off of his man and fading back on D too early and too often.
Keep on: Getting to the spots like he has been. There’s been quick movement to where he’s supposed to be. Take the shots that other defenses give you. Never be afraid to take the big shot down the stretch or in the meat of a game.
Grade: B

Vladi –
Radmanovic played real aware defense from the beginning. Stepping out to steal and playing good, grounded footwork outside got the Lakers off to the races quick and strong. It looked like maybe Vladi is seeing the benefit of defense. Radmanovic put in some good inside to outside work the entire game too.
Need to: Remember that the game has two ends. Falling asleep on guys on the perimeter has been an Achilles heel for Radmanovic so far, but that can easily change simply by focusing. Vladi is a casual guy with a easy going attitude, but he has to increase intensity on the defensive end if he expects to get significant minutes.
Keep on: Spotting up as well as he has on the arc. He looks like he knows the game a lot better, at least the triangle, and his shots are showing it. Just like Sasha, take that ball inside like he did in this one against Minny to open up your natural game more.
Grade: C

Pau –
Man Pau’s efficiency from any range is just beautiful to watch. Very deliberate style of shooting with spotting up like he’s been here all year made Gasol get off to the start that I think every Laker fan can get used to really quick.
Need to: Continue wide stance he had against Jefferson on D tonight. As Andrew’s return gets closer Pau has to know that moving from the defensive high post to mid post is going to be key.
Keep on: Playing strong defense. The offense is easy as it can be right now (without Andrew) but without Pau staying rounded in the high post the Lakers have to depend on Andrew too much.
Grade: A

Lamar –
Odom did very well patrolling the court. Offensively he was diving down low with the ball then popping out up top to give pass options. Free motion from Lamar was the order of the day as it has been since Gasol’s arrival. Lamar has made the most of the room that Gasol has given him.
Need to: Work on getting some boards in traffic with two hands. He’s good at tipping the ball to himself on smaller guys, but he’s been tipping in tall traffic too. Look for open shots down the middle. With Gasol and the other Lakers pulling play out of the middle right now, the lane is wide open for Lamar to keep diving down for lay-ups, passes or dunks.
Keep on: Playing loose and easy. The pressure is officially off of Lamar permanently now, so the free flowing play should be easy to keep up for the rest of the year. He’s been doing great lately taking the shots that have been given to him and that has to continue to.
Grade: B

Kobe –
It was an unfair game tonight. From the passes off of drives to the cruel crossover he threw down on Brewer, it was a full-on cruise control game for him. It was a good way to end the road trip for him, relaxed play with a mind to drive and kick.
Need to: Not let the ease of offense let him slack on defense. He played really well in Miami and had spurts of the defensive stopping power he showed earlier this year. In the second half of the season he has to also keep his own scoring in mind. Odd to say, but with Bynum, Gasol, Odom and everyone else out there, he can’t get share-happy.
Keep on: Being the team leader he’s become. The encouragement, motivation and heart he’s given to the rest of the team has ton keep going for the Lakers to be playoff successful.
Grade: A+

Derek –
He had a quiet game tonight. The shooting was still there and his spotting up was on the money, but all in all he was a small contributor.
Need to: Not leave his man as much distance on the perimeter. He had moments tonight against the Wolves and times this year when he’s split space too far in favor of the paint. With all the bigs in the middle now, he can move more to the outside on his splits and not give up so much room to shoot the 3 or long 2.
Keep on: Shooting like he has never done before in his career. A lot has to do with the offense he kows so well, but Derek’s decision making has been spot on all year.
Grade: B+

Andrew –
Need to: Move laterally on defense from weak to strong or back again without jumping. Having the ability to block shots is great, but Andrew has to stay grounded when play gets scrappy in the middle. The middle is his to give up or to protect, keep his mind as sharp as his timing has been.
Keep on: Showing the varied offensive attack he began to show before the injury. His spacing on defense has been great and for the Lakers to keep on a roll when he gets back he has to know that he still owns the low block with or without Gasol.
Grade: A

Luke –
He showed signs of coming out of the injury plagued and sloppy play. His defense on the perimeter was sharp tonight. He had times when he turned his head to move to a play before he had control of the ball, but mostly Luke had a good “coming out of the fog” kind of game.
Need to: Work more from the high post instead of getting into trouble in the low post where he doesn’t belong. Improve the mid range to distance shot he had last year. With so many big guys here and coming back, shooters will become important. The post work he has been working in should take a backseat to the more active off ball play he does so well.
Keep on: Staying positive and playing tough minded. It hasn’t been a smooth season for him, but he’s shown heart in playing hurt this long when the Lakers needed him.
Grade: C

Trevor –
Need to: Get healthy. Play under control on the defensive end. Don’t let the ability to jump through the roof take you out of position.
Keep on: Playing with smooth, quiet enthusiasm he has. The athleticism off the bench has been a welcome element to a Laker team that needs him to be as active as he can be.
Grade: A

Jordan –
There was a bit of a pick-up in his game tonight. He was playing more wake and aware of where he was on the court tonight. Spotting up well and breaking down the defense on drives in the middle were back to a small extent.
Need to: Stay sharp even though Crittenton isn’t breathing down his neck.
Keep on: Developing the consistent shot from outside. Don’t get lost underneath screens or multiple picks on the outside. Keep your eye on your man above the screens and don’t get pulled down low to leave them so open on the outside.
Grade: B

DJ –
He played well tonight. The little hook he showed in the 4th was surprising, but a nice little peek at the control DJ can play with.
Need to: Stay ready at all times. With the big men of the Lakers being a thick and full rotation, minutes can be thrown your way at any time.
Keep on: Stay positive no matter how far down the bench he gets.
Grade: C

Coby –
It was great to see the team really fight for him to get in the box score tonight. He had a great block late in the game and showed some good energy in off ball movement while he was in.
Need to: Shoot like he does in practice. Make adjustments to your shot in game rather than throwing up the same hitch in your shot.
Keep on: Play with energy when he’s in. Time will be tough to come by as the season wears on, but its no excuse to grow complacent.
Grade: C

Lengthy article I know, but we’re in the All-Star break now on a fantastic run. Let’s just enjoy the break and gather steam for the second half of the season that’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting, interesting and fun to watch seasons we’ve had as Laker fans in a long time.
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"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

revgen · Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 4:27 pm Post subject:

Great Writeup Cruc. I'm surprised that Gasol has fit in so quickly. Yeah, I know that his skills are perfect for the triangle, but it's still impressive nonetheless. He's scoring at a freaking scary 62FG% in only 2 weeks.
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crucifido · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks again revgen.

Yeah Gasol is fitting in kinda good, ya think? man12

The efficiency is stunning.

So its good to be back from the All-Star break, and even better coming back with a decisive win.

Lakers vs. Hawks (Game 53 2/19/08)

A Tiny Bit Of Revenge

The Lakers return from a historic road trip, Pau’s first game at Staples / home, the first test of Kobe’s now overblown / infamous pinky, revenge for a silly loss to the Hawks on the road, there was a lot of storylines to watch this game - the least of which being the debut of Bibby in a Hawks uniform.

The rust was kind of there in the 1st, with one turnover a blatant bad pass by Gasol and another over-pass to Kobe from Lamar on the break, but that’s it. It was shaken quickly via defense, both in transition and in the half court set. Once they shook off that tiny amount of squeakiness, the Lakers showed some serious team hustle on all fronts, creating rebounds, passes, seams and plenty of open chances all over the place. That defensive hustle got their shots going and the entire team involved in more than just the box score.

Jumping onto teams like this is a good lesson for the Lakers to keep taking to heart. Its starts like they had tonight that will serve a giant double purpose, no matter who the opponent. First, you dictate the pace and second, you get your rhythm in gear before the other team even knows what hit them.

What you had to just love watching was the Lakers not only creating turnovers from the Hawks, but also cashing on a vast majority of them. And when the Lakers did score off turnovers, they were emphatic. There wasn’t any indecisiveness on breaks or off of turnovers, which is a solid sign of this team getting into a groove – as a team. The pressure was put on early in the half court sets and it pushed Atlanta into some seriously sloppy play.

The Lakers obviously enjoyed some home cookin’, because that kind of energy for a whole game hadn’t been seen in quite a while. You watch this game and have to wonder how the Lakers dropped a game to these same Hawks.

Odom – Again, he’s taking the shots given to him, which for most players is no big deal, but for Lamar it’s a big deal. He was working into the lane immediately, with the lay-up on Smith and the driving cut down the lane for the dunk in the 1st. I liked seeing Lamar push his way into the low post tonight. He often squirms around defenses taking seams given to him, but there was a little fight in him tonight. With guys like Smith around, you have to play strong in the paint and Lamar did well doing just that.

The key to Odom’s game tonight was anticipatory positioning. He looked like he had gotten the hang of reading where his teammates will be and where balls will come off the rim to. The rebounding from Lamar was gorgeous to watch. He cleared space and got virtually every board with two hands whether contested or not. It was textbook board work from Lamar tonight.

He was pushing it into Smith’s chest from the outside all the way to the hoop offensively. Aggressive contact initiated by Lamar like that got Smith on his heels in a hurry, making him expend a lot of energy running from outside to inside trying to keep up with Lamar.

Walton – Much better defense from Luke tonight. His lateral movement was livelier. Though his offense is still just out of character right now. Its still forced and starting from too deep to be effective.

Farmar – Strong drives was the order of the day for Jordan. The push he had against Law in the 2nd quarter along the baseline for a soft reverse lay-up was great. The steal and dunk in the 2nd wasn’t terrible either. They were both good to see not only for the score, but because it showed that the All-Star break indeed gave Jordan his wind back. He was looking ragged before the break, but tonight Farmar was back to his off-ball activity and smart offensive play that’s made him one of the better back up PG’s in the NBA.

Farmar did a good job of budgeting his 3 point attempts tonight, only taking open or structured threes.

Gasol – Along with Bynum running the floor well when he’s out there, Gasol is another big for the Lakers that runs the floor ridiculously well. It starts with the tap with Gasol and there was no slowing down for him the entire game. Pau’s control under the hoop was remarkable, even in heavy traffic situations. When he got himself the board or in position there was no wasted movement in the block.

What was and is great about Gasol, aside from everything else is that you rarely catch him off guard. If it’s a quick or sudden pass, he doesn’t lose sight of it. His awareness is at a super high level.

One defensive hitch for Pau is when he has to run with his man from the high post to the block. He should be calling for help, or the Lakers should rotate over to help him quicker. He doesn’t have the elevation to make up for the space he loses with a slower side step.

Radmanovic – I loved his perimeter defense on Williams. He did a good job staying in front of him. He gave up space on lateral dribbles, but Radmanovic did well keeping his man pushed a bit more to the outside than the outside. This was the most impressive defensive performance from Vladi since he’s been a Laker. I loved watching the full court pressure he put on the Hawks. It was relentless hustle from Radmanovic.

He also did well keeping on eye on passing angles from the high post. Though a bit sluggish getting to spots sometimes, he was paying attention in this one, which for Vladi is a big key to him getting more involved with the team.

Karl – Being the last guy off the bench isn’t easy, but you had to like Coby’s energy tonight. That throw-down he did was a fantastic strong finish and some sweet enthusiasm for a guy that rarely sees time in a game. It was good to see him come in ready.

Bryant – Pinky? What pinky? The funny thing about all the talk of Kobe’s finger was that the guy who’s actually hurt has said since day one it was no big deal. Now believe him or not, if he feels he can gut it out with it for the rest of the year, then nobody else’s opinion really matters. When Kobe got that bouncy trot in his step outside, you knew he was feeling fine. Yet again, he did a fantastic job playing a quiet game in the fist half, letting the rest of the team get their rhythm and find their way.

By the way Lakers, head fakes do wonders against shot blockers. There were far too many soft takes or unaware takes to the rim. If you give one small fake to adept pogos like Smith, more than likely he’s leaving his feet opening a pass or a shot.

It may seem like nitpicking with a blowout like this, but the Lakers have got to stay on top of teams, even when up by 40 or so at home at all times. Certainly the first half was amazing to watch, but that kind of hustle play cannot stop until the final buzzer – against any team. There can be no letting up. It not only seals games up, but it lets your starters rest (especially with a big game versus the Suns tomorrow) and it sends a message to other teams that once you get up on them, you won’t relent.

Also the Lakers have to be careful of not getting carried away with the crowd and the energy ion the court. The hustle, play and movement were great, but you can’t let the excitement lead you to playing out of control. Just like with Ronny, balance energy and control.

Well Atlanta got their taste of payback tonight. Next its onto the Suns and Shaq’s debut.
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

crucifido · Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:39 pm Post subject:

What a game huh?! yeah Lamar is playing just beautifully right now, as did everyone else (outside of a sleepy game by Luke).

Lakers vs. Suns (Game 54 2/20/08)

Resiliency In The Desert

It was one of the biggest stages surrounding a regular season game in a good long time. As the tip grew closer in Phoenix, the fans got more anxious. When the ball was finally thrown, the Lakers stepped on the gas and didn’t look back until the final buzzer.

There were plenty of ups and downs as Phoenix fought back from a 13 point deficit, took a late lead and had momentum working for them throughout the second half. Yet, despite all of that the Lakers stood tough. Their will to win wasn’t broken and for the first time in a handful of years, the Lakers looked like true contenders.

My main goal for the Lakers in first half was to just stay within 4 or 5 points. A lead would’ve been great to have, but I figured if the Lakers could keep close, they’d give themselves a chance to pull it out in the end. Luckily for me, them and the rest of the Laker faithful, the Lakers had bigger goals in mind. From the first run the Lakers had about midway in the 1st quarter it was apparent that intensity was alive and well within every player on the floor and on the bench.

Out of everyone there was Kobe leading the way. I hope that now we can put to rest the great pinky debate and realize that a simple pinky injury won’t hold Kobe back right now. Out of everything he did what I loved seeing was Kobe waiting in the wings as the game got itself up to a boil. He did a perfect job of letting the rest of the team get them into the game mentally. It didn’t take much because the Lakers looked focus from the outset, but by Kobe taking a backseat to the team’s welfare, he let everyone rev their game up to speed. That speed kept up the entire game.

Kobe’s work on the defensive end was easy to miss, but it was powerful tonight. Raja Bell, normally good for 10 o21 points against the Lakers was held to zero. His switching from top to bottom to help out with Shaq in the paint was on the money. It was a defensive performance that in a 130 – 124 game where there was little defense to speak of overall, could easily be unseen. But with Kobe holding one of the key elements the Suns look to spread the floor was big.

Along those lines, I liked that the Lakers for most purposes let Amare do what he had to do. Certainly Shaq eased up a lot of room for Amare to operate more freely, but the Lakers did well in holding down the peripheral players. They didn’t let guys like Bell, Diaw, Strawberry or even Shaq go off for big games. I mean it’s so tough to spout off about defense in a scoring-fest like this; there were things like containing Phoenix’s bench and what I mentioned above that kept the Lakers mentally focused throughout.

A big key in beating the Suns is to make them dig into their thin bench for help and the Lakers did well doing that too. The Lakers bench was looking a bit intimidated, but for the most part they did real well keeping the Suns from going on a game changing run.

When the Suns did go on a run (at a couple points in this game) the Lakers bounced back consistently. They showed a focus and dedication to their game plan that veteran teams show. Though the Lakers are still vastly young, tonight they showed that their confidence in Phil’s system, in each other and in each of their own games is growing by leaps and bounds right now.

Along with Kobe there was inimitable Lamar Odom. Again, now that the Lakers don’t rely on him to score more, he does. When the Lakers don’t ask him to rebound more, he does that too. There’s been a lot of talk of trading Lamar right now (and in the summer the Lakers MAY very well shop him, maybe) but after games like this one and games like he’s played since the arrival of Pau, it’s hard to see dealing Lamar for someone who will do more. I loved the aggressiveness from Lamar in the beginning. We haven’t seen him go after boards with that much tenacity even during this recent tear he’s been on. The Suns had real trouble keeping track of Lamar. You could see Phoenix’s focus turning to Gasol and Kobe in the paint, but often Lamar found himself with a free run to the back end of a board on both ends.

There were some missed lay-ups in heavy traffic that Lamar should still be finishing with strength, but that was minimal. Odom did real well in patrolling the mid post too. When the attention of the Laker defense sunk low Lamar popped out on either side of the hoop to get early board position. When the Suns moved Lamar out of the paint his recovery back into strong position was without hesitation. It was one of Lamar’s best performances of the year, if not as a Laker.

So you have Kobe throwing down another MVP game, Lamar doing well playing watchdog in the mid-post and Gasol playing as strong as he could down low. It was a tall order for Gasol to try and keep stable against a big body like Shaq, but once he got the hang of where to get his feet set (after a bit of a disjointed 1st quarter) Gasol did as well as an undersized (girth wise) 5 could do. He found a good balance of energy from defense to offense too. He did get beat down low, but often he flipped back around and made Shaq play into his strength, mobility.

I would’ve liked to have seen Gasol step outside a touch more to get Shaq out of the paint, but what he lacked for in that he more than made up for in footwork. Pau’s dives down the lane and timing on cuts were spot on. His finishing with bigs running at him was amazing to watch. Having a 7 footer run breaks like he did and to also be able to finish with that kind of conviction is something the Lakers can just thrive with.

As many times as the Lakers did well running dives with Gasol, they all need to begin to look for him more often. There were some drives by Sasha, Kobe and Lamar that left Gasol with space on the side of the key. If the Lakers can begin to keep their peripheral vision open to Gasol filling those spots, the Lakers can exploit Pau’s talents even more.

But seriously, Pau was just brilliant in his first big time game as a Laker. It was the kind of game from Pau that leaves you wondering just how much more he may be able to add to an already strengthening Laker team.

Derek, though Nash got 20+ points, played Nash the way you need to play him, physical. Steve still had plenty of easy runs (mainly around picks by Shaq), but Derek did well in keeping within arm’s reach of him. Playing quick point guards is definitely Derek’s big hitch on D, but tonight he did about as well as he could do against a point with the talent of Nash.

One game that might have not been seen so well too was Ronny’s. He played Shaq really well. He kept right up in his face, keeping his arms wide and pushing up into Shaq as much as he could without getting a foul. He did well in literally bouncing off of Shaq in the mid post to drop down under the bucket in help situations.

Jordan is obviously getting his feet back under him. He again had great timing on his shot. He made solid decisions on when to shoot, when to drive and when to play the perimeter offensively. His defensive rotation on Barbosa was right where it needed to be. Farmar played a big part in keeping Barbosa off of his normal slashing game that usually kills the Lakers. Farmar also did well in abusing the weakness of the Suns’ defense in back door passes. With Gasol moving as fluidly as he was, Jordan was equally aware of where to put the pass for an easy lay-in for Pau.

Radmanovic, though quiet offensively, did well in the first half defensively. His hands were still active from the last couple of games and he made a decent contribution on the perimeter D again. The Lakers did well watching the Suns drive and kick to the corners for threes and Radmanovic was right in step in the first half by keeping good split space between the paint and his man on the outside.

Sasha played good again. What he did particularly well tonight was movement off the ball. There were a couple times when the Lakers got stagnant on the offensive end, but when Sasha came in the game his motion from the perimeter down to the corners kicked the rest of the Laker off ball players into gear. When you couple that with really good shot decisions and Sasha threw down yet another good game.

WTF Of The Game: What was up with the 8 to 10 seconds of the clock stopping in the 3rd quarter? It was weird watching the refs look up at the clock and do nothing to stop the game. It’s comforting to know the refs are really paying attention to their jobs.

There are just a couple things to look out for.

All the Laker point guards have to be aware of big picks up top. If they play the Suns again, or when they play the Spurs they’re getting caught up top too much.

The Lakers till were soft on boxing out the weak side rebounders. When there’s big guys like Phoenix has now and/or activity on the low block from jumpers, the Lakers have got to always be aware of the off man coming around the back end.

Movement off the ball kind of fell flat for a bit. When it did the Suns went on a run. The Lakers have got use their athleticism and activity off the ball (especially with defenses having to focus on Kobe and Gasol) to the utmost. When the Lakers keep getting to spots and don’t watch, they click.

Maybe more nitpicking from me, but the late quarter (and in particular late first half) buzzer beaters can be a dangerous game to flirt with. Often those shots change momentum. The Lakers have kind of gotten sluggish in the waning seconds of quarters. They’ve got to prevent late shots from not only going in, but even getting off in the first place.

But really, this game was huge. It was a big win in more ways than one. What’s important to remember though is that it was just one regular season game. There can’t have a letdown when the Lakers get into this run of weaker teams. A second of a back to back in this big of a game atmosphere is tough to pull off, but the Lakers showed the focus of a team that like Kobe said doesn’t think they can win, but knows they can.
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"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

PnOySneakerBoi24 · Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 1149 Location: Walnut

crucifido · Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:16 am Post subject:

Sorry, I've been absent guys. I was pretty knocked out with a bad virus for the 3 or 4 days. But now the haze is burning off and I'm fresh from Staples and the Blazer game.

So here's my babble for this one...

Lakers vs. Blazers (Game 57 2/26/08)

The 9th Time Is A Charm

Now I’m never one to blame game son refs or say that a referee has alone completely changed a game, However, when you start into a Laker game and you see Steve Javie is one of the refs, you have to know that this could be a problematic.

The clunky calls in the first half being reminiscent of the way of his crews have called Laker games (and a fair share of other games to boot). The real story of this game for me was that the Lakers fought through the unusual reffing, the sloppy play on the offensive end, the soft interior defense of the first 3 quarters and the generally disjointed play by some of the team only to come out with another win.

There would’ve been no way that the Laker teams of the last 3 seasons could’ve pulled out a win like they did out of this game tonight. The first big shots of resiliency they showed in Phoenix were astounding to say the least, and now to watch them grind out a victory from the 15 point deficit they put themselves in, was at the very least gratifying. The fact that this Laker team (even with Pau coming on board) has absorbed the injuries they have with really ever suffering a major setback to their intentions this season is something Laker fans should be proud to be a part of right now.

There hasn’t been any self-pitying or wallowing in circumstance. The Lakers showed again tonight (yes even against a Roy-less Blazer team, which remember had them down by 15 with relative ease in the 1st quarter) why they could very well be the team to contend with in the West. The bench came through in a big way tonight.

Led by Farmar who had a banner game on the offensive end, hitting shots when nobody else on the Lakers seemed to be able to hit anything, the Laker reserves were beyond key. Farmar lit the fire offensively, with Ronny bringing the effort in the paint and Sasha bringing tenacity on both ends of the court.

Starting with Jordan – the key for his game tonight was him developing a downright dangerous aggressive jabbing kind of “half-drive” on half court sets. Where Derek faltered against Blake (as he is apt to do versus quicker guards) Farmar, took Blake to task on his footwork. There were probably 3 or 4 times I counted Farmar having Blake completely on his heels without any momentum to get back up to Farmar. Jordan took the ball into him and made quick decisive passes to the high post, getting to his spot without a moment of hesitation at any time. When that fast run of the offense came down, Kobe (who mostly got his passes in the high post) was quick to see him and hit him with the pass.

Shooting can go in and out to be sure, but when those passes hit Jordan the shots were falling in tonight. Farmar’s shot has of course gotten a ton better than it was just last year, but you could see Farmar using the half court set plays to his advantage tonight. When he got Blake back on his heels, there was little time for him to recover to catch back up with Jordan at his shooting positions. When Jordan didn’t bring the ball up he had great lateral movement along the arc, using the Portland big men against themselves to give him the extra foot of room he needed to get his shot off. That was just a real solid performance from Jordan tonight offensively.

Defensively, though he did get beat by multiple screens set through the middle, he did well in staying on pace with Blake and his side to side runs.

The next guy off the bench, Ronny played with his usual passion that tends to get the entire arena awake and alive. Whether you find his game appealing or not, the one thing about Ronny that is indisputable is that he has a positive impact on the game whenever he gets into it. The very first offensive play he stepped foot on the court for tonight, at the end of the first half was the great setup by Kobe he put in for 3 point play. Defensively, when Lamar was hampered by fouls, Ronny came right in and gave everything he had to at least causing havoc in the middle where the Lakers were falling deathly flat for a while.

Sasha had a rickety night offensively, but what struck me tonight was his tenacity on the defensive end. The frustration he had with himself offensively didn’t just get balled up; it came out as impassioned focus on the defensive end. The height of that being the one literal rip Sasha came away with from the Blazers. There was no light swiping at the ball or apprehensive off screen defense. Sasha came with purpose on steals and with a physicality that he usually doesn’t show as often as he did te4onight. He’s never been shy with the defensive buzz saw routine, but tonight there was purpose behind it and it showed.

I loved seeing him shoot his way out of his little mini-slump he had in the first half. Though it would be great to see him follow his shot much more than he does. Once he got himself into rhythm, the defensive hustle stuck as well. They both served great roles in taking some focus off the Lakers’ usual offensive / defensive key players.

The third player of the game to me, behind Jordan’s inspiration off the bench and Kobe’s sweetly familiar all-around play, was Lamar. There was a little concern I the first half, as Aldridge took Lamar into the block too often and made Lamar pay for some slow footwork in the paint on and off the ball. When the fouls starting rolling in I was hoping Lamar wouldn’t let them take him out of his game. It looked to be that way for a while, and then the 4th quarter came. I don’t know if it was Phil’s faith in Lamar in leaving him on the floor with fouls racking up, or if Lamar just kicked himself in the butt, but it was something to watch for sure.

Doing his best Dennis Rodman impression (point total included) Lamar came into the 4th quarter with a defensive tenacity on the boards that was simply amazing to watch. The entire Staples crowd got to a point where they were on their feet to see Lamar do his dirty work in the paint on defense. That incredible ferocity he showed on the backboards (on both ends eventually, but mostly defensively) was another in a long line of encouraging signs from Odom and his ever growing capacity for focused play.

Onto this Kobe guy, turns out he’s not too bad after all huh? The frustration for Kobe with the refs was apparent to even the unbiased viewer tonight. I don’t know if it was seen at home but Kobe was being held onto on the defensive end pretty consistently. There was a concerted effort to bring the ball to Kobe’s man, cycle it back out to the outside, and then as Kobe moved to keep up with his man, there was a screen and hold behind that screen, keeping him about two steps behind Webster, or whoever he got thrown onto. The push in the back on the alley-oop, was easy to see, but during timeouts Kobe was going over to the refs to tell then what the Blazer defense was doing the whole game.

In the first half Kobe did a good job of denying Webster the ball. Early on in the game there was a concerted effort to keep the ball from getting to Webster, letting him get hot. Kobe split space very well between Webster’s multiple spots on the arc and inside of it. They were running every half court set they could for Webster, but Kobe was usually between the pass and Martell, keeping any kind of shooting rhythm away from the Blazers. That denial of rhythm ultimately kept the Blazers from getting hot from the outside.

Pau had a bit of a down game, but luckily for Laker fans, Pau’s down game still resulted in a 16 point performance. There was a noticeable downgrade in the energy for Gasol. Offensively he was a touch slow getting to post spots. When he got a shot off from places he’d usually drain everything, he was short-arming them. That kind of play just spoke a bit of a player that looked tired. Which honestly, is both acceptable and alright. One tired game out of 10 for a guy who has so seamlessly integrated himself onto the Lakers is perfectly fine.
Overall, the Lakers would do well to not let fast break opportunities tempt them into making ill-advised passes. There were a couple tonight, the most noticeable being Sasha’s pass off the fingertips of the Blazers to a not so open Kobe on the break. The Lakers have to not let break opportunities become opportunities to turn the ball over unnecessarily. Sometimes foregoing the tightly threaded break pass for a sure fire half court set would be the best advice.

Again, coming into every game with passion and desire is always key. No matter the team, they’re all professionals and anything can happen at any time.

Team rebounding is so vital. There may be games where not everyone is playing with the spark of life they need to get over the edge. But what must always be there is the knowledge that limiting second chance shots for your enemy and opening second chance shots for yourself, is going to play huge in who gets the trophy this year. The weapons for getting most every board (especially your own defensive ones) are there en masse’ with this squad. The Lakers had one run tonight where they let the Blazers get 4 chances to score, that can’t happen – again – at all.

9 in a row at this time of the season, with the West being so ridiculously close as it is, is invaluable to both the Lakers’ confidence and to their playoff seeding. There’s certainly a long way to go and everyone knows that a 2 game losing streak can take you from 1 to 5 to almost out of the playoffs. What can’t be overlooked is that the Lakers are focused on taking care of their own business and letting their wins dictate the pace of the West. Worrying about what other teams are doing is wasted energy.

The Lakers are taking the wins they want, and right now its damn close to every one of them – don’t let that stop.
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill