Crucifido's Corner

crucifido · Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:16 pm Post subject:

Man that was aggravating

Lakers vs. Warriors (Game 70 3/23/08)

Surprise, Defense Does Matter After All

It was a bright and sunny day here in So Cal. The hybrid summer/spring season felt like it officially kicked in. As the sun began to set and the Lakers took the court against the Warriors, the day would hopefully continue to on its pace with a Laker win.

However, the great day led to a disappointing game from the purple and gold. The game wasn’t without its positives, but overall it was a loss that was laced with aggravation.

The board numbers were there again for Lamar today. He came out working hard (mostly on the defensive boards). He was just vastly underused in the first half. What was good for Lamar was his sudden aggressiveness getting inside while everyone else insisted on shooting long jumpers in the 3rd quarter. The guy was playing rock solid defense in the second half, denying anyone and everyone access to the rim. If the ball came off the rim, Lamar was not only in the mix every time, but usually getting the ball using his length. He’s learned the strong stance defense that has escaped the Laker frontcourt for quite a while. That stance and the determined yet relaxed manner in which Lamar has played the last batch of games is exciting to see develop.

It was a waste of a brilliant, strong performance from Lamar.

Ronny keep his eyes open on the defender coming on his weak side. Ronny holds the ball out from his body too far, allowing easy steals or at the least swipes at the ball that can take him out of rhythm. The outside shot was falling for Ronny tonight. Again, every point Ronny can pull in from the outside helps the entire team too. Not just scoring wise, but also the spacing inside gets relief at the time and for the rest of the game.

There were a lot of good things in Ronny’s game aside from the shot. With a weak inside team like the Warriors, its imperative the Lakers established some kind of inside position and Ronny did a decent job making the Warriors have to collapse from the perimeter defense to the mid-range. Ideally it would’ve been good to have a cutter or two diving in the middle. The Lakers had Ronny filling the post space, but there was a problem inside in that nobody looking to cut off of the post to get an easy bucket. The ball was dying in the post with Ronny and little activity anywhere off of it.

Ronny’s big hitch was his Odom-like sharing of the ball. There were 4 shots that would’ve been easy makes for Ronny but he passed it off, resulting in 3-second violations or lower percentage shots.

Kobe did a good job posting up Baron early in the game. He got into the post as fast as he could once the Lakers pulled the switch for Kobe’s position. Once there Kobe leaned into Baron in the 1st, gathering the foul on Davis, putting the Warriors on their heels a bit. However, once those 2 fouls were riding on Davis’ back the Lakers didn’t post him up, take it into him (or his area) or do much at all to take advantage of the inherently weak defensive spot those fouls created.

Offensively Kobe seemed held back a touch. In the second half he got more aggressive and started to get into the groove. That first half though had Kobe playing far too passive against a team that really has absolutely no answer in the slightest for his game.

Against a high scoring team like the Warriors, I would’ve liked to see Kobe a bit more foot active on offense earl in the game. He had a lot of moments where he passed the ball and fell stagnant (as the rest of the team did). The usual precise off ball movement he shows was a step or two slow in spots.

There was better balance in Jordan’s inside / outside game tonight. He had one drive along the baseline for a dunk in the 2nd that was great to see. Just like Derek there’s been far too much settling for the 3 amongst the Lakers’ point guards. I say it a gazillion times a year, but there has to be some kind of probing dribble into the paint from the points. You can’t expect to hoist long distance shots without taking pressure off of them with a drive or two.

Anyway, Jordan did much better this game looking to at least pull the guards in from the perimeter. It pulled some defense off of long shots and it also made the Warriors scramble like they should against an agile team like the Lakers. It’s dangerous to get caught up in the fast penetration game with the Warriors, but with Jordan playing as spry as he did today, it provided a much-needed element of energy.

Derek played some clutch offense in the 3rd quarter. What you don’t want to see is success from the perimeter isolate Derek to playing strictly the shooting game. When he started sinking the jumpers, you ultimately want Fish to take the ball inside, if only for a play or two. He got his 3’s in that second half from getting to his spot well. There’s no doubt that Derek (aside from Kobe) knows the triangle the best and he exploited the benefit of the system’s spacing. I’m not sure why when Derek was as hot as he was the Lakers decided to go away from him almost entirely in the 4th quarter. He got to the same spots with a foul plagued Ellis on him, but the ball never worked over to him.

The main fault today - playing that manic style of play the Warriors love you to play. There’s no reason that a team with the talent and composure the Lakers have shown have to feel obligated to run crazed from end to end with no plays to speak of.

The Lakers were tentative at the beginning of the game. The quick pace they set in the previous two took a back seat to bit more of a slow paced / though out kind of offense. Its not the worst gambit to play against the speedy Warriors, but the Lakers can set the pace without playing a running game out of their talents. They lacked that spark they showed the last couple of games in trying to bury teams early. Not only did they give the Warriors a good size lead in the first half, they weren’t coming at them with any kind of assertion right away. You can’t delay that controlled sense of urgency.

There was a little reversion tonight to the unforced turnover version of the Lakers. You have to know our opponent. There were too many flat angle passes from the side to the mid-post in slight traffic. You have to know that the Warriors have quick defensive hands, sneaking a pass through minimal space like the Lakers were trying to do is unlikely. That and some sleepy transition defense (even more dangerous against a team as fast as the Warriors) had the Warriors dictating the pace early in the game. Unfortunately the Lakers were playing right into the Warriors’ hands by shooting quick long distance jumpers, virtually ignoring the inside game. The driving, cutting and slashing game of the Laker backcourt was completely absent. In turn the Lakers gave up way too many points in the 1st quarter.

If they happen to meet up with the Warriors in the playoffs, or any team with speed, they should know by now that they have to stay within their game. Once the Lakers try to run, it takes them out of the systematic pace of the triangle. There’s some leeway in the triangle this year, but not enough to make up for the loss of pace as in the 1st half.

There was stretch (from the 3 minutes left in the 1st to 9.43 left in the 2nd) where they didn’t take the ball inside once. Every bit of offense was a jump shot. You saw the Warriors having a parade to the paint the 1st and 2nd, but for some reason the Lakers looked like they were being pushed out of the inside. (Case in point: there were only 4 touches in the paint (via passes or plays) for Lamar the entire first half.) In that 2nd quarter Ronny was forced to sit with 3 fouls, yet both Baron and Jackson were playing comfortable defense from all spots sitting on 2 fouls (to that matter there should’ve been switches pulled on Ellis to get him out of the game when he had 5 fouls with 7 minutes left in the game). That’s unacceptable offense. There is nobody on the Warriors that does, will or should make the Lakers as hesitant from getting inside, as they looked tonight in the first half.

Statistically, the inside game wasn’t tested as much as it should’ve been, however, the second half saw improvement (over a lackluster first half):
3rd quarter: 5 drives, 2 posts, 2 dives/cuts
4th quarter: 8 drives, 4 posts, 2 dives/cuts

Those numbers aren’t overwhelming and tell the story as to why the Lakers struggled tonight.

That 3rd quarter defense was right on the money, as the numbers will attest to (from 38 in the 2nd to holding the Warriors to 15 in the 3rd). Now why that couldn’t have been played without the coaching staff having to drive the point home is a mystery, but lucky for us (and themselves) they cleaned up the defense a bit. The 4th though again saw the Lakers revert to letting guys get far too deep into the defense before they got confronted.

That 2nd half, though played defensively better by the whole team was all about Lamar and Ronny. Their insistence on position and not letting any easy shot inside go uncontested went miles in the Lakers being able to stay viable in this game.

With a sigh I say again, I don’t know why the Lakers can’t defend the 3-point line in crunch time. They let Jackson get two 3’s after Kobe’s shots with no contest. It’s just unforgivable how many times this has happened this season. It’s a no-brainer at that point to push up, play physical tight defense and at the worst give up 2. To give up a 3 in that kind of situation is at best frustrating.

Back to the unforced turnovers – that just has to stop (or at least be cut down to a bare minimum). I know some were from the Lakers were mistakenly trying to keep pace with the Warriors, but that’s still no excuse for wildly errant passes, balls mishandled from all spots and the generally mindless ball handling from everyone. Simply put, the game was wrought with terrible decisions, and even worse focus.

WTF Of The Game: That play by Kobe in the 4th, spinning and passing the no-look to Ronny for the slam and the foul was Magic-esque. That was one of the most amazing plays I’ve seen in a long time. I have no idea exactly how anybody is able to carry that kind of move off – simply astounding.

In the end it was a case of the Lakers letting a team get into rhythm early and having to fight both the scoreboard and momentum. The Lakers are talented for sure, but you can’t put yourself in this kind of spot this much. It’s happened a lot this year and at some point I hope the Lakers learn that lesson.

The Warriors needed this game and they played hungrier than the Lakers for the majority of it. In this tight race for best in the West its another regrettable loss that didn’t, and shouldn’t have happened. Hopefully, the Lakers turn this loss into motivation and take that out on the Warriors tomorrow.
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"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

crucifido · Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject:

The return of the cardiac kids bring a win from the road, but not without some serious sweating along the way.

The Lakers are back in first where they should be.

Lakers vs. Warriors (Game 71 3/24/08)

The Time The Sequel Surpasses The First

The Lakers had to go up to Oakland looking to redeem themselves against a team that they should beat without having to come back from 26 down.

Luckily, through this hard fought game, the Lakers found the composure they sorely lacked in L.A.. They rode that, along with a concerted effort on the defensive boards and mid-range, to a much needed, heart attack inspiring win.

There was a lot of good and a fair share of bad in this one, so let’s run through it.

Good early offensive post work by Ronny. When he got position in the second half mostly, he wasn’t letting go of it. That hold on position went a long way to giving the Lakers a pass option to the middle inside, easing up movement everywhere else. He has got to stop passing the ball in or out of the paint when he has a shot. He’s right by the basket for a high percentage shot, a foul, or sometimes both. It’s not a bad problem to have (players that pass too much), but it can’t come at the expense of 3-second violations or missed easy chances.

There was determined defensive work from Ronny though. He isn’t letting any shot go without a fight and you’ve got to love that. He had numerous changed shots and played some really well contained jumping defense. The emphatic swat he was doing before has given way to a more controlled type of block.

A most impressive element to the Lakers game tonight (mostly in the second half) was the team effort on the defensive boards. Lamar was heading the effort, but there were few times in the second half that he was alone underneath. Luke, Kobe, Vladi, Sasha and Jordan were crashing the key to get position alongside Lamar. That bolstering of the paint helped almost completely wipe out the second shot chances of the Warriors in the 4th quarter and overtime.

Sasha, overall, is shooting well, but he has really got to settle down from the arc. Making shots is great, but hoisting up a shot early in the clock is doing no good in the long run. He has got to get back to his drives along the baseline that he was doing earlier in the year. At the very least he’s got to put the ball on the floor along the key once in a while to ease pressure off of his shot. Defensively, he has to stop gambling on steals. Once he gets beaten on drives, he reaches for the improbable steal when he should be looking to get into a recovery position to help on the other player rotating onto his man.

Sasha’s 4th quarter help defense on the swing through moves of Davis and Jackson were desperately needed. With the Baron looking to sweep from side to side up high to set up his drive or get space for his jumper, it was really important that the Lakers had someone on him that could take a quick step back or laterally to keep up with him.

So I guess consistency is no longer a problem for Lamar. From the outset the guy was in the groove on the boards. The one board he got away from 2 Warriors underneath, holding it high with one hand then going coast to coast for the 3-point play was fantastic. Even when the rest of the team decided to stop helping on defense and let their man run free into the middle, Lamar was there to contest (with Ronny at his side) the drive. He guy is working harder than anyone on the floor. 7 double-doubles in row, back-to-back 20-20 games, domination of the paint on the defensive end, stepping into shots, taking the drives available to him and standing straight and tall in all circumstances are all impressive.

Like him or not (and if you don’t right now you never will), Odom is playing like a no holds barred stud right now.

The real snag to me in the Lakers’ offensive struggles against the Warriors is why they refuse to run more post plays for Lamar right now. With small teams like this (and with the absolute roll Odom is on) you have got to use him to your advantage in the block. Relegating him to a watchdog on the boards (though he’s done spectacular in that respect) or having him shoot from 10 feet that often is doing nothing but shooting yourself in the foot and out of the game.

Kobe looked like he was running in mud at times. He got stuck on post after post without the ball on the offensive end with limited agility that he usually has. He just didn’t have that cutting power that he normally has. With Kobe being as immobile as he was, its even more imperative that the Lakers get the ball inside to create freer space for Kobe and the perimeter players to move. His shot is being affected by his ankle now as you can see that the lift he gets isn’t quite where it should be.

Despite that, the guy played like a true warrior again. There is nothing that can keep him from being on the floor and that kind of determination got him out from under his hindered movement to put up yet another strong game.

The smartest / most gratifying defense the Lakers played tonight was on broken plays. They closed out on everyone incredibly well, once the Warriors had a play get shut down or altered.

There was still a control issue in this one. Once the ball started running faster by the Warriors, the Lakers started copping out for jumpers on breaks instead of getting to the half court offense they thrive in. Even with the lead the Lakers just weren’t careful enough with the ball or the pace. There should be no reason the Warriors force the Lakers into shooting these one-pass break rhythm shots or the bad passes they had in the 4th.

If I were coaching I would fine every player that shoots a 3 off of one pass, on a break or when there’s tons of clock left. The Warriors have NOBODY – ABSOLUTELY NOBODY inside that should be intimidating the Lakers this way. I can’t believe that I have to write this, but get the ball inside a measly 5 times a quarter, please!

Every single time the Lakers got inside they got a foul called, the shot made or a 3-point opportunity. The 3rd quarter was evidence to that. Patient, though-out ball movement and jabs to the paint got the Lakers the pace they needed. When the Lakers began to not throw a shot up without working the ball in and out things fell into place. The Warriors were scrambled on defense and exposed on the inside.

Make shooters out it on the floor and make slashers shoot or give up the ball. To that end the Lakers have to make Ellis (and speedy guards in general) more of a shooter. Sometimes they push up so close to him it gives him easy runs to anywhere he needs to go. I swear it’s not that hard to do, take 2 steps off of him. If he makes a shot from the space, so be it. It’s not the points, its giving up that many drive and kicks through one player. They did better in the 2nd half containing this, but at times (ala all last game and the first half of this one) the Lakers make this easy type of defensive maneuver look about as hard as taking the SAT in Chinese.

I know it’s hackneyed to read in my rants, but I have to say it - this game brought the 8th (that I can recall right now) buzzer beater against the Lakers. They continue to relax at the end of quarters despite getting burned time and time again. Closing out quarters means playing until the buzzer sounds. This kind of easily contained nonsense is the type of thing that can lose you a series in the playoffs. Not just from the points, but also from the confidence and momentum it gives the other team.

By the way, it’s a zone - a weak in the middle stagnant defense that is seemingly a 20-sided Grand Canyon sized Rubik’s Cube for the Lakers. Stop passing around it and attack it!

WTF Of The Game: A re-jump of a ball because of a “bad toss” and a step into the key on the first free throw called in overtime. Those two calls weren’t just rare; they were flat out preposterous.

Well that was just one complaint laden article for a win, huh? I and we all will take the win, but the Lakers will hopefully be getting healthy soon because the cracks in the armor are starting to show. For now, first place is back where it should be, in the Lakers’ hands and they now have a favorable run of games coming their way.
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"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

BDG · Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:35 pm Post subject:

Damn that was fast! Great writeup!

Huge props to Lamar Odom.
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revgen · Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:28 pm Post subject:

Great Writeup Cruc!! jam2

Yeah, I was having a heart-attack too. I had a nagging feeling the Warriors would turn us into worriers, and they sure did especially with our bigs out.

I was also shocked by the toss and the FT violation. It's like the refs were trying to give the game to the Warriors. I've seen guys step into the lane on the 1st FT many times in many games and never called for it. Usually the refs call it on the 2nd FT.
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BDG · Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:49 pm Post subject:

LAL818 · Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 1703

Again, excellent breakdown crucifido. I missed the game last night, so this was a pleasure to read. Kinda remindes me of when Chick described the game on the radio. Thanks for taking to time to do these write ups man. bow

crucifido · Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:58 pm Post subject:

WOW! I don't know if i can ever be compared that way, but thanks for the compliment G32A! I mean wow, that blows me away. I really appreciate it!! I'm glad to write these rants, and am ecstatic that anyone even reads (let alone) enjoys them.

Unfortunately, there's games like this that are no fun to write about. Man, what a deflating loss.

Lakers vs. Bobcats (Game 72 3/26/08)

There Are No Gimmes

The Warrior games are over, the Lakes are back home, they had a day off and in roll the Bobcats. It’s not time to relax, but it’s a good game to have off of those scorching competitive games with Golden State, or so you’d think.

With the tough back to back with Golden State and having the day off yesterday, the Lakers definitely looked sluggish at the outset. On the other end, that curious lack of inside game again versus a team that has no presence in the paint was there. I know they’re injured in the middle, but the softness inside is coming more from no pop in their step, rather than the obvious short-handed roster.

The story of the game, an all too familiar one – lazy Laker play, giving the Bobcats the lead, the rhythm and the confidence they needed to get over the hump. So the Lakers had to overcome both the lead and a team that had their game kicking on all cylinders thanks to a pitifully played game by the Lakers from the very beginning. Its one thing to play like this on the road during a rough run or in the second of back to back, but there’s no reason the Lakers should be coming out with this kind of non-effort on their home floor after a day off no less.

The Lakers were again letting every Bobcat get far too deep into the teeth of the D before any contest came. By the time any kind of help or obstruction came, the Bobcats were already where they had to be for a high percentage shot.

It wasn’t just the slow to nowhere defensive movement; it was the overall lack of any kind of enthusiasm. The Lakers just waltzed into this game with a slow-witted style that became a good-sized lead for too long.

Between Kobe’s lightning quick rebound between 2 Bobcats and his strong block of Okafor from behind in the 4th Kobe was active. The problem was, the Bobcats were absolutely stifling Kobe as soon as he got the ball anywhere on the floor. As he got buried, the Lakers got more stagnant, making the Lakers easily readable offensively. There wasn’t anyone else stepping up as aggressively as they needed. As that went on you could see Kobe trying to take the brunt of the offensive load, which never benefits the Lakers.

Gotta love Ronny making defense pay for slacking off of him. His defensive tenacity was just as usual – constant and determined. It was another game where Ronny didn’t let any shots around him go without a fight. The telling one was early in the 1st when Dudley went in for a 3-point play. He got the hoop but even with that Ronny was rotating over to help even after the whistle.

His shooting is getting much more solid. In this one he showed no hesitation, as he did against the Warriors when he was on an over-passing binge. In the 2nd half though Ronny’s energy wore down and his fighting for inside position was being thwarted.

Sasha came into the game with that same brand of manic hustle he always has. The diving save of the ball in the 1st was good to see. He kept his feet active even after the shot went up. A lot of times Sasha will stand still once the shot goes up, releasing too early. Tonight though he was running down low as the ball went up.

His energy coming into the game in the 1st quarter (along with Farmar and Luke) really changed the mood of the game. Its good to see that quick footed aggravating brand of defense Sasha got himself known for coming back since the Warriors mini-series. His addiction to the 3 has become telegraphed right now. Again, he has to put the ball into the paint so his shot will ease up.

Spells of late help coming from weak side to middle plagued the Lakers tonight. That slow to react defense has moments where it’s a chronic problem. You expect a little lag in the middle with the majority of Laker big men hurt, but that’s no excuse for why most Lakers simply don’t look to help as much as they should. You’d think with less size in the idle, there would be a concerted effort to move in front of drives, but it’s been the opposite.

Luke was fading off of his man on the arc a bit too early and too much. When the ball would come inside of the 3-point line, Luke (from the weak side) would take about 3 steps into the paint away form his man. Those 3 steps are what have been getting him in trouble. Its good to see him try to help on the inside drives, but he’s putting himself in bad position for the drive and kick. He didn’t get burned on it too badly tonight, but he’s teetering on a dangerous situation.

When he steps away, it obviously lets his assignment much more available, but it also makes recovery to that player too hard. When he rushes out to recover, he rushes so fast trying to make up ground that his man merely has to put the ball on the floor for one dribble to free himself.

But offensively, Luke played tough tonight. He was relentless on the post when he drove into it. His stand up post game is still trying to find its way, but as of right now he’s found a better, more fluid game moving in from the mid-post to get his shot instead of planting himself on the block. It’s just the careless passing that showed up yet again. Luke has great basketball sense on that front and it’s been odd to see him melt down within the passing game like he has.

Jordan had excellent balance in his game. It wasn’t the 3 point-fest he’s been leaning towards lately. He made good decision with the ball on the half break (when a couple of defenders are almost on defense with him) aside from the awful light pass through 3 Bobcats in the 3rd.. Case in point, when he pushed the ball right into the Bobcats in the 2nd quarter. He had a chance to pull up for a jumper and he had pass options on the wing. But he turned down the bad angle passes and pushed the ball into the paint. More drives like that (as Farmar was doing more often earlier this year and the Laker point guard won’t have such trouble finding room for their shot.

The same goes for Derek. He actually had a drive along the baseline tonight to dish to Turiaf. Derek has turned himself into a perimeter player almost exclusively. This game had him shooting a lot of distance jumpers again, but the real success came from Derek putting taking the ball to the rack. Still it wasn’t anything to write home about for Fisher.

Lamar just looked like he had some trouble getting himself going tonight. He had some slow footwork in the paint, letting a lot of drives get by him. There may be some fatigue from the incredible run he’s on right now. In the 3rd quarter his energy picked up a bit but not without a good amount of labored breathing showing.

In that 3rd quarter though as Odom’s game began to rise a bit, the rip of the ball out of Mohammed’s hands and the sweeping steal from behind were outstanding plays from a guy who looked like this game was a big chore to get through. His moves on the inside (though questionable traveling-wise) were surprisingly spry.

Terribly lazy passes from Radmanovic. You cannot just float a ball into the post or expect a light flat pass to get through on a team that has quick hands. In fact, you can’t expect this brand of lethargic passing to really be successful against anyone.

DJ played well tonight. Call me crazy, but I like the guy and what he can bring to a game. He had 2 good defensive plays causing the turnover by simply holding ground strongly.

The bench play was fantastic though. They made a good run in the first half and likewise in the 4th quarter coming in and infusing the game with an energy that was absent with the starters.

And what happened at the end of the 2nd quarter - yet another buzzer beater (from my count #9) going into the half. Closing out quarters is vastly important. The 2nd 12 minutes was another set that finished with a sloppy turnover morphing itself into an uncontested shot from the arc. It has to stop at some point – right?

Well that was a big opportunity blown - a home game against a team under 500 (teams the Lakers have righted the ship against this season) with Phoenix losing in Boston. That along with the win by New Orleans in Cleveland is putting some pressure on the Lakers to keep up with the race for the #1 spot in the West. The injuries are quickly becoming a bigger and bigger chink in the armor as the season winds down. But the strength of character the Lakers have shown in keeping up with the West’s best can’t stop now.

The missing Lakers will come back from injury, but the opportunity to have the best record in the West may not.
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"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

crucifido · Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 11:06 pm Post subject:

Ouch!

Lakers vs. Grizzlies (Game 73 3/28/08)

Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go In The Water

This team is tired.

Not like tired as in boring, but I mean this team is exhausted, pooped, worn out and just plain beat ( no pun intended) right now.

Before I get into anything else, it’s readily apparent that this team is in dire need of an infusion of energy. The multiple games playing woefully short-handed is officially catching up with the Lakers. They held the ship above water for an admirably long time, but right now that ship needs to fix some leaks. That shot of adrenaline that is desperately needed right now can only come from one thing – getting the Laker big men back in the lineup a.s.a.p..

This is not a plea to rush anyone back, or some freak-out article about how everything is falling apart. The Lakers will make the playoffs no matter what. Rather, I need to state the obvious here - the Lakers need to get healthy if they expect to keep up with intensifying West (as if it could get tighter).
Mbenga did an admirable job tonight in the paint. He had a couple spells of keeping Milicic out f the low block with some really strong foot and leg work. However, the mobility of the Grizzlies inside (particularly Milicic and Gay) was putting Mbenga and Ronny into bad situation after bad. There was nothing either of them could do in trying to hold down the paint and keep an eye on the active high post game of the Grizzlies.

As Ronny got more fouls, his mood began to sink. To his credit the guy has done a respectable job playing this long out of position. You could see it while he was on the bench and you could see it in his tentative defense. Mbenga was a different story. For all the talent that he lacks he makes up for it in hustle. He was outmatched at almost every turn in the post, but he kept plugging away, playing fearless defense in an effort to back up the sluggish defense everywhere else. Between the two of them, you could plainly see that they were getting exhausted trying to play under control yet with the energy to match the Grizzlies increasingly confident post game.

Lamar was obviously not feeling well (as his lack of playing time in the second half and his early dismissal from practice today will attest to). So without the rebounding of Odom in the middle, Ronny and DJ truly had a big task at hand. If you look at the point differential in the average of the Grizzlies to what they had tonight, it was plain to see that the majority of it came from Milicic’s 22. If Bynum or Gasol is in there the Lakers could’ve easily held him to his typical game of 5 to 10 points. But without either in there and with Lamar not feeling 100%, the Lakers could do little to keep Darko from doing almost anything he wanted in the block.

As the middle was getting worn out by Gay and Milicic, the perimeter wasn’t much better. That is where the game was seriously lost. The Grizzlies were merely running a set of 2 screens out up top to free up guys, almost in the same succession with the same players, but the Lakers couldn’t figure out how to get around it. Sasha, Jordan, Derek and once in a while Kobe were all getting stuck behind the same series of screens repeatedly. Farmar had the Fisher disease of going under the screen and frequently letting his man or the quick pass off to the shooting guard on either side get easy access to the paint without contest.

One of the guys who was playing defense, and the one guy who looked like one of the few who wanted to play at all was Kobe. (Granted Radmanovic played some decent defense in the first half, having a great recovery play to jump back down towards the baseline for a steal in the 1st) I’ll get to the point thing in a second, but the big thing from Kobe tonight was keeping Miller out of rhythm. There was never a time with Kobe on him that Miller got a free look. In fact, I could only count 3 times that Miller even got mildly free to get a shot off. To that end the perimeter defense was working well. The problem was that it was only coming from one guy.

I don’t think this team is naturally deficient at the perimeter defense, but again, the tired factor looked like it played heavily in the lackluster effort that was put out there tonight.

Scoring-wise it was a great performance from Kobe. The only hitch there – nobody else wanted to play along. Before any critic gets into some irrelevant ball hog rant, there were countless times this game that Kobe used himself as a decoy, passing the ball off to various people for good looks at the hoop. That one pass through 3 Grizzlies in the paint to Radmanovic was incredible to see live. The passes were there, he was trying to get the others fired up, but the all too familiar smell to Laker fans of a team that looked like they were almost scared to step up reared its nasty little head.

So the Lakers went back to the Kobe doing everything style of play that got them a nice little exit in the first round the past couple of years. Of all teams hat know about how that style of ball doesn’t win, you’d hope these guys did. It made the Laker offense incredibly easy to read. The Grizzlies just began to swarm Kobe in the 3rd quarter, forcing someone else to get it going. Alas, nobody else really ever did.

Kobe being Kobe took it upon himself to try and get the game in hand, but it was just too easy for the Grizzlies to defend and by that time, they had worn out the Laker interior defense to a shell of what it could be. So Kobe goes down, hits a shot, the Grizzlies come back and hit theirs. They exchange basket back and forth and to not so big of a surprise the Lakers fall with Kobe posting 53.

The 53 is great, but Kobe, the Lakers, the coaching staff and us fans know that won’t win games – even versus teams like the lowly 18 (now 19) win Grizzlies.

When you looked at the scoreboard at the half and saw Kobe with 34 and nobody else was above 6, the trouble wasn’t too tough to see coming.

I still thought that the Lakers were under using Lamar on the offensive end. The guy still had a presence in the middle and could’ve been at least given the ball to initiate the offense from the post more than never. I don’t understand why Lamar doesn’t get plays called for him in the mid-post. Even being sick, the guy has moves over the likes of the Grizzlies. But, Lamar was hampered by illness and held back by a sheer lack of drive that he obviously has plenty of to give. It’s hard to blame Lamar for anything tonight really.

As far as Sasha goes, I appreciate persistent shooter trying to shoot themselves out of a slump, but seriously, if the shot isn’t falling then get an easy bucket or two, to get yourself going. The one pass offense ending up in a predictable 3 wasn’t working. Why the Lakers insisted on continuing with it I won’t know. They had no inside presence established on offense and for some reason thought that shooting an absurd amount of threes when they weren’t falling would ease up the inside. The problem was that when the inside did get eased up there were no cutters or dives to take advantage of it.

All Sasha had to was put the ball on the floor once or twice. He’s gotten away from the jab dribbles he was doing earlier in the year and that’s done nothing but brought more pressure to his shooting.

It took until the 4th quarter but it was good to see Luke fighting to get inside. The elusive zone defense stumped the Lakers yet again. It put them in this endless loop of perimeter passing that got nowhere, but Luke did real well in pushing the ball into the middle to collapse the weakest defensive scheme in the world. He was taking the ball to the hoop with authority and got to the line every time he did so. Why that lead wasn’t followed, why the Lakers then went back to the long distance jumper I don’t know.

Luke had a bit of a breakout game on offense because of his work though. He got back ot starting his offense in the high post and kept an eye out for passes that are always there (ala the pass to Ronny for the jam in the 4th).

Just a couple quick points and I’m done:

The Lakers were running away from offensive boards in a feeble effort to get back on D. They needed to improve the transition for sure, but they also might want to not send everyone back as the shot is still in mid-air.
2 keys to the Lakers downfall late in the game:

Missing in 3 attempts to get a bucket when they were back 109-106. The rebounding was tough but every shot was rushed and came from – again – the outside when there was an inside player in good position every time.

No 2-for1 with 37.7 seconds on the clock back by 2. The Lakers instead ran the clock down to 16.6 getting, what else, a 3 out of it. The whole game they were shooting too early in the clock and out of rhythm, but the one time they needed to shoot quickly, they didn’t. Because of that, they went down by 4 and were taken out of the game.

Fouling at the 3 point line is a new craze lately. The Lakers are late in rotating or seeing the move to the open shot, they rush in swiping and get called for the foul. That’s completely unnecessary.

No screen communication on defense. It looked like everyone was surprised b y the screens they ran into. There wasn’t a word said as to where it coming from. The communication in general was poor at best.

Alright, that’s enough of that. The Lakers lost their 3rd home game in a row at a time of the year when every game versus easy opponents is a godsend. They’ve successfully broken down the cushy little home stand they had. Again, I know it’s not on purpose, but injuries or no, these are teams they should beat – no excuses.

The brightest spot to the game - the return of Mihm. Hopefully this will begin the parade of Lakers back to action and the Lakers back to the team we and they know they can and will be.
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crucifido · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:24 pm Post subject:

The Lakers almost gave it away but it was great to see a return to a little tenacity at home.

Lakers vs. Wizards (Game 74 3/30/08)

Getting Back On Track At Home

It’s been 3 straight home losses, something you don’t want to see any time, but at this time of the year it’s particularly tough to watch. Nonetheless, the Lakers got out on the court tonight against the Wizards looking to change things back to the wining way.

There was a much better start, simply for the fact that the Lakers set up the offense from the inside out in the 1st quarter. The first 3 possessions saw the Lakers pass it into the post, drive into the paint or work it from the outside to the high post for much more stable shot chances. The 3-point shot is fine (in moderation) when it comes off of working the ball in and out instead of solely around the perimeter.

To that end, Jordan played much better. He was getting the ball into the paint on jab dribbles and downright drives. Taking himself off of the 3-point line exclusively, Farmar made the Wizards run with him instead of being able to stand with him. When Farmar uses his speed like he did in this one, it makes the Lakers ability to move off the ball (and yea they can do this pretty dang well when they want to) get used to its full advantage.

That good start off the inside out game though dwindled into a long jumper game in the 3rd quarter, allowing the Wizards to eliminate what should’ve been a game winning lead (17) going into the 4th. Why the Lakers go away from what’s working sometimes is a mystery.

Quicker contribution from sources other than Kobe didn’t hurt either. Everyone was looking much more solid in their footing and their form on shots. It looked like after the absurdly unbalanced scoring of the Grizzlies game that maybe this team got a talking to about stepping up sooner rather than later.

The sequence of ball movement at the 7.30 mark of the 2nd (Kobe to Ronny to Luke to Sasha for 3) was beautiful. That kind of moving the ball around is what was sorely lacking in the last two games. The one-pass-then-shoot offense took a backseat for the majority of the game, which is always a good thing.

That was some periodic sloppy ball handling the low block tonight. Lamar was mostly guilty of it. When he got into the low post he was head down dribbling or taking his dribble way too high, both losing control easy and allowing for easy swipes at the ball. When Lamar stayed low with the ball and rose up with that towering left hand, he had great success against Haywood (as he should any day of the week). Lamar did a good job making a concerted effort to get himself established inside much earlier and much more than he has the last 2 games.

Lamar has mastered the solid hands-up defense. Its great to see him stand his ground, keeping on the balls of his feet and being able to pivot with his man or jump out on him for the distraction / block. He did real well against Jamison in the post tonight. Lamar gave no room for Jamison to get to his comfort zone.

Derek did O.K. tonight. It was nothing special but he did get the ball in the paint here and there along with hitting some pretty smooth shots throughout the game. The foot has got to be bothering him, but even having Derek and his composure on the floor hurt is a bonus.

Luke has done much better since pulling his offense out of the traffic-laden posts. Tonight he had some real good runs from the perimeter into the high post with a teardrop shot (as in the 2nd quarter) or with a pass to the outside. That kind of motion game with Luke will get him right back where he should be much quicker than the forced post game he was trying to throw down in spots this year. Defensively he did alright diving down after his man to help with the board or the pass off. He let his man get around him often, as Luke’s lateral speed is usually a bit slow, but he made up for it by coming down to the level of the ball to help out. His hustle on defense more than made up for his lack of agility.

The best element to Luke’s game was the return of some his strength coming from his legs. You could see from his shooting that his lift came back to him somewhat.

Before the rebound in overtime and far, far before this was by a long shot Luke’s best game of the season.

Porous defense by the Wizards tonight, but Kobe did great in recognizing it early and pushing it into them. There was no hesitancy in Kobe’s game. After the one-man show he had to put on last night, you could see Kobe stepping back both from a better contribution from the team and just in general.

Kobe had some serious trouble getting his floaters to fall tonight. Everything was coming off short-armed on his drives. The balance was better in his game tonight, but that was mostly from the rest of the team stepping up. Not much else to say besides Kobe showed great control in a game where he was getting murdered on the inside. I’m never one to blame refs, but some of the no-calls on Kobe were simply unbelievable.

Radmanovic’s shot as falling, mostly from the inside out work of everyone else. He got to his spots well, which is why he gets so many shots. However, again, he has got to get to the inside or at least take a step or two in off of a fake when he’s contested if nothing else to just mix up his game. It’s too easy to defend a player that is only doing one thing an entire game. Yes, I know he shot more consistently than he did in the last couple, but him, Fisher and Sasha have all got to be very aware of getting the ball away from the 3-point line too.

After Stephenson was hot in the 1st quarter, you could see that he could become a problem sitting at home. I know the players can tell he’s on fire, so you would think the Lakers would come out focused on him defensively. But, going into the 3rd, Stephenson was still on fire and getting increasingly less defense thrown his way. The Lakers have got to get out on shooters regardless of being hot or cold. They can’t continue to let streaky shooters stay in rhythm without trying to force a change in their game.

The Lakers shouldn’t have to put Kobe on him (or get burned for 20+) when all that was needed was a simple hand in his face more than once every other shot. The eternal lesson for the Lakers this year: make shooters slashers and vice versa.

Surprise, surprise, Mbenga was stupendous tonight. He bailed the Lakers out 3 times with some real nice soft shots off the glass and off of a gorgeous cut. He was responsible for getting the Lakers back up to speed in the 4th when they looked like they were lagging again. Whether he has the most talent in the world isn’t important really. The thing with DJ is that he gives 100% on the floor whenever he’s out there and you can’t dislike that.

Despite the refs holding Ronny back a bit by calling some curiously close fouls on blocks, he played with a bit more energy tonight. Like I said last time, the team still shows some signs of being a bit worn out, but in spurts the energy they had a while ago came out. Ronny was the catalyst for that energy yet again. His active defense was much needed on drives. The offense was in gear due to Ronny’s activity on cuts and dives. The big dunk in the 3rd quarter is a testament to the activity off the ball that Ronny had in this one.

Ronny’s persistency on the defensive end was impressive, as there was no shot around Ronny that didn’t get his full attention.

About this tipping the ball on boards. If you can’t get to it and you have to tip to gain control of the ball, that’s fine. However, there were a couple times in this game (and in others) that the ball can be gotten with 2 hands, yet the Lakers choose to tip it. If you can get it with 2 hands and get firm control of the ball, the tip shouldn’t happen.

So the 3 game home skid is over, the Lakers are ½ game up on the Suns for the Pacific title, Mihm is back, Bynum is to be on the road trip and Pau is coming along quickly. Things are looking up for the Lakers and it couldn’t come any sooner.
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crucifido · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:01 pm Post subject:

Am I going nuts or are the Lakers finally getting healthy again? Alright so 2 more back and 2 more to go.

Lakers vs. Blazers (Game 75 4/2/08)

The Return Of Gasol… And None Too Soon

Finally, the Lakers are coming back into form with Gasol being the second to come back from the injury bug. With that comes the beginning of the adjustment period back to full strength.

One adjustment showed early. Everyone began to take the ball inside even without involving Pau in plays heavily. Kobe, Derek, Lamar and others were getting the ball into the paint early in the clock, testing the Blazers defense and getting them back on their heels far more than they had against anyone else recently. A result of that was the Lakers being in the bonus with 5 minutes left in the 1st. The key following that is how much they took advantage of that by continuing to pound the ball inside.

They took real good advantage of it, getting to the line 3 times and taking it inside a total of 6 times in that 5 minutes. The coaching staff (and a good most fans) have been begging for that kind of inside push once you’ve gotten the other team in foul trouble for a while now.

It wasn’t just the 1st half or quarter either. Once the Lakers got their rhythm back with the inside outside game, they didn’t stop. In fact, they got more aggressive with it as the second half got going. The crazy amount of 3’s they were shooting gleefully gave way to a much more in pace, triangle style of ball movement that got the Lakers looking like the Lakers again.

His presence alone was good to see, but Gasol still gave the Lakers that smooth style of offense he’s known for. He set up a real nice soft left handed shot from the low block in the first and kept going, hitting the soft jumper from the free throw line the second. You can’t expect a blow-up kind of game from him right now, but seeing him run the transition from defense to offense like he did tonight had to put a smile on your face.

Pau’s activity in the 2nd half was much improved. It looked like the ankle was gaining strength rather quickly as the game wore on. There was much more aggressiveness on defensive (and a couple offensive) rebounds and his flash defense to the top of the key was really mobile.

The defensive end saw him getting beat a bit by Aldridge. But that kind of activity that Aldridge has in games will be rough for Gasol to keep up with until his feet and legs get back under him.

Loved seeing Derek taking the ball off the curl to a shorter-range floater in the 1st. He didn’t settle for the 3 like he had been for a while now. Just simple plays like that running inside the arc even a couple steps will ease the pressure off the outside game. Defensively though he was anticipating drives by Blake, often leaving him ridiculously open at the top of the perimeter. He was trying to second guess Blake’s moves off of a screen and got caught way far out of range too many times.

Kobe had great effort on the boards tonight. The Blazers are a tall long team and give the Lakers fits on the boards. Seeing Kobe get after those boards like he did early on was a good pace-setting kind of move. He was relentless on the defensive rebounds, getting fantastic position early and holding it down with great leg strength.

Offensively Kobe was on the attack and it helped out big time. It set up easier outside shots and really got the Blazers into scramble mode early on in the game instead of letting them settle into a man-to-man easy perimeter D.

Kobe also played quality defense on Outlaw and Aldridge. The couple of shots Outlaw and Aldridge did get off were quickly shut down by Kobe staying chest to chest with him everywhere he went on the court. He gave no room for either to move along the baseline from weak to strong or otherwise. The roving style of defense he played the entire game that was amazing to watch. Kobe was pretty much everywhere the ball was going while keeping within reaching distance of his assignment or the play at all times. Not having to run from inside to outside to help on both fronts added a ton of energy to Kobe’s defensive presence.

It was tough for Lamar to get inside like he can against the trees of the Blazers. There wasn’t as much fight in Odom’s footwork on the inside, but that may be because of the lack of room there is with Aldridge and Pryzbilla in the middle with him. You could also see a little confusion in Lamar on the offensive end. With Pau in the game, it certainly takes up more space in the middle. That looked like it pushed Lamar out of the deep positions he was getting. What Lamar did do with that size in the middle though is use it real well as a decoy for his drive, having one real strong drive in the 2nd quarter with the Blazers frozen watching Pau. Once Pau stepped out, things opened up for Lamar and you saw him get back to the hard play on the inside he had in that amazing 10 game run of his.

It’s a balance of space that’s going to need a couple games to work out. Add Bynum into the mix and they have to work that out again. Having 3 talented big men that like to play second fiddle off of Kobe – that’s a good problem to have.

Odom (and to some degree Ronny) is the one with the biggest adjustment to make with the Laker big men getting back on the court. The great run he had is bound to slow down with more traffic in the middle, but its up to Lamar to really make a concerted effort to find his space on the floor as the Lakers get healthy again.

Much, much better play from Farmar tonight. He had a couple real good runs, leaving Blake in the dust to take the ball to the rack instead of constantly spotting up for 3. Because of that, voila, his game got back to what it should be all the time. The put-back off of his own missed floater in the 4th was a beautiful example of the space his quick inside drive gives him room to do.

The help and recovery defense took a serious turn for the better in the 2nd half. Kobe was at the forefront of it, but Lamar had some real nice sweeps from weak to strong on defense to block or contest the shots that were going up easy for the Blazers in the 1st half. That improvement also ran the Blazers off of the 3-point shot, pushing them into the teeth of the defense.

There were still a few help and fade plays. At its best, those plays are good to see someone coming out to help on the perimeter, but you can’t flash at them and leave. You either have to stick with them until your teammate can recover or don’t run out to them at all. Its been done a lot this year, making the Laker perimeter defense more confused than they are otherwise at times.

The assists were good tonight, but the passes were there in other games too. What the difference was tonight was the ability to play inside and outside. There was no way for the Blazer defense to settle in on the arc and just dare the Lakers to make 3’s all night. They had to go deep in the paint, come out and recover and with the ball movement the Lakers threw out there in this one, there was no keeping up for the Blazers.

WTF Of The Game: Kobe’s left-handed baseline fall away in the 1st – what was that?! Right when you think you’ve seen every shot in his arsenal. That shot and the tap rebound / pass to Farmar for the jumper and the wrap-around pass to Gasol both in the 4th were astounding plays to see from this re-energized version of Kobe.

Well like I mentioned the balance of space on the court is going to take some work to figure out. The Lakers will have to get their shooters room on the outside while finding room to breathe for the frontcourt in the game together. Its not an immediate thing to iron out, but I can’t imagine that it will be anything but positive once it is worked out and the Lakers get rolling at the right time of year once again.
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revgen · Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:01 pm Post subject:

Great Writeup Cruc.

Just getting Pau back got us back into an inside-out game again. Jordan was driving, and Kobe was driving to the bucket to. His presence on the court is hard to describe in words or with stats, but you can see it just watching the games.
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crucifido · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject:

Thanks revgen, yeah having Pau back had an immediate impact on everyone. i can only imagine what it'll be like when Bynum and Ariza come back too. This team could be really tough to handle.

Another day, another win and the Lakers keep pace in the wacky West.

Lakers vs. Kings (Game 77 4/6/08)

Revenge in Sacramento

The Kings took the last one in painful fashion in L.A.. Now the Lakers go up to Sacramento after their impressive team victory against the Mavericks to even the score and gain a game on the Suns.

And they did just that with some strong team play - - again.

Picking up right where he left off, Lamar was instantly aggressive getting to the middle. His dives into the paint with and without the ball were assertive and well timed. His timing on his interior passes in particular was right on the mark. It started in the Dallas game with some real nice wrap around dishes and inside passes to Pau for easy passes and on the first break of the game the same strong passing was there yet again. Lamar’s offense has become very strong since the addition of Pau. A couple real strong drives into the lane tonight show just how much Odom’s game and mindset have changed.

He’s made himself become the force that he should be.

Odom’s defense on Artest was strong and physical. From the beginning of the game, Lamar did well in not letting Artest get any kind of easy position on the block.

The real player of the game though was Vladi. It was a much livelier game from Radmanovic (understatement of the night). Starting on the defensive end, he was dug in more. His body was crouched down and his eyes were focused on his assignment instead of being too far off his man as with Dallas. Even more important Vladi hit his first shot from 3. Being the rhythm shooter he is, hitting that first shot can have a big impact on the rest of his game. Vladi works from offense first as a spark to his game. A testament to that was the tough 3-point shot he drained at the end of the 1st quarter.

That shooting rhythm definitely fired up the rest of his game. His hands on defense were unusually quick. His spacing on defense is what got him as involved as he was. He used the space between his man and the ball to his advantage. He wasn’t leaning one way or the other; rather he kept on the balls of his feet ready to move with his man on a cut or to a slow pass.

He was active underneath the boards too. On both the offensive and defensive ends, he was moving well from the outside of the key into the deep paint for the tap or to create space for others underneath. It was just a stellar game from Vladi. He truly looked like he wanted to perform better than he did in Dallas and that determination showed.

Soft finishes by Pau were getting swiped or too easily challenged tonight. When he had the ball underneath he would’ve been far better served finishing with strength instead of laying it in. What Gasol did real well tonight though was not getting caught up in what wasn’t working offensively. His shots were soft inside so he stepped out to the mid-range. Once that shot went away you saw Pau start diving into the middle to act as a passing pivot and then running the floor when he had the chance with the speed of the guard. Having a player that has the versatility and mental capability to change his game according to what will work is a rare commodity.

Like Stu said in this game though, Gasol has got to start getting the re-post pass with better position. The reason he has to kick it back out is because of his over-high position. When that ball goes out, he has to take a couple steps deeper to get a better look.

For the time Newble was in the game he played some really physical defense. When he had Artest to guard he was particularly strong in his footing. That’s where his strength comes from, his lower body. He does a good job of holding position without fouling. The problem with Newble is that offensively, he isn’t accustomed to where he needs to be at all.

Quietly, Kobe put up the numbers yet again. The big factor in Kobe’s game tonight was the control he played with. His creativity with the ball was at a high tonight, often getting out of double teams only to find a clear shot or making a drive and kick pass to Vladi, Derek or anyone that got to their spot. Defensively he was in the same scramble mode he has been in the last 2 games. He was pretty much everywhere, on his man, covering guys losing their man and getting underneath to make space for Radmanovic or Lamar to grab the board.

There was one instance of great transition defense from Radmanovic and Farmar in the 2nd quarter. They both hustled back and stopped the ball first instead of anticipating a pass. That kind of aware transition defense is going to be needed against more than just the Kings.

Things like having Artest with 3 fouls in the 2nd period are key to games. At that point with 4 minutes left, you’d like to see the Lakers take the ball right into him, forcing him to either play soft defense or pick up his 4th foul before the half.

I also would like to see the Lakers exploit the hot hand a bit more than they did tonight. They had Radmanovic getting on a roll, but in the midst of that they stopped running plays for the drive and kick for a good 6 minutes of the 1st half. They have to make sure to drain guys that are in rhythm like Vladi was. That can’t go to waste in playoff situations.

That scorching start to the 3rd quarter was fantastic to see. The fluidity within the offense was suddenly in gear. Even better there was a team effort to get to guys on the perimeter. Only a couple shots even got off from the perimeter at all. The shots were being chased in from the 3-point line and right into the teeth of the Laker D. Second half starts like that go a long way to establishing the game to your pace.

The 4th quarter though had the bench giving up a sizeable lead. The bench has got to know, and they do, that the offense runs from working the ball around, using the inside out game and moving off the ball. Early shots in the clock and shooting those off of one pass into the offense won’t do anything but give up the lead like they did. That focus they have in the meat of a tight game has to transfer to a comfortable lead kind of game too. It’s vital in the playoffs that the bench stays with the offense and doesn’t use a lead as an excuse to start a freewheeling style. Control and concentration is the name of the game at all times.

Organized hustle defense was the order of the day. Last time they played the Kings they allowed 72 points in the 1st half. At 2.39 left in the game the Kings were sitting on 88. That should tell you that the defensive focus (after the 1st quarter) came back. The ragtag defense of the 1st quarter gave way to a team that was far more communicative on the perimeter. The recovery on drives was right where it had to be too.

When it was over, the Lakers cleaned up the tiny mess in the 4th and took advantage of the loss by Phoenix. With a 2 game lead in the Pacific, the Lakers can’t relax. They have to go into Portland where they haven’t been too` successful and pull out another win to gain ground on the Spurs, Hornets and Suns, but more than that to get the team running on all cylinders come playoff time.
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Kobe Bryant 8 · CL's Voice of Reason Joined: 16 Dec 2004 Posts: 11993

"For the time Newble was in the game he played some really physical defense. When he had Artest to guard he was particularly strong in his footing. That’s where his strength comes from, his lower body. He does a good job of holding position without fouling. The problem with Newble is that offensively, he isn’t accustomed to where he needs to be at all. "

I agree fully. He's not here for offense at all; he can guard combo forwards and he does it fine. I love that signing after watching tonight.
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crucifido · Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 11:06 pm Post subject:

Its a quality signing from the get go.

The guy plays some seriously tough defense and is the kind of back-up small forward the Lakers can use to stem the tide while Luke and Trevor recover.
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mapabu1 · Joined: 02 Jul 2007 Posts: 2295

Nice read

crucifido · Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:43 pm Post subject:

Dammit

Lakers vs. Blazers (Game 78 4/8/08)

The Journey To The Dreaded Rose Garden

It hasn’t been a kind or fun place for the Lakers for the last 3 years, but maybe things would change this time. Maybe the Lakers could finally dredge a win out of the Rose Garden and close in on the Hornets for that #1 spot.

Or maybe not.

Pau’s mobility is an asset that gets overlooked too much. Starting early in the 1st half, Gasol was looking to fill the lane on every break that he had room to do so. The mobility he showed (again) tonight is just a small piece of the overall awareness that Gasol plays and played with. Offensively Pau did a bit of everything. Most notably his work on the offensive boards was real good.