Crucifido's Corner (By Request)

crucifido · Posted: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:56 pm Post subject:

Thanks puffy. man its tough not to get pumped up about this team right now. All of this without Bynum and Ariza. When they come back the sky is truly the limit.

Lakers vs. Spurs (Game 81 4/13/08)

One Closer To The Best in The West

So the battle for #1, 2 or 3 comes down to this, the last 2 games of the year. And this one for the Spurs was a big one. With the Spurs coming in hurt, you had to be wary of the wounded animal effect the Lakers have such a tough time dealing with. After the emotional win against the Hornets two nights ago, the Lakers had to dig deep to find the energy to match their performance versus New Orleans. There was a lot to be concerned about, but there was/is a lot to be confident about too.

That confidence took a bit to show itself, but come the 2nd half, the Lakers got their feet under them and showed why they have to be mentioned amongst the powers elite in the NBA.

Gasol played well in the high post, pulling Duncan out of the paint to open up room for dives and cuts. A couple times Gasol used that space for himself even, running off the ball to get a pass for an easy score. Pau’s defense on Duncan, often playing one on one was really good. Not being the strongest post guy, its great to see Gasol old his own against the NBA’s best power forward. He kept his feet set, using side steps to keep up with Duncan’s turn to the middle or drop step to the baseline. Great footwork and smart use of his length in the post let Pau play some exceptional defense on Duncan.

His steal in the 1st quarter on the inbounds for the breakaway dunk was great to see. He was seriously active on defense today, which is always a huge help to have your big man be so aware. Pau’s rebounding position was also strong. He got under the basket in front of the big man the Spurs sent down, almost every time. The thing was that when he did get in front of them, he secured the board with two hands and made good pass decision to start the offensive run.

For all the worry of Odom being consistent, it turns out that the real sting of inconsistency is coming from Radmanovic. He’s got to start hitting his shot. There’s good passes to him, he’s moving well off the ball to get open, but he just needs to knock them down.

Kobe looked out of the double teams well for the cut. Taking advantage of those early double teams in defensive sets was key in getting the rest of the team going offensively and forcing them to stay foot active off the ball. With that said, Kobe would’ve been well served to wait to start his drives. If he holds up on the post with the ball for 2 more seconds, the Spurs would’ve sent the extra defender; opening up the passing angle Kobe was so good at exploiting.

But really, it wasn’t a giant hindrance to his game. The team was moving so well off the ball that Kobe made perfect use of his ability to make an entire team collapse on him.

Nothing much more to say but Kobe’s leadership and game today was just another piece of evidence as to why the guy is the NBA’s MVP this season.

Not enough can be said of Odom’s all around game since Gasol’s arrival. Offensively he was everywhere everyone else wasn’t or failed to get to. He filled in every open spot underneath the boards for rebounds or cuts and looked to get into the mix every time in the paint too. His aggressiveness on the drive was a little suspect, but he did well in making up for it by activity off the ball. The guy was working hard on every possession. Defensively, Lamar was running at Finley and shooters too much, when he could be running up to them and simply outing his arms up. When he ran at players, they were simply taking one dribble and getting themselves open for the mid-range jumper.

I loved seeing Lamar take it into Thomas’s chest. When he saw Thomas on him he forced him to use his feet to defend rather than play into his strength, lower body position and height. Pushing Thomas out in favor of a offensively deficient Oberto was key to the Lakers’ offensive success.

Lamar played that watchdog role to a T today. He was the utility guy all over the court, creating space from his constant movement.

There was a ton of work from Derek today, from playing strong offense to hustling for loose balls; Fisher looked 5 years younger today with his footwork on the court. Most impressive was Derek playing back to a point guard role today. There were some nice passes (including the laser to Gasol in the paint in the 3rd) coming form him today. His balance between shooting and passing was much better than it has been since January.

You had to love seeing Derek take it right into Parker on a lot of possessions. There was no settling for distance shots every time. He had plenty of plays finally using the jab dribble to get him that little bit of space he needs to get a better shot.

The bench:
Ronny – Fantastic on help rotations and rebounding in traffic with elbows out making space for himself and others to break out for the pass. Good, hard, work / typical game from the Lakers’ workhorse. When he continues to hit that 12 / 13 foot jumper from the elbows, Ronny can suddenly become a tough player to match up against.

Luke – Not much in the way of the box score, but really good strong post work on loose balls and rebounds. If it was within 5 feet of his reach, Luke wasn’t giving up on anything. The guy was Rambis 2K8 today.

Sasha - Real good hustle all over the offensive end today. His work getting the ball underneath on passes or on tips, passing it off, then running to his spot is getting better with every subsequent game.

Jordan – He turned corners real well today. Once he got the step around his man, he used a good burst of speed to get up and under. Backing off the 3’s is a big part of Farmar’s eventual success in any game.

The Lakers had some sets of quality patience. They get the board, but don’t take contested shots. They would cycle it back out and reset the offense when there was traffic underneath. That kind of composure will be huge come the playoffs.

That was a really good defensive adjustment from the 1st to 2nd half. I mean these guys showed that the potential to play focused defense is there, its just a matter of digging deep to get after it.

In case the Lakers see the Spurs in the playoffs, it may help for them to remember a couple points:

Leaving the corners open on the Spurs is a dangerous game to play. The Lakers were looking like they were hoping that someone could run out to the corner or rotate close enough to push the shot in from the 3. The problem was you can’t operate on the corners like that. The spacing has got to be better from the paint to make help on the corners quicker and to close out the easy pass to that spot. (It got better in the 2nd half, but the Lakers can’t let the Spurs get rhythm from their peripheral scorers – Bowen, Bonner, etc.)

Defending Parker halfway, as in running with him then fading off when he pulls up for the shot won’t work. You have to play physical with Parker. The Lakers were allowing him way too much room early. We all know that giving pace to the other team early on is a recipe for disaster for the Lakers (and for most other teams as well). If the Lakers would back off the quick double on Duncan and use the same extra defender to help on the drive they’d be much stronger against Parker’s speed. (This point was illustrated perfectly in the 3rd quarter with Gasol on Duncan actually)

Still with Parker, you can’t allow him to get the rebound at all, let alone off of his won shot. He’s the smallest guy on the court (and granted the quickest), but there’s no reason someone can’t take one step towards him to shut him out of grabbing the board. Offensive boards and Tony parker should never mix with the kind of hops and height the Lakers have.

Points off turnovers was plaguing the Lakers today. They had some real good sets on defense, leading to breaks but they couldn’t seem to get it into the hoop. A lot of it came from poor ball handling or not looking the ball into their hands before they made a move to pass or shoot.

The win’s in the books and there’s only one more win to grab to claim the top spot in the extremely competitive West. As of right now, the Lakers get some space and creep one game closer to the #1 spot. The best part is that today’s game was won via some quality team play on both ends behind the Lakers veteran leaders. That’s how championship teams tick.
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"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

crucifido · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:22 pm Post subject:

Pacific Division Champs, Western Conference's best record for #1 in the West - two more titles to go...

Lakers vs. Kings (Game 82 4/15/08)

The Los Angeles Lakers: To Be Continued…

If you predicted this in the beginning of the season after the crazy summer the Lakers went through, you would’ve been laughed at. There isn’t anyone in the basketball world, fan, analyst, player, coach or otherwise that would’ve believed that the Lakers could finish as the #1 seed in one of the tightest Western Conference races ever. The injuries, the duress, the unexpected teams coming up and performing huge – all of them would normally be a big deterrent to a team coming onto the court ready to take the home court throughout the Western playoffs.

This year’s edition of the Lakers took it as a challenge.

They took the tumultuous summer / season starting with Kobe’s issues and then finishing with Bynum’s terrible injury midway through the year as a chance to step up and show the fans, the league and most importantly themselves that they should be counted amongst the best teams in the league right now. Not in a couple years, not after this or that player gets healthy – but right this minute.

As a fan of the Lakers, whether you were a believer or a “doom-and-gloomer”, you have got to be impressed with what certainly is one of the more personally enjoyable Laker teams to watch in a long, long time.

All that being said this is but one step in the long road to the success that the Lakers set out to achieve. This remarkable #1 seed isn’t something to be swept aside, but it also isn’t the be all end all of the Lakers goals. The ultimate goal is still a long way away.

As you watch the Lakers this season, you have to know deep down (or on the surface) that overall this team looks to be mentally ready for the test.

So, another regular season comes to a close, with a game that was rickety and jagged from end to end.

The Lakers ran into this one looking more than ready to play. The first 2 plays being an inside jab from Lamar getting back to him after a great cut by Kobe and the other, a post for Gasol. There was no messing around. Their steps were assured and they had the look of the determined team we all wanted to see in this game.

What was disappointing to see early in the game was the Lakers running a bit too manic with the Kings. The Kings have nothing to lose and played accordingly, having a ton of sets where they looked out of control. The Lakers played into that a bit, as their loss of their 8-point lead off the bat will attest to. The 2 fouls on Lamar and Kobe in the 1st quarter also show that the Lakers were a bit too crazed in their drive to get after the loose ball.

All in all the beginning of this game was just annoying to watch. The Kings, looking more like a summer league team drew the Lakers into a chaotic game, when the Lakers could have easily paced the game. It comes down to that pacing thing again. Its so important to every team to come out looking to control the flow of the game, but for the triangle to run to its max efficiency, it has to be done methodically. Control is the name of the game for the Lakers, no matter how the other team wants to play.

The Lakers eventually gained that control, but they have to come into every game with it, not look to develop it over the course of a game.

You get the feeling that the defensive results they got in the Spurs game, even though they were Ginboli-less, had a profound effect on this team’s mentality. The might have just learned that they can not only talk about the kind of defense they need to play for a long playoff run, they can actually walk the walk as well. They have to get it in their heads to hold teams further away from 30 than they did tonight. Allowing 27 to teams in the 1st`quarter can’t happen against the stronger teams.

Another 4-point play was allowed in the 1st from Lamar running out to Garcia on the side 3 shot. The Lakers have got to be very careful on their approach to close out those shots. They gave 2 of the same fouls up versus the Spurs and they have a habit of over-running out to range shooters.

Defensively though Lamar did great filling the lane on breaks and swings to the middle. He had his hands up at the perfect time in plays and didn’t give up ground in the entire paint. He made the Kings look to where he was before they went up for shots around his area. Has anyone noticed that the whole consistency issue with Lamar has completely disappeared? The guy is bringing the hustle every night.

Pau works out of the post so well at times. His offense leading into his shot was on the money as usual, but his passing to mismatches behind him or off the run was perfect too. The drop pass to Luke behind him in the 1st quarter was just one example of how much proficiency Pau played with on the block. Pau does have to learn that when he has a mismatch in the post to completely abuse it. It is good to see your center run the floor as willingly and as strongly as Pau runs. There is rarely a break that Pau doesn’t make a concerted effort to fill the lane or at least get past ¾ court to be there for a high post pass option.

It’s not the worst habit in the world, but Ronny needs to not pass the ball off out of good scoring position. He’s been getting real good deep position on breaks and off cuts in the half court. He needs to use the same strength he shows on the weak side shot blocks to take the ball up in traffic to draw the foul. The Horace Grant style jumper he's developed is going to come in real handy in the playoffs. Lastly, to nobody’s surprise, Ronny’s hustle was exemplary tonight. He was running back to defense in transition beautifully.

Luke’s movement off the ball was good tonight. His off ball game has come back into form and it helps the Lakers more than most notice. There was a bit too much offense coming from the low post from Luke. He can operate in the low block, but setting it up for passes works better than forcing contested shots up. When Luke uses the post as a jump off point for hustle or play initiation, he seriously makes an impact in the game. He looked like a new-fangled Rambis again tonight on a couple plays in the 2nd quarter. He’s developing some relentless hustle from the free throw line down to the baseline in the middle.

The missed 3 by Radmanovic wasn’t good but it was great to see what Vladi did after the shot. He didn’t plant himself on the 3-point line, he saw Lamar get the strong board, and then ran into the empty space to get the pass for the jam. That kind of foot movement from Vladi is essential; to him getting defense to back off of his shot. Radmanovic has a tendency to stand still off of misses or release back to defense too early. Tonight, he was active off the ball on both ends, and that is beyond important for him, especially if his 3’s aren’t going to fall.

That steal and dunk at the end of the 3rd was the kind of fire you need from him to get the entire starting 5 playing with the passion they need to win 16 more.

Kobe was subdued, but that’s alright. It was a good game to tune up the bench and let the starters get a big rest in the 4th quarter. Kobe did what he does, but it was in rhythm and with an eye to the playoffs.

The best moment from Kobe (and arguably the game) was the quiet little fist he gave Fisher on the bench after being taken out to a standing ovation. It was recognition that one small part of this crazy trip is done - and it’s a good familiar feeling.

Now we all move onto the playoffs, the real season, the beginning of the true test of this hard to dislike, tough to dismiss Laker team.

Let’s go Lakers!!
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

revgen · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:53 pm Post subject:

Thanks a lot for all of your game reviews for the entire regular season. I've enjoyed it, and I'm sure many others have too.

I'm eagerly awaiting your reviews for the playoffs! jam2

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puffyusaf#2 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 4844 Location: Temecula

Mad props to your commitment to game recaps they have been a bright spot this year well besides the team taking 1st in the West. Anyway, as you can see I appreciated the "C Corner" and can't wait to see all the positive one's after each of our 16 playoff wins jam2

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crucifido · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:21 pm Post subject:

Seriously puffy and revgen (and anyone who reads my stuff), that means so much to me!! I can't tell you how appreciative I am of those kinds of good words.

Its a privilege to do this and i love being a part of the Laker community. The fact that you've read them and enjoyed them is a massive dividend!!!! Now the pressure's on for me freak2

Game # 1 / Win #1

I have a love/hate relationship with the playoffs. I love that it’s the pathway to the Finals, that the best teams in the league are competing and that every game means something. But I hate the tension, the nervousness, and the worry over little problems maybe becoming big ones and leading to a key loss. When all is said and done though, when the Lakers play with the poise, professionalism and control they played with today, the playoffs can be a joy to watch.

Starting from the tip the Lakers were playing some incredibly fluid team ball. There’s nothing like seeing the Lakes go up by double digits without the offensive services of Kobe. The rate this team was moving the ball (with that touch pass drill from Luke to Lamar back to Gasol for the jam in the 1st) was so gratifying to see. This team operates best when they pass 3 times or more in a set. When they settle into a one or no pass offense, like they did in the vacant 2nd quarter today, they struggle.

Of course what helped the offense to flow early on in the game (and later too) was the hustle and mostly strong-footed defense they played. In that 1st quarter there was a total of 3 inside shot attempts, with 2 of those being off of ill-advised 3-pointers. The Lakers held the Nuggets to a mid-range game by playing well-spaced defense. There were no gaps left in the lane by overplaying one side. There was no weak spot along the baseline because the Lakers were balanced between leaning towards help in the paint and watching the cuts along the bottom.

The weak spot in this game came in the 2nd quarter when for some odd reason (again) the Lakers fell in love with the 3 when the inside game was destroying the Nuggets. To survive in these playoffs, the Lakers can’t be tempted to play a game that doesn’t lend itself to their strengths. The Lakers are a strong passing team with great ability to cut and move off of those (as the triangle lets you do). To run away from that is senseless really. There’s no reason for the Lakers to devolve into a range shooting team against a team that forces you to make no adjustments all game.

This is no news flash, but when you’re playing a fast team like the Nuggets who want to run it, you’re playing right into their hands by shooting the long ball. They know the percentage isn’t huge for the Lakers from range, they position themselves for rebounds accordingly and then the Nuggets got way too many uncontested run-out scores to take the lead.

Some of the reluctance to do what worked came from the bench. This is the first year the bench is begin leaned on to play significant minutes / roles in the playoffs. When they come in to spell the starters, they have to keep up the cuts / dives and movement to the open spot that the starters have perfected. There was a lot of undue packing in the middle on defense. They were apparently looking to prevent the second chance rebounds, but at the price of leaving wide open shots for known Laker killers like Smith and Kleiza.

Sticking with the bench though Luke was in (hopefully not) rare form. His work from the post was admirable. He wasn’t forcing the shot form it, but rather he was using it to bring down the Nuggets mid-range defense. A couple times Luke recognized mismatches against him on the block in great time. My favorite part was seeing Luke get his blocked once in the 1st quarter, but instantly making an adjustment to use his body to protect the ball on the very next possession of his.

Luke showed why he is perfectly matched with the triangle today. His movement off the ball was on the money. He had Carmelo jumping from perimeter to mid-range without ever giving up access to good post position in the process.

The help defense coming from the paint to the mid-range on jab drives has got to be a touch quicker. There was a too much lag time (in the 2nd quarter in particular) to take those 2 or 3 extra steps ion to cut-off defense collapsing dribbles.

One guy who was helping and practically doing everything any player could on the court was Lamar. The guy, from the first tip, was hustling for any ball within his long reach. Most impressive was Lamar’s ability to neutralize Camby on the defensive end. He had Camby (and Martin at times) completely shut out of rebound position. The back door lobs the nuggets made their living on against the Lakers was non-existent. Lamar held space so well defensively too. Once where hje had to be, the position wasn’t given up without a fight.

Offensively the guy was stunning to watch work in the paint. His passing (the pass to Gasol in the 1st for the jam and the gorgeous touch pass to Gasol in the 2nd quarter at the 40 second mark) was beautiful. Best of it all was seeing Lamar finish with aplomb every time he had the chance to. The cute lay-ups and soft finishes in traffic have disappeared in favor of some seriously strong cuts with the ball for the dunk. Odom was working hard all game and that work paid off a lot in great looks for Gasol. With Odom playing watchdog all along the mid-range and inside, it left Gasol as the odd man out of the Nuggets “defensive” scheme. Having that hustle guy off the ball and getting passes on the fly to a perfectly positioned Gasol was a mammoth key in the Lakers offensive flow today.

It was truly a flawless game from Gasol today. The guy was exactly where he should’ve or needed to be every single time. There wasn’t one time when he got caught even a step from where he needed to be. When the ball was driven on the side he stepped out of the paint giving room for the inside cut, the put-back dunk, the pass or a simple rebound. His spacing was textbook today. It tough to not go adjective crazy with the way Gasol played today, but its unbelievable that the Lakers have a guy like Gasol to flank Kobe.

It wasn’t the amount of scoring he had today (although that was great in a pretty inefficient game from Kobe), but more the manner in which he got his points.

Defensively Gasol played off of Lamar well. I think if Lamar hadn’t played as strong as he did all game in the paint things may have been tougher for Pau, but the fact is that Pau gave the space necessary to Lamar for him to do what he has to while also keeping live in every play underneath.

Radmanovic, though not on fire from the perimeter, did what he usually does pretty well, contributing in other manners. He was really active offensively and looking to feed everyone off of the unexpected post position he was pushing. Its key for Radmanovic in this series to make sure he’s a part of what’s going on even when he isn’t drilling shots.

One guy who I thought played real well for his lack of playoff experience was Farmar. When the crowd was pumped and the Lakers were looking to blow up, Jordan kept the ball, himself and the team in check by slowing the ball down when he had to and running plays. He did well in not letting the bench guys or anyone on the court get carried away into moving off of what was working.

Oh yeah Kobe was decent today too. It wasn’t the Kobe that can dominate a game, but wasn’t it fantastic to not have to have that Kobe on the floor to get a playoff win? Kobe’s leadership and support for his teammates was his highlight to me today. The trust and excitement he shows when his teammates are dong well is better than any stat.

Just a couple more things…

The Lakers have got to be careful in every game now to not let the possibility of 3-pointers sway them from the triangle offense, their plays or their calm. The nuggets want the Lakers to shoot long, to lower their percentage and move away from their inherent advantage on the inside. Shooting 3’s is fine if the play calls for it, or if it’s designed that way, but just because you’re open on the arc doesn’t always mean you have to chuck it.

It’s a zone defense; don’t pass around it or wait until 7 seconds in the shot clock to get the ball inside. Attack it soon and often.

I did love seeing the closeout of Kleiza after his mini-run in the beginning of the 2nd quarter. The team did a fantastic job of not letting Kleiza get into an unbreakable rhythm as he has before. They saw the problem and quickly corrected it without giving up another element to Denver to swoop in on.

The giant bright spot today was that 3rd quarter, obviously. Kobe played minimal minutes but the Lakers were looking like a championship caliber team with the way they played under control and strong at once.

I can keep going, but that’s long enough. Keep in mind its only one game, but it was so great to see a Laker team play like they’re ready for the challenge that the West will be.
_________________
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." - Winston Churchill

TIME · Joined: 09 Jun 2005 Posts: 1494

Another good article C.

I think the explanation for why we went away from the paint and began to jack up 3s in the 2nd was the Nugget's shift to the zone. Not sure why we were not able to adjust on the fly, but at least the coaches made the right moves at halftime and the 3rd was indeed a thing of beauty.
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crucifido · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:52 pm Post subject:

Thanks TIME!! yeah the beauty of 3rd turned into the sweetness of the 4th tonight.

Bring on Game 3!!!

2 Down – 2 To Go

Game 1 is history and what was imperative tonight was that the Leers held home court advantage. Denver threw their fair share of changes the Lakers’ way, but it was really up to the stronger Lakers to dictate how this game went and moreover how the series will play out.

The big difference quickly from the first game to this one was the glut of outside shots the Lakers pushed the Nuggets into in Game 1 went AWOL. The Lakers were soft on the outside letting the ball get too deep into the defense before a slower than before help rotated over. In fact it was quite the opposite, with the Nuggets getting plenty of easy runs inside while the Lakers settled for distance jumpers.

Luckily Kobe and Derek were fairly solid from the field, but there was really no reason for the Lakers to be looking to shoot jumpers after barely testing Denver’s supposedly tougher inside D.

Once they settled down and found out how to run around the Nuggets altered big rotation, they began to break down the middle well with some strong post work by Odom and Walton. They have to be careful though in giving up early momentum to the Nuggets who can score in big bunches in a hurry.

Derek started out running with some vigor tonight. Early on he was giving great defensive help, rotating along baseline drives. What was real gratifying to see was Derek’s active defense on Iverson. I swear I might have seen him pop out above a screen even. But all kidding aside, he was doing well staying in front of Iverson better than he usually does. He wasn’t stopping him per say but he was contesting him with that lower body strength that gives him solid position holding ability over a lot of small guards. I just wish he’d use it as well as he did tonight more often.

The hitch in Derek’s defense came with his shading of Iverson. It was a bad combo of Derek not talking to his teammates and everyone ignoring where Fish was shading him.

Luke was back at his now usual work tonight. Any mix of around a loose ball he could get to, Luke was there. Diving on the floor, moving real well through the paint and playing with good solid hustle all over the defensive end of the court. What Luke lacks in speed he has been making up for in toughness. As Kobe was taking big bites out of the Nuggets at times, Luke was the workhorse, chiseling at the feet of the Nuggets at every turn with his hustle. Multiple successful cuts, dives and drive and kick sets all initiated from Luke’s play. His recognition of mismatches on the high post, using it to get a couple nice strong drives off tonight, was great to see come back into Luke’s game.

Defensively, he did far better than he has in a long while moving laterally with any assignment that came his way. Aside from Kobe’s superhuman performance, there’s no doubt that Luke was the co-player of the game.

Via some real good space clogging by Mbenga (DJ did great in making the Nuggets body up on him and in turn having to pull a big off the mid range game on defense), the Laker bench rolled real well without Kobe in the 2nd quarter. They were rushing plays a bit too much, but when they would jab dribble and reset the play by kicking it around the arc or one pass back to the perimeter for a post reset by Odom or Luke, they were hitting it.

Sasha had some decent hustle tonight, but the highlight for me was the addition of JR Smith to the list of players absolutely annoyed by Sasha’s D.

Kobe got off like crazy in the 1st, which was needed due to the lack of movement through the paint. However, the Lakers cannot operate on a high level with a big imbalance of scoring like that. That aside though, seeing Kobe light up the Nuggets like that in the 1st made the Nuggets retreat from the defensive scheme they came out with tonight. Also, as the rest of the Lakers struggled a bit to find their space on offense, Kobe was amazing as he absolutely took over every facet of the Laker offense.

The best dividend of Kobe’s burst in the 1st was that the Nuggets, for the rest of the game, had to now run out to him or collapse on him early in plays. That left the entire floor open for anyone to move into pass option spots, cut anywhere they had to, or get a spot for a clear long jumper. The Lakers just needed to exploit that more than they did in this one.

Though the zone trouble is absolutely not Kobe’s fault entirely, I do feel the onus of breaking it down falls on him. With the way he was shooting / playing tonight, Denver had to pay double team attention to him. So with that in mind, all Kobe has to do is take on jab dribble or poke to the middle (ala the pass to a cutting Radmanovic in the 3rd) and Denver has top collapse on him. So though you can’t place the hesitant play against the zone on Kobe, he has to be the catalyst to bust this easiest of all defenses to bust.

Come the end of the 3rd into the 4th and Kobe did just that. This is why Kobe is so impossible to deal with. His in-game adjustments tonight form single to double coverage, from zone to man-to-man defense, from scorer, to passer right on time. There was no hesitation in Kobe tonight, no matter what the Nuggets threw at him. The guy was simply incredible from wire to wire.

What will get buried in this game is the great defensive job Pau did on Camby – again. Camby wasn’t getting through to the backdoor lob. Pau limited Camby’s every move in the paint. Whether Pau faced up on him, making him push the ball out of his hands in good post position or if he kept a body on him at all points, Gasol played real strong defense. Pau proved that scoring numbers don’t always tell the tale.

Early trouble with the Lakers offense against led to some defensive problems as well.

Letting Anthony move to the inside far too easy. There seemed to be a lapse in attention paid to Anthony rolling off of his defender off the ball. Radmanovic was the guilty party on this one. He was getting lost in traffic really early in transition letting Anthony get to his comfortable starting spots way sooner than he was in Game 1.

In the 1st quarter there was a lack of movement off the ball and particularly a big lack of cuts through the middle with the ball on the high post. Because of that the Lakers got into an early outside shooting contest with the Nuggets which is what the Lakers don’t want and what the Nuggets are hoping for.

And again, you have got to keep teams like Nuggets who look to start scoring early and heavy closer to the 20 point mark in the 1st. Giving a good scoring team that kind of confidence early on can be incredibly dangerous.

Later on in the game, the 3rd quarter in particular, the Lakers were forcing the post pass too much. When they did get the ball moving towards the post, it was while Pau or Lamar had 2 men on them or the pass was too long. A little more patience in the offense would go along way. Denver defense will not force the Lakers to do anything in a hurry.

Speaking of the 3rd (and early 4th) quarter, I thought the Lakers learned their lesson in the 2nd quarter of Game 1 when they got 3 point crazy. It was the same thing that happened last game, and against the same lame zone defense. So, in other words, stop shooting so many damn 3’s.

Going back in the game before that point, the Lakers saw just how easy it is to beat the zone with a tiny little pass to Derek for a floater in the 2nd quarter. All it takes is a bit of movement of the ball into the middle and everything breaks down. They have got to watch that play over and over so they can remember that the zone is the absolute weakest defense in basketball.

WTF Of The Game: That hook pass from Pau to Kobe for the dunk at the end of the 3rd was ridiculous. How in the world do you pull off a perfectly timed and thrown hook pass to a blitzing Kobe?

Now the Lakers go into enemy territory, where the boos for Kobe will be everywhere and the atmosphere grows as thin as the Nuggets’ defensive intelligence.

The Lakers have got to take it to the Nuggets early, get them frustrated and breaking down mentally like they did in the 4th tonight. Early strikes, penetrating the zone, cutting down on 3’s and moving the ball like they did in Game 1 are all key.

2-0 doesn’t win a series, but it’s a good start to what should be a chance for this Laker team to show that killer instinct they’ve shown us they have.
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puffyusaf#2 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 4844 Location: Temecula

Great read Cru-

A couple of things I really enjoyed was:

1. Watching Kobe throttle back in the third even though he was hot to keep his teammates involved. It shows Kobe gets it this year much more than any other.

2. Like I have said for weeks now even in here Luke and LO are huge for this team and the things they do often go unnoticed. LO didn't get much love I actually don't remember him playing much of or any of the 4th. Even so Luke (PUKE bang

hate that name) seems to be moving freely of pain and is not afraid to attack the basket with or without the ball.

3. Can I say I love our bench? DJ comes in and does the do and Sasha, Jordy and anyone else PJax puts in.

4. Another thing that hasn't been mentioned is the Lakers "poise" so far. Yes, Denver has been getting chippy yet the Lakers haven't retaliated at all they just play there games. Hence, 1 unwarranted T for Kobe and 4 for the nuggets already.

Now all we have to do is keep pace with the Spurs who are molesting the Suns for a 3-0 victory margin already.
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crucifido · Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

1) Yeah that move was simply sweet to see. When he starts throwing out moves like that, you know you're in some serious trouble!

2) I'm with you. I think you're the only other one who appreciates Luke and Lamar as much as I do. they have been perfect complementary players all year - and only getting better.

What you won't hear is that Luke is finally playing pain-free in a season where he has been slowed down by nagging injuries from his ankles to his hamstring.

3) The bench is just great. I'm a dork for Mbenga, the guy is exactly the kind of player I love watching. He may not be incredibly naturally talented, but its 100% at all times. In fact, the bench gives that same effort too and even the biggest Laker doubter has to appreciate that.

4) In this article I touched on the poise issue. I love seeing less complaining and control no matter what the circumstances are. its a sign of a mature team with their eyes on a bigger goal.

Here's my blab for this great win...

Lakers vs. Nuggets (Round 1 / Game 3 4/26/08)

A Sharp Team-First Game Pushes The Lakers to A 3-0 Lead

In came Game 3 and the Lakers looked more than ready for the challenge. The intensity the Lakers showed from the very first tip was exactly what they needed to show. Having a team down 2-0 is no big deal, but the way the Lakers played this entire Game 3 was a big deal. This was one of the best all around team oriented playoff games since the 3-peat days.

This was a game that should show everyone (despite it being “just the Nuggets”) that the Lakers are ready, poised and dialed in for a good long playoff run.

As the 1st quarter started I was kind of looking for the Lakers to attack the middle quickly via cuts and dives. The first couple of possessions though were a little soft in both play and motion. With a quick attack especially against a team as good at home as the Nuggets are, you want to get them on their heels immediately. You have to make them think even harder (if possible) about every defensive motion they make.

But as the game hit about the 10 minute mark in the 1st, you could see the Lakers shaking themselves loose of the soft play and attacking the way they have in the last 2 to 3 months. This is why this Laker team gets people excited. They are showing the signs of a team that not only can win in a big way, but a team that knows how to win in a big way.

Here’s a shocker - Kobe played real well - again. You could see the Nuggets in almost a panic mode when Kobe jabbed into the paint. As the Nuggets collapsed in or around Kobe, Pau did great in simply holding position. The way that Kobe came into the game looking to set people up without ignoring opportunities for himself was awesome – again. As the season keeps on, Kobe’s ability to see his teammates and read opposing defenses seems to grow exponentially.

The best part, Kobe had to do very little in the way of the scoring column for the Lakers to dominate from end to end.

Because of Kobe, Pau was open virtually every possession early in the game. For that reason alone, the Lakers need to keep their eyes aware of where the Nuggets are sagging on defense. Due to their generally inept play on the defensive, the Nuggets play a big scrambling game and with Kobe and Gasol on the floor at once, it sends them into a headless chicken kind of defensive mode, where they can’t cover the ground as fast as the ball can.

So when the Lakers continue to pass and move, Denver falls apart easily. Then due to exhaustion and not having enough defensive fuel to tap into to, they get exhausted quickly.

Sasha came in and had a great impact right away, getting the turnover on JR Smith and hitting a really nicely spaced 3 in the opening minutes of the 2nd quarter. As Najera (who should’ve been kicked out of the game) got added to Sasha’s list, it was good to see Sasha get right back up, knock down the 2 free throws and continue to hustle off the ball to option spots without losing a step.

I love that Mbenga was ready for that great behind the back pass from Farmar in traffic. He had some decent hustle on defense, but most of all DJ played a good footwork game while he was in. The post-whistle block he had on Smith in the 4th was great. You have to like seeing him hustle even after the whistle to clean up the inside.

This game felt like a ramping up kind of game for Lamar. He wasn’t outstanding but elements of what has made him so valuable started to peek out again. He had a couple real good rips on the defensive end and made great decision when driving the ball to the rack. His defense alongside of Pau in the middle was on target though. He didn’t allow any room for Martin or Camby to operate inside.

This is so key in this series – keeping Camby out of rhythm. Between the activity of Lamar in positioning and the good spacing of Gasol, the Denver big men were kept under tight control.

While I’m on this, you probably won’t read or hear much about Pau’s defense on Camby. For that matter Pau’s overall inside defense was amazing to watch. The blocked shots on anyone getting near him or trying to get cute under the hoop was an unexpected plus. He has effectively shut out Camby for 3 games in a row now. He’s given absolutely zero room for him to move to, around or under the rim. All of those lobs to the back door, all of that weak defense on the second rebounder has completely disappeared. A big, giant, massive chunk of that credit goes to Pau.

Luke was absolutely stupendous today. Again, all hustle, with very little wasted motion. Luke moved with purpose on every play, getting himself into the post, using it to absolute perfection and just playing with serious playoff energy. When he did get an inside shot he did well in keeping the ball protected with his body and not forcing heavily contested shots.

Defensively he was playing with sharp lateral movement, which for Luke is something he’s struggled with for a while. But when he was stepping out on Anthony his spacing on him was real good. He wasn’t allowing easy outside shots or any clear drives around him. That right there is good value for your buck. Throw the quick-minded offense he played all game and you have a heck of an unexpected and strong role player. His crisp motion off the ball (especially after giving the ball up and diving back down into the paint for the pass) in the 4th quarter when the game all but over was astounding. He didn’t let up the entire game.

Just another fine performance from Luke in what has become the best playoff series he’s played by far.

Farmar was just flat-out on his game today. He did a fantastic job of getting the ball into the Denver defense without settling for distance jumpers too soon in sets. His decision-making in traffic is what was really impressive. The pass to Mbenga in the 2nd quarter, the protected lay-up and his general awareness on all spots of the court had Farmar looking sharper than he had in the series. He was beginning to wake up in Game 2, but he truly came into the series today.

What was real good to see was crisp motion coming from the side into the paint either along the baseline or straight through the middle. Radmanovic had a couple nice hard cuts (one for the bucket and one for a decent range shot).

The help defense on the baseline runs was right on the money. If Iverson or Anthony tried to post up and turn to the baseline for an easy lay-in there was always someone rotating down. More often than not that someone was Radmanovic. Valid played real good help defense in an often crowded lane.

Speaking of help defense, everyone did a lot better with Derek’s shading of Iverson to the baseline. There wasn’t a giant gap between the help and open space behind Fisher. There was one defensive set in the beginning of the 3rd quarter where Derek spaced himself perfectly between a trapped Anthony on the outside and a running Iverson along the baseline. Suddenly in this series Derek has seriously stepped up his defensive awareness. More importantly, his defensive chops in general just seem to be smarter and more in tune with where his help is coming from.

WTF Of The Game: Playing the Nuggets is like playing a team of Shawn Bradley’s with the amount of elbows being thrown out there.

The thing with Denver is playing through everything. At some point the Nuggets will let you back into the game or let you blow the lead up. They don’t have the wherewithal to hold a positive pace in a game against a quality team. So as the Lakers move through this hopefully short series, they have got to play with consistency. They have to have an eye towards sticking to what works for them and let that break Denver down naturally.

In fact, they need to be playing with that in mind every game in every series.

So they’re up 3-0 but everyone has to expect a knock-down drag out overly physical game in Game 4. The Nuggets won’t go quietly, but its up to the Lakers to make sure that they do go in 4.
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puffyusaf#2 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 4844 Location: Temecula

Your last statement says it all. Lakers will have to wether the storm early on and be able to not respond to the physical play by the Nuggets. In the end I think LA will continue to wear Denver down and basically blow them out by atleast 15.
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puffyusaf#2 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 4844 Location: Temecula

That game couldn't have been better for us. The Nuggets played rough, with heart and pressured the Lakers every second of the 2nd half. I was worried that we would fail to find the "grit" if we just blew them out again. Its great to be back in the 2nd round and this win will probably be one of the most crucial in our race to the finals.

jam2

Roll on in with the corner Cruc jam2

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crucifido · Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:47 pm Post subject:

And right on your cue puffy....

Calm under pressure wins the day - and the series.

Lakers vs. Nuggets (Round 1 / Game 4 4/28/08)

Sweep!!

The first round is over. The Lakers have swept the Nuggets, and above all - they beat them the right way – as a team.

This series showed to a lot of people just why the Lakers walked away with the West’s #1 seed – team play. They of course played through Kobe, their anchor (as they should), but when all was on the line, they played together to eliminate a 50-win team in a sweep for the first time in NBA history.

This isn’t to say there weren’t rickety moments.

All in all though that 1st quarter was exactly what you want to see from your team. Aggressive ball movement and a whole lot of inside play to spark the rest of the offense had the Nuggets running around in a panic from perimeter to paint. Defensively, the Lakers were helping out so well off of screens and picks. It was the rotations down the middle of the paint that were most impressive. Odom was working real well moving with Nene or along side of him to help out on drives. Creating traffic in the middle is all you need to do with Denver’s drives.

The Lakers used their experience to their advantage – yet another sign of team that has learned from their mistakes and is growing stronger – mentally.

We’ve all been looking for that kind of jump-start with focused aggression all year. The times the Lakers have done what they did tonight, they’ve fared real dang well.

Derek started out real well looking more for the drive and kick rather than setting up a 3-point shot early in the game. The thing with Derek was that he just ran out of gas against Iverson’s constant motion everywhere, as many point guards do, have and still will as long as Iverson plays.

But in that 1st quarter the entire Laker team looking to set Gasol up first. If it wasn’t Gasol it was getting the inside game established first, then running off of that success. And key to that success was Gasol’s off ball movement.

Pau was in such a great groove in that 1st quarter – and quietly. His scoring column wasn’t so quiet, but the way he was worming his way from 4 feet out into deep position, as Odom held the ball on the block was real good. When Pau came out of the game for the start of the 2nd quarter, the Lakers stuttered a bit on their communication in the post. The unforced turnovers coming from those miscued passes looked to stem from the Lakers not having that sliding movement from Pau from side to middle.

The surprise with Pau’s game was the strong defense in the paint. The blocks that he had were not only unusual but often came at times when the Laker defense was having trouble finding its rhythm. It got to the point of the Nuggets actually changing shots because of pau’s presence in the middle.

It was the 2nd quarter that saw some reversion from the Lakers back to the unforced turnover team that gives up way too many easy transition buckets. Between those turnovers and the weak rotation along the baseline that cropped up from nowhere, the Lakers ran into a wall that mostly built by their own lack of sharp play.

Speaking of that 2nd quarter, Mbenga was fantastic. After the monster block, he just caught fire. It wasn’t so much of a scoring frenzy, but Mbenga’s activity off the ball was both unexpected and great. His running of the floor from defense to offense especially was all hustle. To see him fill the gap in the paint when Kobe or Lamar brought the ball to the side of the key was so gratifying. He looked to be getting the hang of the off-ball motion of the triangle.

The enthusiasm he showed the entire time he was on the floor, culminating in that spectacular put-back dunk off the missed free throw that really got Mbenga and the team moving with some big hop in their step.

What a great cap to Luke‘s series. That 3 he hit was just a microcosm of the concentrated play Luke gave on the court at all times. Having him come into this game again with that Rambis-esque intensity did wonders to spell the uneven play of Radmanovic.

Lamar played with some serious poise. The lay-up he hit for the basket and the foul against Kleiza in the 4th was yet another microcosm for his season. In that tiny play it showed that the aggression everyone has been hoping would come to Lamar is alive and well. Lamar did great tonight in making himself an obstacle in the paint on defense. The out and out stops weren’t there, but by getting into the mix, he took up the couple of steps the nuggets needed to get their driving game moving. The more he pushed his will in the paint, the more the Nuggets were forced to pass out of the paint or take long range shots.

The same thing was true on offense. Few pays passed by without Lamar getting himself planted in the teeth of the Denver “defense”. By getting that deep position Lamar had several instances of rebounds in traffic, great interior passes or creating a lane of room for a closer shot by the perimeter players.

Kobe was simply unfair tonight. There were countless “How did he do that!” moments. The drive of Kobe came out very obviously tonight too. Every time the Lakers lost the double-digit lead or looked to be struggling he began to take over with scoring, but more importantly he got the rest of the team to wake back up.

Kobe’s problem tonight was what he’s done at times this season, trying to force action to get a whistle. In a game full of real strong / unbelievable play at times by Kobe, this was the only thing that got Denver a hope that they could play some kind of defense.

There is no denying that Kobe displayed, yet again, why he’s the best player in the game. The leadership he showed walking Lamar off the court after a tough miss, consoling him, getting him pumped back up. All the while maintaining mental control of his game and keeping the rest of the Lakers completely in the loop. The dish to Lamar and the swing to Luke for what was basically the game-winning 3 by Luke was something that would’ve never happened before this year. Then the trust in giving it up to Lamar then it finding its way to Gasol on a nice pass from Odom for a dunk in crunch time. It was another moment that showed just how far Kobe’s game has progressed.

The majority of the shots that came in that ugly flat 3rd quarter were because of rushed plays. The ball movement fell victim to the one-pass and shoot style that does the Lakers in. The defense was a bit unsure of positioning, but when the defense did get the stop or got the loose ball, it was the jagged offense that had the Nuggets getting back into the fast up and down game they thrive in.

The 3rd quarter was the Achilles heel tonight, but despite playing completely out of their rhythm and basically playing into Denver’s desperate hustle in the 3rd, they walked out of the quarter with a lead. That was beyond huge.

Then came the tightly played 4th, where the Nuggets finally dug deep and showed they wouldn’t fade without a fight. But the big thing was that no matter what the Nuggets did, the Lakers were always under control. There was no panic in the Lakers play when the Nuggets took their first lead; there was only a deeper focus that led to the Lakers shaking themselves loose of the absent-minded play that reared its head in the 3rd.

The trust of the team is there, the leadership is there, the composure is there, and now the wins are there.

There were 2 key moments for me in this game: 1) When Kenyon Martin was flailing before an inbounds in the 3rd quarter. He was freaking out and when the camera went to Kobe, he just looked at him with a wry smile. That right there magnified the difference in composure, professionalism and overall control between not just the two teams, but just how far the Lakers have come. 2) There was one point in the 1st quarter where Lamar, Kobe and Pau were all rebounding with some serious determination. The desire to win has now found its way into every facet of the game, and into every player on this admirable Laker team that we should all be proud of.

All the praise aside, the Lakers have done nothing yet. The sweep is exactly what they needed to do, but the focus cannot dissipate. There are 3 more rounds to go and it doesn’t get any easier.

For now though, let those flags fly high, sport all the gear you can and keep the positive feeling we all have right now fresh in your mind. That attitude will be needed as the Lakers attempt to march back to where we all know they can be.
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BDG · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:17 am Post subject:

Great writeup crucifido ... Kobe was absolutely sensational in the fourth quarter. He really carried us to a series-clinching victory in that final period.
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crucifido · Posted: Mon May 05, 2008 12:17 am Post subject:

Thanks gain BDG! Yeah this Kobe might be a decent player after all... man12

So I guess 6 days off was a good thing after all.

Lakers vs. Jazz (Round 2 / Game 1 5/4/08)

Rest & Rust Wins Game 1

There’s always been two schools of thought – those who say staying in an every other day kind of rhythm does a team best and those who believe that rest between rounds is the key to long term success. Me personally, I think it depends on the team. Today, the Lakers showed that they’re the kind of team that can not only dispatch a team quickly, but can benefit from it pretty dang well too.

I expected a bit of rough start in the 1st quarter but the Lakers did exactly the opposite, coming out with a focus that wasn’t too much unlike a team with a greater goal in mind. The biggest difference in the Laker game from the outset was the defense of Derek Fisher.

For a guy who’s had some serious trouble keeping up with the speedier guards in the League Derek did a fantastic job of staying in front of Williams. Of course being the guy who mentored Williams as he came into the league doesn’t hurt, but nonetheless, there were few times that Williams out and out beat Derek off the dribble. When Derek did have trouble keeping up with Williams (often on a lateral run) Derek did well in getting around traffic to at least have a presence or a hand in his face afterwards.

Offensively, Derek played like a point guard today. There were few times he settled for the jumper as a first resort which was beyond great to see. There were plenty of times Derek saw a small opening and got the ball moving further into the paint than he has in a long time. The best of these plays came when he worked a great screen and roll / a simple give and go game with Pau. Derek was in top form dishing and moving, bringing Williams with him off the ball allowing Pau quick and plenty of room to operate on Utah’s softening low post defense.

Pau had a bit of an off game actually. What he did do well is what he excelled at his whole career, being in the right place at the right time and having his hands ready. There was one shot clock crunching possession where Pau bobbled the ball in the low post but other than that you’d have been hard pressed to find Pau not ready for anything that came his way this game. That’s the thing with Pau, for his shortcomings in the low post strength department, which got exploited by Boozer today; his mobility today had the Jazz a bit ragged as to whom to run to the low post to cover his post work.

Pau’s movement off the ball had some confusion in it today, as one timeout with Brian Shaw, Kobe and Lamar giving him pointers as to where to move would attest to. It seems of all the players that had a bit of a rough adjustment to this series, Pau had his moments of uncertainty. Then with all that said, Pau still played a good game. It wasn’t an historic performance, but his style of game is something the Jazz may have trouble contending with in conjunction with guarding Lamar.

Speaking of Lamar, the guy just couldn’t buy any love from the refs. Granted, a lot of his calls came from some late rotation on his part, but for the most part the physical game that Lamar has developed since Pau’s arrival was never really allowed to get any momentum. Next game Odom will be well served to watch his diving down to help on Boozer on the post. When he gets caught up on the mid-range defensive game, he was dragging getting himself into a decent post help position.

Then, just like Pau, Lamar didn’t have the game of his life, but yet it still managed to have an impact. Lamar did a real good job of making the Jazz pay for their attention to Pau on the high post, especially in the first half. There were a couple drives along the baseline, opened up by the attention paid to Gasol that Lamar really cashed in on. His finishes were strong on the offensive end. In Game 2 he will hopefully not back off of his rebounding ability due to the calls thrown his way.

Radmanovic played an unusual one. His shot was in and out, but he didn’t get many attempts as the Jazz were looking to crowd Vladi at the earliest chance. What Vladi did well today is what he does well most times, making other parts of his game have some kind of impact. His defense on the post against the Jazz was highly suspect, and Sasha’s massive amount of playing time in the 2nd half will show that. But what Radmanovic was in the mix down low today. He was keeping himself at least aware of where plays were heading and did a good job hustling to help on loose ball situations.

The under the radar key matchup in this series, as far as the bench goes at least is the Harpring Walton matchup. Due to Luke’s cold / upper respiratory infection he wasn’t the killer he had become in the Nuggets series. But Luke did a good job neutralizing Harpring today. When the Jazz’s bench unit tried to get something going via cuts through the paint and some pushing into the low post through Harpring, Luke was having none of it. Though he did do his fair share of reaching due to being a touch slow with his footwork, he kept the Jazz’s bench from ever getting going.

Aside from Luke’s understated performance one big standout today was Sasha. The guy was on the mark today. This is what makes the Lakers so dangerous – the possibility of having a different guy come off the bench and have a big game very night. Today was Sash’s turn./ In fact this series could be a big turn for Sasha. Today he had some good battles with Korver as they both attempted to keep up with each other. What made Sasha a touch more unpredictable was his willingness to put the ball on the floor today. Simply by getting the ball into the paint the one strong drive he had (with the great ball fake and the lay-in) Sasha put the Jazz on their heels against him.

He took great advantage of the green light he had from range, hitting some seriously dead-eye shots when the Lakers needed them most. In that key run during the 2nd quarter when the Laker bench just out hustled the Jazz, Sasha (along with Luke) played an integral role. That role was played well because of choice shot selection off of sharp off ball movement by Sasha. Though most of his long shots won’t be argued against at this point, Sasha had every shot in rhythm today.

In fact, that’s where the Lakers excelled offensively. There were few shots, made or missed that were taken out of the context of the offense. When the Lakers did start shooting off one pass, or forced post shots during the 3rd the Jazz caught up. But, a big change with this year’s team is their ability to correct these mistakes without letting them snowball into a loss.

That ability to right the ship has been a growing development for this team over the last couple of season, but this game showed just how far they’ve come, as it never really felt like the Lakers were out of control of this one. Even when the Lakers let the Jazz get within 4 at about the 5 minute mark in the 4th, there was never a sense of panic.

That control had a good deal to do with Kobe and his calm steady leadership today.

Kobe played this game with an absolute perfect balance of individual and team play. Once again, he got the team rolling early with some seriously amazing passes both in traffic and off of drive and kicks. When Kobe wasn’t pushing the ball down the Jazz’s throat, he was using himself as a decoy. With Kobe being as unstoppable as he can be, on e big dividend comes from the overage defensive attention paid to him. Today the jazz had no choice but to double him quick on the post. Once that double came, between the movement of the Lakers to their pass option spots, the cuts they ran along the weak baseline defense of the Jazz and Kobe being able to see these moves as they happen, there was little hop for the Jazz.

The absolute key moment in the game, when you knew the Jazz got put on the ropes was the 5th foul on Kirilenko (followed shortly by the 5th on Boozer). After that it was so satisfying to finally see the Lakers, via Kobe’s strong inside play take Boozer out of the game. It all played off of Kobe as the control got greater in the game, the Jazz’s frustration grew. No matter what run the Jazz went on, the Lakers had an answer. With Kobe on the court that answer found its way into the game through every player on the court. That right there is why he’s the MVP. He simply had the Jazz on a string today while managing the game from all points on both ends.

Of course the defensive boards have got to be taken care of better. The Jazz won’t shoot as poorly as they did today, and giving them that many 2nd chances again will be tough to overcome. On the positive side, the Lakers will also not be as rocky as they were at times. You have to expect that Pau will have a bigger game, Lamar won’t be in as much foul trouble and the Lakers will now know that Jazz are looking to clog the lane on every shot.

There also has to be earlier help on drives. The Lakers were late in rotating to the middle especially on drives. From that late rotation there was a lot of hip bumping and reaching fouls that were completely unnecessary.

The Lakers have also got to body u on Boozer early in sets. They were playing one on one with Boozer being deep in the paint too much. There has to be some kind of movement into help positions to keep Lamar and Pau from getting cheap fouls again. Boozer is tough customer in the post, but today the Lakers let him bully his way deep too much. The size of Lamar and Pau should give more trouble to Boozer and Okur. The Jazz are a good inside team, but there’s no reason for the Lakers to back down as easily as they did at times today.

Lastly, the Lakers saw today how much refs favor the aggressor. The Lakers have got to turn the tables, maybe taking some early fouls in the process, but overall show the aggression to the boards and defense through the middle the Jazz showed.

It wasn’t perfect for either team, but when all is said and done the Lakers got the win. Barring some major magical re-adjustment from the Jazz, the Lakers should be able to sharpen their play for Game 2. For now, winning this first one was huge. The rust has been shaken off and in doing so the Lakers strike the first blow in what is sure to be an increasingly physical series.
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Barnstable · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 4520 Location: Tacoma, WA

Nice analysis of the game.

I find it really encouraging Pau and Lamar didn't really have that great of a game and we still were ahead by quite a bit for most of the game.

Fish is just the right kind of player to give Deron fits. Using size doesn't work on Fish like it does on other PGs and Deron doesn't have blinding speed like Tony Parker, so he can't lose Fish as easily as some other guards.
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crucifido · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 10:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the compliment Barnstable!!

Totally right, and it happened again. Pau just didn't blow it up like he can (some is due to how he's playing this game), but yet the Lakers are still finding ways to pull out wins.

That's why (though I'm obviously biased) the Lakers just look head and shoulders above the rest of the NBA right now. They're the best team going.