by cleverdevil on Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:14 am
Tough game to call. Hard fought battle against the champs where there were lots of good and bad to take away from.
The bad:
-20 turnovers vs THE premiere fast break team in the league just won't cut it.
-Pick and roll defense was atrocious tonight (sound familiar?), we were let off the hook most of the night with Miami's shooters inability to knock down the 15-18 footers when they gained separation off the screens, we were not so fortunate the last 5 minutes of the game in that respect.
-Bad pick and roll offense, slip screens can be a valuable asset as opposed to setting hard screens, but not against a team who 100% sells out to trap the ball handler off the screen. Gotta body up on those screens, then dive, otherwise you give your point guard no separation and passing lanes.
-Horrible entry passes to the post. It has been bothering me all season seeing these over the top passes to Dwight and Pau down low, Miami played them perfectly by fronting the paint, staying close to Dwight and Pau and using their athleticism to either tip the pass, or have a weak side defender intercept the pass.
The good:
-20 Turnovers vs THE premiere fast break team in the league, and we were in the game up until the last 120 seconds.
-Though all to inconsistently, we showed some really crisp offensive sets to break guys open, Metta knocked down his open threes, Kobe managed to salvage a below average night when we needed him most. Pau and Dwight did a good job for the most part on the offensive glass, and when he had lanes to work with Steve made really good decisions with the basketball.
-The halfcourt defense really impressed me throughout the game. Sure, Miami could've changed this narrative by knocking down a few contested jumpers, but the fact that most shots outside the paint were contested is definitely a step in the right direction.
The Takeaway:
-I wasn't expecting to win this game, I was looking for a continuation of the positive play we had the last two games. The turnovers hurt, for sure, but for the most part, I feel confident moving forward with what I saw. Miami's defensive intensity waxed and waned throughout the game, but I thought we more than held our own against THE BEST defense in the league. So, while I do believe some changes need to be made, this team, in my opinion, is not as utterly hopeless as some on these boards claim.
-It was completely staggering to see what a difference athleticism makes, at times it really felt (as I said in the gameday thread) as though the guys in black were moving in fast forward, the intensity and speed in which they trap and rotate on defense is devastating. Also their ability to space the floor and penetrate with multiple players really puts pressure on the opposing defense. Their passes seemed to be flying at 100 mph, yet rarely do they fumble the pass or throw it out of bounds. Our passing is so slow and deliberate that it really is the cause of so many turnovers for us.
-I really hope that people are finally realizing what a great coach Erik Spoelstra is. Great defensive strategies, really crisp offensive sets (even if they aren't the most progressive ideas, double screen, who knew?). This guy really knows his stuff, and it makes me feel smart because I was ringing his bell two years ago when people were calling for Pat Riley to take over.
Thanks to anyone who actually read this far. Go Lakers!
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I actually follow your post to get a better understanding of the game, the team and heck everything. Matter fact, I change my mind the officiating was perfect and the Lakers were just outclassed, outplayed, outgunned and really out of Miami's league. Thanks you rock. 
and this team makes avg. PG look good, good PG look great, and great PG look godlike. Perfect example, Blake, drops a triple double on us as a clipp with Fish guarding him, as a laker he hasn't even come close to do anything like that
