WMC 12/13: Mercy kill. (0-4)

Sometimes, I wonder why we got Dwight Howard. We could have just gotten a defensive minded center. He's almost below his career average in points, and is well below his career averages in almost every other category while posting a career high in personal fouls.

He's averaging a career high in 3pt% though =)

We got Dwight because he was the only center close to Bynum when Bynum was healthy...and Howard is healthier than Bynum. The thought of pairing him with Nash (who was already on the team) was supposed to open up unimaginable offensive possibilities and shore up our PnR D.

this isnt the lakers i know and love

WMC:

-Offensive rebounds
-late game execution

trodgers wrote:We got Dwight because he was the only center close to Bynum when Bynum was healthy...and Howard is healthier than Bynum. The thought of pairing him with Nash (who was already on the team) was supposed to open up unimaginable offensive possibilities and shore up our PnR D.

Yeah but just because Nash isn't here shouldn't mean he's become forgettable. He's STILL the best center in the game and he's getting FEWER shots than Bynum did last year. And imagine, the bigs weren't getting the ball enough last year even.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This roster is flawed. Nash will help. More practice time will help. But so would foot rubs.

This might be the worst best team the league has ever seen. We're the Philadelphia Eagles of the NBA. =(

not that i'm blaming the loss on this but since this thread is for whining:

why does harden get to just run into people with no intention of making a legitimate attempt at the basket, then get rewared with free throws? i dislike this quite a bit.

So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Offensive rebounds and hack a Dwight...I think they also stuck with the bench about 2 minutes too long and then Kobe tried to jump start them to life...it was already too late...some haters will blame Kobe but really the offensive rebounds did them in.

This looks like the coach that couldn't win in NY not the one that revived the Suns...

JGC wrote:

trodgers wrote:We got Dwight because he was the only center close to Bynum when Bynum was healthy...and Howard is healthier than Bynum. The thought of pairing him with Nash (who was already on the team) was supposed to open up unimaginable offensive possibilities and shore up our PnR D.

Yeah but just because Nash isn't here shouldn't mean he's become forgettable. He's STILL the best center in the game and he's getting FEWER shots than Bynum did last year. And imagine, the bigs weren't getting the ball enough last year even.

Fewer shots? Are you talking about FGA? Howard (21.3 per 36) is actually consuming possessions at a slightly higher rate than Bynum (20.5) did last year.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This roster is flawed. Nash will help. More practice time will help. But so would foot rubs.

I don't know that foot rubs would help, and I'm not sure how that's supposed to advance an argument. Clearly practice time would do something for the team. Is the roster flawed? Not sure about that either. They do look like s*** right now, though. That's a definite.

This might be the worst best team the league has ever seen. We're the Philadelphia Eagles of the NBA. =(

I don't know what you mean.

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

THANK YOU!!!! What people don't get is that those Free Throws should be COUNTED as shot attempts (well, 2 free throws should equal one shot attempt). The opponent is doing the right thing by fouling Dwight every time. I would. It's the smart play. Don't let him get an easy two. Just keep fouling him. And if you foul out, its ok, Greg Smith can come in and get you 20 and 8. Notice that every scrub big man is having career nights against it...can't wait to face Washington. Seraphin will have 30.

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Kobe shooting us outta gamed sometimes. Tonight a good example. He makes up his mind he's gonna shoot and everyone else watches and it takes the team outta rhythm. He needs to shoot when its there and stop forcing it takes the flow of game out of rhythm when he decides to shoot every time he touches it

^ What's the evidence?

Lakerfantilidie wrote:

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Kobe shooting us outta gamed sometimes. Tonight a good example. He makes up his mind he's gonna shoot and everyone else watches and it takes the team outta rhythm. He needs to shoot when its there and stop forcing it takes the flow of game out of rhythm when he decides to shoot every time he touches it

so who do you want to give it to? Jamison has been hot so hes covered, Dwight cant make free throws, Duhon isn't a scorer and MWP aint the greatest shooter...you're talking like we have 5 multi skilled players out there and Kobe's with holding the ball from him. Please

If PJ was still coaching. Expect a barb right at Kobe in tomorrow's news about Kobe's "overagressiveness" as PJ used to put it.

FabFourLakers wrote:

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

THANK YOU!!!! What people don't get is that those Free Throws should be COUNTED as shot attempts (well, 2 free throws should equal one shot attempt). The opponent is doing the right thing by fouling Dwight every time. I would. It's the smart play. Don't let him get an easy two. Just keep fouling him. And if you foul out, its ok, Greg Smith can come in and get you 20 and 8. Notice that every scrub big man is having career nights against it...can't wait to face Washington. Seraphin will have 30.

Sounds about right.... IIRC, Seraphin tore us apart last season too

The Rock wrote:

Lakerfantilidie wrote:

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Kobe shooting us outta gamed sometimes. Tonight a good example. He makes up his mind he's gonna shoot and everyone else watches and it takes the team outta rhythm. He needs to shoot when its there and stop forcing it takes the flow of game out of rhythm when he decides to shoot every time he touches it

so who do you want to give it to? Jamison has been hot so hes covered, Dwight cant make free throws, Duhon isn't a scorer and MWP aint the greatest shooter...you're talking like we have 5 multi skilled players out there and Kobe's with holding the ball from him. Please

Is this where we go back to what we go to every single season about how Kobe has no one around him? It's amazing that Kobe has never had capable teammates.

The Rock wrote:

Lakerfantilidie wrote:

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Kobe shooting us outta gamed sometimes. Tonight a good example. He makes up his mind he's gonna shoot and everyone else watches and it takes the team outta rhythm. He needs to shoot when its there and stop forcing it takes the flow of game out of rhythm when he decides to shoot every time he touches it

so who do you want to give it to? Jamison has been hot so hes covered, Dwight cant make free throws, Duhon isn't a scorer and MWP aint the greatest shooter...you're talking like we have 5 multi skilled players out there and Kobe's with holding the ball from him. Please

You go to the pick and roll you like you've done since Potato Head was fired. Kobe just didn't want to pass it. Case in point. Late 3rd. Steal. Kobe gets the ball. One defender is left. Jamison is running the floor on the wing. IS FREAKING WIDE OPEN. Instead of making the pass for an easy dunk. Kobe takes on the defender. Gets fouled. Makes one of two FT's. If I was Jamison, i'd be PISSED. And I am absolutely sure he was and still is. Along with most of Kobe's teammates.

Rock, you know I am one of Kobe's biggest supporters here. But tonight, he showed zero leadership. His lack of trust in THIS team is going to cost us.

borri wrote:

The Rock wrote:

Lakerfantilidie wrote:

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Kobe shooting us outta gamed sometimes. Tonight a good example. He makes up his mind he's gonna shoot and everyone else watches and it takes the team outta rhythm. He needs to shoot when its there and stop forcing it takes the flow of game out of rhythm when he decides to shoot every time he touches it

so who do you want to give it to? Jamison has been hot so hes covered, Dwight cant make free throws, Duhon isn't a scorer and MWP aint the greatest shooter...you're talking like we have 5 multi skilled players out there and Kobe's with holding the ball from him. Please

You go to the pick and roll you like you've done since Potato Head was fired. Kobe just didn't want to pass it. Case in point. Late 3rd. Steal. Kobe gets the ball. One defender is left. Jamison is running the floor on the wing. IS FREAKING WIDE OPEN. Instead of making the pass for an easy dunk. Kobe takes on the defender. Gets fouled. Makes one of two FT's. If I was Jamison, i'd be PISSED. And I am absolutely sure he was and still is. Along with most of Kobe's teammates.

Rock, you know I am one of Kobe's biggest supporters here. But tonight, he showed zero leadership. His lack of trust in THIS team is going to cost us.

well you think hes going to listen to anyone else not named phil jackson?



telling you, its going to be a cold day in hell, a real cold day in hell if we win it all this year

The Rock wrote:

Lakerfantilidie wrote:

The Rock wrote:So completely ignore that he gets the most free throw attempts in the league...that factors into touches. So stupid people just read off the boxscore and see shot attempts

Kobe shooting us outta gamed sometimes. Tonight a good example. He makes up his mind he's gonna shoot and everyone else watches and it takes the team outta rhythm. He needs to shoot when its there and stop forcing it takes the flow of game out of rhythm when he decides to shoot every time he touches it

so who do you want to give it to? Jamison has been hot so hes covered, Dwight cant make free throws, Duhon isn't a scorer and MWP aint the greatest shooter...you're talking like we have 5 multi skilled players out there and Kobe's with holding the ball from him. Please

I can think of two possessions on top of my head. The break-away 1 on 2 where Kobe and Jamison is running, Kobe had Antawn wide open on the right side, instead he wanted to take the shot and got fouled. Another one was Antawn camping out in the corner waiting for the pass with his hands swinging "I'm open I'm open" when Kobe was going up for the lay-in, Antawn had his hands and shrugged like what the hell was going on.

You gonna be kidding if you thought Kobe was taking smart shots tonight, he had his mind set from the tip that he was gonna try and go for 40. He had teammates like Duhon, Meeks, Jamison, even Dwight on some seals which he elected to take the shot instead.

not much of a baseball fan, but this team feels like the Angels, high price team very little win

khmrP wrote:not much of a baseball fan, but this team feels like the Angels, high price team very little win

Reminds me more like the Eagles.

XXIV wrote:

khmrP wrote:not much of a baseball fan, but this team feels like the Angels, high price team very little win

Reminds me more like the Eagles.

Yeah that's what I had said earlier. That team was supposed to DOMINATE too.

JGC wrote:

XXIV wrote:

khmrP wrote:not much of a baseball fan, but this team feels like the Angels, high price team very little win

Reminds me more like the Eagles.

Yeah that's what I had said earlier. That team was supposed to DOMINATE too.

yea, non fitting pieces and the players they brought together ignored their D and offensive line, sort like us ignoring personnel with coaching selection, so that makes Kobe our Vick who puts up nice stats but we keep losing

Or... sort of like Chelsea FC hiring Rafa Benitez to revive Fernando Torres

We're on a wild goose chase to revive Steve Nash

Didn't see the game but from looking at the box score it looks like we faded at the end.

12 points left at the line (8 by Dwight) and 21 3's. Tough combination to overcome unless you hit a high percentage of the 3's to compensate for the missed free throws. Only so many possessions and to shoot a lot of low percentage shots and miss a lot of free throws really makes the other possessions critical.

6 empty possessions on missed free throws, 18 missed possessions on turnovers and 14 on missed 3 pointers. Got 14 second chance possessions on offensive board.

They got 21 offensive boards and had only 10 turnovers while shooting worse from the field and 3 point line than we did. They only missed 7 free ones.

So it's turnovers and free throws with offensive boards thrown in tonight in a two point loss. Same story different day it seems. The offensive boards given up is a new "wrinkle" but mostly the same story.