Comments on: Life Without Kwame

By: DrRayEye

DrRayEye — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 21:38:29 +0000

Let’s keep two things in mind:

1. All NBA teams have injured players during the season.

2. The Lakers are a TEAM that has some depth.

The Lakers may remain about as competitive right now as any other time in the season.

Trying to connect the loss of a particular “star” player to the likely outcome of an abstract “game” is fallacious thinking. There are too many conflicting possibilities.

For example, the Lakers might have lost to the Bobcats because Kwame didn’t foul out whereas several Bobcats did. A fresh Turiaff might have switched out better on defense. Or not.

A worn down Odom facing some serious emotional issues might continue to have roller coaster oerformances–especially against certain teams. Eager backups might do better for a month and allow Lamar to come back refreshed. Or not.

This is a time to rethink team defense and to execute it regularly every night. That doesn’t have anything to do with specific players as individuals–but rather a willingness to be part of something bigger than themselves.

To regress to a Smusher-Kobe/playground mentality is a sure way to turn an opportunity to exploit Laker team depth into an admission that the Lakers only “talk the talk” about things like the triangle, turnovers, and team defense. If anyone still believes that a Kobe shoot-a-thon is an “answer” rather than a “disease,” maybe they should try to get a chance to look at that game against the Bobcats again.

This Kwame injury may really be the opportunity for Ronny that many of us wanted anyway. Though it may depend on specific matchups, Turiaff may do BETTER than Kwame in many games with sustained playing time: more blocks, more switches on defense, more rebounds, and more scoring.

By: chris henderson

chris henderson — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:02:38 +0000

all these injuries might prove to be a blessing in disguise, in that Kobe, lamar, and now Kwame will have had to play less that the full 82 games scheduled, and this give PJ a real chance to let some of this strong second unit play and see how they respond. I’m sorry to see some of our guys get an injury, but I’m happy to see some of these back ups get serious playing time. Evans has shown great potential. Bynum as well. I’m wanting to see Vlad get his game going, I’ve seen it in the past, and really want to see the “lakes” benefit from that long range bomb. Cookie has been much more consistent this year, even playing some D and getting some boards. And, Famar will be the “steal of the draft”. I think now it’s time to let Kobe play within the team system, more than ever. and let the coaches see who evolves without the pressure of staying even with PHX, these injuries will allow a forgiveness as we explore the possibilities of this deep team.
I’ve said it before and will say it again, I’m sure glad we have such a great coaching staff! they are smart and will use this time wisely.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:23:14 +0000

Laker brass told the LA Times they were going to see how things played out then decide if they needed help at the five how to get it, a trade or a 10-day free agent contract. I would hope it is just a short contract, the Lakers don’t need to have another big on the roster full time.

By: Exick

Exick — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 16:16:22 +0000

I think the Lakers are definitely thinking about the possibility of another big man to carry some of the load while Kwame and Lamar recover, but I don’t see them doing anything just yet.

By: k_swagger8

k_swagger8 — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:35:50 +0000

I guess we all want to jump into the “let kobe take over” bandwagon while lamar and kwame are out, but this is the time to “run the offense” as well as for other players to “step up”. Guys like Andrew, Vlade, Evans, and Farmar have a chance to play major minutes and roles while the two are out. For Kobe, this will be the “real” test if he is willing to stick to the offense and get everyone involved.

On a related subject, what about trading or signing a veteran big man while Kwame and Lamar are out. I don’t know who is available in the FA market, but we could trade Chris Mihm’s expiring contract (since he won’t be playing this season). I’m sure there are teams willing to take an expiring contract and are looking to unload someone without taking a roster spot back. If Mihm is healthy, then the team can re-sign him after this season.

By: Goo

Goo — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 08:15:10 +0000

…or playing or not.

By: Kurt

Kurt — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 06:29:08 +0000

For the record, I may have another beer whether or not they are following the 2 second rule. Or winning or not.

By: skigi

skigi — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:44:40 +0000

very good point with the 2 second rule. when we move the ball around quickly i see a lot of open shots. when people (including kobe) start dribbling too much, the triangle can turn pretty ugly and so can the look on phils face

By: Rob L.

Rob L. — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:36:24 +0000

So now we have the third major incarnation of the Lakers this season. The upside, Phil and the coaching staff are going to know how the different line ups play. This could be nice in the playoffs (assuming the Lakers get there) as it would make coaching adjustments during a series less of a guessing game. Also, one of the reasons the team has weathered injuries during this season is the team execution of the triangle. (Maybe Tex would disagree.) While the Lakers may not be winning a ton of games with major players out, they’re sticking to 500 ball. That doesn’t seem great, but it’s an accomplishment. I’d hate to see the team back off that now for the sake of a game here or there. Now I’m not talking about Kobe taking over a game for a stretch of minutes. That’s why you have a guy like that. He can turn it on when the offense isn’t clicking. But the focus should be running the offense. Next time you watch a game, see if the team is sticking to the 2 second rule. When you have the ball on offense, make the pass or make your move within 2 seconds. If the team is generally in that zone, I guarantee it’s during a stretch the Lakers are playing well. If not, grab another beer.

By: skigi

skigi — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:27:12 +0000

I think that for the Lakers to be successful over these next few weeks without Kwame and Lamar, Kobe is going to have to be the Kobe of last year. As much as we all love how well Kobe is playing within the offense this year and how he has really changed into a different type of dominant player, we are going to need him to average over 30 until we’re back at full strength. When we are at full strength, we are at the level where we can overpower the other team with our depth and execution in the triangle. Without Lamar and Kwame, its gonna have to be the KB24 show for a little bit. Of course Kobe can still play like he is and we can be okay with hovering aroung .500 for a while and be happy, but thats not enough in LakerLand. We want to win 2/3 of our games (at least) even without Kwame and Lamar. Now is Kobes time to emerge as an MVP candidate!