Comments on: Fast Break Thoughts – Game 7 Edition

By: joel r

joel r — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:36:42 +0000

tonight’s refs – Joey Crawford, Danny Crawford and Scott Foster

By: busterjonez

busterjonez — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:25:47 +0000

Kobe has a chance to do what MJ never had a chance to do… win a Finals game 7.

Kobe does not forgive.
Kobe does not forget.

By: Mojo

Mojo — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:24:30 +0000

Big Fat NO to the white jerseys. They might look nice but Lakers usually lose when wearing them. Maybe in the dog days of summer, someone can tally their record when wearing the whites.

Anyways, Who else tossed & turned all night long and didn’t get a lick of sleep?

By: Don

Don — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:57:55 +0000

@Zephid I’m wondering if switching bigs (i.e. if Pau gets screened, LO picks up Rasheed @ 3pt line, Pau rotates to KG down load) would be bad strategy. This is how we defend the roll man sometimes, and it’s almost easier and more predictable to get out to the ‘pop’ man instead of trying to get around the roll man to avoid being sealed. But it seems like doing this would mean a lot of ground to cover for LO, and the temporary passing lane available for KG since the floor is more spaced. Hence, there will be a lot of responsibility on our wings to sag off their man and make Sheed hesitate, yet still be able to recover.

@Snoop I think you answered your own question with the Pierce @ 4 smallball lineup. The reason the 08 lineup killed us was Posey was able to spread the floor. But now TAllen would be easy for Lamar to defend because he could sag off and contest at the rim w/ length. While on the other end they can be relentlessly exploited by Kobe, Lamar attacking the rim off the dribble & everyone on the offensive boards.

By: Jaz

Jaz — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:51:26 +0000

I’m looking at my clock, saying “Go go go!” This day can’t get by fast enough, but I know if I weren’t at work, I’d just be pacing around the house.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:49:02 +0000

The Lakers just have to play their game; not need to force ‘Sheed to foul out or get tee’d up.

Of course, it’s a bonus for our heroes that Perkins is not available, and I just expect them to execute their game plan. I wonder if they will try to pull a Willis Reed and have Perk make a cameo appearance?

The C’s have plenty of heart, but the laws of Physics are working against them on this last game of the season.

By: maxnyc

maxnyc — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:36:59 +0000

i look for a tight game with the lakers
controlling the entire second half (a 6-9
point lead thruout)…

lakers will make big shots and free throws to ic e the game.

ONE MORE THING…fisher is DUE!
after taking all the bows following game 3, he’s disappeared. look for fish to rise again

By: willie

willie — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:32:37 +0000

Good work, PEOPLE of L.A. The Continue the Predictions for Game 7 – bring yours and let’s ROCK: http://bit.ly/aMqwWP

By: lil' pau

lil' pau — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:28:07 +0000

9.5 hours until history. hope the lakers slept better than I did!

By: Zephid

Zephid — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:01:08 +0000

History will be altered by tonight’s game. If the Lakers win, it’ll be a referendum on Boston’s 2008 championship, because all the Lakers fans can say, “If we had Bynum that year…” If the Celtics win, it’ll be a referendum on LA’s 2009 championship, because all the Celtics fans can say, “If we had KG that year…” This is, for all intents and purposes, the rubber match. Whoever wins this one, not only takes the championship, but has a chance to alter their own history.

The Sheed-Pierce or Sheed-Allen PNR are the plays to watch for. We can live with the KG-Pierce or KG-Allen PNR’s, because we generally force those shots to go to KG for open twos. But with Sheed, those open twos become open threes. Like I’ve said continuously, we can live with the open twos. It’s the open threes that we can’t give up, because our team just can’t make up the deficit. It’ll be on Gasol and Odom to hedge and recover quickly onto Sheed to cut off the three. How well the Lakers cover that play could be the deciding factor of this game.

I don’t see the problem with forcing the ball inside. Only good things happen when we get the ball into the post. In Game 6, almost every possession began with the ball going into the post, be it Gasol, Bynum, or Kobe, and we got so many good things off those actions. When the Lakers go into the post, we get better shots, closer shots, which lead to shorter rebounds, which fuels our offensive rebounding, and prevents the Celtics from getting out into transition. Our shots need to come from close to the basket.