The Lakers had a nice first quarter in Oklahoma City to kick of the second round. That the team faded badly coming off a grueling seven-game series should surprise nobody, and that’s taking nothing away from the Thunder. They were squarely on their game and Russell Westbrook would not be denied. The resulting chatter, much […]
Archives for May 2012
The Westbrook Dilemma
With barely any time to enjoy the Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets last Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers had to quickly turnaround and make it to the Chesapeake Factory to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals. The Lakers may have been suffering from […]
What’s Happened To Ramon Sessions?
The Lakers have struggled these playoffs to find any sort of rhythm. After 8 games they’re 4-4, have a negative scoring margin, and negative efficiency differentials. And while countless words have been devoted to (literal) front line issues like Bynum’s inconsistent effort and Pau’s up and down play, there’s another key Laker that hasn’t been […]
Lakers/Thunder Game 1: Boot To The Neck
Well, that went about as bad as it could have, huh? The Lakers were out-everythinged by the Thunder in the opening contest of round two, having their hats handed to them in a 29 point drubbing with final count 119-90. There’s really not much to say here so I’ll keep it brief. The Thunder, outside […]
Game 1 Preview and Chat: The Oklahoma City Thunder
The turnaround time for the Lakers has been short. Just the day before yesterday they left everything they had on the floor in defeating the Denver Nuggets for the chance to play tonight. Meanwhile, the Thunder have been waiting patiently – and likely enjoying watching whoever they’d face go through the grinder of a full […]
Series Preview Part II: Attacking The Thunder Defense
We took an extensive look at defending the Thunder a bit earlier, but if the Lakers are going to compete in this series they’ll need to find a way to score. During the regular season the Lakers shot a shade under 40% over their three match ups, a success rate they’ll need to go up […]
Series Preview Part I: Defending The Thunder Offense
This is the series the Lakers aren’t supposed to win. The Thunder are younger and more athletic. They have star power at the top of their roster and a deep bench to compliment them. They’re hungry, determined, and a team that’s been on the cusp for long enough that they’re now primed for a deep […]
Initial Thoughts On The Thunder
The Nuggets hangover can last for a few hours longer, but not much more than that. Round two awaits and with that our focus shifts. We’ll have an extended series preview coming a bit later but for now, a few thoughts, questions, and observations heading into the second round versus the Oklahoma City Thunder… The […]
Lakers/Nuggets (Game 7): Temporary Relief
Box Score: Lakers 96, Nuggets 87 Offensive Efficiency: Lakers 112.9, Nuggets 102.4 True Shooting %: Lakers 51.0%, Nuggets 47.2% Say it with me, everybody. WHEW! As a basketball fan, it was one hell of a game. As a Laker fan, it was like taking the test for your driver’s license. Yes, there were some rolling […]
Four the Hard Way
Where did it go wrong? Or, how did it go so wrong, so quickly? It seemed to happen within the course of a game – an extended, senseless slide, like a nightmare car accident, or a real accident – the ones that seem to last an eternity. It wasn’t any one game, of course. They […]