About Last Night. Well, I really liked the first quarter. It helped that apparently the Kings’ defense strategy involved doubling Kobe and Bynum and ignoring Brian Cook. Kobe, when he started scoring on the night, got to the line a lot and was very efficient overall (70.5% true shooting percentage, which is like points per shot attempt, and he did it while using a healthy 28% of the Laker possessions). Good nights shooting for Cook, Walton (team high +18) and Bynum (although Sir Charles is right that he needs to be more aggressive in the post with a smaller guy on him).
As the game wore on the Lakers got away from what they did early and didn’t make adjustments – when the Kings started fronting Bynum in the post the Lakers didn’t burn it with lobs. Oh, and then the Kings broke out that fancy new offensive play — the pick and roll — which clearly Smush and Bynum had never seen before.
All that frustration aside, with Kwame and Odom out, playing a hot team on the road, gutting out a win like that is just fine by me. Every win right now is a thing of beauty,
Dealing with AI. Since Iverson was traded to Denver (lately known as the “coldest place on earthâ€) there have been a lot of scouting reports on the Web, from smart people such as David Thorpe at ESPN.com, and their notes gave me some stuff to look for when I watched them recently. So, with me cribbing them, here are some thoughts:
First, the Nuggets play at the fastest pace in the league (98.5 possessions per game, three more a game than Phoenix) and that is really best for Iverson, who is better suited to playing in the open court than the slow-it-down system coaches seemed to try to force on him. Honestly, there is no good way to defend him in space. Make your shots, try to get back and just limit the fast break opportunities as much as you can.
In the half court, AI will be running the pick-and-roll all night, and the book on Iverson is to go under those (that should make Smush happy). The goal is to make Iverson a jump shooter, he has shot just 38% [eFG%] on jumpers this season. (To be fair, he has been hot since coming West, shooting 73% on jumpers, but that won’t last.) The other thing is the Nuggets tend to do the pick-and-roll with Marcus Camby, which is good because your big can come out to slow AI — Camby won’t hurt you until he’s within two feet of the basket.
What about when Melo gets back? Great thoughts from ESPN’s Thorpe:
When Anthony returns, it is fair to assume that A.I.-Melo two-man games are going to be a common part of Denver’s half-court set. If Anthony’s man hedges hard to control Iverson’s drive, A.I. will simply pass to Melo in open space — a scary thought to any defense.
Paging DrRayEye. If want to see a playground starting lineup, how about this for the Nuggets next year: AI, Melo, K-Mart, Smith and Camby.
Things to look for: Second game of a back-to-back, with the first game going into overtime, against a team that wants to run. That is a bad set up for the Lakers.
Bynum (and Turiaf and Cook) MUST come out and hedge or show on Iverson coming off the pick in the pick-and-roll. If they lay back, as has been the Laker tendency of late, it is going to be a long night.
Bottom line, Kobe and AI will be the leading scorers and grab the headlines tonight, but the team that has the other players step up will win the game.
skigi says
Am I the only one who was furious last night that Smush didn’t get an and-one on his game tying layup? I mean come on, any other time in the game, thats a basket with a whistle. Why not at the end of the game? Maybe the refs were scared of bailing the Lakers out with a foul call if Smush had missed the layup (which was a very difficult layup by the way, great clutch play by Smush). That was a horrible call. The way that they were calling Bynum for barely body grazing the Kings, that was an unfair call. If youre not gonna call it then don’t do it for them either. Kobe was butchered too on that play where he missed his layup with about 10 seconds left. Maybe Sir Charles was right when wondered what the hell Dick Bavetta is doing reffing at the age of 67, in a hostile environment such as Arco Arena. He was clearly rattled by the crowd.
And on a side note, Chuck could definitely take him in a race, do you guys remember Sir Charles running the break when he was on the Sixers?
anonymous says
In my own twisted way of thinking about things, it seems like the ref’s are almost giving Bynum the Shaq treatment. He has to be so careful, and the leash is so short. Plus, he has to absorb a ton of contact without getting a call. That’s the one thing that I give Shaq alot of credit for… getting smacked around all night by scrubs without going nuts. The good thing in all of this? Maybe Andrew’s going to be the next Dominant post player to come (ignoring Dwight Howard for now until he learns some bloody footwork) and we’re seeing the league adjust to it. His 15/11/3 night in 33 min. seems to show that.
Kurt says
There was a lot of stuff let go near the rim last night, Kobe got hacked late too. That wouldn’t bother me if some ticky-tack stuff wasn’t also called, there was (and often is) no consistency.
And don’t confuse the surprising athletic Barkley of his playing days with the tubby guy now.
skigi says
Yeah Barkley is pretty tubby now, I just dont see him losing to a 67- year old man. If he does then thats quite embarassing. I think I would be willing to pay money to see this
Nick AKA The Nugg Doctor says
Good luck tonight. May the best scorer win!
Mannie Jenkins says
I thought Dick Bavetta had a FANTASTIC game last night.
Bryan says
A win is a win. I just wish last night’s win was more entertaining (meaning fewer free throws). I loved TNT running Phil’s comments about Vlade being a space cadet. Somehow I don’t think he cares, though.
A running game tonight against a Nuggets team having the last two days off, and happy to get out of the snow. I see Camby taking it at the Lakers centers all night and putting on a clinic. At least that’s what I’d do if I was George Karl. Forget AI and his need for touches. Just win baby.
Dan says
68 points in the half and Kobe only has 2 of them. Who’da thunk it?
Kas says
Kobe 8 points, 10 asts, 2-9.
no LO
no Brown
Lakers 104. Nugs 81 END OF THE 3RD!!!!!!
nutso buttso.
Exick says
Lakers win by 19 with Kobe not hitting double digit points.
Bynum: 19 pts, 10 boards, 6 blocks. Flirting with an unconventional triple double.
k_swagger8 says
Wow! much props to the whole laker team for putting together a great display of TEAM basketball. This is a result of the triangle run correctly and efficiently. This bodes well for the lakers as everyone seems to be getting the hang of running the triangle and each other as well. If you were to compare this team to the 80’s-90’s bulls, I’d say they are like the 1990 team wherin they’ll dominate the second half of the season but fell short (in 7 games to the pistons), but would be on their way to the championship the next season. I hope this holds true to our Laker team!
Cary D says
Oh man, what passing. Kobe, the past 2 nights, has been the best facilitator in the league (other than that guy in PHX or that other dude in NJ). he is playing on an incredibly high level and seeing the court like only a rarified few can. the other guys act like they can do anything when they have kobe in that kind of gear. i’m very proud of kobe the past 2 games. this back-to-back sweep is really impressive. granted, we played against teams with playground defense. but, with our smelly pick-and-roll defense, kurt couldn’t be more right in floating on clouds looking at these W’s.
Goo says
I’m just glad we didn’t see any “underhanded” tactics by Reggi Evans…
Derek Banducci says
Congrats to Drew for playing well on both sides of a back-to-back. That’s something he did not do in his last stint as a starter.