Nuggets 99, Lakers 90 (box score)
Offensive efficiency: Nuggets 100.0, Lakers 90.9
True Shooting %: Nuggets 56.8%, Lakers 45.7%
The Good
Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are a talented pair of big men. Their play helped the Lakers remain close throughout the contest despite shooting an abysmal 39.8 percent from the field. The pair attacked the boards, capturing seven of the Lakers 12 offensive rebounds but their biggest contributions came in their effectiveness in scoring situations.
When faced with single coverage, Pau and Andrew were extremely tough to cover as evidenced by their 38 combined points on 15-for-27 shooting from the field.
Also, Kobe showed a tremendous amount of patience and trust in his teammates early in the contest as he repeatedly tried to force-feed the ball inside.
When the coaching staff has a look at the film of this game, they will realize that they missed several opportunities to get the ball inside and thus could have had more opportunities at the rim (Gasol and Bynum produced 14 field goal attempts directly at the rim).
The Bad
The Los Angeles Lakers witnessed the Denver Nuggets make most of the energy plays in this game. Indeed, Denver seemingly picked up every loose ball and raced down the other way for 26 transition points.
Historically, the Lakers have struggled to defend speedy point guards; and such was the case tonight with Ty Lawson, but in many of the fast break opportunities for the Nuggets, they had a man running ahead of the pack just waiting for the pass to get his easy basket.
The Nuggets’ activity against the Lakers allowed them to match their rebounding total despite a big day on the boards by the Lakers twin towers; who combined for 27 rebounds.
Mike Brown will have to get back to basics and may have to consider sending all of his perimeter players back to half court once the Lakers attempt a shot to avoid getting beat in the transition game.
The Ugly
Kobe may have had a real tough shooting night (six-for-28 from the field), but it masked what seemed to be a bigger issue for the team: execution on offense in the second half. The Lakers turned the ball over far too often and also repeatedly managed to forget that Andrew Bynum was not only having a good game; but that he was well on his way to replicating his performance from yesterday in Los Angeles against the Denver Nuggets.
Thus, Kobe Bryant will get the lion’s share of the blame for seemingly wanting to take each and every shot, but the truth is that his teammates were passive for the most part on offense and looked to him to bail them out (with the exception of MWP and Bynum).
With that said, the Nuggets hesitated to double-team the big men on the block late in the fourth quarter with Kobe on the court; the end result was that the Lakers went to Pau on a few trips in the final period where he either scored or fed cutters for baskets.
Nonetheless, Kobe is not without fault in this one. He settled for several long-range jump shots despite his inability to connect from deep (he was three-for-15 from beyond 16 feet). The veteran guard should have taken advantage of his defenders by beating them off the dribble and getting in the lane, especially in the fourth quarter since Nene was playing with foul trouble and seemed tentative on defense.
Ken says
When the guy refused to pass the ball when he is double teamed, how do expect the team to react?
Compacted season, bad wrist and age means we will be seeing a lot if these type if games this season.
Kobe’s ego 1
Lakers team 0
Guest says
Kobe shooting under 25% and his late TOs killed us tonight.
Baylor fan says
One issue is Bynum is very slow to get back on defense even though he is the youngest starter for the Lakers. Also, why wasn’t Ebanks in at small forward? He should be able to help run down the guards on fast breaks. This game also exposes the Laker’s lack of a true point guard who is able to initiate the offense. Kobe remains an iso, shoot first, guard. It is a shame the Lakers do not have another guard they can trust to run the offense when Kobe’s shot is not falling.
Don Ford says
Yes, Kobe’s got to shoot when his teammates get hesitant in the offense.
Yes, “shooters shoot”.
And, if he’s shooting sensible shots, by penetrating, coming off screens, or otherwise in the flow of the offense, then I don’t care if our best player shoots 6-28, doesn’t bother me at all.
BUT: when you can tell the moment he touches the ball he wants to shoot it, before he looks for any teammates or even sees “what the defense is showing him”. when he starts with the jab step BS before launching some cranky-granny “I’m shooting, dammit” fallaway – – – that’s f’ing aggravating.
That stuff will lose games, and fans, sure. But, worse, it may lose his teammates.
S.Nicholson says
I think it is a pretty good sign that even though Kobe had an atrocious shooting night they were right in it untill they gave up the game ending run. The Nuggets are a good team. I don’t think any of us expect Kobe to have many nights like that. Bynum is playing great, besides those missed free throws. Everyone is playing hard defense, despite the mistakes, which mostly occured when Bynum was out and of course at the end of the game, when there were four players 30+ years old playing the 6th game in 8 days in the mile high city. The Lakers will be alright. They are contenders.
cjm says
does kobe have a “no benched” clause in his contract? sit him down for a game and see how he reacts.
Magic Phil says
Why Kobe does not understand that, when he’s having a bad shooting night, he needs to f***** PASS the ball?
Is he aiming to beat Shaq’s career points or is he trying to tie with MJ on number of rings?
robinred says
“I put the onus on me on that, being a little tired and not getting down the court,” Bynum said after finishing with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting to go with 16 rebounds in his second game back from a four-game suspension to start the season. “If I get down the court first I have to get the ball. So, I need to make that happen in order to get the ball.”
from espn
Seth says
re: ben
the reason bynum was slow is becuase he is out of shape. he said as much the other night after his monster debut. He’ll just have to get into shape over through the course of some games. Don’t forget the entitlement issues too, but if he does work himself into shape quickly, and they can feed him the rock a few more times, he will score consistently 20 or 20+ppg.
Bob says
Brown should have yanked Kobe when he came in cold in the 4th and immediately put up a 3, followed by 3 of the next 5 without even pretending to run an offensive set. The long rebounds from his distant jumpers and Gallinari’s leaking immediately to the Denver rim when Kobe hoisted led not only to missed offensive production, but fast break points for Denver. This was not about Kobe having a bad shooting night, but Kobe killing the flow of the offense that was producing when he was out (in which a 10 point deficit was erased). If Brown can’t control Kobe in this type of situation, the season will be very disappointing and there will be dissension among key offensive weapons on the Lakers. Brown needs to deal with this now, and Kobe needs to realize there are three great offensive options on this team at crunch time, not one, and when there is time to run an offense the ball needs to go down low at least once before it comes out for the kind of shot Kobe was taking which he can get at any time in the shot clock. Really ugly, and really disappointing. This team has promise, but Kobe has to buy into a team philosophy, and Brown has to take charge. Jackson thought this was a two man team (Kobe and Pau) and lost the ability to control Kobe. This is a better team than last year’s, but Brown better step in strongly now or the season will be lost.
Seth says
As for Kobe, you take the good with the bad. To a large extent he has made a name and career out of beating double teams. He can still do it, just not as well as when he was in his prime. Hence, on the nights that he accomplishes this, great, we love him, ra ra ra. When he doesn’t, we berate and scold him.
However, if any of you think he can simply be told not to do this anymore, good luck. his divorce issues, assist totals, and other things in his nature seem to indicate he is not easily convinced of anything. Phil Jackson, remember, once called him “uncoachable” in the dynasty years, though to his credit he has matured a bit since then.
lets not try to be realistic. The still have a very talented roster. Mike Brown seems to be . But this is still a young season, and these first 6 contests are but a small sampling. Give them sometime, and i think they’ll be alright. Too early for my taste to predict anything past making the playoffs.
The Truth says
This site typically has good analysis but tonight smelled of the “biased” “Kobe is God” mentality that a lot of ignorant Lakers fans maintain. Kobe ballhogged plain and simple. Stating anything other than this simple fact is completely disingenuous.
Joe says
I think the problem is Kobe and his teammates. Kobe will not accept the fact that he is much older and cannot always dominate the end of a game. This was not a one night thing, we saw this last year way too many times where Kobe tried to do everything himself down the stretch and failed miserably to deliver. In all fairness, his teammates do get too passive in those situations and seem to just look for Kobe magic to hopefully take over. This Kobe take over the game thing needs to stop. Once in awhile it works, but lets face it, over the last year plus, it just has not worked! He is not the same Kobe and the way this team plays basketball down the stretch needs to change.
clover says
This one’s on KOBE squarely. I begged time after time for him to pass to open guys and he jacked it. Wanted to pull it out and be the hero; wound up the goat. Selfish. I wish he didn’t have the no trade clause cause Brown obviously hasn’t the cajones to control him. Ruins a team. Kobe had 6 TOs and count half his misses as the same and Gallinare runs out (on Kobe) for two. Disgusting. Credit Denver for the energy, quickness, overplaying on a clueless LA offence, Watson carried the ball big-time on the crossover on Fish.
SteakandEggs says
Is it just me, or does the site take an abnormally long to finish loading when refreshed?
Busboys4me says
Well said Bob.
Funky Chicken says
Second game of a back to back against a team with a speedy PG and again Morris doesn’t make the active roster but Luke Walton does? When Ebanks gets all of zero minutes, there is clearly no room on the roster for Luke. I find this lineup decision making to be baffling.
sT says
Brown can not bench or seriously yank Kobe for long periods of time in a game, that would possibly start a wall between the two that nobody wants to see. But, I am as confused by some of the lineups, and active or inactive players, as everybody else here. I do believe rest would help Kobe very much, but he will not do that for the wrist injury, and will just play through it all season long, like usual for him and it may cost some games. It is funny though, at no time did I want to turn the TV off, and not see down to the last minute how this game would end up.
robinred says
+/- for the night:
BYNUM +9
BRYANT -17
drrayeye says
It’s not Walton, it’s not Fisher–it’s not Bynum, Pau, Blake, Mac, or MWP.
It wasn’t Glock, Ebanks–or Morris not suiting up.
It wasn’t the back to back in Denver.
It wasn’t the Nugget’s smothering D.
It wasn’t even Kobe’s wrist, and Kobe didn’t merely have a bad night.
It was my worst nightmare.
Kobe needs a discreet referral from RonRon–and he needs it right away
sensei master says
Kobe needs to be benched for this travesty.
Renato Afonso says
Despite all tje amazing things he can (could) do, Kobe is still a very egotistical player. There was a possession in the third period (I think) when Gallinari missed a three pointer, Kobe got the ball… dribbled upcourt and hoisted a contested three of his own. The result was a long rebound for Denver and you know the rest.
How can someone with such a deep knowledge of the game be so stupid at the same time?
But nevermind my words… I’m the Lakers fan who actually likes team basketball. I’m not saying we should trade Kobe but we certainly shouldn’t enable him to keep doing this kind of stuff over and over again.
anti Dwyer Abbott says
Last night was really bad night and egoistical showcase for Kobe,but he will course correct in due time I believe.He has been quite good actually up until last night’s meltdown,maybe it is the number of games played in a very short period,Mike Brown should not have played him more than 30 minutes.
Let’s hope his common sense will come around.
The Dane says
This outing surprised me. Not that the Lakers lost, but that Kobe put on this kind of show tonight…. weird.
I did not see the game yet, so a few questions: J.M. Poulard writes that Kobe was looking inside to begin with, but later he did not.
Did the bigs not establish position to begin with? Did the defense sag to prevent the entry, daring Kobe to shoot? Something must have happened that triggered this shooting show.
Renato Afonso says
20.,
Kobe happened.
dave m says
@5. Yup, agreed.
Robert says
Every post blaming Kobe and he deserves it. However, this seems like something I would be reading in 2003 or 2004. Where have you guys been? This is what Kobe does. Yes, he is more mature now, but he is still Kobe. You must take the good with the bad. Phil understood this better than anyone. Benching him and starting some sort of feud would be franchise disaster. We need to let him play through this. My guess is that Kobe has some “basketball” issues. Yes, he also has his divorce, and all the packed in games, and the ghosts of Colorado, however I am thinking that he is not liking the lack of FO moves, and/or he is not liking the X/O’s that MB is coming up with. Should he protest either by hoisting up 3’s? No, but this is Kobe Bryant. The press and the posters on this blog could not figure him out during the Shaq feud, they couldn’t figure him out when he demanded a trade, and they can’t figure him out now. He is one of the top 5 players of all time, but he is not Michael and he is not Magic. He is Kobe, a completely unique specimen all together.
ryan says
It seemed to me that kobe was determined to shoot himself out of his current shooting slump (the last two games). It was like he was thinking if I keep shooting eventually I will get hot. Its weird because despite shooting poorly the night before I thought he played well and really helped by moving the ball and taking what the defense gave him. Last night he just kept putting on long jumpers and a lot of the time didn’t even look to move the ball.
Renato Afonso says
23.,
You can take the good with the bad if it comes, at least, in equal parts. I believe that as he gets older the bad will come more often unless he adapts and takes what the game is giving him. If he missed all those shots while being wide open, then I would be ok with it. But that was not the case…
JD says
@28, wholeheartedly agree with your assessment. It also didn’t help down the stretch not having a knock down shooter out there. Finished the game with Bynum, Pau, MWP, Kobe, and Fish. After Kobe took his triumvirate of shots down the stretch, seemed like everyone was determined to put one up. I know they’d be substituting offense for defense, but I wouldn’t have minded putting in Kapono for MWP. Not that Kapono lit the world on fire, but at least to keep the defense honest.
Snoopy2006 says
Wow. The complaints seem to be universal. I missed this game, but the comments paint a pretty clear picture of what went on. Kobe’s always had these moments, though, so to see this much frustration must mean he made some truly egregious decisions last night.
Brown has respect, but not even Phil had the clout to pull Kobe out of the game and bench him. Kobe’s maturation will have to come through guidance.
exhelodrvr says
‘Taking the good with the bad’ with the 2011 version of Kobe is likely to take away the limited opportunity this roster has to contend.
drrayeye says
When Phil left, I felt that the only one who might be able to keep Kobe from destroying both himself and the Laker team was Derek Fisher.
I might have been giving Derek Fisher too much credit.
chibi says
because they force opponents to shoot a low percentage, the lakers create a lot of transition opportunities for themselves. can’t capitalize on it without a more athletic pg, though.
denver would have been finished in the 3rd quarter.
Darius Soriano says
I missed a lot of this game due to other commitments, but I did see the closing minutes and what we saw was a perfect storm from Kobe.
Not only was his shot not fallinig, but he continued to shoot – and not just shoot regular shots, but long jumpers. On every jumper Gallo would contest the J, then leak out for a fastbreak chance and every time he was rewarded with a long pass where he had an easy chance to score. These plays were exactly like the lay-in he missed on Saturday so Kobe and the rest of the team should have been prepared.
This is why I call it a perfect storm. Nearly everything Kobe did fed right into what the Nuggs would have wanted and it almost single handedly led to them winning the game.
I’m hesistant to go overboard here, though. Kobe’s had plenty of bad shooting nights in the past and will have some in the future. He does need to take less shots and the ball does need to go inside more. That’s true regardless of circumstance.
However, there are variables at play. Kobe is the only shot creator the Lakers have on the wing. He’s the only reliable perimeter player that can both shoot jumpers and take his man off the dribble. Most teams have at least 2-3 guys on a roster that can be this type of dual threat but the Lakers only have one. With that being the case, Kobe’s going to be put in situations where he’ll have the ball and will need to try to create a shot.
That said, yesterday seemed to be a mix of that and a mix of him simply being stubborn about his next shot falling. It’s that belief that makes him great, but it’s that belief that gives him the ability to hurt the team.
As I’ve always said, if he’s going to take shots like he did last night, he needs to make them. If he’s not going to make them, he needs to do more on the court to help his team win. Like getting back on D, rebounding better, setting up his teammates better, going to the FT line mroe, etc. Yesterday, as much as the gunning, that was my problem with Kobe. He didn’t do enough of the other things to help the Lakers take a winnable game.
BigErn says
The game was won by Denver because of their ability to get easy baskets off of Lakers misses in the 4th quarter. Regardless of bad shooting yu have to get back on defense, the Lakers didn’t, and they lost.
The sun will come out tomorrow.
Hale says
Tired Bynum, passive Pau, derailed Kobe, leaky transition defense. Game lost. On to the next game.
jimboslice says
I wonder how awkward the film session would be. Will anyone have the balls to call Kobe out, coaching staff included?
mindcrime says
Darius, I watched the entire game, and it appeared to be far more insidious a problem than a “perfect storm.” Bynum was ANYTHING but passive. He was active and playing hard. With Kobe out, late in the third, he helped complete a comback with a three point play that seemed to energize him—-
Then….
He hardly saw the ball the rest of the game.
I’m not worried if Kobe has a game where he misses a bunch of shots. He has had these games throughout his career, and you have to take those games with the games where he amazes, because that is the cost of doing business.
I’m also not quick to assign blame to Kobe when his teammates go into “Kobewatching” made late in games, and expect him to save their bacon. In fact, I have always been quick to defend him in this regard.
However, last night, he had a ready willing and able big that was dominating when he got the ball–but he refused to give him the ball. I don’t know if Kobe dislikes Bynum, dislikes the thought of having to reliquinsh some of the late-game control, or if my psychoanalysis from a distance is 180 degrees off and it is something else completely…
But even to an ardent Kobe-defender like me, it sure looked like Kobe was trying to prove he is still the “Alpha” and Bynum needs to remember that if he wants to be on Kobe’s team
Darius Soriano says
#39. I’d rather not play pop-psychologist either. That lead us down the rabbit hole rather quickly.
And I wasn’t trying to justify Kobe taking those shots. I was saying that there will be times when his role on the team complicates things and when that’s combined with his inherent mindset we can have heavy shooting nights. From what I saw last night, he needed to rev down on his shot taking and play a more team oriented game. He didn’t and the team lost. On twitter I basically said “I don’t like to blame a loss on any one player. There are too many variables. However, Kobe’s making it easier to do so tonight.”
Based off what I saw myself and from every report that I read, Kobe’s play directly influenced the result of the game in a negative way.
Everclear says
Dear Kobe:
Knock that off.
Our biggest advantage is no longer you; It’s the two massive 7-footers down low that every team in the league keeps praying you don’t pass to.
If you want another ring, use them.
Sincerely,
Ever Laker Fan That Understands Basketball
Mattal says
With Cousins demanding a trade from SAC – is this a buy low opportunity for the Lakers?
I realize he is a head case but he is an immense talent. With the Lakers talent level they know that their draft picks will always be in the bottom third of the draft – hard to rebuild with the talent found there. The new CBA will make it difficult to acquire top FA talent. Unless we just ride out Kobe’s remaining good years and hit bottom the only way to rebuild on the fly is by rolling the dice.
I’d pursue Cousins – the upside is too bug to pass up.
Thoughts?
Tra says
Would love to hear Kobe’s Post-Game Comments after such a display of selfishness. It’s 1 thing to have something like this occur when you’re young & inexperienced, but after all of these years and you’re still ‘Acting’ as if you have a low BBIQ? Your shot was awol last night and Drew (who btw, dominated this same team the night before) & Pau were having their way with Denver’s front line. “Trust Issues”, as Bynum mentioned last season, was 1 of the factors that destroyed the team a year ago. A couple more games such as this and Team Camraderie will be thrown right out the window. Can’t & don’t expect Drew and Pau to remain silent for too long.
Mattal says
41
Forgot to add that getting Cousins on the cheap may mean that we don’t have to sell the farm to get DH. A front line of Bynum and Cousins could carry us into the post Kobe/Pau era.
mindcrime says
Darius, if I didn’t make it clear (and I agree, my post isn’t very clear on this) I don’t want to analyze Kobe’s psyche from where I live either. But, as one poster pointed out, games like last night feed the (unfair) narrative that Kobe is some narcissistic gunner, when I don’t think that is the case. I think Kobe’s will, coupled with his confidence, and his short-term memory regarding failures is what makes him great–he is always ready to take the next big shot without fear of failure. But the combination also produces stinkers like last night, when he keeps chucking away, convinced the next shot is going to fall, to the exclusion of running the offense. This was frustrating last night, because Drew (and Pau as well) were playing well when Kobe was letting them be involved early.
Unfortunately, regardless of root cause (i.e., selfishness vs. unique competitive nature), Kobe right now isn’t adjusting properly to his own declining (yet still fantastic) skills, while some of his teammates (see here, Drew) appear to be on the rise. If Kobe can find a way to lead this team emotionally, continue to provide the steady stream of offense we know he can provide, yet still let others grow and benefit, it will be his greatest defining moment, in my opinon–truly transcendent. The reason for my frustration is–I have always thought he had it in him, and last night was one game where he didn’t.
robinred says
=/-, like all stats, has its limits, but in this case, Bynum’s and Bryant’s numbers that I posted in 19 really do tell us something.
I agree with Darius that psychoanalyzing Kobe is probably not a good idea, but Kobe jacking up 8 3s and 28 shots in this game was inexcusable:
He knows they need to play a slow pace and keep Denver out of transition.
He knows he is 33.
He knows his wrist is injured.
He has seen that Denver can’t handle Bynum.
He is missing almost every time he puts the ball up.
It is his 6th game in 8 days.
Add all that to the “fall in line” quote and this one can’t be explained in a positive way that I can see.
Bynum and Gasol both made a point of NOT calling him out in the media, and Brown and Fisher only did so indirectly. We will see what happens Tuesday.
LT mitchell says
Kobe will be fine. I think the ligament tear on his wrist is catching up to him, and he is still adjusting to it. We tend to ignore Kobe’s health issues, but a torn ligament on the shooting hand is going to effect your shot, no matter who you are.
Kobe was the main reason for the loss last night, but it amazes me that fans are still so quick to label him with the “selfish” tag whenever his shot is not falling, as if he cares more about his shots than winning. Hasn’t Kobe earned the trust of the fans by now after all these years??? Aside from the finals against Detroit, Kobe has ALWAYS found that balance between play maker and scorer come playoff time. He was force feeding Gasol last season against Dallas to get him going. This is the same Kobe that force fed Kwame frickin Brown in the playoffs to follow Phil’s game plan. I didn’t hear any complaints when Kobe was draining difficult shot after difficult shot against Phoenix two years ago.
People have been criticizing Kobe’s shot selection and attempts throughout his entire career, but fail to recognize that for the past seven years, it has never been an issue, at least not in the playoffs. I think he has earned the benefit of the doubt, and it’s sad that Laker fans, at least the ones posting today, still have trust issues with a player that has brought five championships to Los Angeles.
mindcrime says
@LT
I agree with your post except for one thing–it ignores the advance of time. As Kobe’s skills decline–and declining they are, and decline further they will–he will have to adapt, and trust his teammates. The time for that process to start is now, not after his skills are gone. I don’t think Kobe is selfish, he just hasn’t accepted that yet. If he can do this, and transition into being “1 and 1A” with another player on the team, and then eventually, something less than the top dog, he will have done something even Jordan couldn’t do–at least not gracefully.
Funky Chicken says
“People have been criticizing Kobe’s shot selection and attempts throughout his entire career…”
That’s precisely the issue. Throughout his entire career Kobe has had a penchant for jacking up shots at the expense of his teammates. There have been times when this was totally understandable and even preferable (think Smush, Walton, Kwame & L.O. as his teammates from a few years back). However, there are times when this approach is totally indefensible. Last night was one of them.
Kobe had a big man who was busting his ass to get into great low post position, and who had dominated the Nuggets’ front line for the previous 7 quarters. The Lakers second half comeback was largely on the back of Andrew Bynum–not Kobe Bryant. Worse, Kobe’s nonstop long-distance shooting routinely put his teammates out of position to defend the relentless breakaway layups by Gallinari, which means that not only was Kobe killing the Lakers on offense but he was doing the same on defense with those terrible shots.
Players have bad games, and sometimes shooters miss shots. That’s all well and good. However, what Kobe did yesterday was not a function of just bad shooting. It was epically bad decision making, and that is something for which he cannot receive enough criticism. This is a 16 year NBA veteran and the leader of the team. After a performance like that, how can Kobe criticize his teammates decision making in future games without coming off as a total jerk? Answer? He can’t.
The Dude Abides says
@47. The problem in this specific instance is that last night’s game, for the first time I can remember since the Gasol/Bynum era, Kobe tried to shoot HIMSELF back in the game instead of shoot his team back in the game. In the past, Kobe has always had a feel for when he needed to take over (i.e. Bynum ineffective or hurt, Pau being passive, etc.). Last night, both Drew and Pau were active and dominant, and Kobe was colder than Antarctica.
From the second quarter on, each time Kobe left the game, the team rallied to erase a deficit or retake a lead by getting the ball down low to Drew or Pau and letting them work. Each time Kobe came back in, Denver went on a run due to Kobe’s overshooting (and watching his shot instead of tracking Gallo’s cherrypicking). As a Kobe defender in the past, seeing this last night was infuriating to me. Besides good health, the key to the team’s success is how quickly Kobe realizes he’s not a top ten player in the league anymore and plays a more complementary style.
Darius Soriano says
A new post is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2012/01/02/the-kobe-conundrum/
tsuwm says
you guys *know* there is an ongoing issue with posts getting moderated here, right? and yet you insist on “jacking up” posts replying to specific post numbers that are inaccurate because of said moderation(s).
please, reply to a name or (even better) provide a little context. anything less is lazy and/or selfish – the rest of us shouldn’t have to spend time trying to figure out what you’re on about!
Tra says
@ 47, LT:
It’s not that Kobe is a ‘Selfish’ player, but last night was a ‘Selfish Display’ of Basketball. One has to recognize when it’s not their night and act accordingly. Especially when your Bigs are on a roll. Nene & Mosgov were not capable of dealing with our Towers. Hell, it was proven the night before. Kobe, experienced as he is, should have adjusted his game (which was totally off) and continued to take advantage of the mismatch. Being a Lakers Fan for over 30 yrs, what I’m more concerned with is Team Success, more so than Individual Success. Kobe has always been a Team Player (even when he chooses to break the play call. Ask Phil), but last night it was hard to tell.
Jodie says
im not sure why kobe holds onto the ball so long when hes double & tripple teamed but we will never win another ring if he dont pass to the open man. It looks to me thats the reason whh bynum rarely passes when he gets the ball because he knows kobe will never pass the ball back to him when kobe feels like “i let you get yourd now I gotta get mines”.
rog says
We just don’t match up well with the Nuggets. Out of the last 6 games we’ve won only 2 and we could have lost Saturday’s game.
Mike says
Re: 37
Tired Bynum and passive Pau? LOL. They straight up dominated the Denver front line in the second half, and it was on the backs of their play that we tied the game, then Kobe decided to shoot the next 4 possessions and Denver took a 9 point lead, Kobe goes out, Bynum leads the team back to a tie and Pau helps them secure a small lead, Kobe decides to start shooting again and down we go. The only actual good shots Kobe had in the 4th yesterday were off of Pau Gasol post ups (and I have no doubt ‘Drew will eventually be able to generate those himself as he draws more doubles and he learns to pass out of them), one layup Kobe canned and two great looks from the perimeter where he was wide open and just missed them. All the iso jumpers were just horrible decision making that cost us the lead and eventually the game.