Rather than go with our normal preview format, I reached out to Dave M. and J.M. Poulard (who moonlights at Warriors World) for a little 3-on3. Below we tackle three questions about the Lakers with some thoughts on today’s game thrown in.
1. Before the last Lakers/Warriors game, Mike Brown mentioned that he was still in “search mode” for workable lineups and since that game we’ve seen him experiment with various player combinations. What would you suggest to Brown if you had his ear about his rotations?
J.M. Poulard: It does feel at times as though Brown is his own worst enemy as he gets into his own way with respect to his lineups. I feel as though he tends to want to feature Bynum at times a little too much and consequently forgets about Gasol. Consequently, when Bynum and Kobe both head to the bench, I’d love to see Sessions, Goudelock, Barnes, MWP and Gasol on the court together.
Not necessarily a unit you want playing heavy minutes, but they would hold their own defensively, feature Pau on offense and could even get a few transition baskets.
Dave Murphy: For me, it’s both the rotation and the substitution patterns within it. The back-and-forth tag team of McRoberts and Murphy the other night against OKC was ridiculous. I like that Josh is getting some burn again, he plays hard, alters a lot of shots. I wish Sessions was being used more to his strength. He’s starting now with Kobe so he’s used more off-ball and it’s not having the same energizer effect as when he was coming off the bench and running simple pick-and-roll. I’d like to see Brown use Goudelock. I’d certainly put that in his ear.
Darius Soriano: First off, Kobe needs to get more rest than he currently is. He’s currently the leader in total minutes played and is on pace to play only 240 minutes less than he did all of last year when he didn’t miss a single game. Second, I think Sessions court time needs to be maximized with him getting 5-6 minutes more a night than he currently is. The Sessions/Barnes pairing is one that works well and pairing them for 10-15 minutes a game seems reasonable, if not necessary. Lineups that include Goudelock would also be nice to see, if only to see if his game meshes well with Sessions’.
2. With the season winding down, what is the Lakers’ biggest challenge heading into the post season.
J.M.: The lack of athleticism and inability to defend point guards come to mind, but nothing is more apparent than the Lakers inability to play to their strengths. On most nights, the Purple and Gold should dominate the painted area with their scoring and rebounding, but as of late it has at times looked like a weakness.
It will be important heading into the playoffs for the Lakers to rediscover their form on this front if they plan on making a deep postseason run.
Dave: Heading into the playoffs, I’m worried about minutes. The Lakers looked gassed last year against Dallas and at this rate we’ll have even less in the tank. Everybody talks about Kobe because it’s there in plain sight – number three in the league in minutes, at his age, with his mileage, in a compressed season. It’s madness. Coach Brown says he doesn’t have the luxury of resting him. I’m sure there’s other coaches who wouldn’t call it a luxury. They’d call it preserving their most valuable asset. While we’re at it, guess who’s in tenth with only a minute and a half less than Kobe? Pau Gasol.
Darius: I think it’s a combination of finding good chemistry and playing better defense, both on an individual and team level. This team has faced a lot of change in a short period of time, with the trade deadline offering the latest upheaval. Finding the right balance on the floor with guys that have been together for all of two weeks will be difficult, but extremely important.
On defense, perimeter players are getting beat off the dribble too easily the big men helping has hurt their rebounding and ability to recover to their own men for short jumpers. Considering how stacked the West is with impact big men, the Lakers D must find a way to put their bigs in these situations less often.
3. Today’s match up comes on the heels of the closer than expected Lakers/Warriors match up from last Tuesday. Do you expect this game to follow a similar script as the last one?
J.M.: Not at all. The Warriors struggle on the road and have had trouble scoring in the paint all season. In the last matchup against the Lakers though, the Dubs managed to put up 46 points in the paint thanks to a few drives from some of their perimeter players.
Those lanes probably won’t be available this time around and I fully expect the Warriors to remain camped outside and firing away from deep while the Lakers score on the interior with Kobe facilitating the offense perfectly. Sounds like a recipe for a comfortable win.
Dave: Actually, if I’m Mark Jackson, I’m not unhappy about playing the Lakers again. I know it’s been a tough road for the Warriors lately but they brought it hard last time against us, especially in the second half. Klay Thompson was posting up Blake and Sessions, and Brandon Rush was nailing everything in sight. The Lakers had that ugly win yesterday – hopefully they do the unexpected and cruise to a victory and get the most out of their one day of rest before the Nets.
Darius: Considering this is a home game for the Lakers, I expect them to play better and for the closeness of the last contest to provide some extra motivation for tonight. Plus, the Dubs won’t be able to ride their own home crowd in those times where they need a pick-me-up. So, with those things considered, I expect a better effort from the Lakers and with that a better performance. Maybe Bynum hits his three point attempt this time too.
4. (Bonus question) What’s the one match up you’re looking forward to the most in this game?
J.M.: Pau Gasol matched up against David Lee. The last time the teams met, Gasol forced Lee into some tough shots and thoroughly outplayed him, going for 19 points, 17 rebounds and three assists on 8-for-16 field goal shooting. Pau was downright unstoppable and carried the Lakers’ offense in the fourth quarter to help set up Kobe’s heroics late.
Dave: Andrew Bynum against former cautionary tale Jeremy Tyler. I just like the narrative. They’re both high school kids who went pro early, with very different results. Bynum was drafted and nurtured. Tyler’s the kid who wanted to be that guy, who was so misguided (thank you Sonny Vaccaro) that he doesn’t even finish high school, he drops out, gets a one-year eligibility suspension and winds up flaming out in Israel. I didn’t know if he’d ever make it to the NBA but regardless, I’m just cruel enough to want to see Bynum crush him tonight. Sidebar, the last time these teams met, Andrew got pulled for his early three – doubt he puts one up tonight but then again, it’s April Fools so who knows?
Darius: Rather than an individual matchup at the player level, I’m interested in the how the head coaches do. In the last contest, Mark Jackson made the move of the game by inserting a big lineup without a traditional point guard that gave the Lakers real issues down the stretch. Will Jackson go to this lineup again? If he does, how will Brown counter? With these teams playing for the 2nd time in less than a week will the game plans be adjusted with any tweaks? The talent on the floor isn’t going to change but how the head coaches use that talent certainly can.
Robert says
I stated that we would go on a 6-1 streak and I am sticking to it. We are 1-0 and after tonight it will be 2-0.
Robert says
Ken: Thanks for the support. We don’t always agree, but I always enjoy your posts and you are one of the boards most avid fans. Also excellent point on the CP3 trade – it was another money saver (albeit a v good basketball 1 as well).
Edwin: You are pointing out that the CP3 trade may not have been the answer. rr often points out that D12 may not have been the answer. Could be true in both cases. What we know is that we have one of the worst benches in the league, so whether we have the current Big 3 or a different Big 3 – that was going to be an issue.
Aaron: I am not trashing the FO over the past 10 years. I am questioning them for the past few. If you go back, then much of the credit needs to go to Jerry West and Jerry Buss.
All: Let me clarify + be more targeted in my use of the term FO. Darius doesn’t like it when I “presume” things. So what I know is the results + I pin them on the FO. Don’t know if it is MK’s fault or Jimbo’s fault, I was not in the room to know the parameters that MK was given or the budget he was given. So without that knowledge I blame the collective FO. My theory is that Mitch did an excellent job. Draw your own conclusion as to what this means for the owner’s son.
I will post 1 more response to a couple others + then as usual, will stop this discussion before the game.
Michael H says
Boston crushed the Heat today. They were up by 29 when Doc pulled the starters. Of course their is no way that the celtics are better then the Heat. This is why I do not get to high or low with any given game. in this crazy season it will be about who is healthy and playing their best ball in the playoffs. We haven’t even scratched the surface of integrating Sessions in yet. By the playoffs we should be ready to go.
Kevin says
If the Warriors gain momentum and have it rolling I’m looking to see that strategic move by Brown that’ll turn the tide to Lakers favor.
Ken says
Robert
Do you really feel the Lakers are currently equipped to beat Spurs twice who have won 10 out of 11 ?
Robert says
Ken: The 7 game stretch to which I refer, started with the NOH and ends with the NOH. So – while I am near term optimistic, I have not lost my mind : ) By the way, I have a comment above in moderation – however, wanted to thank you for the support in the prior thread.
chibi says
i’m beginning to think mike brown is sacrificing bynum’s more favorable match-ups for in-game practice. how else do you explain not allowing the offense to flow through bynum against teams like golden state and the hornets?
there’s nothing malicious about it, and it’s a gamble that could pay-off in the playoffs.
when things got hairy against the hornets, though, you know who’s number got called: drew aka godzilla.
the spurs have morphed into the old phoenix suns. i don’t think they can win low-possession games anymore.
Magic Phil says
The matchup between MB and Mark Jackson is the one I’ll be looking for…
Shaun says
Isint funny when other non laker fans are wondering what the hell mb is doing with his line ups
Snoopy2006 says
I’ve always been on the side of experimenting, but it’s looking like MB is just doing it wrong. He’s not giving Goudelock or Ebanks a look alongside Sessions, so we have no idea how those 2 would complement Sessions. He’s fixed in his dedication to Blake, even as Blake keeps slipping. MB’s “experimentation” has been resolved to seemingly random substitution patterns. This didn’t worry me earlier in the year, but I’ve been hearing more and more from Cavs fans that Brown does this in the playoffs too. Phil liked to get his roster set for the last 1/3 of the season and let them build some momentum. I’m not asking MB to be Phil, but…I’d at least like to see some finality with the roster soon.
What kills me (and almost everyone here) is that I feel like we could be getting so much more out of Sessions. MB pined all year for a penetrating guard, and now he’s under-utilizing him.
Robert says
Kobe Alert: Needs 3 dimes to move past Dave Bing for 41st all time. Still needs 5 steals to eclipse Magic for all time Laker.
As predicted, Durant is running him down for the scoring title. KB is11 points up with 14 games to go.
Mark Sigal says
Not sure if you saw the comment by Bynum about how he wanted to get 10 assists in the last game (lat.ms/HDh4mR).
Beyond the immaturity factor in talking individual stats over team outcome (especially given the outcome), it suggests a level of cluelessness on par with Wilt Chamberlain, who would set personal goals in games about random challenges like blocks, assists, points, which is one reason that for all of WC’s individual skills, few think of him in terms of Russell, Jordan, Magic, Kobe, etc.
Dave says
It’s pretty clear that if Kobe gets it going, this team is a lot more of a threat to anyone they play.
If he doesn’t get it going, in the infamous two words of Nick van Excel…………
It’s CAN – CUN time
Robert says
Hey Dave – appreciate your response on the FO – will have some thoughts for you tomorrow. For now – let’s try to avoid that vacation that NVE referred to : )
Kevin says
Sessions gives up uncontested mid range jumpers off screens far too much
Robert says
Kevin: Combined with the # of blow bys he allows – not good. And before someone responds, you are on target with your defensive appraisal. Others have Bynum, KB, MWP on All Defense + RS and Pau as good. If this were all true – we would be the best defensive team of all time : )
Glove says
Kobe looking much better tonight.
Glove says
Bynum turns an ankle heading to locker room, does not look serious.
Kevin says
glove: hope not
Brown please don’t play Pau at center all game.
Snoopy2006 says
Jordan Hill recovered from the sprained knee?
inwit says
Troy Murphy is not just missing, his shot looks terrible. Oops, spoke too soon. Lol
sT says
At least it was not a knee injury. Hopefully it is not going to take him out of any games.
Glove says
UPDATE: Via twitter Bynum has a sprained ankle and is having X-rays taken. Lakers fans are holding their breath
Kevin says
Perfect game to dust off Goudelock.
Ken says
I am convinced there is something wrong with Brown.
Why is Blake playing so much. He is just a very bad passer and shooter.
Why did we even trade for Sessions if Brown is keeping him on the bench.
Amazing.
Snoopy2006 says
23 – So naturally Blake will get 40 minutes.
chibi says
how many touches has gasol gotten playing with the 2nd unit?
Ken says
Can’t MB see the difference?
You have a good team with Sessions out there.
You have a lottery team with Blake out there.
Why can’t someone from the media have the guts to point that out to Brown?
Mico says
Bynum always gets taken out by teammates. Stepping On Odom, Kobe crashing onto his legs, and now Stepping on Mcbob.
Glove says
X-rays negative, Bynum with what is being called a moderate ankle sprain, will not return to game.
inwit says
Was that a Laker point guard going coast to coast at mach speed?
chibi says
if MB actually used Drew properly, his absence would be a big deal.
Kevin says
I did not know how good defensively Varejao is. Because Lakers PnR defense sucks. He was able to show & recover so well. Mike Brown has to make some changes on defense Warriors have 54 points and are getting easy shots.
Kevin says
Mike Brown has not made this team better in any way lockout or not. They look worse. Houston and Minnesota are no worse than they were last year and some players have gotten better. Lakers big 3 talent are saving this team from complete incompetence. I really have to look at Lebron in a different light now. Brown can not coach.
Chearn says
Note to Bynum:
That’s why you play hard every game because you never know when something unfortunate will happen to take you out of the game. There is no promise of a game on another day. Just ask Oden. Hope you come back with a fire in your belly, just knowing that it can all be taken away from you in a moment.
I hope Goudelock and Ebanks get time. Where are Eyenga and Hill, do they even dress?
Lakers can look to see a steady diet of zone from the league the remainder of the season.
Let’s hope that time is spent on offense to break the zone. Usually, that is accomplished when the ball is moved from one side of the floor to another and/or movement and screens weak side of the ball in an overload for open shots. However, everyone in the league knows that the Lakers are deficient in shooters.
Well, I guess we’ll start the 3rd with a forced different lineup. Let’s see if this makes a difference in the energy level of the Lakers.
inwit says
Brown is not the problem, he didn’t coach them in the Dallas fiasco, did he?
inwit says
Last year in the playoffs.
Kevin says
inwit: What do you think the problem is? Can’t be the roster. Call me crazy I see a nucleus and role players who can thrive when used right.
tviper says
Wow, just paused the game and came to see the scathing comments directed to Bynum…crickets instead…nobody else saw his complete lack of interest on both ends? wonder what is making him pout this time? and way to notice MB. great awareness (rolls eyes)
inwit says
When Bynum is out is Troy Murphy an upgrade over Lamar Odom at the 4? Just asking.
chibi says
if there are post-game reports of bynum having to wear a walking boot, it might be weeks before he’s back. if he isn’t in a boot, that’s a really good sign. his injury would be more of a “mild” sprain, not a “moderate” one.
inwit says
They haven’t had a top 10 draft pick since Andrew Bynum and a top heavy roster in terms of salary does leave great option when picking up role players.
The price of success.
Ken says
Nice lineup out there Mike. Never stops with this guy. Think maybe you should have one guy out there that can create a shot.
Kevin says
inwit: So what do you think the problem is? When this team beats miami they have enough for a ring. when they lose there god awful. Reality is there somewhere in between. And it’s the coach’s job to either have the team play better than they are through great coaching, play just to their capabilities or completely screw up a team. Same thing wrong with the Lakers is the same thing that was wrong with Cleveland late game coaching, adjustments. Lebron hid Brown’s coaching by his stellar play. Since Lakers don’t have a player of his calibur and since Brown is in the western conference we see he isn’t a elite coach.
Glove says
Josh McRoberts follow putback SMASH
Chearn says
McHops!
MB just sits when the team loses momentum. Every team in the league knows the Lakers will let them back in the game.
Ken says
If Mike Brown is suppose to be a defensive coach he should be fired and sent to the d-league.
In my opinion of course.
inwit says
The Lakers are a 3 seed right now and have lost 5 to 7 games they would not have lost with training camp, practice time and familiarity with the new schemes.
Not bad, really.
But they just don’t have the young horses to compete with OKC or Miami.
Snoopy2006 says
Dallas was fairly old and unathletic too. But they were superbly coached, and their phenomenal ball movement gave Miami’s defense fits. Not saying we don’t have personnel problems. But I just think another coach might get more out of this roster. MB might have gotten more out of this roster with a full training camp and more practices, who knows?
Robert says
wow – KB is on tonight
inwit says
I’m not personally wild about some of the units Brown puts on the floor, but I think he needs to experiment with different combos against different teams in the regular season to know what might work in any given situation in the playoffs.
Tra says
@ 34, Chearn:
Nice note to Bynum because he’s definitely been half-assing it of late.
Good to see Kobe finally having a good shooting game. T-Murph giving a solid contribution and RS7 has been aggressive tonight.
Just hope we can hold on and secure this victory.
Glove says
Ron Artest with a huge 3
Mico says
With Bynum out for possibly a few games, what are the chances that Jordan Hill becomes our savior?
Ken says
It’s amazing how bad they have become on defense. They look like they never played together before, this is a indictment on the lack of coaching on this team.
Brown really talked his way into this job. Just like a good used car salesman.
Sorry but I clearly have a serios problem with Mike Brown. I have zero confidence in this guy.
But we beat a time who has lost 5 of the last 7. That’s with everyone playing hard. Sessions should play 49 minutes a game!
Zirk says
I’ll always take a W over an L, and there were some good individual performances tonight, starting with Kobe’s bounce back performance after that shooting fiasco yesterday. But our D was complete horsesh*t. I know AB was out for most of the game, but it’s not like he was engaged at all to begin with anyway. Plus, Drew has nothing to do with leaving shooters wide freakin open time after time after time. Especially for three! Terrible rotations on D.
R says
Why do the Lakers fall apart in the 4h quarter of games, even against lousy teams like the Warriors?
Tra says
RS7 for 3 .. Game-time Baby.
Kevin says
Deron Williams & Chris Paul next 2 games. Defense will be tested
KenOak says
Looks like Kobe isn’t quite ready for pasture yet eh? Hope Bynum is alright.
Dave says
#2 Robert, Ken’s comment about the CP3 trade being about saving salary is completely false. Think about it, the only salary w’ed save was Odom’s which we wind up saving anyway. We would have traded away Gasol’s Max Salary but inherited Chris Paul’s.
You wouldn’t take on a third Max salary 25 year old player like Paul who would have received a multi year extension in addition to what would have been Kobe and Bynum’s to be Max Salaries if you were worried about the luxury tax implications year after next.
As I said, those three together would have cost the Lakers $70M in cap space per season by themselves .
Robert says
Great win tonight – Kobe Rules !!!!!
2-0 towards my 6-1 run !!!!!
Robert says
Dave: The CP3 trade was not primarily about salary however it happened to be a money saver. As was every other move we made. We did not add salary. If MK had been allowed to – who knows? We could have used the TPE. We might still have Shannon. We might have a SF who plays offense. Etc.
MK did great (IMO). I think he was cuffed though.
Snoopy2006 says
inwit – I’m all for experimenting (read my post at #10). I’m just concerned that Brown’s not experimenting with the right players. He’s dedicated to Blake over Goudelock, and even though Barnes (an athletic cutter) has played so well with Sessions, he won’t give Ebanks (younger, not as aggressive, but has the potential to play like Barnes) a look alongside Sessions. I think a Sessions-Goudelock-Barnes or Sessions-Ebanks-Barnes bench lineup could do wonders potentially. At the least, I just want him to experiment with it, instead of playing Power Forward Hot Potato with Murphy and McRoberts. Ebanks could very well wash out again. But I just want to see him for 3-4 games next to Sessions.
But I definitely agree with you. I like that Brown is trying to feel out his roster. I just don’t think he’s exploring all avenues, and I’m concerned about when he’ll finally lock down a rotation so our players can build on that.
Kevin says
Ken: D has been horrible. 112 points to a Warriors team with no Curry or Ellis. Only positive is Kobe;s good game, Pau’s good game, Ron & Sessions late 3.
How many times does Robinson have to make a 3 off a screen before there is a adjustment?
chibi says
phew…bynum doing ok, says he will definitely play vs NJ.
Darius Soriano says
Ken,
Why don’t you tell us how you feel about Mike Brown? Oh, that’s right, you did that in every comment you made this thread save for, what, one? We’re all entitled to our opinions but must every comment be some variation of how dumb Mike Brown is and how he should be fired?
Robert says
Dave: You do not have to agree with me, but understand my premises: A) We are the Lakers and we make tons of money – therefore we should spend as much as legally possible B) We should not middle ourselves. Either go for the title by spending as much as possible, or re-build and get under the cap. We did neither.
But we still have KB – so there is hope : )
tviper says
#65, good news? only if Bynum will actually try. disgraceful effort tonight before the “injury”
vhanz says
Complaining on McRoberts/Murphy in this game?. Just look at the rebounds.
inwit says
Snoopy,
I like Goud too, but realistically they need Blake to play with confidence to have any real shot in the playoffs.
But your idea has merit because this team need quickness on the perimeter.
Choosing between McBob and Murphy must have Brown waking up in the middle of the night screaming!
Ken says
Those are comments based on my feelings at the time of the event. I teach my 7 year old son to express his self and not hold things in. It’s not healthy.
Perhaps my feelings on Brown either on 710 radio or here will have a impact and the silent media will start asking tbe same questions.
Since you live in Northern California you might not listen to Laker Talk. If you did you would hear a unanimous agreement of my thoughts.
Darius Soriano says
“Spending as much as legally possible”…that’s essentially what the Lakers are doing save for the LO TPE. And, as it is with *every* trade, we don’t know what’s out there for them to obtain in a trade or if it really helps the team.
I mean, Kobe makes the max, Gasol is nearly at the max and so is Bynum. Every year they’ve used their MLE and this past year used their mini-MLE which was the only exception they had at their disposal.
It seems your argument is for them to use the TPE without acknowledging what it takes to make a trade and essentially saying the Lakers should spend just to spend. That’s not how good teams are constructed. Money must be spent wisely or it can be even more painful than not spending. Or have we forgotten the contracts that Luke, Sasha, and Radman got that everyone complained about all the time?
Darius Soriano says
Ken,
We strive for a higher level of discourse here than what’s found on sports talk radio. You should go back in our archives and read the very first post that was put up on this site. The founder made that very clear and it’s one of the main things I’ve tried to maintain since I took over.
Kevin says
Are there any stats on Lakers PnR defense as a team or indivually? The sites I have access to doesn’t have them. The backcourt was lost on the perimeter tonight.
Kenny T says
Good to see the Bean bounce back. I hope Drew is OK. The Lakers have got to play better defense. Their margin for error is too slim for half hearted effort on D. Nice to get a solid game out of Murphy. I’m pretty sure he had double digit rebounds to go along with some decent shooting.
The Dubs played loose and free…they had nothing to lose. Lakers responded well enough to get the win. And props to MWP. He may not always play well, but he always plays hard.
chibi says
what kind of employee gives 100% when he and his team are being mismanaged? a see-you-next-tuesday? how respectable.
Aaron says
Snoopy said exactly what I have been saying except per usual much more eloquently. And we never have to be worried about Bynum with injuring anything but his knees. He has been surprisingly Dwight Howard esq in his career aside from those knees. Oh those knees. And Dwight Howard misses his first game of his career due to injuries other than sprained ankles. What a specimen.
Kevin says
After watching this I instantly understood PnR defense more than I had before. And realized Lakers defense looks just like the Cavs defense in this clip. If I was Mike Brown I’d show this on a loop the whole film session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP5ui2CxM6A&feature=g-like&context=G2dc9206ALT3kv6gAAAA
Robert says
Darius: The Lakers are far from cheap. They have a huge payroll. That is why we needed to go for it (again – either go for it or re-build – do not get caught in the middle). We should have used both TPE’s. We also should have kept Shannon. The result would have been a better bench and a payroll of about $10-$15 more which means more tax as well. We can afford it. And yes – don’t spend foolishly, so nobody gets extended after 14 which is when we can finally sign FA. We can disagree on this, and it doesn’t mean one of us hasn’t thought it through : ) We might just have a different opinion : )
Edwin Gueco says
With Bynum out, we saw some resurgence of character on Troy and Josh McBob, it seems that they found some opportunity to shine and make up for the loss of a big man. I hope it is not that bad, then he could rest for a while and give these 6’10” some games. With Bynum out, I also hope MBrown will give Ebanks and Hill a chance to play and we still have this high jumping Eyenga. Kobe was great tonight what will scribe say about Bryant’s performance, where is the source of that renewed energy? Sessions is helping in offense as well, if he played this kind of penetration last Thursday, maybe we could have won that game.
nimble says
Kobe cherishes on being hated..
Snoopy2006 says
Trudell with some excellent tweets on how Gasol has sacrificed stats (and his comfortable spots on the floor) for Bynum:
“Gasol shows what line might look like when he gets space/post touches w/Bynum out: 26 pts (11 of 17 FGs), 11 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk.
Gasol’s production has still been excellent this season, but he’s obviously sacrificed stats to allow Bynum’s emergence.
Kobe said one of the biggest keys to getting rings is having super talented players like Gasol willing to defer talents at times.”
Kevin says
Snoopy2006: Pau was very effective.
Warriors defense shows little resistance but the offense flowed and their was space on the floor with Pau at the 5 both games vs GSW. Defense still wasn’t good.
The Pau corner 3 he had a open look but thought twice because of Bynum situation. He can’t hesitate on those may need that in the postseason.
Edwin Gueco says
Robert,
I want to go with what you are saying however, it is already moot at this time. The only move they could do is to get a 10 day contract from a D’Leaguer or pick up a player being cut off by other teams. It has been said in so many posts that FO and Jim tried to get Beasley who is equivalent of the TPE but did not happen. What can they really do when the buzzer for trades has sounded, trading is over take again your chances in July. Can they make move at this time? I sensed that you were not happy for not trading Pau, imagine if Pau is gone when Drew goes down. Pau is the walking insurance of Drew. He just made 26pts/11r, a lanky Catalan who is always called gasoft. He is still playing while other machos in NBA like Amare (who enjoys dissing Pau) are already out of the season. Your favorite D12 did not play with back spasms too. Hey bro, I think it’s time for you to love what we have and work it from there. I don’t like our Coach but what can we do, just pray he’d snap and suddenly finds wisdom from his never-ending experiment.
Robert says
Edwin: You are correct – there is nothing we can do now for the remainder of this year. We as fans need to root and hope for the best. This all started, because there were a couple of posts this morning that were pro-FO. I should have left it alone, but this is a sore spot with me. And yes – I will always love what we have. I am always positive + rooting during game threads, + I predicted us to go 6-1 + we are 2-0 towards that : )
Warren Wee Lim says
Am I right in noticing that our offense flows much more fluid with Pau at C?
Raydiaz1238 says
@Kevin: just watched that video. Im wondering why our P&R defense is always hedge defense. The clips of the Bulls i dont remember seeing a hedge once… Im wondering if it is personnel or what not.
Darius any chance we can see an analysis on the P&R defense or a defensive breakdown? I’ll do it if u can teach me where to get the clips.
Warren: i agree with u on the eye-ball test. Bynum and Pau are different style players so sometimes Bynum needs to keep it to get his offense going.
Quick note about this game: offense wasnt the problem, defense was.
dave m says
Snoopy – what’s your twitter?
@davem234
Kareem says
Robert,
I feel that the move to get Beasley shows the mettle of the FO. They were willing to take on a more expensive contract for a good return on talent. Sure, we did not pick up Shannon’s contract, but he obviously wasn’t a savior last year and would have cost nearly twice as much. You could argue that the 3.5mil he commanded is a lot more productive than Blake’s 4 mil. But hindsight is always twenty-twenty.
I personally ere on the side of caution in instances where I know so little. We have little information about the parameters management is working with, which might include Mike Brown’s wants, unwillingness of other franchises to work with ours, or the few number of suitors who might be interested in trading solid talent for cap relief. Beasley was one target that was nearly reeled in, but there probably weren’t many more available.
Robert says
Kareem: I appreciate your response, so I will do the same, even though others are getting tired of listening : ) You are correct, we do not know exactly what went on behind closed doors. That said – what we do know is this – from last year’s roster we lost SB, LO, DF. We added RS, JM, TM. I am leaving off spare parts for both yrs. That is not a good job. We have the Veto + the fact that people hate us as excuses – but we did not improve + we needed to. I expected better.
Snoopy2006 says
Dave – Ha I don’t have one, I just checked Trudell’s online feed. I don’t have important enough things to say 😀
Kevin says
A couple observations: Blake has made corner 3s last 2 games. He looks comfortable there sit him in that corner and those should be money.
Kobe made the same shots he’s been missing. He’s fine may want to sit him a few practices here and there before the postseason.
Bynum: tossed vs Rockets, sat vs Warriors (his own doing), injured ankle left game (says he’s going to play tuesday so it’s not that serious). That’s 3 games in 3 weeks Bynum has left the game early. Don’t want to speculate but he may be mentally checking out on us. Something to watch.
I complained about PnR defense the last play where Jefferson got a screen and Pau stepped up for a block was GREAT. Now they should watch that clip. PnR defense needs major work.
Anonymous says
#39 I agree. Bynum’s body language has been terrible the past few games.
Getting older does not automatically mean becoming more mature.
Darius Soriano says
The game recap is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2012/04/01/lakerswarriors-shootout-at-staples/
Kevin says
raydiaz1238: Just seeing your post. Bulls and Lakers have the same sort of starting 5. I’m guessing it’s the knowledge of the coach or his desire to run a certain defense.
Dave says
#68 Robert – Understanding your premise isn’t something I’ve struggled with.
Understand mine.
Our FO can’t just throw themselves into transaction mania as you suggest, when all of the rules of engagement due to the new CBA have completely changed the value proposition in the sport.
They don’t yet know and neither does anyway else, how to value each strategic move.
Let’s say for example that with the old CBA a player like Lamar Odom was fair market valued at somewhere like $9M when he was a major contributor last year.
It’s very likely going forward with the major constraints on cap, that a guy like that is going to be worth two thirds of that number in FA.
Well, that’s something that the FO is going to need to discover going forward or they’re going to be in a world of hurt overpaying for these players.
What if under the new CBA the vast majority of teams aren’t going to be able to afford 3 max salaried players anymore? Maybe the Lakers decide to do it anyway and take the problem of the lethal tax burden, maybe not. Maybe sometimes for short periods only. Who knows?
But we have to give the FO the benefit of learning how to operate the flaps in the new climate.
You’re over the top on this. You want them to flail around spending money whether the longer term consequences can be understood or not, just because there is a possibility the team might not compete seriously for a couple of years.
I see a bigger risk of getting out there too soon without enough experience in this new CBA arrangement and possibly setting back the franchise for a decade or more like the Chicago Bulls after the Jordan teams eventually broke up.
We need to let them figure it out as they have in the past for the most part unless you want to try and argue the franchise hasn’t had enough success.
Quit being such a “what have you done for me lately” kind of a fan. If we’re not careful about this we could wind up like the Dodgers, flailing around in the dark for decades whilst the rest of major league baseball moves forward.
That’s what I think you’re missing with your “we have tons of money” mindset.
Our FO has to understand the underlying factors that govern success in the new CBA landscape before they make serious moves.
And they deserve an opportunity to do that from their fan base considering how successful the franchise has been for us.