In Kobe Bryant’s absence there have been several story-lines about players filling in the gaps and raising their collective games. Be it the players you’d expect in Pau and Bynum, guys you’d hope would step up like Ron and Barnes, or (in the case of someone like Steve Blake) someone who you may have had little belief in, there have been no shortage of players turning up their games right when they’ve needed to.
One player though, who has filled a key role but hasn’t really gotten much recognition for doing so is Devin Ebanks. Called on from the depths of the bench to fill a starting role, Ebanks has seen a steady diet of minutes in the 5 games that Kobe has missed and has shown that he can be serviceable player.
No, his numbers aren’t anything special. In 24 minutes a night he’s scoring only 6 points on 42% shooting while grabbing only a shade over 2 rebounds. The rest of boxscore stats are just as modest, tallying a single assist and turnover each night while picking up a few steals over the course of the 5 games. All and all, from a statistical standpoint, he’s been fairly non-descript.
But, looking at the boxscore is only one way to judge his place on the Lakers. When you look beyond the standard numbers, you start to see a story of a player that can fit in on the court should he be used in a manner that maximizes his strengths.
First, and probably most important, is that Ebanks understands his role on this team. His usage rate is a paltry 12.8 in the past 5 games so he’s “coloring within the lines”. He’s not forcing shots, not trying to be a playmaker, and not going outside of what he’s supposed to be on the floor.
Second, he’s opportunistic on offense and plays to his strengths. Of his 31 field goals in the past 5 games, 17 of them have been inside of 8 feet with 15 of those coming right at the rim (where he’s shooting 60% in this stretch). He’s a smart cutter and seems to have a good understanding of moving into open spaces, indicated strongly by the fact that more than half of his makes have been assisted. Furthermore, he has a nose for the ball and can often be seen slithering into the paint from the weak side to battle for offensive rebounds (where he’s grabbing 1.4 a night).
Defensively, Ebanks’ numbers aren’t that flattering – at least when judged by the results of the team when he’s on the floor. In the 122 minutes Ebanks has played in the last 5 games, the Lakers defensive efficiency is 106.3. But, those numbers don’t tell the entire story either. As a whole, the Lakers defense has slipped lately and that has less to do with Ebanks evidenced by the fact that when Ebanks is off the floor the Lakers DEff jumps to 112.6. This certainly has a lot to do with the teammates that Ebanks plays with (he mostly runs with the starters) but he’s part of the units that have been playing better on that side of the floor.
And this bears out with the eye test too. On an individual level, Ebanks has played solid positional D using his length and above average lateral quickness to stay with his man. He’s still only a second year player so mistakes are made on that side of the ball, but he seems to have a firm understanding of the Lakers’ schemes and is rarely out of position.
Ultimately, Ebanks has probably earned himself spot minutes even after Kobe returns. First of all, Kobe will need some rest and even when the playoffs come, 40+ minute nights shouldn’t be the norm if the goal is to have a functional Kobe Bean for a deep post-season run. Getting Kobe 10-15 minutes of rest a night should be a goal and Ebanks (along with Barnes) can help achieve that. Second, if the choice is between playing Ebanks with either Sessions or Blake at PG or playing Blake at SG, I choose the former. In the 42 minutes Blake and Sessions have shared the court in the past 5 games their OEff/DEff numbers are 103.3/109.9, while the numbers for a Sessions/Ebanks pairing are 108.0/99.6.
Ebanks isn’t an ideal solution due to his youth and spotty outside shooting. His D can still use some work too. But in a season of searching for a back up SG, the Lakers look to have found one based off how he fits into the team structure and how he plays to his strengths all while being an above average athlete with very good size for the position. And if that means for 6 to 8 minutes a night the Lakers run him at SG rather than Blake, I’m all for it.
*Statistical support for this story from NBA.com
Frank the Tank says
I say the Lakers just run Barnes at the backup 2, but that’s just me. He has been extremely effective there, especially recently. Not to mention, he has great chemistry with Sessions. Maybe if it were earlier in the season, and Ebanks had more time on the court, but at this point its a week or 2 away from the playoffs. The last thing Mike Brown needs is another player to use for strange rotations.
Frank the Tank says
From the last thread, regarding Kobe:
I was watching old Lakers championship videos recently, and something from the 2000-2001 season struck me. In that year, the narrative went that Kobe was trying too hard, seeking his individual goals at the expense of the team. He was injured mid-season and the Lakers started playing well together as a team, winning games. Kobe saw this while he was out, and came back with a renewed commitment to his teammates. As you all remember, that was the team that swept the first 3 rounds and only lost 1 game in the finals. For those of you questioning Kobe and his commitment to winning or even ability to subjugate his needs for those of the team, i’d say this is a pretty good sign. He’s done it before.
James says
i think with the way Barnes is playing, the wing spots minutes will ultimately only be going 3 ways unfortunately for Ebanks who I think has a future.
tviper says
“Second, if the choice is between playing Ebanks with either Sessions or Blake at PG or playing Blake at SG, I choose the former.”
I think most on this board would readily agree with these sentiments. Unfortunately, I don’t think MB does, meaning that as soon as KB24 is back, Ebanks will be getting a number of DNP-CD.
kehntangibles says
Thanks for this write-up; it addresses something I’d been wondering about a lot myself. I’ve seen enough of Ebanks to think that he’s definitely earned minutes even when Kobe returns. Certainly the additional depth wouldn’t hurt. And, without trying to sound overly negative, when he’s been bad it’s not like he’s been *that* much worse than the rest of our bench has been at their lowest points. (Admittedly, we’re setting a low bar here!) For that alone, I think it’s worth it to give him run with the second unit. He brings you some athleticism and energy to supplement that Barnes and McBob give youWhat makes me concerned about his prospects for playing time going forward is the fact that he was essentially a non-entity up until Kobe’s injury. (It certainly came as a surprise to me that he was dusted off and thrust into the starting lineup!) Coaches as a rule are nothing if not hidebound and conservative and I’m tempted to think that Mike Brown has it set in his head that Blake-Barnes-McBob are his bench rotation, period. And he’ll be reluctant to tinker with that going into the playoffs.
MannyP says
I believe the answer is: Yes.
Treylake says
Ebanks has likely earned a roster spot and possibly minutes for next season. With the salary cap penalty looming Lakers are seeking low salary bench players who can contribute. Ebanks fits the bill. As does Matt Barnes this year.
Veteran playoff experience is important, but talent and competitiveness is more important. Take Ramon Sessions at PG in the playoffs over D. Fish even though Fish has 5 rings and “veteran savy”.
Lakers felt the same way.
Archon says
I agree with Treylake. I think he earned himself a spot next year especially with Barnes playing himself to a major pay raise that the Laker’s probably can’t afford.
Come playoff time the Lakers should be going 8 deep and only 8 deep. Barnes should be getting 20-25 minutes at the backup 2 and 3, McRoberts should get 10-15 at the backup 4 and Blake should get 8-12 minutes at the backup 1.
Magic Phil says
Ebanks has earned the spot.
But I hope MB doesn’t play Blake at the 2 anymore…
lil' pau says
I think he has, but I also think Goudelock has earned some time as well, so what do I know?
Cdog says
Nice write up.
I can’t be upset with having a backup 2 in the game that can play some defense.
Blake (despite playing well over the past couple of games) hasn’t really stretched the floor well all season and brings effort, but no talent, on defense.
Might as well let a young guy come in and make some energy plays – thats the point of the bench.
Aaron says
As I just told Andy K at land o lakers… This is a non starter. If the choice is between Blake and Ebanks at back up SG for the playoffs than of purse Ebanks… But it’s really between Ebanks and Barnes. So as Barnes has been the Lakers best bench player this is an easy choice. The only way for Barnes to get even 20 min a game in the playoffs is to back up Kobe for the ten min he will sit a game. Add that to the 12 min at most MWP will sit and that’s 22 nice playoff min for Matt a game.
Chearn says
Nice article on a role player whose achievements are often overlooked by even the most staunch fans.
Ebanks is a player in this league and in another year he’ll add a consistent jumper to his game. Remember, when he was drafted it was for his defense and on the exit review last year he was asked to add open shots to his game. Which he did.
MB had to learn the rookies skill level on the fly. He’s had to discover the capabilities of the players that are payed millions to play the game. Thus, its been impossible to integrate the rookies and 2nd level players.
Kevin says
Ebanks has filled in nice for Kobe but Brown prefers Blake in the rotation. To test Ebanks medal and show Laker fans what he really has put him on Ginobli tomorrow.
Busboys4me says
Excellent post again Darius.
I base alot of my opinions on “eye testing”. I had been hoping that Ebanks would get some run at the 2 prior to Kobe getting hurt. I just hope that Brown sees this and acts accordingly. Unfortunately, I don’t think he will because he didn’t have the kid out there in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Cdog says
Busboys
Ebanks wasn’t in in the 4th because Barnes/Metta were playing pretty well.
Metta basically shut Delonte down in the 2nd half, and Barnes was making all sorts of plays.
Busboys4me says
Cdog
True.
Ko says
If you are watching Clip game you would see that the moment Fisher came in OKC has falling apart with wide open shots to LA.
That trade could be the secret weapon to keep OKC from winning the West.
You got punked OKC!
lil' pau says
Suddenly we’re matched up (as of this moment) against Denver. While I don’t see us struggling against either team, is it crazy to want Dallas? It’s hard for me to envision a good first round in the west, other than the epic (likely) clips-memphis series. Really think OKC, SAS and LAL will advance with little strain.
Kevin says
The San Antonio game tomorrow will be very very hard to win. Not impossible but after that embarrassing performance by Spurs they’ll come out all guns blazing. If the likely result is a loss. Pau, Bynum, Artest should NOT play. Only reason they should is because the games at Staples.
Busboys4me says
The Clippers are on fire. The scary part is that we almost have to win out (4 of 5) in order to ensure the 3rd seed. We do not want to play Memphis in the 1st round. We would prefer the Clippers deal with that. If OKC doesn’t get their sh*t together, they will end up two and will have to face Memphis or the Clippers in the second round. Provided that they get past Dallas.
anti Dwyer Abbott says
This site has consistently been Abbott’s greatest hits accomplishment.Relentless Chimera bashing and hating,out of context statistics sprinkling,brazenly aggressive attitude towards one of the game’s greatest.Neil Painism at its finest.
harold says
Off topic, but have we really sabotaged two of the 5 contenders in the west?
We’ve dealt Odom to the Mavericks, causing them a lot of headache, and Fisher to OKC, who is as much a liability as he is on court as he is valuable off court.
All that while we gained financial flexibility and depth.
Now if we could somehow trade Blake (although, to his credit, has been adequate of late) to either the Clippers or the Spurs…
Xav says
Where is Goudelock? And is Hill not healthy?
Matt says
96 minutes at the 1 and 2. Minus 70 for Kobe and Ramen (probably more) doesn’t leave much. The ways Barnes is playing, he needs to get max minutes by playing at the 2 as well as 3 positions. So give him 6 there. That leaves 20 min. I’d much rather give that to one player (Blake) than split it up.
Although it is nice to see Ebanks hustling down the floor after missed shots. I’d like to see the opposing fastbreak stats sans Kobe.
James says
20. Its possible Parker, Ginobili and Duncan sit the game out as it the middle game of a back-back-back set.
21. What are the odds the Thunder are tanking to avoid Memphis in round 2?
Snoopy2006 says
Amen to this post. The ideal preferences is to have Barnes play as many minutes as possible. But beyond that, in terms of Ebanks vs. Blake at the 2, the choice seems obvious to everyone but MB. I can’t entirely blame him – it’s natural as a coach to believe vets will come through stronger in pressure situations – even if I don’t agree with that line of thinking.
kehntangibles says
Clippers have 4 of their last 5 games on the road, and play some pretty good teams – Atlanta, Denver and NY. Gotta think that there are at least 2 losses there. As long as we don’t completely crap the bed, the 3rd seed is ours.
Kareem says
Also, remember that we have the tie breaker, so we have to lose 2 games more than the Clip over the remainder.
TheNCDon says
MB may have a mindset that you cant play young players long minutes during an NBA season one or two years out of college. Most young players hit the preverbial wall, confidence takes a blow, just not use to the grind of a full season. If coach decides to work Ebanks into the rotation a little, now is the time. Depending on how far LA goes, it would be similar to a college schedule.
BigCitySid says
What’s the word on Kobe? Is he playing tonight vs the Spurs? He’s been off over a week. At what point does rest become rust?
BigCitySid says
The Boston Celtics’ Kevin Garnett and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Andrew Bynum today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, April 9, through Sunday, April 15. Boston went 4-1 on the week, going 3-1 in games in which Garnett appeared. Garnett averaged 20.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks for the surging Celtics. InsideHoops.com
Read more: http://www.insidehoops.com/nba_rumors.shtml#ixzz1sJ7VWcKe
Interesting how some Laker “fans” can knock Bynum’s on court production while he’s winning WC’s Player of the Week by the NBA. Congrats A. B. as your breakout season continues.
Snoopy2006 says
BigCitySid – Doesn’t look like he’s playing (via PBT):
http://twitter.com/#!/Mike_Bresnahan/statuses/191978077985845249
In other interesting news, Delonte West received the first ever technical foul for giving an opposing player a Wet Willy:
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/17/delonte-west-gives-gordon-haywards-a-wet-willy-you-read-that-right/
Aaron says
We realize what’s at stake the next three games right? If the Lakers win all three they can rest all their starters the last two games of the season allowing for over a weeks rest for the team heading into the playoffs. That might be critical. The Lakers can win two of three as long as the Clippers lose one during that stretch, then LA can afford to lose their last two games and will still hold onto that third seed.
Edwin Gueco says
24,
Xav, I don’t know why do we have to lobby for Ebanks to play in order to relieve or spread the p/t of our line up. Mbrown is not a daring Coach on his 1st year, he wants to win with marquee names so he keeps on exhausting the possibilities of his big 3. If that shin on Kobe did not sit him down, I think Ebanks would still be there on the bench idle.
You know what, I’m also asking what is wrong with Goudelock and Hill playing for few minutes. Well, G-lock could score and he was not a nightmare when he played in January. What is the reason of MBrown to put him in a dog pound? And then, this Jordan Hill who was a decent PF with Houston and in AZ, yet he could not get MBrown’s confidence. MBrown is playing not to lose the season and also afraid to lose his job or image to the owners. He’s not innovative and be adventurous at this late of the season by trailing the off-the-beaten path. Insert Hill or G-lock instead of playing two PG’s and see if they can play some minutes in the playoffs. You get to be prepared for contingency in the playoffs. Because Kobe’s shin, lakers re-discovered Ebanks, MWP and Barnes. You have to prepare G-lock in the event Blake or Sessions goes down as well as Hill, if Bynum or Pau gets injured.
Cdog says
Edwin,
Hill has an injured knee. He injured it in practice after he was traded to the Lakers.
Since he has no defensive rhythm with our guys, might be silly to bring in an injured guy to play spot minutes. McRoberts has been giving good minutes – and when the Lakers go small MWP has done a decent job at the 4.
I could see HIll coming in for very few spot minutes when he’s fully healthy – but knee injuries in big guys linger.
I think they aren’t playing Glock because they are trying to build Blake’s confidence. Can’t have Glock and Sessions on the floor at the same time – the backcourt would be too tiny and unable to defend anyone.
Same goes for Blake/Glock. So since – for defensive reasons – Barnes is playing the 2 – and Glock is not a good ball handler – he’s not going to get any playing time.
Thats the life of being a rookie.
Aaron says
This is why nobody wants to play for the Clippers. A superstar in his own city is the enemy. Courtesy of The LA Times…
THIS EYEWITNESS report has to be wrong, doesn’t it?
I’m told they showed Chris Paul on the Dodger Stadium scoreboard Sunday with his 2-year-old son sitting in his lap. They were Matt Kemp’s guests. It was Jackie Robinson Day, Paul’s son attending his first game, Paul wearing a Dodgers cap and jersey.
And Dodgers fans booed both loudly.
There isn’t a nicer, classier athlete in town, who should be taking a bow for making the Clippers relevant. He plays for an L.A. team. And he’s getting booed?
Aaron says
Mike Brown might be the “clutchest” coach in the NBA. Or he just had some pretty good clutch players 😉
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/40886/outscoring-opponents-in-the-clutch
Edwin Gueco says
Cdog,
My bad, didn’t know that he can’t play because I always see him on the bench in uniform. Well, I’ll take your word that he’s injured and therefore cannot play.
Will G-lock robs Blake’s time as SG ? Doubt it, you know Kobe as SG is out so Blake takes over two positions PG & SG, are we trying to overplay Blake too so that he will be the next one to get injured just like what happened to him in January? After 5 games and almost 55+ games, and been in the league for more than 7 years, if he’s not confident to be a NBA player, there something wrong there.
I think MBrown is playing for short rotation of 7-8 of his trusted players. I’m not saying to play G-lock for 20 minutes but just 3 minutes for every quarter to give breather or avoid fatigue on the regular players. Let’s put it this way, MBrown is not confident of maintaining the 3rd position so he’s afraid to lose it to the Clippers.
Well, they’re winning and therefore we cannot question the moves of a winning Coach.
BigCitySid says
@ Aaron, #34, “We realize what’s at stake the next three games right? If the Lakers win all three they can rest all their starters the last two games of the season allowing for over a weeks rest for the team heading into the playoffs.”
That sounds great, but where does Kobe’s return fit in? It appears he’s not playing tonight. Would he play the next two, then sit two, play the next two, and the 1st quarters of the final two with the subs?
Not trying to be overly concerned, (btw, I like your scenario) but I’d really like to see Kobe play a few games before the post-season starts to work on his timing & I for one, am anxious to actually see how Kobe adjusts his game to improve his teams chances of bringing the 17th title home. Think about it, over the last five games he’s seen his teammates in a different light, from a different angle.
I’m anxious to see what comes of it.
lil' pau says
For anyone who gives any credibility to Hollinger’s bizarre predictions, as of today, he has the spurs 12.26 times as likely to win the championship as the lakers. the good news, however, is that we are ever-so-slightly favored relative to the sixers and suns (although considerably less so than the hawks).
can’t make this up:
http://espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds
Edwin Gueco says
Another point C-dog, I have read in this blog that McRob cannot play, he’s foul prone. Ebanks is not ready, also erratic player who makes a lot of T/O’s. Now they’re playing and producing not by leaps and bounds but just within the team needs. Ebanks was able to fill the position of the Superstar and making half of his production and less T/O’s too. McRob gained his confidence by playing although he was questioning himself when MBrown suddenly put him in the dog pound.
I think that’s where the confidence of player can be applied as you mentioned. Paradise lost and paradise gain when they got back their playing time. You said, G-lock is a rookie and rookies don’t play on their first year. Did he not meet our expectation with his fantastic perimeter shots even referred as the “little Mamba”, can he not play well with Sessions? Or he’s typecast as a rookie observer. Just saying, we’re not polishing some of our hidden weapons as we approach the playoffs.
Aaron says
BigCitySid,
I know what you’re saying there. But it’s not like Kobe has missed a month. He also will have plenty of practices with the team the whole week heading into the playoffs. So in theory Kobe could play wed and/or at least fri against the Spurs and then he can sit back down with the rest of the starters for the meaningless games against the Thunder and Kings to end the season. Plus that would basically give OKC the first seed and avoid playing them till the west Finals.
Aaron says
1/2decaf1/2regular,
Yea… Haha. It’s kind of crazy. Every person that saw Fish play the last coupe years saw this coming… Even OKC bloggers. The problem with your nice theory is that OKC doesn’t play Fisher the last six minutes of any somewhat close game. So I doubt he will hit a clutch shot that will earn him more playoff minutes.
lil' pau says
Aaron, what happened to your theory that we were ‘hiding’ GLock until the trade deadline?
Edwin Gueco says
42,
If the Divine Providence extends life to the Lakers with a slim chance of 1.7% going to WC Finals against Spurs, I think that will scare everyone in this league.
For the favorites, there are two teams that they should avoid facing in their conference finals, i.e. the Lakers in the West and the Celtics in the East. Somehow, these two are seasoned during playoffs.
Aaron says
Lil Pau,
That theory has been proven wrong. But there is still time for GLock or Morris to slide into the back up PG role for the playoffs. After all… Luke Walton didn’t get any minutes his rookie year until Game One of the 2004 NBA Finals… So…
To those who incorrectly think Kobe won’t or can’t play team basketball just watch tapes of Kobe playing for team USA. Kobe is a very smart basketball player althought overly confident. When he knows he has star teammates around him he will play within the team concept. The light went off for him before he sat and watched the Lakers beat some of the leagues better teams. In four games through April, Bryant averaged 30.8 points on 56.6% shooting, while Bynum, World Peace, Gasol and Ramon Sessions played similar offensive roles. Like I said… The light bulb for him went off as soon as he saw Ramon run the point.
Michael H says
While I like Ebanks over Blake at the 2, especially against bigger shooting guards, I don’t think we will see either there in the playoffs. Matt has been playing so well that I suspect he will rest both Metta and Kobe. We are already seeing this a little now. And I think that is our best chance of winning.
Cdog says
Edwin,
I think its fair to remember that basketball is a game that requires rhythm. The reason (I don’t know if its correct) that Blake plays over Glock is because he’s longer, and a better ball-handler/distributor to handle the 1. G-lock isn’t a 1, he’s a 2 in a 1’s body, and when he’s on the floor he will probably be a liability.
The purpose of getting Blake back in rythym is – once he is in rhythm – he is as good of a shooter as Glock and is at least serviceable on the defensive end (of course I’m putting serviceable at a very low standard, but hey, we are stuck with what we got).
I’m not saying its the right choice – but in Basketball you need to use your core 8, and not stretch your rotation to 10, because then people are always looking over their shoulder and can’t play their game.
The Lakers core 8 is now
Sessions, Kobe, MWP, Pau, Bynum, Barnes, Blake, McRob.
E-banks is going to get spot minutes when Kobe is back – but its not like you can really be concerned with the amount of minutes Barnes is playing. Energy guys do well playing 20-25 mins a game.
Murphy now gets spot minutes – depending on foul situations – because he’s essentially washed up and McRob provides better energy. The problem is also, though, that McRob is super foul prone, so its harder for him to stay with consistent minutes.
The choice become G-lock or Blake – and coaches like veteran players more typically because they understand how to do the little things just a little bit better. And all we are asking either of those 2 players to do is play efficiently and do the little things – like get the ball into the post, or get around the top of screens on certain players, and under screens on others.
With Sessions playing 35 mins at the point, that leaves 13 open minutes. 13 minutes is barely enough time for an NBA player to be consistently effective. If those minutes are split between 2 guards, there is almost no chance of rhythm – especially in the confidence in their shot (which is one of the only reasons why either of them is in the NBA at this point).
I personally don’t think G-lock can play real minutes with sessions. The Lakers would essentially be conceding defeat on defense – because they wouldn’t be guarding the 1 or the 2. Sessions has got some ability on defense – but its certainly not defined – and Glock isn’t in the league for his defense (like an Ebanks is).
Just like I hate when they play the Sessions/Blake lineup – its always a disaster. Teams see it, lick their chops, and its a 8-0 or 10-0 run in 2 minutes.
But playing the Blake/Barnes/Metta/McRob/Bynum lineup makes some sense
As does playing the Blake/Barnes/Metta/McRob/Pau lineup.
In both of those lineups – Blake acts as the distributor (trying not to do dumb things) and running the offense.
Then when Sessions comes back in, Metta can get his rest:
And its Sess/Kobe/Barnes/(Pau/McRob)/(Bynum/Pau)
I guess you could put Glock into that last lineup in place of Sessions – but then Kobe becomes the only person who is able to distribute on the floor – so once the double comes on him, its very hard for any of the other players to get the ball into the bigs. And then, your wasting the whole point of having a real starting PG.
PJ says
Aaron,
If the Lakers lose the last two games and the Clippers win out, they will pass the Lakers in the standings. The Lakers can only drop 1 game (making them tied with the Clippers) and keep the 3rd seed due to the tie breaker.
PJ says
1/2caf
Re: Griffin.
I will quote a poster from another website after the last Laker Clipper game:
Someone just needs to drop that punk*$$ Griffin. He’s dirty, he flops, he whines like a b*tch, and he thinks he’s the sh** already. I can’t stand him.
BigCitySid says
True hoop has a nice write up on “clutch teams in crunch time”. Guess which team is “most clutch” this year? Guess which Laker is most clutch?
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/40886/outscoring-opponents-in-the-clutch
Aaron says
PJ,
I should have been more clear to normal fans who aren’t as fanatic as myself. The Lakers hold the tie breaker with the Clippers. So if the Lakers win the next three games they can drop their last two and still win the pacific and keep the third seed. And that’s if the Clippers win out which is unlikely.
Aaron says
PJ,
My mistake. Haha. I kept thinking the Clippers would lose to OKC. The Lakers are only one game ahead of the Clippers in the loss column. But that will change by Wed as the Lakers probably will win two games and the Clippers will probably lose a tough let down game in Denver.
Darius Soriano says
The game preview is up.
http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2012/04/17/preview-and-chat-the-san-antonio-spurs-11/
Kevin says
Since MARCH 1
Jump shots: Pau 113 – 254 – 44% fg — 9.7 attempts jump shots per game
Layups: Pau 42 – 82 – 51% fg — 3.1 attempts layups per game
Layups: Bynum 89 – 165 – 53% fg — 6.3 attempts layups per game
In APRIL
Pau: 47 – 102 – 46% fg — 11.3 attempt jumpers per game
Pau: 16 – 33 – 48% fg — 3.6 attempts layups per game
Layups: Bynum: 27 – 67 – 40% fg — 7.4 attempts layups per game
Pau has attempted 203 more jump shots than layups since March 1. That’s an absurd amount and way too many in that direction. Even though he’s shooting half the attempts in layups in April he’s hitting at a 10% higher rate. I understand Pau spreads the floor with Drew down low but in a 26 game stretch Pau shooting 10 Jumpers a game is too much esipicially since we’ve seen the best post game since 08.
PJ says
Aaron
I agree that the Clippers only have a 0.006% chance of winning out. This is not a wild guess ( I have an infallible formula just like Abbott’s clutch formula).