Forum Blue And Gold

A Lakers Blog. Thoughts, reflections, and the odd rant on the Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA (even the Clippers).

Preseason Preview & Chat: The Utah Jazz

by


The Lakers take the floor for their 4th preseason game and 2nd against the Jazz in the last few days.

With the opponent the same as the last outing, you can look to our last preview for specifics about the Jazz and other notes on the Lakers. The goals for the preseason remain the same for the Lakers — to get extended looks at their role players, start to find and refine the roles of players expected to be in the rotation, and to continue to install their schemes on both sides of the ball.

And, ultimately, that’s what we’ll be looking closely at tonight. After this game the Lakers will be halfway home in their preseason. So we should start to have a better idea — and soon — on what the rotations may shape up to be and who has a good chance of making the team.

Of course these things will be influenced very much by the Lakers that won’t play (that Dwight Howard guy is pretty important, just as Jordan Hill is). There’s a trickle down from having those guys available that the Lakers can’t yet benefit from. However, that too should be rectified soon.

So, tonight, sit back and enjoy the game (hopefully you get to watch it) for what it is and tell me what you think in the comments. The games that really matter will be back soon. I promise.

 

 


Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Kevin_ says

    You ever notice when Kobe bullies for shots when Ron gets the ball he does the same. We know what Kobe can do how about Nash playmaking.

  6. Kevin_ says

    Dwight hasn’t played one minute yet and installing a new offense takes time. But one thing that can’t be disputed Lakers bench will struggle to score.

  7. Kswagger8 says

    Dice8up,

    I am as excited as any Laker fan to see the “real” Lakers in action, the attitude and mindset of the team as well as the players is just different from the teams they have played during the pre-season. I wouldn’t put it as “bored”, but rather, having a different mindset than their opponents. Teams like GS, Por, and Utah have about 6-7 players fighting and auditioning for playing time and rotation spots, so these guys are ‘playing hard’ and treating these games as more than regular season mode. these teams also have rookies (Lillard, Barnes etc) that are trying to prove themselves that they belong. Meanwhile, everybody in the Laker team knows that Kobe Dwight Pau and Nash will get the bulk of minutes, touches etc. so these guys playing now (Sacre, Aguilar, Nelson, etc) will be even lucky to see themselves at the end of the bench when the season starts. The starters meanwhile have more than 10+ yrs of experience in the league so they know that these are meaningless games, and they are just there physically to get in game shape, but mentally, they know the grind ahead (been there done that). Coaching staff is also ‘force feeding’ the offense so you see a lot of turnovers, and ugly ball. I also notice that they keep flashing and feeding Sacre/Aguilar as if he was Dwight maybe just to see if the offense will really get him open looks. You also can’t judge the ‘complementary players’ like Meeks, Ebanks, Jamison, Blake now becuase the defense isn’t sagging and giving them space to hit their shots, and often they have to create off the dribble which takes them out of their strengths. Just imagine if Dwight and Pau are down low and see if the guards and forwards still see tight defenses (Pau and Diwght get single coverage). If they help and sag, then you get to see Meeks with space to shoot, Blake in a catch and shoot situation etc.

    So Laker fans, let’s not get frustrated and judge this team with these meaningless games. Let’s watch it in a pre-season mode as well. Look at how those guys who will eventually be rotation guys (Jamison, Meeks, Ebanks, Blake) and those who might have a shot (Duhon, Morris, DJO) are doing individually. Let’s reserve our judgement later on in the regular season.

  8. matt says

    Wow Kobe is going ham right now… I guess that’s what happens when Steve Nash sits down + no Pau or Dwight

  9. Kswagger8 says

    I will never get tired of watching you Mr.Kobe Bean Bryant. it’s an honor and privilege to have seen you play from your first pre-season game and followed your career and growing up with you (same age). Laker G.O.A.T.

  11. AusPhil says

    If he gets minutes on the floor with Dwight/Pau/Kobe, that 4th quarter shooting is what I’d like to see from Meeks. Reeves Nelson did his best and rebounded well.

    As for the game as a whole – too many TOs and too many Laker FGAs getting blocked. And even without our best 3 bigs, there’s no way opponents should shoot over 53% (and 56% from deep!).

  12. Don says

    How open was Mike Brown to playing MWP at 4 last season? With the shooting display tonight and MWP lighter feet I think a Nash Meeks Kobe Metta DH lineup might work out rather well for us, esp against small ball lineups.

  13. Robert says

    I told you guys all last year how huge D12 was going to be. Please look at the NBA pre-season standings. Two teams have not yet won a game and D12 has not played for either of them : )

    Seriously though – why did Kobe play 29 minutes tonight?

  16. Kareem says

    When are all of you going to stop covering your eyes and realize the sinking ship that is the Lakers organization! We’ll be lucky if they make it to the playoffs! 0-4 in preseason portends a treacherous season. The cumulonimbus are conspiring over Los Angeles skies. Not good.

  17. Kevin_ says

    Has Mike Brown overworked this team already or is Kobe the only guy who wants to win? Kobe looked like he was the only player who wanted to be out there tonight. I sure do get tired when Kobe outplays, outhustles and outworks everybody every game even when they don’t count. There’s no reason Kobe should be playing harder than players who haven’t even made the roster. You can’t tell me Kobe wants to win a preseason game that much more than all his teammates. These bums on the bench should take it upon themselves to lighten the load but there they are standing around going through the motions when they are the ones who need to get better. The starters will figure it out the bench need these games to improve.

    Blake gets the ball past halfcourt then passes and stands in the corner. This guy has stolen more money than Trout steals bases ever since he became a Laker. And we’re counting on this guy to be a crucial part of the team.

    I watch all these games on nbatv and teams are playing hard while guys on the Lakers going through the motions and barely score 80 points. But everything is going to be all right. Haven’t we said that the last 2 years watching lethargic play from guys other than Kobe. Nash, Kobe, Pau and Dwight will not win a ring alone. The bench needs to pick it up.

  18. Ko says

    So happy to be sitting on the floor for this garbage. 4 turnover for Nash in first 7 minutes and 11 TO for guards. Great 12 point 1st quarter with Kobe, Nash Metta ibpn game. They had no idea what they were doing.

    Blake is horrible
    Duhon is as bad.
    Morris is a bad d-leaguer.
    Jamison is a stiff.

    And the obvious reason is Mike Brown. Sitting with 2 former NBA players who wondered if these guys ever practiced together or if there was any coaching going on.

    I should have stayed home and watched the debate, at least both guys were trying.

    Yet we saw no Odom and no Roberts again.

  19. Magic Phil says

    After a couple of hours of meditation, I still does not feel the need to write a compendium about tonight’s game. I’m sure there’ll be many of us venting about many aspects of the game, which I’d probably agree.

    But I’ll ask you only 1 question:

    How on earth Nash and Aguilar were sharing the court at the same time? Why?

    WHY?

    It’s time to cut some players and start building chemestry between those who will make it (good job, Meeks. even having very few looks). Guys that are not gonna make the roster should get 0 minutes from now on.

    Time is up, MB

  20. Kareem says

    Kevin,

    It sounds like MB has much more grueling preseason practice schedules than most other coaches. Perhaps the players are legitimately tired and the coaching staff is making a lot of decisions based on how players perform in practice. I think that the first round of cuts will come soon, but remember that Phil Jackson used to say that the first 20 games of the REGULAR season are for working out rotations, and the rest for building chemistry. It’s the championship pedigree that gives Phil a pass for the same process that Brown’s applying. I think there’s a double standard in there that people are readily ignoring, because Phil did a lot of things that MB does too. I’ll wait til the regular season, then is when MB must perform, when a microscope is in order. We only see the games now, and not the practice. The practice is a lot more important when integrating new personnel and systems. Especially when we’re trotting out half of our starting lineup (Gasol given the day, Nash half of one).

  23. Thomas says

    @The Dane

    The backup PG’s suck. All of them, without question. Blake and Duhon need to be shipped and Morris needs another year of D-League.

    Meeks is overrated but might be a halfway decent fit if he knocks down 3’s. The young guys, DJO and CJR look good, but we don’t have a spot for both of them.

    Goudelock is looking more like a bust, and certainly doesn’t deserve a spot on the big boy team.

    That’s three 2 guards for maybe 1 spot behind Meeks. More than that doesn’t make sense because EBanks can play the 2 as well and he has been looking really, really slick.

  24. Shaun says

    Yeah gotta agree with some of the others wondering why some guys are even getting on the court while djo and cdr didn’t even play and Morris got like 5 mins.

    Overall though the game was meaningless amd 3 of our top 4 didn’t play – Nash played 10 min – so u can’t really look into it especially when they played their entire rotation

  25. dice8up says

    @Kswagger8 wrote on October 16, 2012 at 8:29 pm

    I was actually agreeing with what you said.. i think the correct word would have been disinterested rather than bored.

    But thanks for the elaborate explaination.

    Go Lakers!

  26. Kenny T says

    I know it’s only pre-season and Dwight and Hill have yet to play, blah, blah, blah…but I still don’t like 4 straight azz-kickings.

  27. Kswagger8 says

    Kenny T.

    If its any consolation, the Laker core guys (Kobe, Dwight, Nash, Pau, MWP) will not get affected if we were blown out by 20 or blew someone out by the same score in pre-season. These guys are very tough mentally that it won’t affect them either way. Now, if it were 2008 where it was a relatively new, and ‘young’ team, then it may carry over to the regular season (highs and lows).

    What’s disconcerting is that the guys on this team that have to prove themselves to earn their spots, be it the 11th, 12th, or 13th-15th roster spot are not ‘playing for their lives’. Though it wouldn’t matter in reality because let’s face it, every team goes just 9 to 10 deep in the regular season and maybe 8 deep in the post season.

    Let’s do some math: Kobe, Dwight, Pau, Nash, MWP, Jamison, Hill, Blake Meeks, Ebanks = 10 deep reg season rotation. Jamison and Meeks have been cold to start, and so is Blake (Meeks nailed 4 3s last game). Ebanks is the guy really showing a lot of hustle and energy so he is proving worthy of a rotation spot. Duhon is the bubble 11th guy, and then maybe Sacre/Morris/DJO/Goudelock to round out the 12-man roster. So let’s not get worried if Sacre is getting beat in the post, Goudelock isn’t knocking shots, Morris is playing lethargic and Reeves Nelson and Aguilar aren’t hustling… unless you are rooting for the d-fenders.

    lastly, last game is why I love Kobe. an 18-year vet, not needing to exert energy on a regular season game, but he is such a winner that he will not let his team down, be it a finals game 7, or a meaningless pre-season game. The guy is a winner, and if Mike Brown let him play the 4th quarter, he would have scored another 30pts just to try to win. That is something that separates him from 99% of those who played before and with him in the NBA

  28. Jim C. says

    I wasn’t able to catch the game, but one thing I’ll throw out to folks as a reminder is that our bench looks worse than it is for a couple of reasons:

    1. Most of the time our bench players will be playing with at least one, and usually two, of our “big four”. Those players will make the bench look a lot better when they are playing their regular amount of minutes.

    2. When one or more players are out with injury, it moves everyone up on the bench above the amount of time they’d normally see on the court. A lot of the players that we’ve seen getting significant time in the preseason will NOT be regular rotation players in the regular or post season.

    Example: Sacre, for as nice of a surprise as he’s been, is not expected to play a lot of minutes once we have Dwight Howard playing 38 minutes a night and Jordan Hill backing up both the PF and C position.

    3. Regular rotations and positions are not set yet, and these effect players who are new to the NBA or non-stars a lot more than they do veterans.

    4. Half the team is full of new players working out the kinks of a new offensive system while several key players are being held out with injuries or for rest.

    Basically, a lot of these players are not going to be expected to even play much let alone carry a big load scoring.

    Antawn Jamison as a starter as one of the focal points of the defense’s attention at his age is not going to look as good as he will when he’s backing up Pau and Dwight is acting like a gravity well sucking the entirety of the other team’s defense to him. He’ll look a lot better when he can feed off the attention that our superstars draw. So will a player like Jodie Meeks when he’s subbed in for Kobe and playing off the ball while Nash and Pau run the pick and roll.

    I can’t wait for the regular season.

  29. Edwin Gueco says

    I failed to watch the game but no regrets based on what I read above as well as the score. Don’t waste your money going to a preseason game or your time in watching a meaningless game. The only thing we lost during preseason time is our passion for the new make up of the team. A fan who is no longer passionate to his team becomes a disinterested fan in the offing.

    I hope Jim Buss and Mitch realized this suppressed emotions that leads to skepticism. This is the time to cheer, be optimistic and look forward to a great season. Right now it appears Brown does not care what the fans think about this team nor what we think about him. This is a passionless preamble of people who don’t have the shade of purple and gold in their DNA.

  30. any_one_mouse says

    I find it fascinating that neither CDR nor DJO saw the court today. Either Coach Brown knows what he can get out of them, or he’s “hiding” them.

  31. Joe Atlanta says

    The only way I can understand Mike Brown’s Preseason lineups is that we are probably trying to trade Duhon and/or Steve Blake.

  32. jodial says

    My theory is the team is waiting for the DirecTV deal to go through before they start playing ball.

  34. Jim C. says

    I think Jamison’s currently playing better at the 3, but that it will be better for us to have him at the 4 spacing the floor once Howard gets back.

  36. Drew says

    Maybe the youngins aren’t playing because the FO has drawn the line on new contracts?

    In other words, we don’t want thse guys look good, cut them and to have it backfire later on when the bench plays terrible? (“We didn’t know how good they really were.”)

    …otherwise, I don’t understand why MB would not want a look at them in multiple games.