It’s this type of up and down play that has become the symbol of the early season Lakers. Some nights they look fantastic on both sides of the ball. Their offense flows, the defense is dialed in, and the results are what you’d expect from a team with this much talent (even without Nash). Other nights, nothing seems to work and the team looks like it’s still searching for how it wants to play under it’s third coach in four weeks to start the season.
The above was from the game preview and while I don’t claim to be Nostradamus, maybe I should have played the lottery tonight too.
The Lakers came off one of their best games of the season against the Mavs and played terribly on offense and only showed sporadic competence on defense in losing to the Pacers 79-77. What transpired was an ugly game where the only redeeming quality was the fact that the Lakers fought hard enough to keep the game close as the Pacers — who possess the league’s 28th rated offense — played to form (or, below it actually) by missing a ton of looks themselves.
Rather than go over the gory details of a night that saw the Lakers miss 4 consecutive free throws when they trailed by a single point with under a minute to go (part of their 23-43 night from the foul line) or their 19 turnovers (10 of which were committed by Kobe Bryant which earned him a dubious triple double), I’ll simply fast forward to the final two possessions as they were indicative of the game that was.
First is the amazing shot that Kobe hit to tie the game at 77 with only 24 seconds left in contest:
With the Lakers down by three, Kobe ran the same high pick and roll he’d run all night, drove to his right hand and hit an unbelievable shot. For better or for worse, this was the Kobe we saw tonight. Riddled with the flu, Kobe willed his way to 40 points taking a variety of tough shots and by getting to the foul line. Kobe mostly played a solo game tonight as his teammates either couldn’t hit shots or didn’t get the ball in position where they could do anything meaningful, and quickly handed the ball back to #24 so he could create a shot. The result was a lot of stagnant offensive sets and gummed up offense that the Pacers’ loaded up defense feasted on. This was not a pretty showing and the point total and field goal percentage reflect that.
The Pacers weren’t much better on offense all night (in a lot of ways, they were actually worse) but on their final play of the game, they got a good look at the basket:
As the clock wound down, Hill held the ball patiently and waited until the final seconds to call for David West to come set a pick. This action had been their best play all night as it had repeatedly put Pau in a position where he had to hedge against a speedy guard and then try to recover to a great mid-range shooter in West. Like most of the times this play was run at him, Pau couldn’t make the play in front of him and let Hill get the corner. Dwight was an instant too late in his help and Hill’s shot floated in high off the glass. Game over.
The Lakers showed a lot of grit but didn’t show enough refinement to get the win. They still clearly miss Steve Nash as Kobe continues to carry the load as the primary ball handler. He’s scoring and passing well but the ball handling mistakes of recent years have cropped up again and his turnovers are skyrocketing as a result. Nash alleviates this issue as it would likely be him creating a lot of shots for this team throughout the course of the game.
Nash also would provide some much needed shooting. There will be nights where Ron and Jamison struggle to hit their jumpers like tonight. We’ll just have to live with those games as they’ll also have their fair share of nights where their jumpers are falling. But Darius Morris is not a shooter and Chris Duhon (while hitting his J early this year) does not garner the respect from the defense to dissuade defenses from collapsing the paint and either double teaming the Lakers’ bigs or crowding driving and passing lanes that disrupt the Lakers’ offensive flow. Nash helps these things. At least in theory he does.
As it stands now, the Lakers are simply an incomplete team that will look good some nights, average on others, and terrible on nights like this one. Even when Nash comes back this team will have its ups and downs with another adjustment period ahead but they’ll be a lot closer to being a great team than they are right now. This team, in this system, without another ball handler is simply too inconsistent to get a good handle on offensively. And while he defense is coming around, it’s not there yet.
So, we wait. We wait for the starting PG to get healthy. We wait for D’Antoni to get a handle on his rotations. We wait for Pau’s knees to feel better. In the meantime, this team will win some and lose some. We just won’t know what they are until later. So we wait. Even though waiting is no fun.
Ko says
Kind of bugged that the coach, the fans and the media think Nash is the difference between .500 and a world championship..
Will he make Dwight make his free throws and not lose the ball.
Will be make Pau more then the slowest player around shooting 42%
Will he make the bench score more than 5 points.
Will he make Jamison, Meeks, Metta and Morris, Pau shoot better than 10%.
Will he make the coach smarter so he has Hill not slow foot in the game on a obvious pick and roll pick on Pau play at the end.
Nash is 38-39. He looked very average preseason. He once was great but now, is the best we have but is not a game changing OG.
Paul, Williams, Parker, Westbrook, Rondo these are PG that can change a team. Do you all think Nash will right all wrongs and can take over a team at this point? Really?
This team will not win with this personal. When Metta has become your 2nd best hope on offense, there is a problem. Sorry.
nimble says
Half of Kobe’s TO were blatant non calls.
Fire Joey Crawford says
Why is Joey Crawford still allowed to ref NBA games? If Stern wants the fans and the media to stop questioning the officiating, getting rid of this sideshow clown would be a good step in that direction.
Kevin_ says
Pau doesn’t fit with the PF’s duties of the way D’Antoni wants his system to run. He can’t shoot 3 consistently or take his man off the dribble from that far out. Pau’s a bad fit Metta is more of a D’Anotni PF. Pau’s a center in this system. It’s starting to hurt the team when he’s paired with DH. (edited for trade speculation.)
As much as Pau doesn’t fit D’Antoni’s system is as much as the coach been reluctant to use Pau as a post player. D’Anotni is like PJ in a way that he seems to want the players figure it out for themselves. Lin figured it out for a stretch and Nash mastered it. I guess he feels Nash will once again take the pressure of him to tweak his system and put it all on Nash’s shoulders. That’s essentially what he’s said after every game when Nash gets back everything will be fine.
Dwight has really been a menace on defense these past few games. But the coach has to find a way to get him going on offense (Again he may be banking on Nash being able to do that for him). Since the first D’Antoni practice Dwight has been a non factor on offense and I’m not sure why. Best PnR player and the team can’t seem to find a way to capatilize on that. He’s saying all the right things and I believe him but if Lakers continue to hover around .500 by the ASB he won’t be a happy camper if their losing and his stats are poor.
Lakers are 7-8 and have nothing to lean on to say they’re progressing. Will be playing catch up all year. Have the same problems as last year. They’re old and have no depth. Some real issues with this team that might never be fixed.
Ko says
I agree on Crawford. If he would have not called those fouls, 27 shots for Pacers and 43 for Lakers, we would not have missed those 21 free throws and clearly won the game by taking more unfouled shots.
Darn cheater ref!
Tej says
MWP shouldn’t have been that far off the ball. The entire game he was in the other player’s shorts and playing tight defense. He was more worried about the screen, instead he should have played Hill like Ron “DPOY” Artest.
bittersunsfan says
ugly, ugly game. Starting to get unwatchable. Of course things should get alot better once Nash gets back. I do agree with Ko a little about Nash being able to save this team. Not because he is old, but because this team just aint that good. Nobody hits open 3’s. Minus Kobe, the team shot 1 of 17 from 3 tonight. Thats a joke. Especially considering thats what Dantoni’s offense relies on. Hit the open jumper. Horrible free throw and 3pnt shooting is gonna prevent this team from doing anything special.
p.s. Following Nash this season and leaving my beloved suns, I knew it would be hard work to get on the laker bandwagon. So far, other than Kobe, Lakers are full of overrated and unlikeable players.
pss. For the record, Ko is definitely underestimating Nash. And thats okay because we havent seen anything yet. Trust me, I’ve done the same thing numerous times and Steve always makes me look like a fool
edu says
Jordan Hill should be the one playing defense on that last play instead of Pau.
drrayeye says
Somehow Mike D seems to have misunderstood the mandate from MJJ: Showtime, not Slowtime–not even Kobetime. Phil left the Lakers thinking triangle, Mike B converted his own uptempo dreams to Princeton, and Indiana converts D’Antonio’s 115 pt. dreams to 77. Could Jerry’s fantasies and Mike D’Antonio’s method have just met Laker reality?
Mike D says that it will straighten itself out when “the Steves” return. Many on this board think that it will straighten out when Pau is traded. Is it really that simple?
The Lakers, as constituted, were considered preseason to have sufficient talent to at least get to the championship game if not win the NBA championship. I agreed.
So what’s the problem? From Supertramp:
There are times when all the world’s asleep
The questions run too deep for such a simple man
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am
If and when the Lakers, as constituted, figure out who they are, we’re in for quite a treat.
If not, we’re in for quite a nightmare.
Davis luv says
Guys, relax. The only thing that really matters is who is hot going into the playoffs. We have a whole season to figure this thing out.
Jerke says
@bittersunsfan welcome to fbg – I’m in the same transition having followed Nash all his career since he played highschool and now find it crazy having to cheer for the Lakers lol.
@ko – I’m not suggesting Nash is going to fix the entire team – but tonights loss was entirely self inflicted due to offensive ineptitude across the board. Overall Nash may not be a top 5 pg anymore due to age/defensive limitations (which is due to physical issues, not unwillingness) – but he’s still top 3 in terms of offensive prowess (arguably one or two) in terms of leading a team, running offense, one of the best passers ever in the game still, one of the greatest shooters in the league ever, and knows how to create for himself. If Nash is on the court, this is an easy Laker win – if only for the fact that Kobe then doesn’t commit 10 to’s, and Nash would at the very least hit the fts Morris took.
Pau’s leadfootedness and dwights over helping aside at times, reality is Lakers played a decent defensive game. The rest of it was such an outlier that you can’t take away any larger views except for getting an L sucks. It was like god rolled rpg dice prior to the game and the result was “random forfieture of all offensive capability for 4 turns – but defense +5” lol – and they still just about pulled it out.
One note on Pau – the only thing that’s harder to move than a 19000000 contract – is a guy who is playing crappy w 19000000 contract. I know people want him moved – but until he’s playing well consistently (which would most likely mean fitting in w the team anyways negating a need for a trade) and doesn’t have tendinitis issues – no one is touching or trading players for Pau (Especially after Bynum turned out to be damaged goods). Its pretty clear that D’Antoni knows Pau’s play is an issue and he’s called him on it already And he’s clearly not afraid to bench guys that are playing bad – so he’ll deal with it, and do the best he can to win w/o Pau contributing. Like it or not, he’s here until at least the trade deadline – when his 2014 expiring contract becomes a commodity – and Mitch has an idea of what pieces they want to build the team w Nash/Howard the only 2 guys on roster.
Kenny T says
What a frustrating game! The Lakers played as poorly as is humanly possible. They had tons of open shots that they bricked. Not a pretty sight. Every team in the league is going to defend them the same way. Meaning that opponents are going to pack the paint and force the Lakers to hit jumpers. Nash will help with that issue as he is a historically great shooter.
It’s hard to remain positive after that debacle. Next chance for redemption is Friday. I guess I will watch, because I always do. But I have no idea what to expect.
trish1999 says
just a heartbreaking loss for the Lakers…ugly game indeed. one thing is clear..we need Nash back..Kobe does carry the whole team whole night, we need a quarterback for this team…
randomsz says
For those who feels Nash is average old and whatsnot, do not forget he was an all-star last year in a Suns team full of role players with Marcin Gortat their 2nd best player. 38 years old mind you and his numbers have been nothing short of stellar down the years. He may be going on 39 but you bet your S he is damn fit.
However, people who think Nash will change this current Lakers team 180 around are just plain ignorant. Nash is a superb shooter and great ball handler hands down. There is no doubt the offensive woe will be lessen when he returns but the whole team (bar KB24) need to step up,do their job,MAKE THE DAMN FREE THROWS and TOUGHEN UP. Obviously Kobe’s gonna do it all by himself if no one is reliable enough to make shots. Pass to Morris and he’ll dribble around and pass back. Pass to MWP and brick. Pass to Pau and he’ll pass again in two second. Pass to Howard and he’ll miss two freethrows. This team just crumbles so hard in crunchtime.. What do you expect Kobe to do?
Just patiently wait for Nash to return and prays so hard that Kobe don’t injure himself.
Dick Bavetta says
It feels like Steve Nash has been “a week away” for a month now.
He is great but he’s 39.
Kenny T says
One last thing…why is Metta inbounding the ball on last second plays? He failed to even get the ball near the rim . With 0.1 seconds, it was more than a long shot, but still.
BigCitySid says
Forget LeBron, Durant, CP3, or ‘Melo. If Nash makes this team relevant in the title chase, he should get his 3rd NBA MVP.
Kenny T says
I’m not saying Nash is a savior, but he has only played in 1 & 1/2 games out of 15. If he had been there all season, a modest improvement of 3 games in the win column would have the team at 10-5. That’s not far-fetched.
teamn says
Wow, that boxscore is horrific for the Lakers. What is going on with the turnovers and FT shooting this year? That has to be three or four losses just as a result of those two areas. And it’s not like other teams seem to be playing incredible defense, forcing those turnovers. I hope that is one thing Nash helps improve. Not sure how the FT problem gets fixed.
And as for Pau…
Paul says
I think we need to try playing Gasol at the 5 off the bench and then play him at the 5 at the end of games instead of Dwight. Accomplishes two things. One is that spacing will better during the earlier part of the game and second it neutralizes hack a Dwight at the end.
mind frame says
This was classic let Kobe score and destroy every one else defense.metta was shut down.Duhon shut down.pau shut down.Morris was shut down.if we don’t recognize this strategy and avoid getting baited into Kobe ball all the top teams will employ this strategy with great success.our problem is we don’t have the same room for error and learning because of our horrid start.nice parting gift Mike Brown.
rr says
Assuming Nash is physically OK, he will make a huge difference to the O. Nash’s game has never been about raw athleticism and he is one of the best offensive players of all time and remains excellent at 39. The difference between him and guys like Morris and Duhon is very, very large. People will see this fairly quicky once Nash returns.
That noted, all the team’s problems–depth, age, Howard’s back–are problems.
Magic Phil says
It’s pretty sad (still) to realize that Stern’s agenda is still on. What Crawford did last night was a joke and on our home game…
Aside, Howard and Artest should be ashamed to miss those 4 FT at the end.
Overall, both teams played poor bball.
Aaron says
Great take by the KBros…
I get it. You want him gone. You’re tired of the inconsistency, the too-frequent passive play. You don’t think it can work with him playing power forward next to Dwight Howard, and so on. Personally, I’ll wait to see what happens when the offense is fully integrated and Steve Nash is back, but I get your thought process. (Plus, I remain skeptical that the Lakers can get a deal improving them overall, but I digress.) However, for you to get your way and keep the Lakers competitive, games such as Tuesday’s don’t do any good. Not when opposing general managers look at a box score and see Gasol sitting at 2-of-9 through three quarters, having been blocked a whopping five times. On a night when the sheer quantity of ugly performances should have camouflaged him, Gasol still stuck out like a guy in a bright orange hunting vest.
david h says
darius/nostradamus: scratching our heads is a nice way of saying what’s really going on. fault and blame seem to go by the wayside when thoughts of steve nash’s return; although imminent are coursed with other thoughts of ageism and boneism. since it is paramount that we (laker nation) consider every essence and nuance to the trials and tribulations of our beloved lakers, it is imperative that we continue to take the time to ponder and vent, when necessary to heal ourselves and to lick are self inflicted wounds whenever we are befelled in defeat.
winning is everything to laker nation. so what that we question laker front office’s every move involving coaching changes, possible player trades/moves; the current health and welfare of laker players; who can shoot; who cannot shoot; who can make a free throw; who cannot make a free throw; who’s feet are stuck in cement shoes when trying to defend one on one; who can make a pass; who gets impulsive when trying to make a pass…and so on and so on. we seem to get so good at this each and every season and this season in particular that it seems we are subconsciously guiding this laker team.
like watching a train wreck, who can look away?
Go Lakers
Jim says
Lakers are locked in a circle. Bryant takes 28 shots and has 10 TO. Howard takes 10 shots.
Here is the truth, though. Bryant wasn’t the reason they lost last night, according to some sportswriters. And maybe they are right for LAST night.
But as long as Kobe is still in your system, there will never be the chance, time, or patience to rebuild the new foundation. He demands a % of the game be in his hands, and that puts a ceiling on options.
It has the Lakers stuck in a proverbial purgatory. They can get as far as the old Kobe can take them for the most part, or at least on most nights. Anyone who thinks that they can truly change the make-up of this team while he is stil on the roster, is in LaLa Land.
An old Steve Nash isn’t going to change this. I believe it will make things more confusing.
Edwin Gueco says
Here are my observations of the Lakers
D’Antoni cannot decide when to put Pau in and Hill out, he needs Pau’s hot hands on FT’s tho’ he needs Hill physicality in defense and rebounds;
Kobe is the best Laker on the outside shooting, the problem is that he commits a lot of TO’s as the PG, SG. SF and majority of time allotted, the ball is always in Kobe’s hands. It is like watching those high school basketball wherein the kid phenom always controls the ball;
Dwight is Dwight, good in dunking and bad in free throwing. I said in the very beginning this is where the Cap can help the Lakers, tame the beast in Howard and make Pau a beast with his hook shots;
Phil Jackson may be chuckling while watching saying “Thank the ZenGod that I was not chosen for what goes around, comes around”. Hahahahaha!
Finally, this could be a karma on Golden Throat’s birthday sending a message to the new leaders, Jimbo and Mitch – “you can’t buy Championship without Laker spirit, passion and perseverance.”
JonM says
@Jim – you nailed it. The Lakers will go as far as “old Kobe” can take them. And let’s not forget, it’s not only his overwhelming physical and psychological dominance, but his huge contract that limits their options. “Old” Steve Nash may help a little, but yes – in reality will probably only further confuse the issue.
Personally, although he’s still great, I don’t think Kobe’s got enough left in the tank to get them over the top with the level of current competition in the NBA. Which is why I strongly advocated blowing it up after last season and starting the rebuilding process. I still think that was the right move long-term for the franchise.
Manny says
When did Gasol become our new Fisher? Lost count on how many times last night Pau was down court before Howard, yet instead of going to the block, would run straight to the corner three area.
Scorchee says
Everytime I go through a stretch of games and see kobe jack up a high number of shots and see pau or lamar or bynum or dwight (ect) not getting that many shots…. I think… “man, here goes kobe again” … in dissapointment…
Then, (I record mot games (uverse) I will actually go and watch the games and see how ineffective and (pathetic?) Pau and/or lamar and/or bynum looked offensivly. I then understand why kobe tries to take over the game.
I didn’t see last night’s game, was dwight doing well offensivley? (I know he commits turnovers and misses fts)
Funky Chicken says
I think the coach, team, and fan base is doing with Nash what the players did last night with Kobe: placing all their hopes in the idea that one guy will bail out the rest.
There can be no denying Nash’s past greatness, and it is reasonable to think that he will improve the other players by getting the offense in snyc. However, it’s also reasonable to think that a 39 year old PG coming off the longest layoff and worst injury of his career might, possibly, be worse going forward than he ever has been in the past.
What is worrisome to me is that even taking an optimistic view that we’ll get future production from Nash that resembles past performance, he doesn’t make his teammates better at making wide open shots; he’ll get guys MORE of those looks, but it’s not like Jamison, Meeks, MWP, Morris or Duhon are only missing contested jumpers–they’re missing the wide open ones too.
When I heard that Kobe was “questionable” with flu-like symptoms last night two thoughts crossed my mind: (i) Kobe will definitely play, and probably play great; and (ii) this will be a real opportunity to see the character of this team, because if nobody steps up and “covers” for Kobe by being extra assertive, it will show that they really are not equipped with a championship mentality.
So, look at what happened. Kobe went off, and nobody else stepped up. This would have been the perfect opportunity for Pau, playing against an undersized PF with 2 days rest, to come out have his best game of the year. Dwight could have taken the next step in his improvement by being the dominant guy we saw in Orlando, refusing to be stopped. Even MWP could have stepped into the breach and continued his resurgence by playing even more like an all-star.
What did we get from these guys? Nothing, or nothing more than additional excuses that this will all get better when Nash returns to the lineup. I see very little personal responsibility with this group, and if nobody (other than Kobe) is willing to step up and take over and just will a team to victory, I don’t see how this group can advance far in the playoffs.
rr says
Like I have said several times, analyzing the Lakers by making Kobe’s personality and the fact that he shoots all the time the unquestioned central aspect of everything that happens to the team on the floor is a mistake. Here is what Kobe himself had to say about Nash’s impending return:
______________
Bryant believes that tune might sound even better when Steve Nash finally returns and the two are able to mesh their games in harmony.
“[The shooting percentages will] probably get better because I have to do less with the ball,” Bryant said. “I’ll have more catch-and-shoot opportunities, more catch-and-go opportunities, and I’ll really be able to get to the basket, really attack the rim and score.”
______
Pinch says
@Scorchee
Dwight was fine last night, the only thing he didn’t do was hit his FT’s (which is no surprise given his % so far) His D was excellent, at least you know what you get from D12. Poor offensively? He comes big with his D.
What I absolutely hate seeing though is passiveness from everyone not named Kobe, MWP or D12. Watching Morris & Duhon was like watching Fisher (bless him) in action, bring it up and look for Kobe. How easy must it be to defend our lot? Pack the paint and lock down on Kobe. No one else looks for an opening, It’s so frustrating.
We’ll never win a championship with Kobe taking 28 shots, D12 took 18 less shots. Even with all the FT’s, that’s an absurd number. I don’t him blame him though, the guy competes and shows guts while the rest labour throughout the game.
Nash at 38 is apparently going to be our saviour once he returns, he better be because this team otherwise will win nothing.
inwit says
It was an ugly, ugly game but they have lost to two playoff teams from last year, the Spurs and Pacers, on last second shots. Both games were winable. They played both with Morris and Duhon at point guard. As noted above, a little improvement and the record is much better.
However, this is not a team that can rely on outside shooting game after game. They need inside scoring badly. My hope is that Nash will find a way to get Dwight much more involved in the offense, which will create openings for Pau a little closer to the hoop. This is still a team that needs to play inside-out, but does the coaching staff see it that way?
Baylor Fan says
I am ignoring the entire game and just focusing on the last play. Pau has not been able to defend away from the basket for two years. That is not some dark secret, it is in the scouting report if you believe Hollinger. The Lakers stink at defending pick and rolls. MWP plays good defense with his body and hands but lacks foot speed. So on the deciding play MWP is playing off the ball and shading Hill so that he goes right (shouldn’t he have forced Hill to go left?). Pau is out in space guarding West and doing little more than setting a screen for Hill to drive around. Is it any wonder that Hill scored? One would think that after a year of work under a defensive minded coach that the Lakers could set up a defense with the proper personnel that had half a chance at stopping a late game pick and roll.
bryan S says
The whole game screamed dead legs. So many shots clanking off the front rim. Lakers worked hard in Dallas and weren’t recovered from their 4 game road trip. They are either too old or aren’t in the requisite shape to run this offense–probably both. Time to use the bench: Ebanks, Earl Clark, more minutes for Hill. Meeks cannot guard anyone, and is useless if he isn’t hitting 3’s. Pietrus could help the backcourt, low b-ball IQ and all.
Memo to Dwight: granny-style free throws aren’t emasculating . . . .
trianglefan says
Hate to put this on the coaching staff, but that’s where it belongs. Either Hill or West is taking the last shot. You can’t figure that out and stop it? I wasn’t in the huddle, so maybe it was pointed out and the players failed to do it. Either way, that’s on the coaches. That doesn’t absolve anyone from the previous 47 1/2 minutes. I couldn’t figure out if that was Kobe or Jordan out there. What an amazing performance.
KC says
While we played an ugly game, it’s amazing how we just lost by 2. We even had a chance to go up on numerous occasions yet couldn’t capitalize. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had lost by a whole lot more than that. Give Indy some credit, I think they came in with a brilliant strategy of shutting down the rest of the crew and have Kobe be Kobe with some help from the officials.
In any case, it would be helpful if Nash can return and assume the role of facilitator, others players might still struggle, but at least Nash can relieve of Kobe trying to facilitate too much or force to get other players involved.
Does anyone know why we don’t even see Earl Clark on the court at all? Is he just that bad? How would the rest of the bench fit in with D’Antoni’s system?
bitterbluebong says
I was at the game last night (sadly) and had a few observations: first, this was definitely the ugliest game I’ve ever attended, and certainly one that I’d prefer to forget. Second, I really want to see the other guys try to match Kobe’s intensity — if not 100% of the time, at least occasionally. Despite being sick, he seemed to be the only one willing to be the aggressor, for better or worse (and while I hate to bitch about officiating, some of KB’s turnovers really should assigned to Joey Crawford and not KB).
Second, Gasol looks like a shell of his former self out there. I’m not one of the people calling for him to be traded, but it’s getting painful to watch him. The crowd, or at least the people in my section, were groaning each time he got rejected. There was one particular sequence in the second half (with Duhon maybe?) where Gasol kept passing out of the post despite having the ability to take his man to the hole…at least in theory. Maybe it’s just the tendinitis, but hopefully the coaching staff can find a way to address this.
Third, free throws. Dwight is not excused, but at least you know what you’re getting with him. The rest of the team? Yikes. This may very well be their achilles heel down the road in a close playoff series. But hey, Gasol made his!
azzemoto says
Did Pau have his blocked a whopping five times last night? If true, that must be a record no?
azzemoto says
If that is the case, then Pau has gone the “Leonard Tose” route. For those of you old enough to remember the late radio personality, Jim Healy use to say any time a player played badly “Leonard Tose has lost it”.
sT says
@ azzemoto November 28, 2012 at 12:01 pm, Yes, that is what the stat of ‘BA’ is for, and Gasol has a ‘5’ in it from last night. I am not sure what the record is, but that has to be up there.
Fern says
You know after the post game depression, im thinking about this fiasco, you know? There were 5 or 6 treys that just flat out rimmed we make half of those we win the game fairly easy despite the horrid 3 point shooting but hey that happens i can live with that. Pau played at a Kwame Brown level if not worse and the Lakers almost won the game, i can live with that too at least for this game all those missed treys were what bogged down the offense that happens, fine, what really ^%}%**%# pisses me off is missing #^+€>~#%€>~ 20 fts i mean what the %€¥> ? And missing 4 in the last minute? If i were D’anthony i have both Dwight and MWP shoot 500 €>#^*€<~~*¥| free throws today, shaq sucked at fts but at least he hit most of them when it counted. Im so frustrated and then that clown Crawford blows a clear offensive foul call, im not one to bitch about referees but he called a tech with Indiana in a 4-1 fast break and then the ridiculous " blocking foul" call and his stupid bunny hops, they need to get this senile clown out of the league. Totally disgusted right now.
Will says
Gasol is the Lakers version of Tony Romo. A nice guy that says all the right things. I agree that Pau had no business on the floor on that last play but I also think he shouldn’t be out there for the first play. David West certainly appreciated Pau’s kind nature. He says he wants closer shots so last night he takes a 3. Wait til you see Fared for Denver destroy Pau with pure effort. Denver is not the kind of team to right the ship against.
Will says
The major fallacy with this team is they talk about a championship when they have absolutely no reason to be that condident. You have to crawl before you walk and the Lakers can’t even turn over on their side without mommie’s help. See the Philadelphia Eagles for further explanation. Teams that win championships don’t talk about it they do the work night in and night out.