From Dave McMenamin, ESPN LA: The scoreboard was technically 0-0 when Game 2 between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs tipped off Wednesday, but a quick glance at the injury report on the front page of the game notes had the Spurs going into the night with an 8-1 lead.Eight players on the Lakers came in with a pre-existing injury they were dealing with, most notably Kobe Bryant out for the season because of an Achilles tear, while just one player for San Antonio — Boris Diaw, out while recovering from back surgery — had any sort of trauma listed next to his name. Of course, it only got worse from there.
From Mike Bresnahan, LA Times: Maybe Kobe Bryant should go back to tweeting during games. Maybe Metta World Peace should try harder to get in touch with the Dalai Lama. Maybe the Lakers’ injuries will finally recede, because they’re quickly running out of backcourt players. The sky continued to fall amid too many maybes Wednesday, the Lakers losing to the San Antonio Spurs, 102-91, in Game 2 of their first-round Western Conference series. Then they lined up in the trainer’s room, seemingly one by one. Steve Blake will get an ultrasound exam Thursday after sustaining a strained right hamstring on a fourth-quarter drive. Steve Nash will get another epidural injection in his back after his hip-hamstring injury flared up in the first half. And Jodie Meeks will get an MRI exam Thursday because of a sprained left ankle that kept him out of Game 2.
From C.A. Clark, Silver Screen & Roll: Without Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers entered their first round Western Conference playoff series with the San Antonio Spurs as heavy underdogs. Two double digit losses have done little to quell the expectation of a rather quick and easy series for the Spurs.Steve Nash is so hobbled, he might as well take the court with a cane, and now, with the added injury troubles of Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks, the Lakers do not have a single healthy guard in the rotation of four they relied on during the 28-12 run that got them into the postseason. As they say in Charles Dickens novels, things look bleak.
From Kurt Helin, Pro Basketball Talk: I strained a hamstring just watching the Lakers lose to the Spurs Wednesday night. Like Odysseus just trying to get home, the basketball gods are not done throwing obstacles in the Lakers way. And obstacles in this case are more injuries. So here is a rundown of the Lakers injuries as of postgame Wednesday night. Make yourself comfortable, this could take a while.
From Daniel Buerge, Lakers Nation: After falling to the Spurs in Game 1 of their first round series, the Lakers were back in action on Wednesday looking to even up the series. After all the talk over the last two days involving Kobe tweeting, injuries and everything other than actual basketball, the team was able to get back on the court after a two-day hiatus. After the Lakers struggled mightily to score in Game 1, they were hoping to put up a bit more of a fight in Game 2. A lot of that would depend on whether or not they could contain Manu Ginobili, who was a huge factor for the Spurs in Game 1.
Aaron says
Lets not let facts get in the way of our love for Pau Gasol. The last three years our favorite seven footer has shot an eFG percentage of 42%, 44%, and so far 40% in this postseason. Before the last three years Pau shot 53 percent in the playoffs.
Aaron says
What makes those stats even more damning is Pau those three years has been the Lakers second best post player. Meaning he mostly faces the other teams second best post defender and isn’t the focus of the defense.
Kevin_ says
Dwight this year: 17 pts 12 reb 1 ast 2 blk. w/o Kobe (5 games): 18 pts 15 reb 1 ast 3 blk 1 stl. Postseason: 18 pts 12 reb 1 ast 3 blk .5 stl. Career: 18 pts 12 reb 1 ast 2 blk 1 stl.
Sometimes the conversation is that Kobe’s ball dominate ways, at times, hold players back. But this pattern shows regardless who Dwight plays with his numbers and aggressiveness level stay the same. Is this his ceiling?
Aaron: I agree on Pau. Underwhelming 3 straight years in the playoffs. Clearly a player on the downside of his prime. Everyone this series, except Blake, has been underwhelming including Dwight.
T. Rogers says
“The Lakers went into this series with the Spurs with arguably only one player better than his Spurs counterpart (Dwight), including starters and benches. The coaching matchup is equally, if not more, unbalanced in San Antonio’s favor. The first two games were in San Antonio.
Not sure what anyone was expecting, but if you accept the facts above, you really have no business being surprised by or angry at the results so far.”
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This is from Funky Chicken from another thread. It is simple and spot on. I thought it should be posted again. Maybe the problem is we Laker fans are having delusions of grandeur right now. Even if the Lakers were even in talent with the Spurs the advantage would go to SA due to coaching. The Spurs are much deeper in quality players and that’s with everyone on both sides being healthy. Throw in LA’s string of injuries and banged up players and its not even close.
But if makes us feel better to complain about Dwight not going for 50-30-15 I can understand. If it makes us feel better to be upset at Pau for looking just like he did in the last two playoff outings, then I get it. But at some point we have to face reality. Dwight’s not Shaq. No center of this generation is. Pau is not 2009 Pau anymore. He’s still good player, but the mileage and age have caught up to him. D’Antoni versus Pop? Come on. Lastly, the injuries are real. You can’t beat a team like the Spurs when 80% of your roster is hobbled. Its just not happening.
I’m just proud of them for playing with heart. At least they are fighting.
Rusty Shackleford says
I’d love to see Dwight put up 50 points in a game this series. Even if it was in a loss.
Robert says
Funky: “The Lakers went into this series with the Spurs with arguably only one player better than his Spurs counterpart ”
Well we used to beat the Spurs regularly with only 2 players being better than their counterpart, unfortunately one of our 2 is injured this time.
Funky Part 2: “The coaching matchup is equally, if not more, unbalanced in San Antonio’s favor.”
That did not used to be the case back when we were beating them regularly.