For the second time in the team’s first five games the Lakers face the Suns tonight in a battle of Pacific Division foes. The Lakers will look to avenge their 20 point loss on the season’s second night while the Suns will look to join the division’s other teams by inking their third win on the year. As an aside, the Lakers are currently the Western Conference’s only winless team and join the the Pistons, Magic, and 76ers as the only teams in the league who have yet to earn their first W. They are also the only Pacific Division team who is currently under .500. I could do this for a while, so I will move on to other things.
That first game with the Suns — just as the preseason game these teams played — offers us a roadmap for what this contest will come down to. The Suns are the more talented team, but they are not infallible. The Lakers have some tools at hand that, if maximized, can keep this game close.
The main challenges remain the same. The Suns offer explosive scorers on the perimeter and the type of shooting from key positions (the forward spots, namely) to spread the Lakers’ defense out. Once spread, the guards will attack the paint with the dribble and force the Lakers’ defense to react. Once the back line defenders attempt to get in position, the Suns’ guards will decide if they will shoot or pass. Basketball really is an easy game.
The Lakers, then, must do better at slowing the ball at the point of attack rather than attempting to do so when the ball gets below the foul line. This means the on-ball defenders must be better at getting over and around screens while the big men must show out well enough on said screens to help on the ball while still being in position to recover to their own man. The onus for tonight’s defensive gameplan, then, falls on these six players: Jeremy Lin, Ronnie Price, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer, Jordan Hill, and Ed Davis. If these six guys, regardless of the combinations they are deployed, can bottle up the ball and allow wing defenders to stay closer to home, the Lakers’ defense will have a chance.
This is easier said than done, of course, and based off the early season results there is no reason to believe it will happen. But the plan is there to be executed; the Lakers have no choice but to try.
Offensively the Lakers must start to take advantage of what the Suns have shown to be their strategy. The Suns have actually been cross-matching defensively, starting Goran Dragic on Kobe and deploying Eric Bledsoe on Jeremy Lin. That latter match up has given Lin issues as Bledsoe’s physicality and quickness at the point of attack has mostly stifled Lin’s ability to get into the paint. In the first match up Lin only got up five shot attempts due to this pressure (and because he was not assertive enough in looking for his own offense). Tonight that will not do and he needs to make Bledsoe defend, not allow him to be a roamer who can disrupt the entire offense by helping in the paint and cheating passing lanes.
As for Kobe, he has mostly tried to use his size advantage against Dragic by going to the mid-post and calling for the ball. This has typically led to two outcomes: 1. Kobe somewhat gumming up the offense because he’s standing, calling for the ball, in an area of the court that is key real estate for penetration and 2. Kobe fighting for post position against a quicker player who is employing half-front and ball denial tactics. Both have ended up draining the Lakers’ shot clock and making it so the team is scrambling for a good shot with less than 10 seconds left.
What I hope to see to counter this is getting Kobe moving more within the framework of the offense. If this means giving Kobe more P&R chances, fine. If it means running more pin downs, cross screen, or HORNS actions, that is good too. But Kobe battling with a crafty, quicker player will only be effective if he’s quick to make a catch or so physical in his positioning that he’s drawing fouls in the process. We’ll see if the latter ends up happening, but I’d like to see more of the former anyway.
The other area that the Lakers need to manage better is in the match up of the team’s PF’s and C’s. The Suns will try to play small as much as they can and the Lakers will need to counter this by either beating these smaller players up on the glass and in the offensive paint, or by going away from their normal rotations. The Morris twins, Shavlik Randolph, and Anthony Tolliver are all key to the Suns’ success in this area, so the combination of Hill, Davis, and Boozer will need to really work the interior on both sides of the ball or Byron Scott will need to go smaller to adjust. With Ryan Kelly hoping to get his first game action tonight, it might be a good time to give him some of Boozer’s minutes (or slide Wes up to PF or even Henry against one of the Morris boys) to counter.
The Lakers simply are not talented enough to sit on their hands every night and try to dictate to other teams. Yes, the season is only a few games old and Scott should see if what he’s trying to implement has any staying power. But in-game adjustments are just as vital to getting a victory as any long term foundation building. At some point Scott will need to shift the balance. I am not saying that needs to be tonight, but if games continue to get away from this team it will need to happen sooner rather than later. Especially if they continue to go winless.
Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM.
Fern says
We dont have a good team and we have to run a gaunlet of playoff teams and contenders to start the season. Those stats should even out from “embarrasingly bad” to “mediocre” soon. I still dont expect this team to reach MDA’s depths. Can we pull this game off? Hope so. Im tired of these “milestones”
Agree says
Article is spot on. Hope they find some success on the offensive end and can maybe hit a hot streak at the end of the game and pull out a win. Hope we don’t see Kobe do endless fatigue ridden tough jumpers to no avail in the 4th again.
My big question is what’s up with X. Henry?? Is he healthy but out of shape? Is he just to out of sorts b/c the lack of training camps and practices? He has been a non factor and playing very little despite having lots of need for a wing that can defend a bit. I was actually fairly happy with his play before he got injured and thought he might be decent all around player for us this year. I hope they “adjust” sooner as well, its clear Kobe is gassed at the end of the games. Also we can’t have 1 person controlling the ball nearly 40% of the time period–unless he’s having one of those amazing games and shooting 60%. But instead he’s shooting a worse percentage then everyone that gets any serious time besides Lin/Price.
Ko says
Watching Boozer guarding(not) Blake on Friday made me really question Scott. Career high and no double teams.
Really?
Play Davis/Kelly give booze a bottle!
BigCitySid says
At 0-4 Lakers are half way to worst start in Laker history. And they are losing by an average of 17 points a game. Truly pulling for 1-4 record by the end of tonight.
Just wondering if I can find any comfort in the Lakers only losing by single digits……
Answer is “no”. A loss is a loss.
Let’s go Lakers…in the meantime, Rockets vs Heat.
Chearn says
Excellent analysis, Darius, I’ve always enjoyed your writing since back in the day when you were a poster.
Far too many players on this team are either complacent or cowed neither of which bode well for the Lakers. Unless or until several players on this team step-up and play for their life, Kobe will continue to have high-usage rates. Did anyone expect anything different? I hate when people want a Hall of Fame player with five championships to change, but make no such demands on players barely in the league. These players are in a perfect position to garner a contract with a measure of security if they play like Bazemore, Meeks, and to a lesser extent Marshall (at least he led the team in one category). The opportunity is there, to make a name in the league. Thus far, Davis is the only player using his time effectively with the Lakers to force the NBA to know his name.
LakerPauer says
I admire you for managing to post so much analysis still, Darius. If I had a Laker blog, it would look something like “Preview and Chat: The Phoenix Suns– Let’s put our heads between our knees and kiss our butts goodbye.” Not to be too misanthropic, but it’s hard to think of this season in any real terms other than getting that top 5 pick in the summer. Also, seeing Kobe in good form is a little fun, but it also kind of feels like watching an inglorious end to the player that brought so many good memories. Thank God for hockey this season.
P. Ami says
@TheNumberOfFlopsIsTooDamnHigh
Sorry I misunderstood your comment in the last thread. We are totally cool and I appreciate that you took the time to clarify. Hopefully we won’t be too old before the Lakers return to contention but I’m old enough to know, its not worth getting too worked up about the natural cycle of the game. Too many good things going for this franchise for it to stay down long…. At least that’s what I tell myself:)
karen says
I am a mda fan. I can’t tell you how mad i am that he keeps getting bashed. At least he coached an exciting brand of basketball. Did it ever occur to everyone that with the talent he was given he did the best he could. Scott is being given a pass by everyone. His players aren’t capable of playing defense or they wouldn’t be losing by an average of 17 points . Laker commentators disgust me now they have there good ole boy coaching. Where is magic johnson now, mda’s worst critic . I watch every laker game and this team is so badly coached with a horrible system. Wrong players playing, sacre, boozer omg.
Chearn says
Let’s go Lakers, clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!
Ko says
Get Wes off this team. He is mindless.
Dear Karin. Last year was the worse in Laker history.
As for Scott it’s 4 games. Little early to make silly comments.
Anon says
Wait, Ko said it’s too early to make silly comments? Is he trolling?
Ko says
On Scott it is.
Ko says
Boozer and Johnson might be the two worst starters in the NBA.
Ko says
Every second Boozer is on the court is a minus. Guy is minus 100 so far this year.
Thanks Jimmy
Anonymous says
Lakers chose Johnson over Green and Lin over Thomas.
Brillent
Lil pau says
Boozer making me nostalgic for Kwame, Eldon, and Travis Knight
sufian says
Omg, if boozer is playing more minutes than ed davis by game 11, I will stop watching. Boozers defense has to be the worst in nba. Ryan kelly looks like an all world defender next to him
Jb says
Boozer is awful. He literally gets out of the way when someone is coming at him. I honestly don’t see how he lasted in Chicago for so long. Actually I do. He had two great defensive big men to cover him in Noah and Gibson.
Kobe has to stop gambling on defense. The lakers just lack both talent and fundamentals on the defensive end.
Archon says
Boozer makes Pau Gasol look like Bill Russell.
Ko says
Watching Kobe and Boozehead in defense is pathetic.
Tim says
Kobe just gave Lakers fans a huge scare going after that ball and jumping over the fans going out of bounds.
Tim says
Hope all those missed FTs won’t cost the Lakers the game. 18-29 from the line through three quarters.
Jerke says
Just an aside – just catching the documentary “the offseason: kevin Durant” on hbo right now. Good stuff behind the scenes and a great segment in the middle where durant is working out in LA w Steve Nash and Nash is teaching him all the tricks of the trade and all the old man tricks/footwork, dirty plays etc… lol
Jerke says
Great candid comments from Durant about how draining USA bball is to him now.
Chearn says
So Nash is payed by the Lakers to teach the opposition?
Jerke says
lol. I think they all have the same off season trainers etc… like Tim Grover and a couple of the shot coaches who work w everybody. This was also during the summer. Not like Kobe hasn’t shared his knowledge w other players during offseason workouts
lakafan says
I despise ballhogs!!
Ko says
Let’s get Bledsoe, or Thomas, or Stephenson.
No way I am the owner and I want Lin and Boozer. I saw them on TV once and they are better.
chibi says
yessss #tank
lakafan says
BS should be fired for playing a 36 year old in his 19th year coming off 2 major injuries 44 minutes!! Gross negligence at its finest. C’mon gunner u can get 3 more shots up to hit the 40 mark!!
Ko says
Wes the mess 32 minutes 1 basket.
Kobe 37 shots.
Jim Buss is one smart owner.
Kevin T says
Now I know for a fact that no one can control Kobe’s playing time but Kobe. Not the coach,not Gary V. or ownership.Everyone says he is smart about his body but I don’t see it.
Kevin T says
And I don’t care how many shots he takes because he doesn’t have any one to pass to, plus I saw a couple of last second bail out shots that teammates gave at the end of the shot clock and he got fouled on a few drives that the refs missed.
Radius says
More Ed Davis. less Boozer. More pick and rolls, and when we get some shooters, spread the floor for Lin to pick and roll and attack. Give Kobe a rest, because he cannot play 44 minutes a game, even one where we have 5 days off. Sadly, Byron doesn’t want to shoot 3s.
This will be a tough season for sure with so far absolutely no identity defensively or offensively.
T. Rogers says
The loss is expected. But 44 minutes? Kobe really likes tempting fate. I hope this time around lady luck is on his side.
Archon says
Tom T. should get a statue in front of the United center for coaching a top ranked defense in Chicago with Boozer as his starting power forward.
Ko says
Post game interview Kobe says defense and team play missing.
Interesting from guy who took 37 shots with 1 assist and most wide open 3-pointers were his man!
Denial?
rr says
The loss is expected. But 44 minutes? Kobe really likes tempting fate. I hope this time around lady luck is on his side.
—
I think Byron is worried about getting to something like 0-15. With the combination of the Lakers’ brand, all the national TV exposure, and Kobe’s still being the centerpiece of the team, if the Lakers’ season reaches unusual trainwreck levels, it will, get shall we say, some unusual levels of attention.
So, I think from Byron and Kobe’s POV, tonight was a night to go for it. But here’s one of many problems with that: Kobe isn’t signed for one year; he is signed for two.
the dane says
So sad to watch Book and Kobe on the same team. Total opposites. Looks like I.The. could have been a steal.
The amount of shots and minutes are a bit crazy from Kobe, but I don’t blame him, to few players a proving themselves worthy. Ed Davis has to cut down on his foul rate.
I worship J.C. would get 8 to 10 min a game, just enough to grow.
rr says
I worship J.C.
—
Fun with auto-correct.
Anonymous says
RR
That was basically MD’s approach in 2013 when trying to get into the playoffs. Ride Kobe really hard because they just had to get the wins. And we see how that turned out. Win, lose, or draw there is a limit on how much Kobe’s body can take. But it’s clear Kobe doesn’t care.
I didn’t like number on Kobe’s two year extension. But I still want to see him make it to the end of next season.
Mace says
It will be interesting to see if the same amount of Lakers Fans show up at away games this year. Like when they play a good team say Dallas and you have like 30% Lakers fans at the games. I’m thinking one or two because of their suspected “bandwagoness” personality’s. It will be interesting to see. Next question will Kobe bring his career shooting percentage down below 40%. Discuss.
The Dane says
Hihi… that is silly.
Agree says
Well, at least the pattern seems strong thus far. Kobe scores about as many points as shots he attempts. So maybe next game he can shoot 40 shots and get 40 pts. Even though Kobe looked amazing at times, last I checked this is a team game. If he can score like that, he has to help teammates get easy looks for scores. 44mins wow, and 1 assist. I’m sure the Kobe fanboys will talk about how awesome that is and how everyone else stinks.
Lin was playing well I guess that’s good for 27mins a game of playing time? Boozer is horrible, so let’s let him play the 2nd most minutes. Ed Davis, yeah say goodbye to 20mins a game–we got boozer and Kelly now. This allotment of minutes per players is very troublesome to me. Clarkson is basically getting no time anymore. So Kobe is going to lead the league in Field goal attempts, field goal Misses, negative assist to t/o ratio and maybe even minutes per game? Perhaps a team sport should be played more like a team. And maybe the most talented defensive players should get more time on the court for the Coach that Preaches “defense”. Clearly that’s just some useless Mantra for Byron Scott. If I wanted to watch one person shows I would watch another sport or go watch early Jordan or Allen Iverson highlight reals they are far more entertaining.
BigCitySid says
0-5 and quickly closing in on the 0-7 low point in Laker history. For those straining to find “good news” in the loss, it was this season’s narrowest defeat. Only six points.
Announced attendance was 18,997. The real number is a little over 19,000 when you add in the Lakers players on the floor just watching Kobe do his thing.
BigCitySid says
Kobe history: last night he became only the 5th player to post at Least 39 Pts and 9 Reb at Age 36 or Older in the Last 30 Seasons:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1 1986
Karl Malone 2 2000-03
Michael Jordan 3 2001-03
Shaquille O’Neal 1 2009
Kobe Bryant 1 2014
Joining three former Lakers and MJ. Malone & MJ only ones to accomplish feat more than once.
Agree says
Some of us enjoy the Laker’s team and regardless of Kobe’s acomplishments individually and for the franchise, don’t view him as the personification of the team. He is one of the greatest laker’s ever, but this is a team sport. Taking 40% of the teams shots is just unacceptable–unless he is having one of those rare super efficient make everything games. 37% from the field just doesn’t cut it. Despite that at least he played well down the stretch this game.
Of Course Byron harps on defense again, not that defense isn’t needed but they have who they have. Until he actually plays the players such as Davis (defense) more than Boozer (sieve) than his words are empty propaganda. His actions, minute allotments per player is how I’m judging him thus far. I don’t care who starts but I want to see in game adjustments made.
I have no interest in watching Kobe overtake Jordan in the field goals attempted record, and then hit the points record if that entails him having a record breaking usage and field goal attempt season–to go with a low for assists. That being said, we still had a real chance of winning this game. They best win this next game after 4 days of rest!!
Paul says
Kobe should not be jumping into the crowd for loose balls, period. I know that’s how championships are won, but this team sucks and isn’t worth another injury. For all his smarts on the court, he needs to wisen up to that fact.
Chearn says
I believe he’s trying to infuse the team with a winning mentality by showing them that that’s what it takes to play and win in the Lakers uniform. A tall task, indeed, but that’s one of the reasons he makes $24 million. If he retires before he can pass the mantle to another player on the team, then the Lakers brand of basketball that we know and love will go the way of the Do-do bird.
It was well said, “Kobe is a dying breed.” Look at Cleveland, do you think Kobe would allow that roster full of talent and the world watching to lose a game by that many points while shooting 4-12 for 11 points. Hate the Mamba if you must, but for the most part he plays the game to win. Jerry Buss recognized that intangible quality in Kobe that Buss possessed, and he elected to make Kobe his last iconic player for the Lakers brand. Kobe’s status and lore with the Lakers will reach meteoric levels when the next ‘superstar’ is drafted and signs a big contract only to disappear on the court until his next contract year.
Warren Wee Lim says
Kobe knows only 1 way of playing… there is simply no tuning him down. For him winning is everything that’s why this team is gonna break his heart and test his patience more than anything he’s had all his life. Its nice to get paid but to suffer through a season like this next to Achilles tear and leg break has got to be more insulting than the injury.
Byron Scott is not a good coach. But hey, some people still blame Mike D’Antoni for that. As Darius alludes to in twitter as “the other guy” well last year’s team, albeit with significantly less talent was far more entertaining.
I can’t wait for Swaggy to suit up. But when he does it might be all too late. But hey…
nimble says
Go Lakers!Even if you are 0-82.
Craig W. says
When we are missing ‘bunnies’ at the rim, let me know exactly where Kobe was supposed to pass the ball. That and the unforced TOs really made this game interesting.
Craig W. says
Good Grief Darius! I suspect the censor police use my name. It certainly wasn’t the content of my comments above.
BigCitySid says
@ Chern, “If he retires before he can pass the mantle to another player on the team, then the Lakers brand of basketball that we know and love will go the way of the Do-do bird.”
Lakers rebuilt after the Mikan era, the Chamberlain/West era, and the Showtime era w/o “mantle passing”, lol. Thus the Shaq/Kobe & Kobe/Gasol era will not have any player carryover to a new era of (hopeful) championship teams.
J C says
It’s nice to be appreciated.
BRYAN says
I’d kill for Vlade Divac right now.
Baylor Fan says
Popovich plays to win championships and limits the minutes of his aged stars. Kobe would be more efficient if he played fewer minutes and would have more gas in the tank when he is on the floor. It is not about getting wins, it is about getting points the way he is playing now.
BigCitySid says
-If folks are only going to the games or tuning in to see Kobe, why limit him to 29 mpg?
-Everyone, including Coach Scott knew this team would perform basically as they are, folks are wasting their time criticizing him. He’s taking one for the team. He’ll be rewarded with a front office spot once the Lakers start to become relevant on the court again…in about three years.
T. Rogers says
Baylor Fan,
I agree with you about Kobe’s efficiency. The truth is he can’t dominate for 40 minutes a night anymore. He literally has to pick his spots during games. But that has to be a dance between him and Byron. They have to be on the same page. They have to be in agreement about when he needs to sit and when he needs to play. Because it is clear that no coach has the power to sit Kobe against his will.
I do think he needs to move the ball more. If you are going to lose you may as well keep the ball moving and others involved. It better preserves Kobe’s body for the long season. And there is a chance that other guys may become more consistent contributors. At this point I don’t see any benefit to Kobe killing himself trying to score in volume only to lose by 6 points. There is just nothing appealing about that.
Shaun says
I would say the one thing that concerns me is that jordan clarkson is not getting more time on the floor.
He is at least a shot taker / playmaker that can create some offense with the 2nd unit.
Not sure why he only gets 4 mins of playing time. I guess Bryon really wamted the winamd wanted to go with veterans but jordan needs more mins in a developing year.
Agree says
RE: Darius’s Twitter comment about “over-passing”. I for one would like to see him get others more involved and give them a chance to prove they can hit shots over a bigger sample size. Lin needs to shoot at least as much as he did last night EVERY game. Clarkson needs to get on the court more period.
I thought for a big chunk of last night Kobe looked pretty amazing, he playedd crazy hard. I give him props for that. He just needs to let other guys have more chances, the field goal attempts tell the story. You can’t just pass it to a couple guys and watch them miss once and say screw them I’m shooting from now on. Kobe is shooting the lowest percentage then nearly everyone on the team that actually plays–beyond Lin/Price. Even the Kobe pure Fanboys must think 37 shots is too much and 40% usage is too much even with the idea that the team doesn’t have much talent currently?
gene says
Kobe’s game last night was embarrassing. He was complaining too much….throwing junk up….missing badly…I am sure future FA see how Kobe plays and will wait till he retires before thinking about coming to LA….
Calvin Chang says
@Shaun: I think Clarkson is not seeing much time because
a.) Byron Scott doesn’t trust rookies – he prefers experienced players
b.) Clarkson gets attacked on defense the moment he checks in. I saw Gerald Green post him up immediately and get on a roll
Vasheed says
I think RR nailed this on the head. Playing Kobe 44 minutes is about trying to get a W before the Lakers set a franchise record of losses to start the season.
I agree with many posters that Davis is likely the Lakers best big at the moment but he has been playing significant playing time if not starting. In this game it looks like he got in foul trouble and Boozer as a result got more playing time. Way too much drama about Boozer.
Welcome back Ryan Kelly! Really looking forward to seeing him play this year.
Jordan Clarkson, has not looked good so far but, I agree with Shaun he should get more playing time. He had moments where he looked good in the preseason and I would like to see if he can pull things together and be consistent. His growth could be room for improvement on this club.
Calvin Chang says
Lakers biggest problem is they don’t have rim protection. Boozer is a poor defender. Either start Ed Davis at center and have Jordan Hill play 4, or sign a big stiff like Hasheem Thabeet.
In today’s NBA game, good teams use the high pick and roll / spread offense. You have good corner 3pt shooters to spread the defense. The high pick and roll gets the point guard separation from his defender, and he can penetrate no matter how good your PG defender is. That’s what a pick is designed to do.
It’s the big’s job to help protect the paint. If you look at the Rockets, when their guards get picked off, Dwight is back there to protect the rim. You need someone like that in today’s game.
Renato Afonso says
This is almost as bad as it gets. There is no reason whatsoever to play Boozer more than 10-12 mpg nor to play Kobe 44 minutes… I understand that having a set rotation is important, so that everyone knows their role and adjusts accordingly, but said rotation cannot be set in stone. It should be fluid with player minutes increasing or decreasing according to the level of play they are showing on the court.
It’s still Byron’s 5th game, so we should really cut him some slack to see if he adjusts accordingly. And for all those talking about MDA, you’re really losing my respect now… MDA was given more than enough time to adjust and he alienated our bigs except for Sacre and Kelly. I guess everyone would rather see Gasol or Kaman instead of Boozer playing for us right now, so you really can’t compare the rosters (nor the injuries, to be fair). So, please, let it go… If nothing changes in the next 5-10 games then we will lay the gauntlet on Scott but, until then, he deserves a fair chance.
Quin says
I’ll tell you where Kobe was supposed to pass the ball. Lin was 1-2 at three. I’m not saying he’s going to shoot 50% at 3, but at least give him a CHANCE to shoot less than 50% from the arc. He had so many opportunities in the 4th to just pass it behind him while he’s shooting double-teamed jumpers that have almost no chance.
And then there’s the fast-breaks. I wasn’t keeping score, but he had no less than 5 awful fast-break attempts where he didn’t pass it, and didn’t score. Dude … just pass to Wes Johnson. He’s an athlete. That’s what he’s there for. At least give him a CHANCE to get a shot up on the break. Heck … I’d even settle for giving up on the break and setting the offense. But noooooo. Every steal he has to try to score, and failed.
Oldtimer says
I agree with Renato that the game against the Suns is supposed to be a W. Positive observations, I prefer Kelly than Boozer. Coach should reduce playing time of Kobe to regulate his shooting at will. I love his offense, the best weapon of the Lakers but it has to go with the flow. Kelly and Ellinton could fill the void while Kobe is resting. Boozer is not dependable on his D nor his shooting. More playing time for Davis as a starter and closer. Wesley has a bad D, very athletic but low efficiency rating whose performance is always in a roller coaster. Unless these issues are addressed or say it in this manner accepted and implemented by the players, Lakers will have hard time see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Hale says
I awakened to find seemingly random numbers 44 and 37. Never did I think they represented the team record before the regular season finale.
kevin_ says
Going to be a loooong year. I’m at the point where I just cherish Kobe’s last few years and go from there. Coaches coach, players play he’s on the floor so he runs the team not Scott. Can’t break 18 years of habits in 2 years. Lakers will rise again.
mud says
good one Kobe.
the others need to get aggressive before they get deferred to, and not JLin out of control aggressive. also, what does Kobe have to do to get a foul called? why do other players get a whistle from minor contact that doesn’t affect the play, yet Kobe can get mugged? it was always bad, but it seems like Kobe is back to being a rookie, instead of one of the great players of all time.
hey, this same team beat the Lakers by 20 points last week. i’d call this progress.
karen says
Hey ko, you can say get johnson off team he is mindless but if a woman says scott is terrible i am silly, hmmm
rr says
Vasheed,
Good points.
I would add that the Lakers don’t play again until November 9, so I expect that Kobe told Byron he could go heavy minutes to try to get the 0 out of the W column. I still don’t agree with it, however, because
a) Kobe’s deal is two years.
b) I doubt that he is as effective in that many minutes at his age.
I think Kobe should go 30-34 MPG, and let the team’s W-L record be what it is. If it is 17-65 or so, so be it.
Vion says
This group of Lakers have only played together for a few games, and it should be expected that they will lose most games in the beginning. The evidence to support this view so far is that they were blown out by the Suns in the first game but lost by 6 in the second game, that is huge progress. I will wait to see if my theory turns out to be correct.
BigCitySid says
The real problem here is so obvious. Kobe is looking for someone HE considers qualified to pass the Laker reigns to, and he has so many here feeling the same way. Guess what, based on the comments I’m reading here on other NBA players, that person doesn’t exist.
There are a few former Lakers performing rather well in the NBA right now. Any of them would be preferred to Kobe current teammates.
rr says
The real problem here is so obvious. Kobe is looking for someone HE considers qualified to pass the Laker reigns to, and he has so many here feeling the same way.
—
This is an excellent example of why you should probably avoid Kobe as a topic–your feelings about him are too strong. The real problem here is that the Lakers have a really bad team, and that is the case for a lot of reasons. Every thing that happens with the Lakers is not a direct result of Kobe’s personality.
Should he be jacking up 37 shots? No. But that is only one issue among many.
Aaron says
rr,
On this site it says talking Lakers and basketball in general. I promise you we shouldn’t be talking Lakers right now on a day to day basis. It’s def more interesting to be talking basketball in general. But up to you.
Craig W. says
Got to agree with rr again – can’t believe I just said that – in that anyone who absolutely knows what Kobe is thinking/doing probably doesn’t exist outside of Kobe’s skin.
PurpleBlood says
the Mamba is the Mamba – i love `im for it; nonetheless, i do hope he can get to being more of the facilitator/back-to-the-basket post-up-threat which lifts the squads´ performance level sooner rather than later…
Way to go J Hill, double double; keep it comin´ Ed D. !
Note to Byron:
read this post:
Archon November 4, 2014 at 11:34 pm
Tom T. should get a statue in front of the United center for coaching a top ranked defense in Chicago with Boozer as his starting power forward.
___
(I know that the Bulls had a better team all around, ok?)
Anyhow, hope it helps coach! Let´s get that first w !
Chris J says
Calvin Chang said it most recently, but it’s been said on this site many times before: Lakers biggest problem is they don’t have rim protection.
Almost every single time they came close to tying the game last night, some Sun would immediately drive the lane and get a layup or free throws. The Clippers came back and held on using the same approach; with no one to deter rim attacks, the Lakers bigs slide in for help and too often reach in and find themselves in foul trouble.
Emeka Okafor’s back issues must have scared the team off, and at this point I’d almost welcome the idea of seeing what Bynum’s interest may be in a workout. There’s nothing on the roster now to suggest the Lakers’ problems are going to cease anytime this season. I love Nick Young, and his return will help. But his skills are on the other side of the floor, and without paint defense this season is only going to get worse.
The annoying part is so may people could foresee this issue, going back into the summer. Yet nothing has been done to rectify it.
The Dane says
The Lakers not winning is the biggest NBA news so far this season in my home country:
http://politiken.dk/sport/ECE2444951/storhold-i-krise-jagter-den–forbandede-sejr/
Lakers is almost as big a brand as the NBA itself, and the Lakersnot winning, even with Kobe putting up huuge numbers is a real story! The first NBA news to make the frontpage this year.
Danish: “Los Angeles Lakers er for amerikansk basketball, hvad Bayern München er for tysk og Manchester United for engelsk fodbold; et storhold, som alle andre skal måle sig med.
Klubben fra Californien er med 16 titler et af historiens mest succesrige hold i den amerikanske NBA-liga, men selv de største hold kan ramme en dårlig periode.
Og det er lige præcis, hvad Lakers har gjort fra starten af den nye sæson, hvor det i de fem første opgør endnu ikke er blevet til sejr. Det er Lakers’ dårligste start på en sæson siden 1957-1958.”
Translation: “Los Angeles Lakers is to American basketball what Bayern Bayern München to German and Manchester United to English football (soccer); the team all others measure themselves against.
The club from California is with it’s 16 titles one of the most succesful teams in the American NBA league, but even the biggest team can be hit by a bad period.
And that is exactly what has happened to the Lakers at the beginning of this new season, where it through the first 5 games of the season still has not won yet. It is the worst Lakers start at a season since 1957-1958.”
It says something about how iconic Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are. This is one of the reasons he is paid like he is, since without him this wouldn’t even be a story.
Pete says
The real problem here is so obvious. Kobe is looking for someone HE considers qualified to pass the Laker reigns to, and he has so many here feeling the same way.
—
The real problem is the FO. So many posters and NBA analysts concede that the Lakers knew that the results we see on the floor were likely/expected if they signed Kobe to the ridiculous extension. Yet, the FO did it anyway.
I have not heard any back stories about Jim/Mitch talking to Kobe about what is best for the organization: ‘Kobe take less so we can put together a true contender’. So I can only assume that no one had the courage to talk about the elephant in the room, that is “if we sign Kobe the team will be horrible”. So the logical conclusion is what we are seeing is what the FO had to expected to see.
To me that is the travesty, the FO had to know they were writing off the next three years (last year. this year and next). Yet the spin that comes out of the FO would be the envy of any political handler. There’s a reason why Jeannie did that media tour a few weeks back even though the tour was needed only because the Director of Basketball Operations had failed miserably at his job. Jeannie could deflect the difficult questions because they were outside her purview and she could claim separation of powers or plausible deniability.
I have become very cynical with respect to Laker management. The truth is that Jim painted the FO into a corner and they had to pay Kobe off to be the face of the franchise for two more years. We are seeing exactly what the FO wanted: Kobe is the eye candy to smooth out the fact that the team is among the two or three worst in the entire league.
KenOak says
rr is spot on as usual.
I claim that BCS would like Kobe to pass the reins of the franchise to Carlos Boozer just so that he has something else to criticize Kobe about…
Aaron says
Craig,
I know when someone puts their hand on a frying pan they are thinking/feeling “ouch!”
Renato Afonso says
Karen,
You may be right about Scott or you may not be. The point is that it is very difficult to know that after 5 games…
bryan S. says
Jordan Clarkson is physically over-matched against many twos in the league. Great size as a one; undersized as a two. It’s difficult to shine in the role that he is in. He will need to become a point guard (still learning the position) to have success at this level. He needs some Price minutes. But yeah, Price is that long sought after doberman one . . .
lil pau says
Pete:
To me that is the travesty, the FO had to know they were writing off the next three years (last year. this year and next).
—-
Why do you say that? The Lakers have been steadfast in insuring that all of their contracts are one year only (even overpaying Hill for one year to avoid having to sign him to a longer term). Any team that wants to move its star and rebuild from scratch would look to the Lakers before any other team as a trading partner as they could get equal monetary return comprised entirely of expiring contracts and start their rebuild immediately (well, the following season), rather than having to wait for the players they took back in the trade eventually to come off the books. The Lakers are working on two fronts– (1) probably be bad in the short-term and compile picks/young players on rookie deals;and (2), always be ready to make a blockbuster trade at a moment’s notice should it become available.
The Lakers were very lucky to have Kwame’s expiring deal when Pau became available; this time, they are in a position to swoop when the opportunity presents himself. In the interim, we have Kobe to watch. This isn’t like competing for a championship, and it makes for a difficult to justify expensive hobby for me to go to staples and watch a bunch of scrubs, but it’s perfectly logical and right-minded given the CBA, although I guess it’s easier to gripe that the FO is run by morons and to make fun of Buss Jr’s history and (lack of) dress-sense.
Rest assured: the team’s doing the right things. We got Stern’d and then wildly unlucky with injuries, but the team is (mostly) making the right moves. Be on the lookout for disgruntled stars– someday, our prince will come….
Robert says
Kobe: He is playing too many minutes. He might be taking too many shots. He is however the only reason that 90% of the world has any interest in the Lakers right now. We have 77 games to go. I will boldly predict that Kobe will continue to be Kobe and he will not morph into Magic (going way out on a limb with that).
Agree: “Some of us enjoy the Laker’s team and regardless of Kobe’s accomplishments” Yes – most of us do. However that requires team accomplishment. Getting 25 wins instead of 20 is not what I call an accomplishment. That is why rooting for Kobe is a good distraction during this period of chaos.
Pete: Not sure what the FO was thinking when they extended Kobe. I do know many thought it was a good move. I was not one of them.
MD: Why are we still even talking about this guy? Why not talk about Del Harris? Or Randy Pfund, while we are reviewing great coaches in Laker history. Entertainment? That’s what the Globetrotters are for. Could we beat them? : )
History: Many said we did not need Dwight. Many said we did not need Pau. Many (including our coach) said we did not need Kaman. Well – this is basketball. You need good big men (ingenious concept). We do not have them – the results are predictable.
Scott: Someone had to lead Pickett’s charge and someone has to coach these Lakers. The results in both cases – predictable. Questioning the strategy used after the battle/game begins is almost comical given the overall situation.
Game 6: This game could be the most winnable game on the schedule. Four days off, at home, against a bad team. We need this badly. We need to end this streak.
Lance says
Pete: I have become very cynical with respect to Laker management…We are seeing exactly what the FO wanted: Kobe is the eye candy to smooth out the fact that the team is among the two or three worst in the entire league.
__
Let me help talk you off the ledge…just joking. I do know the frustration you feel. But you give the FO too much credit. I do not believe that the FO has a plan that essentially offers up Kobe as our viewing pleasure in a trade-off for a well thought out rebuild. I remember most of the rhetoric that the FO shares and after the Kobe extension there was talk about the fact that it still allowed the team to sign a top tier FA this past Summer. I believe they were shocked that CA opted not to come. I think they are shocked at how bad the current team is as well. They felt that Lin and Boozer were actual difference makers.
I don’t believe there is a plan. The Lakers are where they are because Jim thinks he is his dad and that the only way to win is to play for the home run. The veto hurt (and was an injustice) but everything Jim had done since then is to double down and continue to double down on losing hands.
I can almost guarantee you that in Jim’s ‘How to save the Lakers’ folder there is no evaluation of potential deadline trades, summer of 2015 restricted/unrestricted FAs or possible draft analysis. The only note is for the Summer of 2016 and it says: “Sign KD and KL”.
Well that would certainly turn the Lakers’ fortune around if that were to happen. But it shows a shallow understanding of what near 30 year old superstars want: a championship team to join (aka: a talented roster). It also shows a lack of patience and understanding as to how to build a roster under the new CBA: a multi-year process of acquiring young talent, draft picks and smart use of cap space.
I applaud Jeannie for having the courage to face the tough questions but you hit the nail on the head. The only reason she had to do that press tour is because Jim has been so awful at his job.
Robert says
And there you have it. Both lil pau and I love Kobe and love watching him. We just have differing opinions as to the wisdom of the FO, inclusive of the Kobe deal : ) So I guess when it comes to things we agree on
Kobe Rules !
gene says
If Kobe’s status doenst change that will mean we will end up with nothing in return for either Kobe or Pau.That is not how you rebuild your team…..
JBN74SB says
One can only learn so much from watching basketball. As one who plays it even at age 40, every team needs at least one player who can both handle the ball and create their own shot. Until Nick Young comes back, it’s only Kobe (Lin is too turnover prone and not a good enough shooter off the dribble). Compounding the problem is that the lakers role players are all 2nd-3rd or d league quality.
So, does Kobe shoot too much? Absolutely. But he is most certainly not the reason this team is losing. The fact of the matter is that we are awful, and will continue to be awful for the foreseeable future.
Not to beat a dead horse, but we’re getting closer to my 0-13 prediction heading into game against Denver.
KenOak says
@gene
“If Kobe’s status doenst change that will mean we will end up with nothing in return for either Kobe or Pau.That is not how you rebuild your team”
What does this comment even mean? If Kobe retires a Laker, then he retires a Laker. That’s what happens when a franchise player gets old. We got like, umm, 5 championships in return.
By the way…I’m seeing that the Bobcats are beating the heat. I don’t think we’re beating them either.
Robert says
KenOak: They changed their name back to the bumblebees. In spite of that they did indeed beat the Heat. They play on the East Coast at night on Friday. They will make their 5 hour flight (prob Saturday) and play us on Sunday. Not a b2b, but close. They are 2-3, and on the road. We have got to win this. If not our worst start in history and our longest losing streak ever are on the table. I think this game is better than 50/50 for a win and there will not be that many this year in that category. There are very few games that will have too much meaning this year. This is one that does have meaning. The outcome will be the difference between being just a bad team and being a team in an all out panic.
KenOak says
Robert:
Sorry, I missed that they had changed their name back! Whether we win this one or not, there is already a panic anyway. I really felt that, with everyone healthy, this team had a legit shot at 40 games and flirting with the 8th seed..Now if we win 20 I will be surprised. I’m just going to enjoy the journey and the history being made.
Mid-Wilshire says
In an earlier post, I had said that this might be a tale of two seasons. I still believe that.
Season #1 (games 1-30): Horrors; terrible losing streaks; the Lakers being reviled by every person on Earth; the Lakers playing without Nick Young; Xavier Henry and Ryan Kelly battling back from injuries and / or surgeries; players getting used to each other, to Kobe, to Byron’s schemes; the Lakers getting trampled by the best teams in the West.
Season #2 (games 31-82): The Lakers become more or less familiar with each other; the Lakers become more or less familiar with Byron’s schemes (both offensive and defensive); Nick Young rounds into form (we could have used him already); Xavier Henry rounds into form; even Ryan Kelly rounds into form; the Lakers’ defense improves (marginally, but it improves); Jordan Clarkson (!) begins to get some minutes at both the 1 and the 2; Ed Davis begins to play more minutes than Boozer and, with Jordan Hill, actually forms part of a fairly decent front line.
Prediction: Season #1 — 5 wins, 25 losses. Season #2 — 20 wins, 32 losses.
The following year (2015 / 2016): Julius Randle returns; a more mature and stronger Jordan Clarkson shows up in camp; the draft pick from Houston arrives; Kobe plays; Swaggy P plays; and an influx of new players wear the purple and gold.
Bottom line: it’s a process. We’re in the early stages. There’s no other way.
KenOak says
Great post Mid-Wilshire! You forgot the top 3 overall pick that we’ll have too…Next year will be a fun year I think. We’ll get a true glimpse of the future with all the young players and we get to say goodbye to the past as Kobe rides off into the sunset. The Lakers should pick the best possible big next year. (Towns maybe?)
Enjoy the “process” as MW puts it because this could be the beginning stages of the next dynasty rising from the ashes of the old one. Fun times!
LKK says
For those with short memories, Kobe did take a pay cut somewhere in the vicinity of $6M/yr. I think 37 shots with one assist is no way to play basketball, no doubt. I also think the Bean was sending his teammates a message that he is willing to risk criticism and ostracism to win and that they need to put out a max effort just like he does. Right now, he’s playing extremely hard, but not extremely smart.
One other thing is that Kobe is testing his limits here. He’s seeing just what his 36 yr. old, coming back from injury, body can do. That’s what that leap into the stands was all about.
The Dane says
For all our doom and gloom, then imagine how they feel in…
Indiana 1-3 (where contenders back in march)
Denver 1-3 (they “won” that Carmelo trade several years ago… still rebuilding)
Oklahoma 1-3 (will it soon be fair to start talking about a window for this team)
…and of course… muahahaha:
Cleveland 1-3
Tra says
They play on the East Coast at night on Friday. They will make their 5 hour flight (prob Saturday) and play us on Sunday. Not a b2b, but close. They are 2-3, and on the road.
—
These are the Hornets that we’re talking about, right?
All jokes aside, those 4 sentences by Robert tells us all we need to know about how this season will play out.
Jayz says
Let’s keep it real…..
If Jordan Hill and Ed Davis are your 2nd and 3rd best players you better know that team ain’t going NOWHERE. Both players would even start on a championship team.
Even 05-06′ Kobe (that’s the year where he dropped 81!!!) couldn’t get this team in the playoffs, especially in the loaded west.
As for everybody complaining about Kobe taking 37 shots, who is he supposed to pass to?I say fire away Brah! Go get that Kareem record!
Agree says
I’m calling it early, Sunday will be our first win and part of a 3 game win streak! Unfortunately, it will be followed by another 3 game losing streak after that. A few things done differently and some playing time adjustments and we could have snuck out 2 victories instead of this 0-5 garbage.
Oldtimer says
Since we could not find a ray of hope on the current starters, I thought of tinkering and go with the younger legs and accelerate Clarkson’s development.
1. Price
2. Clarkson
3. Kobe
4. Davis
5. Hill
Kobe becomes the receiver than a ball handler.
Darius, what is the status of the waiver that Mitch mentioned when Nash was scratched for the season? Based on CBA rules, can he also apply the same waiver on Randle?
BigCitySid says
Interesting Kobe item: his legacy has a decent chance of “bookending” the Laker franchise. He’s in a seven way tie with Miken, Jim Pollard, Kareem, Magic, Cooper, & Fisher for most Laker titles with five. While also being connected with some of the Laker’s worst teams in this year & last.
Just pointing out things that some may miss…or not wish to see.
The price of success can be costly.
R says
I’m not sure how last year’s debacle was Kobe’s fault. …
KenOak says
It’s absolutely Kobe’s fault R. Just like the 3 years after Magic Johnson retired are all his fault. Just like the worst record in Lakers history 19-58 in 1956-57 is all George Mikan’s fault! He retired and apparently coached half a season. (winning 9 games 9-30.) Darn you Mikan!!! He tarnished the Lakers name forever with that terrible record! The worst winning percentage in Lakers history. GRRRR! And to think, Magic Johnson and George Mikan didn’t have any “basketball reasons” to deal with. I’ll tell ya…I bet BCS was ranting and raving about that selfish jerk Magic Johnson for getting HIV and ruining the Lakers chances of getting another title in the early 90’s. Darn you Magic Johnson for living a fast lifestyle and caring more about your “johnson” than your teammates! (That was my best BCS impression.)
:/
Anonymous says
Mid-Wilshire: Enjoyed your post about separating the Laker year into separate seasons. If the Lkaers were kept intact I would expect things tpo play out as described. However, if the Lakers start out at 5-25 and don’t trade every player with value then the FO will have wasted yet another opportunity to pick up free assets.
If we are 5-25 then Hill, Lin and Young should be traded for picks. In the past this Laker FO has missed on so many chances to pick up easy assets (specifically fraft picks). Pau, Kaman and Meeks are prime examples from last year.
My concern with the FO is that they constantly play for the homerun. The new CBA is all about building a team foundationally by putting a premium on draft picks, young cheap talent and spending cap space wisely. I’d like to see the Lakers focus on roster development and supplement those efforts with top tier FA signings. I do not think the Lakers will be successful if their plan is to have virtually all of their players on one year deals and then play the elite FA lottery every summer.
The Lakers are hal in on this idea – they are keeping their cap flexibility. However, if they were honest they know that Hill (aged 28), and Young (aged 29) and Lin (marginal talent) are not part of the future. Why keep them and go 30 – 52 this year?
This year is lost. If the plan is to keep Kobe then why not bottom out this year. Keep your pick -draft a core player, then sign a FA/RFA this summer. That way you can truly putr a decent team on the floor to send Kopbe off the right way.
Craig W. says
He had the audacity to play hard and get injured — that’s how!
T. Rogers says
Sid,
You have to look at the leadership of the team over the last decade to understand where the Lakers are now. Would the Spurs ever let Pop get away? Never. Yet Phil Jackson AND Pat Riley are in the Eastern time zone now. David Robinson is still very much connected to the Spurs team. Yet Magic Johnson AND Shaquille O’Neal are noticeably absent from the Lakers organization. Ever saw even one public report of a power struggle in the Spurs front office? Of course you haven’t. That’s why they are still winning and contending now. Remember when the Lakers and Spurs were winning and contending together?
Kobe taking less and being a “nice” team mate would have been great. But those gestures would never outweigh the effective collapse of the team’s leadership over the last several years.
mud says
what’s costly?
the Lakers were bound to hit the ground sooner or later. it just happens that all the forces balance out so that the time is now. there is no need to blame anyone. this is where the team is at. they should be able to do much better as the year goes on and there’s always the chance that help could come in an unexpected way. live with reality.
no, Kobe is not playing too many minutes. he only played heavy minutes once and has 4 days to recover. if he can’t handle that, it really is time to retire.he’s not some piece of decorative glass, he’s an athlete and 36 is old for an athlete, but it’s not even near ancient.
mud says
good riddance to Magic, Shaq, Phil and Riley. all were no help once their run with the Lakers ended. Magic is still making problems and saying stupid things. Shaq left in a terrible way, ripping Jerry Buss. Phil was done coaching, he can’t sit on the sidelines or do all the travel and the Lakers already had a BM and Magic chased off Riley and then came down with AIDS and was the worst coach and commentator EVER. Riley killed the team worse than Scott and Brown combined. it’s certainly his fault that the showtime crew didn’t get one more title since he burned his players out and several came down with hamstring pulls in crucial moments in the finals.
of course, all had their glory moments with the Lakers too. the problem with glory is that it doesn’t last forever and when it goes, it’s very hard to get back. that is the fun of the game.
Robert says
BigCity/gene: I understand that Kobe is not your guy. However, seriously, the implications that he is somehow the root of the evil are a little over the top. Kobe has been a large part of our success, and he did so with 2 completely different teams (sans Phil and Derek). Further KB did not give himself $48 million for 2 years – it was given to him. I can see pinning “some” of the roster issues on KB as he did not get along with DH, and perhaps there are those who may not want to play with him. He also takes a large number of shots and when he is off, he can cost us during games. That all said – if Kobe morphed into the perfect “Good Kobe” that you dream about – we would still be horrible. To blame everything on Kobe (by the way – we just went through a season without him) is not defensible. Kobe does not hire the coaches, Kobe does not make the trades, and Kobe does not make the picks. Yes – Kobe’s contract is a hindrance to creating a good roster, so who created and executed that extension? Kobe did not – he just agreed to it. We all have our targets for blame and I certainly have mine. I know you both look forward to the day Kobe leaves. That is your prerogative. I am then confident that after Kobe leaves, you will join me in my quest to rid of the Lakers of what is the more far reaching source of our issues : )
Anonymous says
Lance/Pete: Nice discussion above – you two are on target with the source of this problem.
lil pau: Understand you disagree. I will make a deal with you. I realize that I am a spoiled/entitled fan. However, rr is much more reasonable. If you can convince him that the FO knows what they are doing and the future looks bright, then I will stop criticizing them : )
rr says
>>>he’s an athlete and 36 is old for an athlete, but it’s not even near ancient.
Kobe himself said he is “70 in basketball years.” Partly joking, sure. But still sends a message. He has playing in the NBA for more than half his life.
>>>live with reality.
People are here doing that; many of us just do it in a way that you personally find irritating and objectionable–a point we are by now quite clear on.