The Lakers are back in business tonight, facing off against the Mavericks for the final time of the season. This, of course, means this will be the last time Kobe Bryant faces off against Dirk Nowitzki in an NBA Basketball game. Actually, unless they meet up at the local Y, it will be the last time they face off ever since Kobe has pulled his name out of contention for the 2016 Olympic Team and Dirk has retired from the German National team.
Tonight, then, really should be a bit of a celebration. Well, at least for me it will be. Dirk has always been one of my favorite players. Recently, Kevin Durant called Kristaps Porzingis a “unicorn” because of his varied skill set at a guy his size. Dirk, though, was the original unicorn — a 7-footer with unlimited range on his jumper — and the player who paved the way for players like Porzingis to make it to the NBA and be drafted as high as he was.
So Dirk, like Kobe, is somewhat of a pioneer. The fact that this will be the last time they play means something to me and I’ll try to reflect on that and appreciate the moment while it’s happening.
I’ll also try to focus on things like that because, well, I don’t expect this to be much of a game. The Mavs are only 2-2 in their last 4 games (with their two wins coming in overtime), but they are playing much better than the Lakers are who are losers of 6 straight and 10 of their last 11. Frustration is mounting with Kobe and, if I were to guess, it’s only a matter of a few more losses before the head coach starts to name names in the press again.
If you’re looking for good news, it looks like Larry Nance Jr. will return to the lineup tonight. With Nance’s return, Julius Randle is likely back to the bench. This isn’t ideal, but I’m all for Nance getting some run and, hopefully, seeing if the two can play together for a handful of minutes to see how that goes.
That’s about all the good news I’ve got, though. Yes, I’m interested in seeing how Russell and Clarkson play, but with half the season over, we have a pretty good idea of what these guys are capable of. Hopefully we get something on the higher end of the range, but if not I’m not very concerned. Small strides, a new wrinkle, or a few big plays would be nice, but those come with time and I’m not that concerned we’ll not get more of those moments as the season progresses.
Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TWC Sportsnet. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM Los Angeles.
rr says
KB is apparently going to sit this one out–shoulder.
Fern says
Yeah, Kobe can’t jam no more 🙁 Totally agree Darius, Dirk was the original unicorn.
KO says
And I expect better 1st and 3rd quarters.
Any disagreements?
rubenowski says
Sixers won!
KO says
See better 1st.
Hummmm
LKK says
Lakers have a good shot at a victory tonight. Young guys have something to prove.
KO says
Russell is horrible on defense. JJ making him look a fool. This kid is a long way from being ready.
Anonymous says
The starting ages for Orlando:
Gordon = 20
Harris = 23
Nicola = 25
Payton = 21
Oladipo = 23
They didn’t play as many minutes but all played 20+ in the loss to the Bucks.
LKK says
JR playing very well tonight… Under control on offense and some good effort on D… He’s showing nicely on the pick and roll and recovering to his man.
KO says
Watch DR on defense. He may be the worst in league. Every move JJ makes he is 3 steps ahead. Was that scouted last year?
LKK says
Anthony Brown likes playing defense… That means a lot. Hope BS lets DAR finish this game. This is a good time to let him play.
Mid-Wilshire says
Jordan Clarkson through 3 quarters has 16 pts., 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. A solid game so far. Looking good.
rr says
Tanking fans:
Philadelphia is 6-12 since the Mike D’Antoni/Ish Smith Era began, and the Lakers are now one back of Philly in the loss column:
76ers 7-39
Lakers 9-38
Brookston 12-34
For MDA-bashers, the jokes pretty much write themselves.
karen says
I am ecstatic for mda. He may get the suns job again
marques says
No complaints, defense sucks…but we know that.
Kept it close, looked like NBA players for spurts.
rr says
Randle played well.
LKK says
Tough loss. The kids played hard and pretty well for the most part. Hope they can build on the positives from tonight and cut down on some of the mistakes that cost them the game. Case in point… The last Dallas possession. Good time to double Dirk.
J C says
Just Moved. No cable Til Thursday–
So listened to audio feed on nba league pass.
I forgot what it was like to listen on radio only.
Interesting.
Yes it sounded like we should have sent a late double team at Dirk and made him a passer.
Good Randle stats.
Is that the best shot we can get with 2 seconds left? A 3-pointer from a guy that doesn’t shoot 3s?
A Horse With No Name says
Not sure why Randle was overplaying Dirk’s left, as he is right-handed. Easy for Dirk to step right and line it up. Great game by Randle though. I liked his shooting, defense, and passing. Team defense much better without Kobe–no surprise there.
Don’t fault Byron for sitting DLO at the end. The kid was too focused on getting himself going which led to missed shots and ball stopping. His one three ball where he put it on the floor and then let it fly with a quick release a la Steph Curry was exciting to see. So much upside.
Solid game by Clarkson.
Renato Afonso says
rr,
How much of that record is MDA and how much is Ish? They now have a NBA ready PG, so it matters.
I do believe he can be a great assistant but as a coach he was as bad as our current one.
BigCitySid says
– Over the last 10 games Lakers are 1-9, only Orlando has lost as many games in the last ten. If this is the goal of the coach, FO, & ownership…then they are doing a great job.
Vasheed says
@Renato,
It has been said MDA had influenced the Sixers to get Ish. MDA is a coach who is capable of putting together a winning season. The Lakers never really got him players who fit his system. The Sixers have a long ways to go but, Ish is a good sign the Sixers organization is willing to get the pieces they need.
Renato Afonso says
Vasheed,
Let’s agree to disagree. He simply doesn’t coach defense. Good coaches make a difference on both ends of the floor…
KO says
JC
Told you not to bet on the Lakers this year. So moved? Gonna be tough on that 91 freeway back to OC for visits. . Does the mobile home have heating?
Anonymous says
Had originally posted the Bucks starting five ages but that seems to have disappeared. Re-posting below, but look at the box score and you’ll see that this group played significant minutes, like 34+ each.
Parker: 20
Giannis: 21
Monroe: 25
MCW: 24
Middleton: 24
My point in posting this and Orlando’s lineup is two fold:
1) The only way to take the next step is to let the kids play together and let them play extended minutes.
2) Its OK to have a young lineup – some folks are talking about trading kids for vets. I hope we get our draft pick and can insert him into the lineup. I’m of the mindset that if you have young kids the fans will be patient because they can see and understand the process.
__
The Lakers right now are a mixed bag. Fans like the kids but there’s a fair share of vets who play a lot but don’t figure into the future. And let’s be honest, the Lakers are awful and its going to take 3+ years to turn this around.
J C says
KO
Of course it does. It’s called a space heater. It’s not as nice as the one you have though, with that extra long cord.
If the Lakers keep Byron around I’ll be cave-dwelling soon. Just in case, I’m stocking up on flint.
rr says
Renato,
I was being tongue-in-cheek, but one thing MDA is good at is working with marginal/average perimeter players, like Smith. Smith was having a good year already in NO, but he has done even better in PHI. When MDA was here, Meeks and Young both had nice years. Farmar and Marshall both did OK under him by their own standards. Since then, Farmar has dropped out of the league. Marshall sustained it in Milwaukee, but because of injuries and other issues is struggling again. People probably remember Linsanity in NY. MDA is not, as we also saw, as good at working with bigs; he basically alienated every big he had while he was here. But he is not the head guy in Philly, and Okafor has also been doing much better.
As to how much is Smith and how much is D’Antoni—well, that is one reason why I don’t hammer on coaches as much as so many other fans do. I don’t know. Bur we do know Philly’s trend line is up since MDA got there.
Finally, Philly is actually doing better on D (19th) than on O (still last).
George Best says
I dont mind the losing but its the mismangement of the players that concerns me. DAR is a loose cannon and while young, he could sour on the organization because of Scott. If Scott is not fired at the end of the year and a kid friendly coach isnt brought in, things could actually get worse.
Im going to assume we end up with a top 3 pick. If we dont get Simmmons are there two other players that will realistically be expected to make a difference.
KO says
I might have an extra cave in storage. Do not fear. Last 2 years team option. No way a USA team picks that up. Lots of nice rice in China.
Teams coming along. Only need 10 new guys next year. Turnover higher then a .99 cent store.
Humn LA 99 centers. Kind of like it.
Kbj says
MDA is a good assistant coach but a mediocre head coach. As long as he is the assistant, he doesn’t have to worry about defense. Brett Brown, the head coach, is defense-oriented so its a nice combination.
I will say this. MDA is a much better head coach than Byron Scott. What is Scott good at? Anyone know? Probably nothing.
Shaun says
mda was the same coach where we had to drop his entire playbook before kobe tore his achilies …. absolute 0 love for mda here
A Horse With No Name says
mda should forever be remembered for running Kobe into the ground and treating Pau like a scrub. The FO bears a ton of responsibility for both things as they did nothing to stop it.
rr says
What is Scott good at?
I talked about this the other day. Scott’s best team was the 2008 New Orleans Hornets: 56-26, 5th in ORTG, 7th in DRTG, lost in 7 in the WCSF to San Antonio. Byron had Chris Paul, Tyson Chandler, David West, Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic. So, the team was set up very clearly, with obvious roles for guys.
So, I think Byron is good at keeping things simple, providing some gravitas and toughness, and letting a veteran team play (Paul was young, but he was never really a struggling young player). But Byron is neither a nurturer/teacher nor a tactician, so he has a lot of holes in his coaching game, and so he was not a fit on last year’s team, which was a hodgepodge scraping for wins; or on this year’s team, which is, contra Mitch, actually about the young guys, or should have been/be.
Scott would have been an OK fit with the 2012-13 team. I think he would have handled Pau, Hill, and Howard better than MDA did, and I think, like Bernie Bickerstaff did in his five games as coach, that Byron would have just let them play. With this team, Byron is not a good fit at all—and again, that was clear before they hired him.
People usually think of coaches as “good” or “bad” and there is a narrative in some parts of the fanbase now that MDA is an awesome basketball mind who was victimized by circumstance and Dwight Howard, and that Scott is a complete idiot, etc. The reality is that coaches, like players, have strengths and weaknesses and there are only a few great ones.
Vasheed says
great posts rr,
I agree with you. Coaches have strengths and weaknesses. MDA wasn’t a good fit for the twin towers Lakers and BS isn’t a good fit for our young rookie filled squad now. With that in mind this is what I’m most critical about our F.O. There is a disconnect between the coaches they hire and the teams they assemble.
Anonymous says
Well at 9-38 the FO should not have any other focus than raking up losses and keeping the pick. Folks say that this perspective is an affront to the Lakers Way, have to know that the Lakers Way passed when Dr. Buss did.
The Lakers are struggling big time and the only way out of this mess is talent acquisition. And the best way to get talent is to keep the pick. I saw the posts above on the youth that Orlando and Milwaukee are rolling out — its OK to have young talent and to let them play and develop together.
Nik Kannan says
Renato Afonso, Vasheed, rr –
I think all of you are right about MDA. For one he coaches his team and implements a system that is good for winning regular season games in the NBA but is typical to fold in the post-season.
The difference between MDA’s teams and the GSW are that the GSW started being a defensive team with Mark Jackson and became a more fluid / fast pace team with Kerr.
Other wise teams that push tempo by leaking out early usually lose against good teams, but may win some games based on another teams off shooting night.
As for the last 10 games and last nights game – I don’t mind, and i see growth, it take time to win close games down the stretch… personally I think we could have played better in the 1st half, and DAR has to come out and play better with more energy early. I want him to be assertive and take more shots, he obviously can shoot the ball – he lacks conditioning and strength in his lower body.
It was great to see Randle hit some jumpers in the 1st half… if he does that bonafide allstar un – guard-able in the league, which is great… The other thing is with 4 seconds left to go in the first half Julius went near coast to coast… and maybe could have had a dunk/layup had he been a tad more patient – did you see that locomotive move – very quick with the ball.
Anthony brown played decent on the defensive end, but we really need him to continue to improve,
I’ll give Nance a free pass as he has been out, his timing was obviously off.
Clarkson with another good game.
The lineup at the end of the game should have been D. Lo , Clarkson, Lou Williams, Randle, Black. Why Nick Young was in the game i have no idea, not like the Parson was doing much in isolation.
D. Lo has to play down the Stretch, I don’t really care how bad he might have played during the other 46 minutes. He is 1 of our best players and needs the experience.
Nik
Clay Bertrand says
No Randle on the Rising Stars U.S. Team???? Uh-Oh………
Randle is better than Noel and Marcus Smart. I can understand they HAVE to take a guard perhaps and Smart is the best they could come up with but Randle has better stats than Noel and Smart and Smart has missed half the year this season. I’m guessing Noel is being chosen as a Center but they do also have Okafor.
Did Dan Gilbert write a Gripe and say, “NO….Too many Lakers on the Rising Stars team!!!!”
Did the league just HAVE to include a Celtic for marketing reasons???
Either way, I’m hoping they are currently using a Crane to unload the Giant CHIP onto Julius Randle’s shoulder for NOT be selected in the Rising Stars Challenge. This could just add fuel to his fire and just give him that much more motivation.
The next guy to take a charge from Julius will have to be surgically separated from the floor!!
The League shall RUE THE DAY they pissed off Randle!!!!!!! I hope he just shoots Jumpers ALL ALL STAR WEEKEND and comes back nice and salty and PISSED.
Baylor Fan says
As bad as it is, losing their way into a top 3 pick may be the best strategy for the Lakers this season. They actually get first round picks; this years and the one in two years they would owe Orlando. The rules are arcane but it boils down to not being able to promise a #1 pick too far in the future. I believe that if the Lakers do get to keep their pick this year, they would “only” owe Orlando two #2’s in the future. The bottom line – enjoy the Kobe fest and whatever the rooks are allowed to do.
Anonymous says
Slow down Clay. Randle has a ways to go. It’s not a slight. He knows what he needs to do — time to do do it.
Mid-Wilshire says
Here’s a link to the highlights of a recent D League game with Vander Blue going for 28. I realize it’s only the D League but Blue sure does look good to me:
http://dleague.nba.com/games/20160125/ladokl/
Clay Bertrand says
Hey Anon, A LIL tongue in cheek on my part there with that post. The Rising Stars team is hardly some huge meritous achievement. They don’t have enough spots for everyone. I just got a little ornery when it was suggested by Mark Medina that the reason Randle was omitted was he claimed the league was concerned with was having too many players from one team. THEN you see that Minnesota has Wiggins, KAT, AND Lavine albeit with Wiggins playing for the World team.
Truth is there were a number of worthy candidates including Randle……
BUT I ONLY CARE ABOUT OUR GUYS!!!! ; )
SO I’m HOPING that RANDLE takes it as a SLIGHT of sorts and keeps pushing his game. It’s what Kobe would do!!!!! (I DO NOT wear a WWKD bracelet but I THINK its how he would react)
matt says
Clay… that’s funny you mentioned the cavs owner by name
matt says
My question is who played center for dallas?? I have no idea, who we are losing to nowadays. Didn’t the nets amnesty deron williams, and shouldn’t tarik have started just to be like, oh your starting him, im gonna start this unknown. These losses are almost starting to look strategic, like after those couple of wins, they call up byron and say whats up with this winnning crap.
Anonymous says
Despite rhetoric to the contrary, Jim realizes that the Lakers haven’t turned the corner. His only real hope to speed this up is to keep the pick. Simmons, Ingram or Bender are better than an elite because they are cost controlled and fans love young players so their interest level is high and their expectations are low.
Call it what you want but the Lakers are aiming to keep the pick. Its the only way that Jim can make a case to extend his deadline. Its the only way to buy time so the Lakers actually are attractive to an elite free agent. In time the Lakers talent will clearly be emerging — Jim won’t have to try and articulate a vision in a pitch meeting — the FA will already understand the value prop.
BS is beholden to Jim for his job. While he’s not a great coach, he’s better than what he’s shown. The only explanation for Byron’s irrational decisions and wacky lineups is he’s doing what Jim wants.
matt says
I’ve mentioned that I’m scared the FO will want to bring in another one year cap filler this summer to free up cap space for 2017 free agency. I made a list of next years potential lin/hibbert salary dump guys.
Clay Bertrand says
Anon, Not to keep parroting a cry that the Sky is Falling, but this situation is what scares me:
“BS is beholden to Jim for his job. While he’s not a great coach, he’s better than what he’s shown. The only explanation for Byron’s irrational decisions and wacky lineups is he’s doing what Jim wants.”
If this is true, and it may well be to a degree at least, then since the FO is telling Byron to coach like crap to ensure we keep our pick, and Byron is doing just that, they may see reason to let him actually try to coach next year. They aren’t going to fire a guy for coaching like crap if that is what they told him to do. It’s the possibility that Byron is going along with their plan that leads me to fear they will reward him/shield him from termination by letting him coach next year.
If we don’t land any FAs of Vet status that may not want Byron, they could well just let him coach out his contract. I wouldn’t want to have to see that.
Baylor Fan says
The Lakers got hosed on a bad offensive foul call on Williams at the end of the game. It should have been a non-call or a foul on JJ for holding Williams. It was an obvious soccer-flop by JJ. Basically the referees awarded Dallas the win. For a change, I am good with that. This team is capable of winning more games and it will be a nail biter to see if they get to keep their pick this year.
Baylor Fan says
Byron is not really the head coach. Kobe is. Kobe decides how much he plays, when he plays, and what plays are run when he is in. Even if he is not calling the plays, his teammates defer to him. He also dictates the defense by what role he is willing to play. After all that is decided, then Byron takes charge. It is a no-win situation for Byron since Kobe is a shell of his former self. However, it would still be refreshing to see Byron do a better job of explaining to the team what he would like them to do.
matt says
Salary dump guys, contracts ending 2017
Hawks, splitter c/pf 8.2 mil
Bulls, rose pg 21.3 mil, gasol c/pf 7.7 mil, gibson pf 8.9 mil
Cavs, varajao c 9.3 mil
Pistons, illyasova pf 8.4 mill, meeks sg 6.5 mil.
Twolves, k.martin sf 7.3 mil, garnett pf 8 mil
Clippers, stephenson sg 9.4 mil, rivers 3.0 mil.
Rockets, Lawson pg 13.2 mil
Grizzlies, Randolph pf 10 mil, t.allen sf 5 mil, v.carter 4.2 mil
Free agents that may take a 1 year deal, prove they still got it deal
Jamal crawford, Josh smith, jeff green, eric gordon, brandon jennings, oj mayo, al jefferson, evan turner, david lee, jokim noah, timothey mosgov
Snoopy2006 says
“The reality is that coaches, like players, have strengths and weaknesses and there are only a few great ones.”
Fantastic post. I do get the impression that Scott is little more than a between-era placeholder.
Even though we lost, the last minute respect between two legends as Dirk hit that fadeaway was a highlight for me.
Anyone else see Shaq on Kimmel? Interesting that the Lakers chose to break the statue news as a surprise on national television, but Shaq’s reaction seemed genuine. Despite the bad blood when he left, I appreciate that ownership is honoring past legends.
Mid-Wilshire says
Kobe is basically Byron’s umbrella. When Kobe is gone, Byron’s protection will have vanished. There’ll be no reason at that point to keep Byron on as the Head Coach after this season.
He’s not good with the kids. He antagonizes them in the press. He doesn’t nurture or coach them. He seems to be ineffective in whatever mentoring he does (especially with regards to defense).
Also, there’ll be another upheaval with the team personnel. There’ll be an entirely different set of FAs coming on to the team. And Byron will have led the Lakers to the two worst W/L records in team history. His record will speak for itself.
Any attempt to keep Byron on board will result in an insurrection from the fan base. And that will show up in the attendance and the TV ratings. The Lakers FO wouldn’t want that. After all, the fans vote with their pocket books.
Byron is done. After this year, he’ll be lucky to get a job at the local 7-11 store.
Vasheed says
Clay, there is no “ensuring” the Lakers will receive a pick this year. even if they had the worst record in the league they have pretty good chance of losing their pick and by most likely odds about a coins flip percentage of keeping it. The odds of getting Simmons is even lower. The Lakers may wind up with a pick at the end of the year but, I consider any argument that tanking this year is “the plan” I find to be a highly questionable argument.
Anonymous says
The flip side to Jim manipulating the Lakers situation is not very enviable, either. It would follow that the FO’s decisions have missed their marks by several orders of magnitude and the Lakers are essentially adrift — a bad head coach and an FO that is reduced to being reactionary as opposed to exerting any initiative.
matt says
Does anyone remember kobe’s first coach, that guy sucked
matt says
Well i guess del harris was a little better than byron, he coached kobe’s first 3 seasons and i would call him more of a nice guy, even though kobe didn’t play much, point is players are gonna be great if they got it in them, coaching situations will work itself out, but i understand free agents not wanting to play for a bad coach. So if they wana land top free agents gotta hire a coach players are gonna be excited to play for. But rookies just take time good coach or whatever..
LKK says
Shaq will be getting a statue outside of Staples…..
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611733-lakers-announce-shaquille-oneal-statue-to-be-unveiled-next-season
Nik Kannan says
Baylor Fan –
Explain on why the Magic would not get a first round pick if we do not convey pick this year to the 76ers?
That is very interesting – and you are the first to mention it.
Nik
Anonymous says
Vasheed: The coin flip odds on the pick are better than the odds of a game changing free agent signing or a player of note coming via trade. That’s how bad things are.
The Lakers are not yet a free agent destination and they have nothing but the kids to trade and they won’t get better trading them. The FO is desperate to get real talent because they can ill afford to tread water another year in the hopes that the summer of 2017 fixes everything.
Folks aren’t exaggerating when they say that the Lakers are as bereft of talent as any team in the league. If they whiff on the pick there’s no way they add significant talent this summer. The FO has very few cards to play other than aiming to keep the pick and praying that the basketball gods are favorable.
Sure players want to be Lakers but if they can get paid and win elsewhere – well that’s what they’ll do.
BigCitySid says
– “Does anyone remember kobe’s first coach, that guy sucked” I remembered Kobe hated him because he didn’t let Kob play as much as he wanted to. Kept the hate going for Del even after he left and took it out on Del’s new team by scoring 62 points in 3 quarters.
– Maybe DAR will get a chance of revenge against Scott in the future.
– Statue for Shaq? No brainer
matt says
Regarding nik question.
Nash trade. Lakers sent picks.. 1 pick remains …top 3 protected 2016 or 2017, or 2018 unprotected
Howard trade. Lakers sent pick.. 1st round pick 2018..if first round pick is not used by above suns by 2017, howard trade pick becomes 2, 2017 and 2018 second round picks
The rules in trading picks is you can’t trade/lose a 1st round pick for 2 years in a row
Darius Soriano says
Nik,
The rule is that you cannot trade 1st round picks more than 6 years in advance. Because of the separate trades for Nash and Dwight, the Lakers owe picks to both teams, but the Suns picks will be owed first. Well, since the pick owed to the Suns (now going to Philly) hasn’t yet conveyed, it has pushed the pick owed to the Magic back by two years because you cannot trade 1st round picks in consecutive years (Stepien Rule). This summer it will be 4 years from the Nash trade so if the Lakers keep their pick this year, the pick owed the Magic can no longer be a 1st round pick because it is 6 years out from when the trade was made. Thus, it becomes two second round picks instead.
Anonymous says
so if the Lakers keep their pick this year, the pick owed the Magic can no longer be a 1st round pick because it is 6 years out from when the trade was made. Thus, it becomes two second round picks instead.
—
All the more reason to do everything to keep the pick this year.
Clay Bertrand says
Vasheed, just to clarify, I am NOT CLAIMING that ANYTHING the Lakers or Byron does will ensure that the Lakers ACTUALLY keep their pick. I was not referring to any kind of certainty at all. I KNOW the odds are sticky even with a bad record.
All I was saying that IF the Lakers have told Byron to do certain things with THE GOAL of ensuring that we have a record that allows us the greatest odds to potentially keep our pick, and IF Byron is acting on those instructions and “Playing Ball” with the FO’s efforts to keep the pick, it may be that they will NOT hold him accountable for this year because he was only following orders.
I don’t know if this kind of conspiracy could even be pulled off but the possibility of any part of it allowing Byron to coach this team next year scares me!!
matt says
Thanks for clarifying it darius, i think i confused even myself therel
Baylor Fan says
In response to Nik, I absolutely could not have explained it. Thanks Darius.