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Preview & Chat: Lakers vs. Bulls

by


Records: Lakers 9-38, Last in the West; 25-19, 4th in the East
Offensive ratings: Lakers 97.1, 29th in NBA; Bulls 100.7, 26th in the NBA
Defensive ratings: Lakers 108.3, Last in the NBA; Bulls 100.3, 8th in the NBA
Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Clarkson, Williams, Kobe, Randle, Hibbert
Bulls: Rose, Butler, Tony Snell, Taj Gibson, Pau

The Lakers Coming in: The Lakers have lost 7 games in a row, tied for their longest losing streak of the season. Their recent games have offered some glimmers of hope for a win, but the team has either not been able to close (Dallas) or been outclassed by much superior opponents in the 4th quarter (San Antonio). These aren’t new themes, but for a team which consistently finds ways to drop games, it is impressive in its own sad and frustration inducing ways.

Beyond the losses, I don’t have much to say about this team. Recent news is that Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell were chosen to play in the Rising Stars game on All-Star weekend while teammate Julius Randle was not. I actually think Randle was deserving, but the format of the game — USA vs. the World — and the fact that two players who will play internationally for other countries (Karl Anthony-Towns plays for the Dominican Republic and Jordan Clarkson will likely play for the Philippines this summer) are on the USA team means deserving American players didn’t make the cut. Randle is one such guy.

I’d get upset about this — and I’m sure Randle sees this as another reason to play with a chip on his shoulder — but with the longer All-Star break and the game being in Toronto, I might just enjoy a vacation on the beach rather than trudging around in freezing temperatures. I get that Randle is a young player who would (probably) appreciate the recognition, but some time off the refresh never hurt anybody. Or maybe I’m just old.

The Bulls Coming in: There may not be a more confounding team in the league than the Bulls. After a string of really good wins to start the year — they won 6 games in a row all against Eastern playoff teams — they have been as inconsistent as any team in the league. One night they get blown out by the Hawks and another they beat the Cavs handily. They needed OT to beat the Sixers, but beat the Pistons by double digits a few nights later.

They have been banged up this year which contributes to their problems. Derrick Rose has shown flashes, but always seems one jump-stop away from some missed games. Joakim Noah is out for the year after injuring his shoulder. Mike Dunleavy is close to returning, but has been out all year recovering from back surgery. Tonight while Rose will play, they will not only be without Noah and Dunleavy, but Nikola Mirotic and Kirk Hinrich as well.

Having so many guys in and out of the lineup has only put more pressure on Jimmy Butler, but he has responded well. For my money he is the best two-way shooting guard in the league, scoring well and offering top level defense on the other end. He seems to have an endless motor and is just a blue-collar dude who looks like he also enjoys talking a little sh*t. That’s my kind of player.

Bulls Blogs: Blog-A-Bull is worth checking out for all your Bulls related news and analysis.

Keys to game: There are no “keys” to the game, but I do have things that I’m interested in watching:

  • The Rose/Clarkson match up should be fun. Both are explosive guards who have a knack for scoring the ball. Both offer very good floaters and potentially explosive finishing ability if given the right sort of opening.
  • Pau and Kobe, reunited again? It’s unclear if Kobe will play tonight, but if he does it will be nice to see him and Pau share the floor again, even if as opponents.
  • A potential Julius Randle vs. Bobby Portis battle. Portis is earning somewhat of a cult following in Chicago and around the league. He has a versatile game, good size, and…some crazy eyes. Randle had one of his best games of the year against the Mavs on Tuesday and I’m interested in seeing if he can continue that against Gibson at first and then Portis later.
  • Hoping for a bounce back game from D’Angelo Russell and how he responds, on the floor, after the end of the Mavs game that saw him pulled with two minutes left for Byron Scott reasons.
  • Jimmy Butler doing Jimmy Butler things. It would be nice to see Kobe and Butler battle, just to see the old dog and the new breed face off.

Considering how banged up the Bulls are, I would not be surprised if this game is closer than the team’s records imply it should be. The Bulls have an almost even efficiency differential which implies their record is better than they are as a team. The Lakers are just as bad as their record implies, but have the ability to stay in games when their shots fall. Considering the Bulls are not an electric offensive team, I could see a close first half or the Lakers making a run at some point in the 2nd half to make this game worth watching near the end. We shall see.

Where you can watch: 7:30pm start time on TNT. Also listen on ESPN Radio 710AM Los Angeles.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Clay Bertrand says

    Darius, this post wasn’t one of your best. It was ok. It was informative and honest.
    THAT SAID, this could be a LANDMARK posting my friend!!

    I believe that Darius has COINED the new phrase that we all can use to avoid our lengthy diatribes on Byron Scott’s pathetic coaching: “BYRON SCOTT REASONS”
    You need to TRADEMARK that bro!!!!

    Today is the day, and this is the post were Darius gave journalistic birth to the phrase
    “Byron Scott Reasons”……..Its freaking awesome and a perfectly versatile phrase. This could be ACCURATELY uttered during games (especially when substitutions are made), in post game interviews, in this and other forums, articles etc. It sums up everything you could be thinking or wanting to say about Byron’s coaching decisions.

    I’m using this from now on D!!! Crediting you here!!

  5. Anonymous says

    Toronto is 30-15. I don’t think DeRozan is leaving — the Raptors are near elite in the East.

  6. Fern says

    I read a disturbing rumor today, im sure is horsecrap because it make no damn sense, but if the Lakers choose Byron freaking Scott over DAR i will turn in my Lakernation decoder ring and i will never follow the NBA again until they put me on the ground, thats a promise…. Darius i know it’s hard writing these previews and make an analysis knowing that we are going to lose almost all the time, hard, hard season

  7. matt says

    Bulls blog has some interesting things to say about the future of pau gasol, and how he most likely will not be a bull next year

  8. Mid-Wilshire says

    “Toronto is 30-15. I don’t think DeRozan is leaving — the Raptors are near elite in the East.”
    ________________________

    I agree. But it’s worth a shot for three reasons: 1) Lou Williams, a former teammate of DeRozan, is with the Lakers now and could help with the recruiting; 2) if DeRozan is looking at a 4-year contract, in 4 years his current PG, Kyle Lowry, will be 34; in 4 years, the Lakers’ current PG, D’Angelo Russell, will be 23; and 3) DeRozan is from LA. This could be the perfect chance for him to come home.

    Lakers’ chances of landing DeRozan IMO: 20%.

    It’s a long shot. But they’ve got to take it.

    The Lakers may actually have a better shot at Hassan Whiteside. They should go after both players and probably will pursue both.

    If they acquire even one, that will be an outstanding success.

    • KevTheBold says

      Fern, I should have known you would be on it, but I couldn’t be sure.

      So what do you think?

  11. Clay Bertrand says

    DAR isn’t on the block Kev……… That was some INVISIBLY THIN rumor…….

    Looking forward to Darius’ write up on him…….

  12. Fern says

    That was some fool making up rumors for clickbait, that would be the stupidest thing the team could do. The entire FO would have to go in the witness protection program forever…

  14. Baylor Fan says

    Butler completely owns Russell. This is a good learning opportunity for Russell to work against high caliber on ball pressure.

  16. Chris J says

    Not sure what’s worse: Lakers’ “defense,” Kevin Harlan over enunciating every play, or Reggie Miller’s constant harping on Russell, which happens every game he calls involving the Lakers.

  17. Anonymous says

    Regarding the Russell trade rumor: I wouldn’t put anything past Jim in his desperate attempt to beat his self imposed deadline.

  18. rr says

    I will be extremely surprised if the Lakers move Russell. I just don’t see that happening at all.

  19. J C says

    Here’s a list of the guys I’d take in exchange for Russell:
    Curry
    Lebron
    Jimmy Butler
    Paul George
    Blake Griffin
    K Leonard
    DeMarcus Cousins
    Russell Westbrook
    Kevin Durant
    This list is tongue in cheek cuz no GM in his right mind would give up any of these guys for Russell.
    If the Lakers trade Russell for anyone else, I quit.
    I’d much sooner see Clarkson or Randle moved if they were gonna trade a youngster.

  21. Mid-Wilshire says

    The Lakers aren’t trading any of the kids. Not at this time. It’s just a rumor that’s not even worth reacting to.

  22. R says

    They were going to trade Randle before his value was totally destroyed by not making the Rising Stars game.

  23. R says

    The good news is, he may be able to recoup some of his cred if he shatters his hand on the face of somebody half his size.

  24. AusPhil says

    R – That joke took my mind off this horrible defensive “effort” for a few minutes. Thanks for that!

  26. J C says

    Russell finishing the game on the pine.
    Seems like he may have found his way into Byron’s doghouse.
    Maybe in their infinite wisdom Jim Buss and Mitch will decide that Byron is more important to our future than Russell and trade him.
    Lakers are underperforming by any reasonable standard of measure.

  27. J C says

    Last year the Knicks and the Wolves finished last in the league with 17 and 16 wins respectively.
    The Lakers at 9-39 are currently on a 15-win pace.

  29. Chris J says

    I sense a growing tension between D’Angelo Russell and Byron Scott.
    ——-

    You think? But the sad part is, as much as I disdain Byron, you somewhat have to wonder if some of the criticism he throws Russell’s way is warranted.

    There are different ways to coach and it doesn’t appear Byron’s methods are getting through to No. 1, but in watching his play, there definitely are things on which Russell could improve, some of which seem effort-related.

    Byron’s a broken clock, but like the old saying goes, even broken clocks are correct twice a day.

  30. T Rogers says

    Maybe the Lakers floated the trade rumor to get Russell “in line”. The funny thing is at this point Russell may actually welcome a trade.

  31. KO says

    Glad I missed this garbage.

    How in tbe world can 7’3″ Hibbert play 20 minutes and again get 1 rebound. Good pickup.

    2 bad in a row for Russell. Looks clueless.

    Boy that Bryon is quite a coach.

  32. bleedpurplegold says

    I really dont blame russell AT ALL for his performances, i just think the way we play is not good for his development. You have to look at it this way:

    What is his role on offense? He brings the ball up court, gives it to a big near the free throw line, then screens for clarkson/kobe and sits out on the three point line. This play is our main weapon it seems. So what can DAR possibly do to push his numbers?!?

    If he doesnt get the occasional kickout from the big after his own screen, or the big dashes into the paint or shoots it right away for an assist, he cant get some numbers on the board. After that scenario, the big plays a handoff to the wing, and he plays isoball.

    So again: when exactly do we play an offense, which highlights DARs skills?!?

    Everytime he puts up solid numbers, he plays his way off basketball. He gets a high screen set, now the defender has to decide what to do. If he goes under, russell often time shoots it right away, which he is pretty good at. If he fights through, our bigs dive (which they dont do enough) for an assisst. If they rotate from the weakside, DAR kicks it.
    They could also set screens off the ball more than they do now, while russell tries to go to the rim. He has the vision to find that shooter while the defender has to go to DAR to help prevent an easy layup.

    Like i said, if he doesnt get any plays run for him and all he does is bring it upcourt and camp outside like he has to do right now, how in the world is he supposed to learn?!?

  33. marques says

    People want to pretend that Russell has issues every young player has, but that’s false. It’s not just byron, it’s not just reggie, it’s not just kobe….everybody with eyes can see it.

    Yes..he has talent, but he is lazy..very lazy…and scoring points in garbage time can’t hide tha fact.

    I have been saying it since day uno.

  34. BigCitySid says

    – DAR vs Scott reminds me of Kobe vs Del. Player wins, coach walks…except who knows what to expect with this clueless ownership group.

    – As for the game last night…one game closer to holding on to our pick, nuff said.

  35. BigCitySid says

    – FYI: “…he (Pau Gasol) also happens to be the first player in league history at age 35 (or older) to be averaging at least 16 points, 10 boards, 3 assists and 2 blocks.

    Gasol, of course, missed a starting spot in the All-Star Game by the infinitesimal margin of 360 votes … and ranks as the biggest snub in the East after the reserves were announced Thursday night.” Marc Stein

  37. Fulofunk says

    This game was embarrassing. DAR looked awful, can’t blame BS for that. Kobe looked awful, can’t blame BS for that, Hibbert looked awful, Randle looked awful, Clarkson looked…almost as awful, but……can’t blame BS for them either last night. In the end, I was pullin’ for Pau to get a triple double….just sayin.
    It was interest tho, to hear Alridge on DAR’s comment that he doesn’t even know what questions to ask about getting better. He’s 19, very young, and if he’s cocky like BS says, and of which I have no doubt, he (DAR) needs to wake up, man up, and start asking the vets ANYTHING in order to get some direction. He looked lost AND Lazy last night…not a good sign.

  38. Anonymous says

    Sorry, Toronto is now 31-15. However, DeRozan is still not coming.

    People, the Lakers are 9 – 39. That’s at least a 3 year climb back to respectability — which in my mind is making the playoffs and even then we’ll be early round fodder. We’re pretty far off from ‘competing’ at a high level.

    To be honest with so much not working from an organizational perspective, there’s no way Jeanie can consider giving Jim more time. She’s got to tab someone new to lead us out of this mess. The Lakers very much need a franchise makeover and that has to start at the top. Jim becomes an owner, Mitch becomes a consultant and someone with a new voice and vision takes over.

    This pissing match between Jim and Jeanie is part of the problem. Winning is an organizational objective. Everyone has to be on the same page — pulling in the same direction. The Lakers feel as ‘adrift’ as any franchise I can recall.

  39. T. Rogers says

    Marques,

    Russell’s main issue is he doesn’t know what the heck is going on. The organization is trying to do multiple divergent things at once. They rarely run a real offense because Kobe has free reign to do what he wants on the floor. And he doesn’t play every game. So one night its Princeton. They next night its Kobe freestyle. What kind of message is that sending to Russell? Byron preaches defense but vets like Lou Williams never get called out for their terrible defense. Byron sits Russell and tells the media its about winning. With a glance at the win/loss column we know that’s not the case.

    You can’t expect players to hold to a standard when their is no consistency or clarity. And the lack of clarity goes all the way to the top. Frustration is bound to hit.

    • KevTheBold says

      Brilliant insight.
      This psychedelic season is impossible for a rookie pg to find a path through.

      The only way Russell makes an impact, is to go rogue.

      To Marques, DAR has been; a bust, Kendall Marshall, too slow, and too many more negatives to list in this post.

      Today the word is ‘lazy’, ‘from day one’.

  40. Gene says

    My concern….Clarkson is shooting worse….others are trending backwards.Maybe they won’t get any better and this is their talent….

  41. Anonymous says

    From Marc Stein’s column about Trade Buzz:

    … Denver is making no secret of veteran forward JJ Hickson’s availability. Ditto for the Los Angeles Lakers and a number of veterans on their roster: Roy Hibbert, Brandon Bass, Nick Young and Lou Williams. We should note, however, that Hibbert possesses the only expiring contract in that quartet. Bass holds a $3.1 million player option for next season. …
    __

    Nice that there was no reference to the DAR trade rumor from Bleacher Report

  42. George Best says

    You can insult the front office all you want but the Lakers have drafted well the past two years. DAR is doing very well considering hes 19, plays with not much talent around him, and has a non supportive coach. Ill take him over Porzingis or any other guy drafted this year. Lets see who he is when hes 21 and we have to decide whether to max him.

    Id be more concerned that hes trying to be Manziel and suck on purpose or be a jerk to force a trade but the bottom line is its a players league and the coach, as great a Laker as he is, needs to be fired.

    I will start to judge things more harshly once Kobe is gone. If we then cant attract great players then we will have to start asking why Kupchak and Buss are still running things.

  43. Mid-Wilshire says

    @ Gene,

    Yes. Clarkson’s shooting has fallen off a bit. But I’m not too concerned with that. He’s still learning what he can do to be productive in other areas. Last night in 25 minutes he had 4 rebounds and 4 assists and would have had more if he had played, say, 34 minutes.

    It’s a long season. Players have ups and downs…especially young players. Let’s see if he can fight his way out of this.

    Next year we’ll be able to make more definitive judgments on his ceiling. Bear in mind, at 23 Steph Curry was hardly a finished product. Neither was Steve Nash. Players need a chance to grow. That’s all.

  44. Angry fan says

    D’angelo russell’s poor athleticism is hurting him, when his shots aren’t falling, he becomes kendal marshall 2.0. Bad defender, lazy with the ball and i’ve yet to see the court vision that he supposedly has. Other than scoring in garbage time, he cannot impact the game in any other way. Meanwhile, porzingis will probably be ROY and HE was supposed to be the long term project. Sure, scott is bad, but the FO is probably worse, everyone at the start of the season could see that this was going to be bad team, inlcuding vegas. But delusional mitch thought this could be a playoff team and incompetent jim buss stated that the franchise “turned the corner” and is in a “dynamite position” to contend.

  45. Vasheed says

    bleedpurplegold, you summarized the basic blue print for Scott’s Princeton and how it is specifically bad for DAR. In Scott’s system the offense is initiated through the center. Ideally you would have a guy like Okafor on offense but could actually block shots and anchor a defense. All this is to say the Princeton should be scrapped for a system that favors the players we actually have and if unwilling to do so that coach should be fired.

  46. Anonymous says

    The kids know this year is a joke. The Kobe retirement tour took all the wind out of the reality sails.

    How does Scott teach the kids? ‘This is the way you should do it, unless Kobe is on the floor..’ ‘This is how you should act, except if you’re Kobe…’ No wonder the kids are pushing back. They had more structure and teaching in their one year of college than they are receiving now.

    Th FO created and condoned this flawed plan. Then, they hired a coach to execute on it.

    George Best, yes they have drafted well, or, at least we hope they have. But virtually every other facet of the organization is a steaming pile.

  47. Marques says

    Kev, I never said Kendall marshall, I wouldn’t insult Kendall or his family. I said he is Mario chalmers, good but not great, some big games, some WTF games, but mostly average. And always said he was lazy and lacked effort and enthusiasm a rookie should have.

    I mean, you can keep saying he’s 19 as if the reat of the rookies are 35, you can celebrate 19 points in garbage time..that’s fine.

    The tape doesn’t lie, name one other 19 year old rookie being called out for effort….I’ll wait.

    • KevTheBold says

      Marques, if ’19 points in garbage time’ is all you are willing to acknowledge, then we see your problem.

      Just to name one game of several that you seemed to have missed:

      How about the 27 points in 29 mins – 11 of 16 fg, 4 assists against the Kings on Jan 8th, final score 118, 115 ?

      As for other ‘effort’ rookies, you first name one who is playing under the same circumstances, as only then can we compare apples to apples.

      Regarding ups and downs, Marques, that’s what rookies do.

      Look, you have been on his case from the moment he was selected. We all get that you didn’t want him.

      What is ricidulous however is how you WANT him to fail, just to justify your arm chair GM chops.

  48. Vasheed says

    In the beginning of the year the Lakers had to ask ask Russell to go into the gym less. He is a known gym rat like Kobe. I wouldn’t consider him “lazy”. Secondly Kobe had said in beginning of the year the offense should go through Russell. We get to see flashes of him as a play maker but, to make full use of his talent the offense needs to be initiated through Russell. Which beedlingpurpleandgold pointed out is not currently the case as the typical pattern involves dumping the ball to the Center in the high post to initiate the offense. Should we really start the offense through Hibbert?