Records: Lakers 55-23 (2nd in West), Trailblazers 46-33 (6th in West) Offensive ratings: Lakers 111.1 (5th in NBA), Trailblazers 108.9 (10th in NBA) Defensive ratings: Lakers 104.0 (6th in NBA), Trailblazers 107.1 (14th in NBA) Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum Trailblazers: Andre Miller, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas […]
The Fine Line Between Confidence, Concern, & Worry
The playoffs are a little over a week away and the Lakers are in the midst of a losing streak while playing pretty poorly. Their execution is spotty, their legs look weary, and they’re pretty much locked into their current seed for the Western playoffs. (As for the race for homecourt in the East, the […]
Preview and Chat: The Golden State Warriors
Records: Lakers 55-22 (2nd in West), Warriors 34-44 (12th in West) Offensive ratings: Lakers 111.3 (5th in NBA), Warriors 108.2 (11th in NBA) Defensive ratings: Lakers 104.0 (6th in NBA), Warriors 110.9 (27th in NBA) Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum Warriors: Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Dorell […]
Lakers/Jazz: The Lakers Let One Slip Away
Over the past twelve quarters, the Lakers have played well for two of them. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to win consistently and tonight – like Sunday – that poor play resulted in another loss, this time to the Jazz by a score of 86-85. Any hopes of home court in the West have now slipped […]
Around The World (Wide Web)
*During the Denver game, we all had a bit of a scare when both Bynum and Gasol left the game clutching their knees. As Andy Kamenetzky put it, we were all holding our breath and hoping for the best. *Well, we can all breathe a sigh of relief as Gasol has been diagnosed with a bone […]
Dictating On Defense II: Potential Playoff Opponents
Matt Scribbins provides insight and analysis throughout ESPN’s TrueHoop Network, including at HoopData and Magic Basketball. He graduated with distinction from Iowa State University last spring, where he was also a member of the Cyclone football team. In the fall, Matt is part of Football Outsiders’ Game Charting Project. You can also find him on twitter: @mattscribbins […]
Preview and Chat: The Denver Nuggets
Records: Lakers 55-20 (2nd in West), Nuggets 46-29 (5th in West) Offensive ratings: Lakers 111.9 (2nd in NBA), Nuggets 112.4 (1st in NBA) Defensive ratings: Lakers 104.3 (6th in NBA), Nuggets 107.4 (17th in NBA) Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum Nuggets: Ty Lawson, Arron Afflalo, Danilo […]
Master Movements III – It’s The Footwork
It’s been true for the majority of his career, but now more than ever Kobe Bryant is a technician on offense. As he’s aged and his first step isn’t as explosive as it was 5 years ago, Kobe’s adapted his game to include all the subtleties that you’d expect from one of the most dedicated […]
Lakers/Jazz: Second Half Surge Too Much For Utah
A mark of a championship team is winning when you don’t play your best. Another is being able to play well enough in spurts to keep a game close and then turning it on at an opportune time to bring home a win. Against the Jazz, the Lakers showed both qualities in spades to earn […]
Preview and Chat: The Utah Jazz
Records: Lakers 54-20 (2nd in West), Jazz 36-39 (11th in West) Offensive ratings: Lakers 111.9 (2nd in NBA), Jazz 108.3 (11th in NBA) Defensive ratings: Lakers 104.6 (6th in NBA), Jazz 110.2 (23rd in NBA) Projected Starting Lineups: Lakers: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum Jazz: Earl Watson, C.J. Miles, Paul […]