Last night’s loss still stings and will for some time, I imagine. When the team you root for collapses down the stretch, the ‘what ifs’ and ‘should have dones’ live in the front of your mind and sit there, sourly marinating. But that rotting feeling is really about the final two minutes of turnovers, poor transition […]
NBA Playoffs
Game 2 Preview and Chat: The Oklahoma City Thunder
Game one was a disaster for the Lakers that us fans would just as soon forget. But for the players, there’s a fair amount to glean from that blowout loss. Because with every missed rotation, bad coverage, and offensive miscue the Lakers can take note and do better. To win tonight, they must. In a […]
Wednesday Storylines
The Lakers had a nice first quarter in Oklahoma City to kick of the second round. That the team faded badly coming off a grueling seven-game series should surprise nobody, and that’s taking nothing away from the Thunder. They were squarely on their game and Russell Westbrook would not be denied. The resulting chatter, much […]
The Westbrook Dilemma
With barely any time to enjoy the Game 7 victory over the Denver Nuggets last Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers had to quickly turnaround and make it to the Chesapeake Factory to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals. The Lakers may have been suffering from […]
What’s Happened To Ramon Sessions?
The Lakers have struggled these playoffs to find any sort of rhythm. After 8 games they’re 4-4, have a negative scoring margin, and negative efficiency differentials. And while countless words have been devoted to (literal) front line issues like Bynum’s inconsistent effort and Pau’s up and down play, there’s another key Laker that hasn’t been […]
Game 1 Preview and Chat: The Oklahoma City Thunder
The turnaround time for the Lakers has been short. Just the day before yesterday they left everything they had on the floor in defeating the Denver Nuggets for the chance to play tonight. Meanwhile, the Thunder have been waiting patiently – and likely enjoying watching whoever they’d face go through the grinder of a full […]
Series Preview Part II: Attacking The Thunder Defense
We took an extensive look at defending the Thunder a bit earlier, but if the Lakers are going to compete in this series they’ll need to find a way to score. During the regular season the Lakers shot a shade under 40% over their three match ups, a success rate they’ll need to go up […]
Series Preview Part I: Defending The Thunder Offense
This is the series the Lakers aren’t supposed to win. The Thunder are younger and more athletic. They have star power at the top of their roster and a deep bench to compliment them. They’re hungry, determined, and a team that’s been on the cusp for long enough that they’re now primed for a deep […]
Initial Thoughts On The Thunder
The Nuggets hangover can last for a few hours longer, but not much more than that. Round two awaits and with that our focus shifts. We’ll have an extended series preview coming a bit later but for now, a few thoughts, questions, and observations heading into the second round versus the Oklahoma City Thunder… The […]
Four the Hard Way
Where did it go wrong? Or, how did it go so wrong, so quickly? It seemed to happen within the course of a game – an extended, senseless slide, like a nightmare car accident, or a real accident – the ones that seem to last an eternity. It wasn’t any one game, of course. They […]