So much of the Lakers’ off-season has focused on unknowns. What will Dwight Howard decide? When will Kobe return and, when he does, what type of player will he be? Will Pau Gasol still be on the team? If so, how will his role change? If not, what will he net in a trade? Due […]
Steve Nash
Lakers’ Crunch Time Usage Rates Tell a Story That Needs Revising
I’ve long struggled with the idea of “crunch time”. At times I’ve felt the definition used to describe this part of the game — the last 5 minutes of a game with a margin of 5 points or fewer — is a bit arbitrary. This feeling is compounded by the fact that I’m a firm […]
Thursday Reading: The Lakers’ Backcourt
The Lakers are 69 games into what’s been one of the wilder seasons in memory. Considering this is the Lakers we’re talking about, that’s saying something. I mean, remember Mike Brown? Him manning the reigns as Lakers’ head coach seems like years ago, not just earlier in this campaign. This season has aged in dog […]
The Breakdown: Screening Their Way to Success
In beating the Bulls, the Lakers really showed how they can manipulate very good defenses with screen actions designed to get their best players makable shots. This was especially true late in the game where the Lakers picked on Carlos Boozer on multiple consecutive possessions in order to close out the game. Of all the […]
The Lakers And All-Star Saturday – A Retrospective
Halfway (well, 65.8%, but who’s counting) through its annual marathon, the NBA bestows upon its rank-and-file (players, coaches, hell, fans) a much-needed four-day respite from the mental and physical grind of 82 in ~175. In 2013, nowhere is this midseason oasis more welcome than in Lakerland, where, in depressingly short order, euphoria and stratospheric expectations […]
Finding the Right Balance May Mean Separating Kobe and Nash
Is Steve Nash becoming marginalized? Over the past several games, Kobe Bryant has found out what every other chief perimeter player in Mike D’Antoni’s system has figured out: being the chief playmaker is how you lead the team. So, Kobe has moved off the ball to on it. He’s now calling for the ball earlier […]
Lakers Need A More Aggressive Steve Nash
Steve Nash is in an interesting position on this particular Laker team. He is the team’s point guard and, simply due to his position, one of the de facto leaders. Furthermore, because he is one of the best players on the team he is positioned as someone who others will look to for guidance. So, […]
Preview and Chat: The New York Knicks
Records: Lakers 13-14 (11th in the West). Knicks 20-7 (2nd in the East) Offensive ratings: Lakers 106.3 (6th in NBA), Knicks 109.8 (2nd in NBA) Defensive ratings: Lakers 102.2 (15th in NBA), Knicks 102.4 (16th in NBA) Projected starting lineups: Lakers: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Devin Ebanks, Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard Knicks: Carmelo Anthony, Tyson […]
Injury Update: Steve Nash has non-displaced fibula fracture
Sigh. For a team that will need to be as healthy as possible to achieve what they want to this season, things aren’t off to that great a start on that front: More bad news for Lakers: MRI revealed Steve Nash has small non-displaced fracture in head of fibula in left leg. He's out at […]
The Strategy Session: One Play, Two Actions, Same Result
Welcome to the Strategy Session. In this space we’ll explore different aspects of the game from a strategy standpoint. It may mean looking at a coaching decision — like determining a rotation. Or a specific offensive play that we think will work. Or it could be an examination of a defensive scheme. Sometimes we’ll use […]