GRIZZLIES -at- LAKERS - 11/12 - Thoughts and :-)) ratings

[Dr. Funkbot]

[Klone_dd]

[postandpivot]

[quote="A Mad Chinaman"]

[eniq 0x00]

[eniq 0x00]

[Freakout]

Was very good seeing Kwame last night. You forget how mobile he is for a guy his size.

Highlight of the night for me was seeing Ronny and Andrew on the floor together.

[parsons777]

OK, not trying to be pessimistic, but rather realistic.

On a play when Kwame first came in the game he went up and blocked somebody after a defensive foul. His right arm pushed full force against the offensive players arm. Right after he was shaking the shoulder and kept doing it the whole time he was on the lane for the free throws.

I think he has a tear-labrum, rotator, doesn't matter. IMO he will need surgery. Just a matter of time. I do not think he finishes the season.

I tore my shoulder and had it scoped. Recovery took forever-well, about seven months

[postandpivot]

[angrypuppy]

[melakerfan]

[Afrosamurai]

Nice analysis on the game. For someone like me who wasn't lucky to even see the Lakers game (except for a few seconds driving pass a Hooters with a TV with the Lakers game in view) this is a great thread to read.

[LakersSpirit]

Between our last loss, and this last win, someone worked with our team, very hard... Our passing was a lot crisper, and more in rhythm. Everyone was playing together, and communicating. There were the occasional bad decisions. I think Phil may have found the key, to getting this team together. I think the coaching staff must be working them through passing drills, and running the triangle, over and over... This should continue.

Kobe is not trying to dominate the game, as much. Kobe is trusting his teammates more. The ball is moving around. There are still some nice passed up shots, IMHO, which still kind of upsets things, but not as much. I'm thinking, that Kobe may be changing his style, as he gets older, and his knee problems become more questionable. I think Kobe will work more within the system, and only try to take over, in desperation time.

I knew Mo Evans would reemerge, eventually. I knew I wasn't seeing mirages. Phil must have found a way to get something out of Mo, along with everything else.

Kwame showed a little rust, but he was also surprising, in the way he seemed to be on the same page, with everyone. I guess, Kwame has been working with the team, in practice.

Dare I say, that Bynum's moves look better, right now, than Kwame's. Andrew continues to amaze, with moves that belie his age and experience.

Many doomsayers are dissing our PG's, but I am excited, by the potential that I see. I see a team that has the potential to come together, with the offense being instigated from various areas of the triangle, because of our unique, and diverse guard situation.

Realistically, we will not look this good, against tougher competition, but this was a good game, to gain our confidence, and get back to playing like a team.
_________________
"Teamwork is a nebulous thing. It is as ephemeral as love, disappearing at the latest insult.".... Phil Jackson

[A Mad Chinaman]

[expertla]

[RealPeso]

DB. Just great stuff. Be pleased in all you do.

My Beliefs:
Smush. Does not take the ball to the basket with any authority or aggressiveness. Seems to almost always be out of control. Some mentioned, a few days ago, that at this point last year he had 10 dunks, none this year. I believe he has some lower body problems, i.e., legs, thighs, hips which also effect his ability to defend laterally. Why is he taking moving jumpers? I watched him at practice in Anahiem and he was nailing 3’s from his usual stand still position... It is appears as if this is his defining year in the NBA and he doesn’t recognize it. He has talent and lots of room for improvement. How can you not find a place to work out in LA, how can he not recognize that in the NBA there are two roads: One ends at either under or off the bridge, the other at fame and fortune unlike anyplace except heaven. Well maybe one other, low scale bench players.

Lamar: Most Talented Ever. To plagiarize Snack, MTE. Can do everything with a basketball. No need to define everything here. Also excels as a team mate. So why is he not a superstar? No heart. How can this happen when you been around a guy like Kobe, who is probably the most aggressive player in NBA history. Maybe Kobe took the little heart Lamar had when he was in Maimi. Why does he gets within 5 feet of the basket and pass the ball either to someone who is 5 inches closer or to someone who is 20 feet away? Excelling at being a team mate, afraid of missing the shot, afraid of getting the shot blocked, or no heart? How many times has he dunked an offensive rebound or just put it over the rim or off the glass? Conserving energy or no heart? How may rebounds does he get from banging as oppose to being out of position and just out jumping the opponent? Avoiding fouls or no heart? How many times has he shot fall-a-way 8-15 footers? Taking his best shot or ….jeez!! He almost never block shots involving lay-ups. How Lamar, how can you allow that to happen??? I truly believe he wants to win, be an all star, win the MVP and maybe MDE. In my personal Hope For Life section, there is an item for Lamar. He has a chance.

Team: Must grow beyond depending on Kobe. In the first 2 games, they looked like world beaters; shooting, passing, doing it all. Enter the best player in basketball and almost total collapse ensued. Afraid of taking the shot, making the incorrect pass, being in the wrong place, brain lock! I suppose it’s understandable that you would probable take the side seat instead of the front seat when you walk into a room with one of the most talented person in your profession. And even though you might venture into it, you would probable feel uncomfortable. It is almost always easier to let some one else do it, especially if you think they are better than you. I think Kobe is doing all he can to make the team feel comfortable in taking the front seat. I also think that if while sitting in that front seat they experience some success the seat will become more comfortable and subsequently the sitter more confident. Confidence is better regardless the task. This team, the team that is on the roster right now, will compete for championship for the next 5 years. They would win at least 4 championships in the next 5 years if Kobe finds a way to give each of them just a tiny portion of his heart.

These are my beliefs. You may, as is synonymous in this forum, comment as you please, I will not defend or assuage.

[postandpivot]

[postandpivot]

[RealPeso]

Postandpivot your comments about Smush were interesting enough to make me “eat my words”. Not as a point of argument but are you saying Smush is doomed because of his inability to play in the Tri? Perhaps you could do a similar analysis on my comments about Lamar. Good stuff. Enjoyed and found another perspective. Thanks!

[A Mad Chinaman]

[The Buss]

[LakersSpirit]

[DancingBarry]

post - A lot of the problems offensively are on Smush. Sure some of it is the Tri being out of a whack a little and someone having to put up a shot. But that happened last year, too. This year, he's taking a lot of quick, off-balance jumpers. Last year, he picked his spots better. His off the ball movement is much more stagnant. He's standing at the three line when there are cuts to be made. He did that a number of times last game. Guys are drawing the D and Smush is looking to shoot the 3 instead of diving down the lane or getting into the midrange. Last year, that's how we saw a number of his throwdowns. He's even sometimes taking an early three when a pass to the pinch post can be made in which he can get a return pass to attack or run the two-man game. He's not seeing the flow of the game and he's taking harder shots than he attempted last season. That's why his mojo is off, as he puts it. He's missing easier opportunities, out of rhythm out of synch. It could very well be (as Smush seems to be indicating) that not having those extra summer league games to run the Tri in are making him a little slower to get back in rhythm. If that's the case, then we'll just have to hope he gets into the flow better in a couple weeks.

Defensively, he may be slightly stickier on screens than some players...but a bigger gripe I have with him is when he stops moving or putting in effort. If he stops rotating, stops hustling, doesn't box out his man...things like that, which we've all seen...it costs us a few possessions or uncontested shots a game. Sometimes that's the difference between a okay defender with some athleticism and an above average one -- determination. He needs to keep moving on D. He doesn't do it to the extent that Chucky did (which was every play), but he does it and it bites us in the ass sometimes.

[DancingBarry]

RealPeso - Thank you for your thoughtful posts. See some of my comments above on Smush. As far as LO goes, anyone who laces them up after going through everything he went through, I don't think I could say they have a lack of heart. I do think LO has heart. What I might say, and it might be what you are really getting at, is that he doesn't impose his will on the game with consistency. I do think you see that at times.

He needs to maintain a level of offensive aggressiveness. It doesn't always have to manifest itself in a certain number of shots...but you do see field goal attempts and, particularly, free throw attempts and assists go up with that aggressiveness. He needs to collapse the D...again and again. Whether that is done from the post or on the drive, that is what we need. Points will come with his aggressiveness and he makes us a much better team.

There were also a lot of times when LO wanted to impose his will on the game last year, but he just didn't know how within this offense. You'd see him do awkward (non Triangle) kind of things to get himself in position to attack. He's gotten much better at knowing how to manipulate this offense and he will continue to improve in that. He just needs to make a very conscious effort to continually impose his will on the game with and without Kobe on the court. Doing it with him on the court, seems to be a little bit harder unless we let him get on the wing or in the low post a little more.

[A Mad Chinaman]