Sunday at 12:30 is primetime for the NBA. _________________ On pick and roll defense.
10scott10 wrote:
and has killed them ever since jack kent cooke owned the team. i really don't think the lakers franchise is contractually even allowed to defend the high pick and roll.
I really hope the crowds are raucous this year. What's the point of having HCA if the crowd is dead? Yes, I realize a lot of the people who get tickets aren't really basketball or Laker fans but I hope the crowd gets into it. I can't stand hearing people talk about how laid-back and uncaring our fans are. _________________ The killer in me is the killer in you!
Last edited by TobiasBeecher on Tue Apr 14, 2009 10:56 pm; edited 1 time in total
You should check out the Lakers/Jazz topic on realgm's general board. Its been only a few hour and its already pretty epic. _________________ On pick and roll defense.
10scott10 wrote:
and has killed them ever since jack kent cooke owned the team. i really don't think the lakers franchise is contractually even allowed to defend the high pick and roll.
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:15 am Post subject: LAtimes: Jerry Sloan not sounding very confident
Quote:
For the Jazz, it ended a nightmare finish in which it lost seven of its last nine -- including home games against Minnesota and Golden State -- dropping from No. 5 and a matchup with someone its own size, to No. 8 and the Lakers.
"We didn't give them much of a battle, knowing we have to play them again," said Utah Coach Jerry Sloan. "It looks pretty bleak. . . .
"They have a terrific team. They have guys who can pass the ball, do about anything you ask a team to do. They've got guys who can make big shots, who just know how to play the game, make the game look simple. . . .
"We're just like a little dent in the road, far as they're concerned. They're very comfortable playing against us and obviously should be."
Aside from the race for best overall record, which didn't seem as important once Boston fell off the pace, Tuesday night's game was the most meaningful one the Lakers had played since their win in Cleveland on Feb. 8.
Of course, the first question was, would they try?
Coach Phil Jackson held his usual pregame interview session, with the media asking -- delicately -- if he intended to tank, which came out as an inquiry into whether he was "concerned" about who they play in the first round.
"I don't play the game that way," said Jackson, dryly.
On the other hand, what would he have said if he did intend to lose, "Splish, splash, we're taking a bath?"
A year ago, the Lakers went 12-3 in the West draw, with two of the losses against Utah, but they didn't have Andrew Bynum then.
"They're so much longer than we are, putting him on the floor really gives them a lot of length," said Sloan.
Is there any way you can play against him, he was asked.
"Yeah," said Sloan, grinning, "put him in a concrete stretcher. See if that makes our guys bigger."
And last spring's Jazz finished on a 38-12 run. This one finished 2-7, with last season's leading scorer, Carlos Boozer, struggling to return to form after a long absence.
"Some great players have been able to do that [return from injury]," said Sloan. "Our guys have struggled with it. . . .
"You have to fight a little bit harder. Sometimes you think you got to go a little bit easier. Everybody has a different approach, afraid they'll get hurt doing it.
"I always liked the Michel Jordan thing, he tried to come out and break his foot after he broke it once. And that pretty well tells you where you are."
Where they are is scheduled for a return trip back here this weekend. It's not all they wished for but it's all they've got.
Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Posts: 10777 Location: Hoosier Nation
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:28 am Post subject:
Things don't look good for Utah. My only hope is we don't underestimate them. Jerry Sloan is a great coach and I don't believe for a minute he's not going to do all he can to get his team through this series. _________________ Not a legend
Things don't look good for Utah. My only hope is we don't underestimate them. Jerry Sloan is a great coach and I don't believe for a minute he's not going to do all he can to get his team through this series.
I think the Jazz feel they are a pretty good (traditionally good) matchup for the Lakers. Of course Sloan would downplay their potential for an upset. Why not? But, they are an interesting team with a very good coach and if the Lakers fell to them we'd all be talking about Sloan's craftiness. Good to have Bynum back and Brown is a hustling 6'4" guard who give the Lakers muscle and energy against bigger guards. I personally like, given Fish's age, the 3-guard rotation. Situational guard potential.
Joined: 03 Mar 2009 Posts: 1527 Location: Big Red Country
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:44 am Post subject:
ElginBaylor wrote:
Things don't look good for Utah. My only hope is we don't underestimate them. Jerry Sloan is a great coach and I don't believe for a minute he's not going to do all he can to get his team through this series.
My prayers go out to the Jazz, and there fans... _________________ "According to ESPN.com's conference projections, the Lakers will finish 12th in the West, which prompted Bryant to tweet earlier this offseason, "12th I see.."
Just heard a soundbite from Luke Walton. He said they weren't going to buy into this playing possum by Sloan. I'm sure Sloan knows the Lakers are the better team but I think that interview was pure psychology. He wants us to underestimate them. _________________ Only this time, the Lakers fought back for Bryant. They fought with him. And when he wasn’t his best, they had Bryant’s back. Enough is enough, Kobe Bryant finally witnessed his teammates tell the Boston Celtics.
Sloan/Jazz aren't laying down for anyone. Expect a good physical series. _________________ "It's just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up."-The Greatest
I like Sloan. He is a good coach. And it might be possible that he caught wind of what happens to our team when we underestimate our opponents. What better way of getting that done than by having their own coach sound like we are unstoppable?
I hope our guys don't discuss this one too much. Just brush it off.
Just heard a soundbite from Luke Walton. He said they weren't going to buy into this playing possum by Sloan. I'm sure Sloan knows the Lakers are the better team but I think that interview was pure psychology. He wants us to underestimate them.
Joined: 10 Dec 2006 Posts: 52663 Location: Making a safety stop at 15 feet.
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:36 am Post subject:
Sloan is a savy guy. He is simply playing to the confidence of the Lakers and trying to lull them into a sense of over confidence. He knows that no matter how poorly the Jazz have been playing, they will be up for the playoffs and give the Lakers a great run for their money in Utah. _________________ You thought God was an architect, now you know
He’s something like a pipe bomb ready to blow
And everything you built that’s all for show
goes up in flames
In 24 frames
Just wait until Utah starts their usual grab-and-go offense and their bump-and-hug defense. "What? That wasn't a foul." _________________ Austin Reaves keeps his game tight, like Kobe Bryant on game night.
The Lakers aren't going to take Utah for granted. They know very well how dangerous the Jazz are, and if they aren't focused inititally, it won't take long for them to get that focus back as soon as they experience Utah's playoff physicallity. Overall, I'm not worried about the Lakers' focus. They want to win a championship. As Sloan said, Utah is just a bump in the road.
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