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troy Star Player
Joined: 30 Jan 2013 Posts: 4973
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 7:48 am Post subject: We shouldn't complain because we knew the age of our team... |
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The reason why so many younger, subpar teams (and younger, high quality teams, too) beat us is because we have older vets who don't play for the regular season.
These guys we have on this Lakers team are all rich, established, past their prime, and are only interested in the post-season. Up and comer players need to build their name, build their rep so they can stay in the NBA and grab those huge contracts. The want to impress the ladies, impress their friends, and they have a true desire to get out their and play because their passion for just being in the NBA is so strong.
We have a team full of players who are approaching middle age, married with grown children, tons of money in their bank accounts, mileage on their broken bodies, who have seen the NBA up, down, and all around and are no longer impressed by it, who have had their moments and no longer care, have no more fire in them and zero desire or need to prove themselves. You think these guys are going to play hard every night, especially on defense?
What younger players we do have are not the competitive, strong minded sorts (like the Kobes of the past) and they just go along with the program. The end result of all of this is that you have an entire Lakers team that is not going to ball-out during the mid-season, and Laker players that aren't looking to score 60 on someone, or shut a team down defensively and then hang out at strip clubs and get drunk and boast about it. We have guys that will do just enough, and then go home to their old wives, their young adult sons and daughters, and their huge mansions.
Our guys are not regular-season hungry.
So, we will have to get used to hanging around the .500 mark, because this team will play hard just enough to stay in the playoff run. We have to get used to losing to hungry, younger teams. We have to get used to uninspired defensive play, and that maddening casual attitude. But the good news is that, if everything goes to script, these older guys will shift into a higher gear as the post season nears.
Until then, as Lebron says enjoy the process... |
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AD23 Star Player
Joined: 15 Jul 2019 Posts: 3069
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 8:18 am Post subject: |
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Thank you
Merry Xmas |
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daytripper Star Player
Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 1194
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 9:44 am Post subject: |
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So basically just ignore basketball until April? This is apparently what the Lakers are doing. |
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governator Franchise Player
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 24996
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 9:51 am Post subject: |
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chip or bust |
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Brawn13 Star Player
Joined: 30 Jan 2019 Posts: 3573
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 10:20 am Post subject: |
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Yes we are old but it’s not that we don’t want to play hard…we just don’t have the energy to keep up the pace over a full game.
The wheels fall off usually in the 2nd half of games. Lebron and Russ have been playing hard like they aren’t happy with dropping all these games but it hasn’t worked out
Talent just doesn’t fit together as well. Besides Dwight, our role players that used to be former stars, aren’t great at being role players and doing the dirty work. Melo, DJ, and to an extent Russ are guys that play like they’ve always played for the most part instead of really embracing the Reaves/Caruso hustle roles to compliment our true stars Lebron/AD.
Bradley and Bazemore embrace those roles but they just aren’t good enough in 2021 to be on a championship roster. THT was being groomed to be a secondary ball handler/slasher type which is his game but now that we have Westbrook (and Nunn to certain degree) It kind of makes him out of place when on the court with our other point guards as playing off ball and shooting isn’t what he’s good at.
Also, the top contenders all have big wings…and we’ve never addressed defensive players to match up against Clippers,Bucks, Nets etc. we got old Lebron and Ariza.
Just a poorly put together roster. To be fair, last years roster wouldn’t have done anything this year either. |
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cthroatgtr Star Player
Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 1375
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:22 am Post subject: |
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That's exactly why we are complaining. WTF was Pelinka thiking? |
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oaktown_dimond Star Player
Joined: 16 Nov 2007 Posts: 1357
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:29 am Post subject: |
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all we can do is when AD is back, put him at the 4 where he belongs! and SLOW THE OFFENSE DOWN. we are NOT a fast break team (except for WB). hell, maybe a slower offense will allow WB to THINK. rather than just react on the fly? |
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venturalakersfan Retired Number
Joined: 14 Apr 2001 Posts: 144432 Location: The Gold Coast
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:30 am Post subject: |
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That is what we were complaining about _________________ RIP mom. 11-21-1933 to 6-14-2023. |
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Aeneas Hunter Retired Number
Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 31763
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Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2021 11:40 am Post subject: |
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By sports message board standards, this was a masterpiece. Bravo! _________________ Internet Argument Resolved |
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wolfpaclaker Retired Number
Joined: 29 May 2002 Posts: 58318
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Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2021 6:08 am Post subject: |
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Covid issues have nothing to do with age.
Age is the defensive effort and slacking on O and just shooting the first open jumper they see. But it's a little deeper than that. We do have some not over the hill guys that can play with a high motor.
AD, Reaves, Bradley come to mind. When they play the three of them, we seem to play very well most of the time. It's that even guys like that, have not played enough games together. Reaves, a young guy, has been in/out of the lineup twice.
Now what about Nunn? He's what 26? He's been out of the lineup all year. Another young guy is THT, he's been out of the lineup for the first month of the RS, then we lost him to Covid protocols. Not that THT has been the same level of impact as Reaves/Bradley, but it shows you it's not age.
I think we really have had no continuity, even with the dudes that were supposed to play with a lot of energy and higher impact. We end up relying on the players we didn't really plan to build our schemes around. Factor that WB's not been worth the 3 starting level role player spot/salaries he took, as predicted, if AD/Bron were not 100% we were gonna be in some trouble.
The whole question is will this be a season long thing? Is it already over? IDK. To be determined. |
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