SPURS -at- LAKERS - 11-20-22 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

 
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Thoughts and Ratings Reply to topic
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Editor-in-Chief


Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40188
Location: O.C.

PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2022 9:23 pm    Post subject: SPURS -at- LAKERS - 11-20-22 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

Three Straight... The Lakers have a chance to make up some games here with a series against the Spurs.

Led by AD once again out of the gates (18 first-quarter points), they finally had a dominant first quarter building a 14-point lead.

The Spurs would chip away from that against the Laker bench (as Russ sat). But the Lakers would regain some control with a 10-0 run over a short 1:30 stretch late in the half. A lot of this was Austin Reaves burying three threes and getting to the line multiple times on his way to a 17-point first half.

Leading 66-48 at the half, the Lakers opened up the second half on an 8-0 run to get the third quarter off to a strong start. The Spurs couldn’t put the ball in the hoop as the Lakers challenged everything. The Lakers pushed the lead into the mid 30s.

They had an entire fourth quarter of garbage time, sitting AD and Reaves early after getting AD his 30th point. The Lakers went on to the 123-92 win.

“We’ve got to just keep stacking winning habits,” Darvin Ham said.


Davis -- -- Picking up where he left off, he had 18 points on 7-10 shooting and 5 boards in the first. A couple of those were pushouts from the backcourt that he took all the way. Russ and Reaves set him up for dunks. That floater of his looked good on a couple of plays, as well. I’m loving the play between he and Reaves on the two-man action. Reaves is consistently getting middle and that opens up the clean roll and lob to AD. Our guards have been doing an excellent job playmaking for AD during this stretch of wins. Tonight, AD got to 30 again and was able to do it on just 28 minutes. The Spurs didn’t have their primary bigman in this game, so that helped the cause. But AD kept his foot on the gas regardless. The Stats: He scored 30 points on 12-19 shooting (0-2 from three, 6-6 from the line) to go with 18 boards (3 offensive), 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 2 turnover and 1 foul in 28 minutes. He was a +34.

Walker IV -- -- Up against his old team, I’ll be curious to see how he does in this trio of games. Spurs fans were a little frustrated with his inconsistency. For the Lakers, he’s been one of their more consistent players this season. He drained a couple of threes and then just a slew of athletic finishes around the rim. He doesn’t need much of a runway to go from 0-60 and get the D on its heels. Then the afterburners kick in and it’s usually a strong finish. He had a great read in the second half as we set a cross screen out of the horns while he had the ball in his hands. As Reaves took his defender in the opposite direction, Lonnie attacked the seam down the lane and scored. That forced a Spurs timeout (he’d bury a three that also forced a Spurs timeout). We’re doing a good job getting Walker and Reaves downhill after getting other potential help defenders occupied. The Stats: He scored 14 points on 6-12 shooting (2-6 from three) to go with 1 board, 2 assists, 2 turnovers and 1 foul in 28 minutes. He was a +23.

Reaves -- -- Love the level of aggressiveness he’s playing with. It’s the balance he needs to find when LeBron is back and maybe we send Reaves to the bench again. He mentioned that everyone needs to be a little more aggressive with LeBron out, but Reaves really needs to keep that when LBJ returns. It’s the right balance, and it’s giving the team a lot of impact. Career-high half with 17 points (5-8 shooting) in the first half. He had 7 points in the first quarter and also hit AD for a lob. He sank a three when the defender went under. He scored a layup when AD found him in transition. He exploded down the lane off a handoff at the top of the key for another layup and forced a timeout. Late in the second quarter, he helped restore some order knocking down a couple more threes and aggressively attacking the rim for FTs. He’d backdoor his man and take a pass for a layup in the second half. He’d also setup AD on a couple of lob plays as he got middle. They are playing with purpose out there (well, Reaves, usually does…but as a team) and are getting into some flow. Even though it’s against poor teams, it’s still showing improved understanding how to compromise the D as a team (really liking the horns cross plays that they are running). "He just loves to hoop," Ham said of Reaves. The Stats: He scored 21 points on 7-11 shooting (3-4 from three, 4-4 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 3 assists, 1 turnover and 1 foul in 27 minutes. He was a +19.

Brown -- -- His worst game this season. It felt like anything he was doing offensively in this one was the wrong thing. He had a layup early off a Walker drive, but then just a series of turnovers and bricks. We called a timeout in the fourth because of a couple of these. It’s one thing to make a mistake, it’s another to compound that with another error next time down. That’s how teams get some momentum. We sat him in the fourth for Ryan. The Stats: He had 2 points on 1-4 shooting (0-2 from three) to go with 7 boards, 2 assists, 3 turnovers and 1 foul in 23 minutes. He was a +10.

Beverley -- -- Better second half as he had a couple of nice offensive plays. He attacked from the corner and hit AD for a dunk. He hit a wing three on a kickout from Russ. Defensively, a little pressure D, but nothing really of note. Good to see the minutes going down a bit. We were playing him way too much before. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-5 shooting (1-4 from three) to go with 1 board, 3 assists and 1 foul in 20 minutes. He was a +27.

Westbrook -- -- Good job again setting up teammates in the first half. He seems to be making a specific effort at this (almost to a fault sometimes), but it’s resulting in getting other guys going. The energy gets contagious and the team gets into a food flow. Some good moments with Bryant in the first half as Russ continues to find him for scores and Bryant has proven to be a good finisher. I like seeing those two out on the break. Russ needs to play with speed and Bryant changes ends better than a lot of bigs in this league. Maybe a couple too many threes, but he hit a couple and I think two of those misses were on two-for-one opportunities so I don’t mind that. The Stats: He scored 10 points on 4-9 shooting (2-5 from three) to go with 4 boards, 10 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers and 2 fouls in 22 minutes. He was a +14.

Bryant -- -- Really good first shift once again. He’s playing with energy on both ends and finishing when given the opportunities. He had a stretch of scoring on three straight possessions in the second quarter. He had a dunk off a Russ drive and dish. He scored a layup in transition next time down when Russ pitched it ahead to Bryant changing ends with speed. He then hammered over a defender on the next trip down when Reaves hit him on the move. He’d finish the half with 10 points on 4-4 shooting and allowed the Lakers to give AD some extra rest in the first half. Second half, he got to another lob from Russ in transition and played with good energy. “Anytime I see my bigs running, I like to reward them,” Russ said. Good chemistry with those two. Bryant doesn’t need the ball in his hands and he changes end at high speed. Hopefully, that three ball finds its range. Something to note: He and Dennis combined for 25 points. We missed that impact and there were nights when Bryant’s energy might have given the Lakers another W or two this season. The Stats: He scored 15 points on 5-5 shooting (5-8 from the line) to go with 9 boards, 1 assist and no fouls in 22 minutes. He was a -3.

Schröder -- -- Finally saw some flashes of Dennis getting to the hoop. He and Russ are really good at attacking the initial defender when they don’t see help behind him using change of speeds and direction. He also got into that midrange area off some screens for a couple of jumpers. That’s the Dennis we saw in his first stint with the team. Hopefully, he can start getting to his spots and playing to strengths with more consistency as he gets comfortable. Remember, he missed almost all the training camp before the injury, so he’s had the fewest reps with the team. Defensively, I appreciate the effort from start to finish. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 4-7 shooting (1-2 from three, 4-4 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal and no fouls in 23 minutes. He was a +8.

Gabriel -- -- He finished a tough lob from Nunn in transition in the first half. That was his only bucket. Some good effort as usual on the glass and hustling on D. Quiet night, overall, though. The Stats: He scored 2 points on 1-1 shooting to go with 5 boards, 1 assist and 2 fouls in 16 minutes. He was a +1.

Nunn -- -- One of his better games as a Laker. Not that he played stellar (he had 4 turnovers). The three ball was falling, though, and he got more and more comfortable as the game went along. So he’s strung together a couple of better ones in a row. Hopefully, that trend continues and he can start making more meaningful contributions. He’s got to use these minutes well before LeBron gets back because we’re going to need to trim some minutes somewhere. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 4-8 shooting (3-6 from three, 2-2 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 2 assists, 4 turnovers and no fouls in 20 minutes. He was a +12.

Jones -- -- He came in late for some garbage time run. He had a block hustling with 22 seconds left, tracking down a man from behind. The Stats: The Action: He didn’t score and had 1 board, 1 block and 1 foul in 4 minutes. He was a +1.

Ryan -- -- He came in for garbage time after Brown was looking awful. He got some shots off but struggled to find his range. The Stats: The Action: He didn’t score on 0-4 shooting (0-3 from three) to go with 1 board, 1 assist and no fouls in 5 minutes. He was a +5.

[Ham -- -- Key Moment: Hmmm. Lakers dominated from start to finish. But I liked that 8-0 start to the third quarter. That’s been an issue for the team and they flipped the tables tonight. Keep that up.

Key Substitution: We had four guys on the bench in double figures. I’m really liking the Westbrook/Bryant combo as they’ve developed some nice chemistry. They play the two-man game well. Bryant’s shown some good hands and finishing ability. Russ is looking for him. Those two had Crypto buzzing again. Schröder looked like himself again. The team is building up their confidence. “Getting Dennis and Thomas back has been a huge shot in the arm,” Ham said.

Key Stats: I liked the 19-point third quarter. We kept the Spurs contained instead of building up their confidence. Lakers shot 12-34 from three (35%) and an excellent 21-24 from the line (87.5%). Spurs made just 20.6% of their threes and a horrid 3-10 from the line.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
slavavov
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 03 Oct 2003
Posts: 8288
Location: Santa Monica

PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:02 pm    Post subject:

Thanks DB!

Seems like this team is turning the corner. Let's just hope they stay healthy and that Russ' hurt thumb is nothing to be concerned about.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Hanging from Rafters
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 31 Jul 2018
Posts: 4293

PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:05 pm    Post subject:

Thank DB, I always enjoy your write ups!
_________________
“When it looks as if it is a realistic possibility, I want to focus on winning a ship like it’s a goal that can’t be denied. I didn’t see that this off season.”
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Inspector Gadget
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 18 Apr 2016
Posts: 46492

PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:47 pm    Post subject:

Big difference between Westbrook this year and last year.. is that the games were he does a good job settling up teammates doesn’t result in a bunch of turnovers, for example he had like 3 turnovers in the game if this was the same Westbrook from last year he probably would have had like 6 or 7 turnovers.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
joeblow
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 24 Nov 2008
Posts: 3075

PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2022 10:56 pm    Post subject:

I was pleased with the defensive production today. The Spure had 48 at the half... and had 49 points until there was about 3.5 minutes left in the third.

With three wins in a row it would seem we're improving (which is true), but let's be real: these three teams have been pretty small. When we face bigger teams we will see how things come together.

Still, if anything it should prove to the FO that playing big works, and we should bring in talent that allows us to do the same against the larger teams in the league.

Overall nice work by Westbrook, BTW.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
TooMuchMajicBuss
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 17 Sep 2008
Posts: 21064
Location: In a white room, with black curtains near the station

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 12:02 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB! Good to see another win!

OK I'm liking Ham's adjustments to the roster more and more.

When I see how AD/Reaves/Walker are playing together in the starting unit I'm just fine with LeBron taking his time coming back, I want to see how this unit as it stands sustains itself.

As much shade as I've thrown towards Westbrook in the past, I'm starting admire how he's running point with the second unit, and how he's apparently OK with doing this. He's had several decent outings recently. Gotta give him some credit here, he's playing well alongside Bryant and making that second unit better.

Overall I like seeing the effort again on defense too.

Good game again Lakers, I hope this turns into some better outings when the tougher part of the schedule returns.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
danzag
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 28 Apr 2013
Posts: 22244
Location: Brazil

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 5:13 am    Post subject:

Thanks, DB!!!! AD ON THE WAY
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
governator
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 24996

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 5:45 am    Post subject:

Garbage time… sitting Reaves… hope this becomes the norm
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
PenG_
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 01 Feb 2020
Posts: 10387

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 6:31 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB! Great stuff from AD and the fellas

Now how do we replicate this against good teams with length? How do we replicate the same rim pressure with LeBron in the starting lineup?

At what point does a resurgent Russ and possibly Schroder slot LeBron down to a more reasonable ~32 minute load?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
joeblow
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 24 Nov 2008
Posts: 3075

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 7:18 am    Post subject:

PenG_ wrote:

Now how do we replicate this against good teams with length?

Trade for length ASAP.


Quote:
How do we replicate the same rim pressure with LeBron in the starting lineup?

With what we have right now, go with a front court of Lebron (SF), AD (PF), Bryant (C), and mid game put out there a front court of Lebron (SF), Gabriel (PF), AD (C). As you can see, by not having enough defensive forwards with legit size, we either stretch out Lebron and AD's minutes or go small more often.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Dr. Laker
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 12 Apr 2002
Posts: 17065

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 8:21 am    Post subject:

Thanks, DB!
_________________
On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
pio2u
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 26 Dec 2012
Posts: 54519

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:05 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB, .... GO LAKERS!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
sonic the laker
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 06 Oct 2013
Posts: 2061

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:08 am    Post subject:

Thanks as always for the write up, DB! You deserve to write up some good vibe write ups, after slogging through that terrible start to the season. Glad to see more smiley faces! Lakers!
_________________
ZOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
TDRock
Retired Number
Retired Number


Joined: 27 May 2010
Posts: 48597
Location: LA to the Bay

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 9:09 am    Post subject:

Yay winning! Thanks DB
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Star Player


Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6121

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 11:26 am    Post subject:

Ham is discovering certain player combinations that are working
* Westbrook & Bryant
* Reeves & AD

Side But Important Fact
* Lebron is aboe to get his MPG between 30-35

These Spur games are actually intense skirmishes where various players can find their timing and learn how to close games

Clear that Ryan has been cosely watching (as he should) Klay.

DB - Thanks for the Write-Up!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Halflife
Franchise Player
Franchise Player


Joined: 15 Aug 2015
Posts: 16656

PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2022 1:58 pm    Post subject:

A Mad Chinaman wrote:
Ham is discovering certain player combinations that are working
* Westbrook & Bryant
* Reeves & AD

Side But Important Fact
* Lebron is aboe to get his MPG between 30-35

These Spur games are actually intense skirmishes where various players can find their timing and learn how to close games

Clear that Ryan has been cosely watching (as he should) Klay.

DB - Thanks for the Write-Up!

Yes. Russ and Bryant were solid with Wiz.
_________________
Kobe.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Clw9scopegx/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Reply with quote
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic    LakersGround.net Forum Index -> Thoughts and Ratings All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1
Jump to:  

 
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum






Graphics by uberzev
© 1995-2018 LakersGround.net. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.
LakersGround is an unofficial news source serving the fan community since 1995.
We are in no way associated with the Los Angeles Lakers or the National Basketball Association.


Powered by phpBB