LAKERS -vs- CLIPPERS - 10/9 - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings

[DancingBarry]

Drew, meet Pau... Pau, meet Drew... For the first time ever, the Lakers put their two 7-footers out on the floor together.

Andrew Bynum came in for Lamar Odom, who started at the power forward spot, with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. The Bynum/Pau lineup played briefly in the first half. The Mythical Four was finally a reality in the second half when Kobe, Bynum, Pau and Lamar all started. Another Laker first.

With the Clippers looking to push tempo with Baron Davis and a small, mobile power forward in Tim Thomas, it was a good test for this unit. Both ends looked sloppy, but defensively their length looked like it caused the Clippers some issues.

Offensively in that unit, we went to Kobe in the post quite a bit with Lamar out top. On occasion, Lamar also would dive down between the bigs to seal his man and look for a pass.

Again, it's preseason and there wasn't much flow to the game. After scoring 30 in the opening quarter, the Laker offense then had quarters of 18, 17 and 15, getting progressively ineffective as the game went on. They lost to the cross-town Clippers, 107-80. We had 26 turnovers and just 13 assists. As a certain Clipper fan might yell, "U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi. You ugly." That's okay in early October.

Defensively, the team is still struggling to find an identity and get into their schemes. Although both Bynum and Ariza looked much more active, the team gave up a lot of easy transition hoops.

Sun Yue saw floor time. None of the deep bench guys hoping to make the team made a great case for the roster spot. The lone highlight was a nice putback jam from Giles.


Kobe -- -- A more aggressive, active Kobe out there. In that lineup to start the second half, he posted up quite a bit and roamed fairly effectively on D. With bigs behind him to anchor the D, his roaming should be more disruptive (as long as he's not leaving a shooter). His jumpshot still looks a little cold, and he looks pretty selective on his long-range options. The Stats: He scored 12 points on 3-7 shooting (6-6 from the line) to go with 5 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers and 1 foul in 25 minutes. The Action: He set up Pau for a short jumper. He drew FTs when Trevor found him cutting to the lane on an overplay by the defender, he made both. He drew more FTs getting hit while splitting a couple defenders, he made both. He missed a sideline jumper. He set up Pau for an open look when he drew the double in the high post. Bynum found him in the low post for a short turnaround. He faked right, went left and hit a turnaround from 17 feet out on the left wing. He had 8 points on 2-3 shooting, 4 boards and 3 assists at the half. Second Half: He posted up his man and scored with ease. He missed a fallaway on the baseline. He missed a floater, but stole the outlet back and drew FTs, he made both. He lost the ball for a dunk the other way. He missed a wing jumper short.

Gasol -- -- We're seeing Pau in some places on the floor where we haven't in the past. We saw him make post entry passes to Bynum and Kobe. That's different. He also had to D up on Thomas out on the perimeter. Offensively, he's looked smooth. The jumper is getting nothing but net. He's hitting shots that are going to be there for him all season in this offense. With Bynum, Kobe and Lamar all able to collapse the D in the post, Pau could feast if his man does some of the doubling. Defensively, he seems to be going through the motions sometimes, whether it was in transition or challenging some shots. Having to guard Thomas pulled him away from the hoop. A more traditional PF should allow him to do more defensively in that lineup with Drew. The Stats: He scored 12 points on 5-7 shooting (2-2 from the line), 1 board, 1 block and 4 fouls in just 16 minutes. The Action: He hit a lefty hook on his first touch. He missed a wing jumper on our second play of the game. He hit an 8-footer in the lane off a Kobe two-man sequence. Nice challenge on Kaman who backed him down and Pau forced a miss. He swished a face-up 15-footer over Kaman from the left side. He sank an open 15-footer on a kickout from LO. He swished an elbow jumper (now as the PF) when the Clips doubled on Kobe. He hit the rim on a quick high-low pass to Bynum (there should be a lot of these passes available). He had 10 points on 5-6 shooting in the first half. Second Half: He missed a lefty hook over Kaman taking him off the dribble (Drew had Thomas on him, we should have worked it to him). He earned FTs on a bounce pass from Fish in the lane, he made both.

Lamar -- -- Phil on Lamar before the game: "He has to play a good floor game for us...he's got to be able put on his thinking hat and be a utility player for us at times and also be a person who drives the ball for us." Phil is putting the pressure on and Lamar will need to respond. LO didn't score and only took one shot in his 16 minutes. He also had 3 turnovers. Not the response Phil is looking for. The more clunky the triangle looks, the more Lamar will just try to wing it. Knowing him, I wouldn't expect him to push through until things become smoother with the roster. There will also be second-unit stints where a lot more will depend on him. Still, Phil will crank up the pressure. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-1 shooting, had 3 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 turnovers and 2 fouls in 16 minutes. The Action: He missed a face up jumper on his first attempt. He posted up and kicked out to Pau for an easy jumper. He was called for three seconds, overpassing in the lane. He had 2 boards, 1 assist and didn't score in 7 minutes of the first half. Second Half: Nice strip in transition D to prevent a hoop. Great seal on Thornton under the hoop to draw a foul. He was picked from behind on the break. Horrible kickout pass right to a Clipper.

Fisher -- -- Fish had to rush or create at the end of the shotclock a bit tonight. Not ideal. Defensively, Baron is a handful. Both of those will make for a tough game. He will be a vital part of that Big Four lineup. He, Kobe and Pau will all be key to spreading the floor as perimeter threats. Fish will be that one constant out behind the three line. Could be some great looks for him. The Stats: He scored 6 points on 1-4 shooting (4-5 from the line) to go with 1 board, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls in 18 mintues. The Action: He lost the ball in transition, and it resulted in a turnover and dunk. He was fouled on a three-pointer in transition, he made all three FTs. He hit a pull-up jumper at the FT line. Second Half: He missed a wing bank shot. He missed a baseline jumper. He set up Pau for FTs with a bounce pass. He was fouled on a jumper with the shotclock low, he made one FT. He missed a jumper at the top of the key with the shotclock low. He threw an outlet away on the next play. He picked up weak foul call on what looked like a sure steal as he had to gamble against or get owned by a bigman, horrible call.

Ariza -- -- Ariza was one of the bright spots in the game. Great energy level. Some good activity on the defensive end (even some good activity on the glass, although it didn't show in the stat sheet). He was very aggressive in the passing lanes, aggressive attacking with the ball, but poor from the perimeter. He was 0-4 from the perimeter (making that 1-6 in two games from outside). He led both teams with 4 steals. "On the defensive end, we've got to work on our rotations," Ariza said afterward. So much of that activity is off-the-ball or quick strike stuff, again very complimentary to the main focal points of the offense. Hopefully, he'll start draining those jumpers with some consistency. The Stats: He scored 10 points on 3-9 shooting (0-1 from three, 4-6 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 2 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 23 minutes. The Action: He barely hit rim on a three attempt, left open. He picked up a touch foul on Thornton. He missed a floater on the baseline. Aggressive attack in transition off a made basket and he drew FTs, he made one. He inbounded the ball, got it right back and quickly attacked baseline where he drew FTs, he made one. Great pass in transition as he drew the D and it led to a layup for Heath. He blew a layup in transition off another quick attack. He missed a wing jumper. He missed an open wing jumper. He was called for a charge when Kobe handed off to him under the hoop. Second Half: He drew FTs on a loose ball foul (some good pressure going after loose balls), he made both FTs. He jumped a passing lane, tipped the ball out and took it the distance for the dunk. Looked like he got a piece of a jumper by his man on the next defensive stand. He missed a pull-up 18-footer. He swiped another pass, pushed it out and soared for the dunk. Great reaction/anticipation to get to a loose ball under the hoop, quickly pouncing on it for another steal and score. Poor angled pass to Mbenga and it was picked off.

Bynum -- -- Asked in the pre-game show about being the next great Laker center, "That't why I work hard over the summer," Bynum said, "and continue to work hard during the season to try to become that great center that everybody, including myself, wants me to be." Big Game James was thrilled about Bynum embracing the phrase that, "Your defense is only as good as your weakside." That defense looked much better tonight. You could see him anticipating the action better and timing his challenges better. That led to a number of difficult shots for opponents. Good improvement from the pervious game in that aspect. He also had some good box out sequences and controlled the boards at time with those big two-handed rebounds. We still need more impact on the offensive boards. Offensively, not as many touches tonight and he has yet to get those drive-and-dish setups. No knee brace in tonight's game. The Stats: He scored 6 points on 2-5 shooting (2-4 from the line) to go with 9 boards, 2 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls in 21 minutes. The Action: A couple good challenges on Kaman to force misses under the hoop. He took the post entry at the midpost and found Kobe in the low post for a turnaround. He traveled in the post. He hit a lengthy jumphook with his right from the midpost (fended off the defender with his left arm in stealthy fashion). He faced up, faked right, spun left and hit the short jumper in the lane. He was called for a walk, looked like the ref didn't see the dribble he took. Nice challenge on P. Davis's drive to force a brick. He missed a 12-footer flashing to the FT line. He had 4 points on 2-3 shooting, 4 boards and 2 turnovers in the first half. Second Half: He missed a jumphook, but drew a foul, he made one FT. He helped force Baron into a travel with some help D. He got tapped on a long jumphook from the right side. He missed a hook with his left from a few feet away. Nice challenge to alter a shot by Thornton. He was fouled on the two-man game with Vlad, he made one FT. He fly-swatted a shot in the lane and it led to a breakaway score.

Radmanovic -- -- Your Laker leading scorer, Vlad the Impaler. Vlad was stroking the jumper and bring rain against his former team. He was definitely feeling it, throwing up a couple heat checks. He also had a little bit of an edge to his game, getting into it with Clipper guards and even sending one to the floor on hard screen at mid court. He even had some nice hustle plays, too. This is the Vlad you like to see off the bench. The Stats: He scored 14 points on 5-9 shooting (4-7 from three) to go with 5 boards (3 offensive), 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 23 minutes. The Action: He swished a rainbow three on his first attempt. Next trip down, he swished a three from the corner. He just missed his third three on the next trip, heat check. Vlad dumped Hart to the floor, then stepped on him, the two drew a double tech. Good hustle to save a loose ball along the sideline, he then swished a corner three a few seconds later. He sank a baseline jumper off a slow developing pinch post with Mihm. He led all Lakers with 11 points on 4-5 shooting and 3 boards in the first half. Second Half: He forced a three and was blocked from behind. He bricked a layup trying to power up, then pushed off for an offensive foul. He airballed a hurried three. He then leveled Farmar's man on a screen at mid court, took the pass back from Farmar and swished a three. He swatted a man from behind on a baseline attack.

Farmar -- -- Another very good game from Farmar. He's looking more confident and aggressive. It could be the preseason, but he's playing with that "Impact Farmar" attitude and getting results. Some of the best minutes tonight were when he was on the floor. He and Ariza can put a lot of pressure on the passing lanes defensively. The Stats: He scored 12 points on 5-9 shooting (1-4 from three, 1-3 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls in 19 minutes. The Action: He was stripped on a drive in transition. Poor clock management, not getting a shot off on our final possession of the first quarter. He sank a 17-footer in transition (I like him getting into that range). He missed a three on a kick out from Sun. He nearly got picked, exposing the ball on a cross-over. Second Half: He scored a layup on the break after Bynum swatted a shot. He back-rimmed a tech FT (I hope he worked on his FT shooting this offseason). He pushed out an Ariza blocked shot and scored a layup. He attacked to his right, used his body well and scored off the glass. He sank a catch-and-shoot wing three on a skip pass from Ariza. He crashed the offensive boards and reset the offense. He missed a long three. He cut down the lane and earned FTs on a pass from Ariza, he made one. He turned the corner with speed but was called for an offensive foul under the hoop. He missed an open wing three.

Mihm -- -- He came in for Bynum late in the second quarter (these would be Pau minutes at C, I have to believe). He had a late stint in the game where the offense looked horrible. He's going to look a lot better when we aren't trying run the offense through him. That's not a good idea. The offense just went dead. It seemed like we relied on both him and DJ much more than we should have in some of those lineups. Not a big deal. That will all tighten up as the roster does. But still, makes for some ugly minutes. The Stats: He scored 1 point on 0-1 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 1 assist, 1 turnover and no fouls in 12 minutes. The Action: Nice close out to challenge a three in the corner. Second Half: He missed a jumphook. He drew FTs in transition, he made one.

Powell -- -- Not a lot of stat stuffing in this game, but some good efforts out there. I thought he looked good next to Bynum. Bynum gives you the shot blocking that you need next to Powell and both are strong on the boards. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-3 shooting, had 1 board, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 12 minutes. The Action: He got blocked on a reverse layup (nice, quick attack, though). Good effort on the offensive glass, sandwiched between two players, but he couldn't come down with it after a couple tips. He missed an open wing jumper. Second Half: He pulled down an offensive board and was called for a travel. He was stripped after Mihm found him under the hoop. He missed a challenged elbow jumper. He swiped a pass to ignite the break.

Mbenga -- -- He was in with a lineup that made a good run, but I think that was more because of the other guys. Good job on the glass when he was out there, but not much else. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-3 shooting, had 5 boards (3 offensive), 1 turnover and 1 foul. The Action: Nothing to report. Second Half: He got some run at the end of the third quarter. He missed a short jumphook in the lane. He got stripped when the offense stalled and he tried to create. He biffed a lob pass from Coby, who flipped it up to him in the lane and Mbenga never recognized it.

Sun Yue -- -- We got teased in the first half. He came in at the SG spot, but came out shortly later for Kobe. Barely time to do anything. He later played some SF at the end of the game and got some decent run, but that lineup was a mess and lacked focus. He seemed like he was just trying to fit in and played pretty passive ball compared to the games I've seen him in. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-1 shooting and had 1 foul in 8 minutes. The Action: He attacked to his left and kicked out to Farmar who missed the three. Second Half: He returned with 5 minutes left in the game, this time at the SF spot. He had a shot go behind the backboard, looked like a foul or the ball slipping off his hand...but it wasn't a typical shot attempt.

Heath -- -- He had a rough time out there. Some big mistakes that raise eyebrows on coaches. He did manage to score, which is something the other deep bench guys couldn't do. But his two turnovers, two shots blocked and an airball three left a bad taste in his mouth, I'm sure. The Stats: He scored 5 points on 2-6 shooting (0-2 from three, 1-1 from the line) to go with 2 turnovers and 1 foul in 12 minutes. The Action: He got blocked on a jumper for transition points the other way. He was blocked on a drive. He missed a wide open three a few seconds later. He scored a layup when Ariza set him up under the hoop. He had a short floater that was goaltended (shot looked way short). Second Half: He made a tech FT. He was picked in the backcourt for a layup the other way. He then slipped on the floor for antoher backcourt turnover. Those are the kind of mistakes that get you cut. He then airballed a three at the end of the game.

Karl -- -- Again, he's playing those Sasha minutes. He's still shooting blanks, which isn't helping his cause. He's not hesitating on his shot, which is good, but he'll need to knock some down...and soon. Defensively, he had some tricky match ups out there, too. "I feel confident that I belong here," he said in the Times. "It's a long month of proving yourself. It's a long career of doing that. Last year helped, getting to know the players and the system and the coaches." The Stats: He went 0-3 (0-2 from three) to go with 1 steal, 1 turnover and 2 fouls in 16 minutes. The Action: He got backdoored for a layup. He missed a rushed corner three. He got tapped on another corner three. Second Half: Nice drive and lob pass to Mbenga who didn't recognize it and let it come down.

Crawford -- -- He came in with 5 minutes left in the game and didn't stand out. Very quiet minutes again. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-1 shooting, had 1 turnover and 2 fouls in 5 minutes. The Action: He missed a hurried three, trying to beat the shotclock.

Giles -- -- He made the deep bench play of the night with a putback throwdown. Of all the bubble guys, he seems to be playing the best at the moment. Unfortunately, that's not much of an accomplishment. Still, decent minutes in his two games. The Stats: He scored 2 points on 1-2 shooting, pulled down 2 boards and didn't foul in 7 mminutes of action. The Action: He missed an elbow jumper. He threw down a missed jumper by Ariza on an excellent crash of the boards.

Phil -- -- Back lurking the sidelines was Phil Jackson. He said he was feeling much better and that's good news for the team... With the Clippers looking to push tempo, running Bynum and Pau on the floor could allow Phil to make some points regarding the transition D. He gave that unit some run tonight and will have some good talking points for improvement... The transition D early on was very weak by the Lakers. They gave up a number of easy scores. In the half court, there were also some poor challenges on the perimeter. They trailed 36-30. Offense looking fine to start... The Lakers cut the lead down until the bench with Kobe gave it up again. Neither Lamar nor Pau returned to the game after their first stints. The Laker D was better in the quarter, but the team only managed 18 points. The Clippers led 59-48 at the half. The Clips had just 1 turnover to the Lakers 7 in the first half... Believe it or not, the Lakers played some tighter offensive execution in this first half. There was slightly more purpose than in the first game. The D is still soft... The coaches preached D at the half... Phil started the Bynum, Pau, Lamar, Kobe, Fisher lineup and ran it for half of the second quarter. Then he brought in Vlad for Pau, moving Lamar to the PF... The Lakers fell down by 20 midway through the third. Farmar and Ariza helped turn some defense into offense and cut the lead to 75-65 at the end of the third... The Mbenga, Vlad, Ariza, Coby, Farmar line continued to play well starting the fourth... The Mihm, Powell, Sun, Crawford, Heath lineup couldn't do anything offensively to close out the final 5 minutes... The Lakers had just 13 assists tonight. If there is a stat that tells how poorly the offense was executing, that's it... Sasha didn't go with the team. He stayed behind for an MRI on his ankle as it was feeling sore... Phil on Odom: "He'll find his way."...

[najim]

pretty ugly game, but then again, last year's preseason was ugly too... let's hope they get the cobwebs out...

[TheLakerFeeling]

2nd.

As always, thanks DB!

[ocho]

literally the worst basketball game i have ever witnessed. absolutely unbearable.

[StuLantz#1]

I noticed a couple people in the game thread were a little more critical, but I totally agree with you about Bynum's defense. There was a major difference from Tuesdays game--he was much more active and altered several shots. Funny that even though he started locking up the inside they still just kept scoring from distance against our non-existent perimeter D. I didn't like the fact his offense wasn't there, or more to the point, that he wasn't zeroed in on at the post like in game one. Things got crowded between he and Gasol because of what looked like confusion but I can't begin to understand why that can't work. Duncan/Robinson, Shaq/Horace Grant, etc etc--it's not the first time you've had two big men on the floor. I think Bynum should just set up down low every time (and they HAVE to get him the ball) and Gasol should float out around 10-15 ft from the hoop. We don't just need a better defense, we need a better offense, and Bynum might bring that to the table if we bother using him consistently.

I think Fisher was absolutely horrible though. He was like a completely lost floor general today. His only involvement on the offensive end should be spotting up and getting out of the way. I'm not going to pretend he wasn't an important, stabilizing force last year, but hopefully his wheels don't let up this season. Davis really tore him apart.

As trendy as it is to attack Odom, I also have to agree about him at SF--I think that's going to create major problems down the road. Hopefully he'll be somewhat useful as a backup PF and not sulk when he gets pulled out of the starting rotation (but who knows, based on the same starting line-up maybe Jackson will have less patience waiting out Bynum and Gasol getting use to each other)

[Mation]

Thanks DB.

Want to see Sasha back in action. Good to see Ariza and Farmar have some impact play to lift that second half (if only for a quarter).

[City_Dawg]

[B_Rabbit1212]

[DancingBarry]

[Senor Mortgage]

Bynum's getting there. He's still a few weeks away from becoming all around in his game. First game he focused on his shooting touch, second game was more about anchoring the defense (still needs work). Next game it'' probably be rebounding and establishing position. And so forth. He'll slowly integrate everything game to game. I was most impressed with Vlad. Im not expecting it but if Vlad would only put that much effort into every game I think he may be a real x-factor for this team that no one was expecting. Way to early to say that of course (especially given its Vlad) but I have a feeling he will be our starting 3 as it'll be a nightmare for other teams to defend everyone.

[waterman40]

Just looking for positives; Bynum improving, better games from Vlade and Farmar.
_________________
LAKERS 2019-2020: NBA World Champions!

[Tanlentueux]

thanks. and i will read later.

[iggyk8]

Beaten to a bloody pulp. I know Phil is enjoying this.

[Texas_Pete]

Thanks as always DB.

Farmar just may break in to the starting lineup after the ASB. No joke.

[limchrc]

Thanks.

[prisma8slg]

[hoopschick29]

I think everyone (except for Lamar), is just a little hopped up right now, scrambling for position. Everyone has something to prove and their pressing hard to do it (except for Lamar).

There are limited spots and several guys just aren't trying to make the team, they want to play. I like the eagerness, even if the rhythm and timing isn't there yet.

Drew is gonna be fine. He has a big next to him studying him. Pau will figure out what Drew likes and he'll adjust to that.

Despite all the blooper material thus far, I get the sense that everyone is on the same page.....with the exception of one guy. The Lakers are gonna have to make a decision about that guy both from a coaching standpoint and a team standpoint and they need to do it soon.
_________________
So glad we gave you your flowers while you were here, Kobe.

[JM]

[RCS926]

That was a hard game to watch, but I take solace in knowing that it was only a preseason game. The championship caliber Laker teams of the past never looked good in the preseason, so I’m hoping this team is just continuing in the trend. Anyway, I some good things and some bad things (more bad than good).

GOOD

- Bynum looked MUCH better on the defensive end. His rotations were much better, and he was also causing the Clippers to think twice about going into the paint.
- Pau’s jumper is looking like money right now, which bodes well for him offensively at the 4
- Ariza’s activity is simply fantastic. His length, quickness, athleticism and IQ add a completely different (and essential) dimension to this team
- Farmar is looking like the sparkplug PG that we need him to be and is becoming Ariza-like in terms of his team D

BAD

- Perimeter defensive rotations were AWFUL
- Pau and Drew definitely looked clumsy together on offense
- Pau, Drew and LO looked even worse together
- LO was MIA again
- Fish made awful decisions on the floor when Pau and Drew were on the floor together. He rarely passed to his 7 footers and opted to jack up tough Js instead
- Karl failed to capitalize on the opportunity to fill in for Sasha AGAIN. His tendency to pick up fouls because he keeps holding his man off the ball is not a good trend.
- None of the bubble players did anything to make the coaching staff consider them for a roster spot.

This team has a lot of work cut out for them. Hopefully, things start to smooth out over the next 6 preseason games.

[LakerLanny]

No need to peak on October 9th.

And they didn't.


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Love, Laker Lanny

[zomac8]

Thx DB for the summary. As I read it feels like I was watching the game again. Although last night that was a bad thing.

[tavo714]

[TooMuchMajicBuss]

Thanks DB!!

I believe Bynum and Gasol showed they'll be alright. Bynum looks like he's focused on defense; Gasol is showing a shooting touch - they'll be fine.

Farmar is looking real good but I wish he'd pass a tiny bit more.

Ariza works well with the starting lineup.

Odom would be a good second unit match if he can mentally join the team.

We might just be a 14-player team.

[GoldenThroat]

I was actually encouraged by last night. I'm not worried about our offense, and in the first 3 quarters, the Clips were significantly less effective on offense when Bynum was in the game. In that 3rd quarter (with THE lineup), our offense was very awkward, but defensively we played quite effectively. That's going to be a hard lineup to get good looks against unless you can get out on the fast break, which will be difficult to do when you have Bynum/Gasol/Odom/Kobe on the offensive boards.

Our offense will come around, I'm not worried.

[LakerJam]

Excellent, DB, though I note that you forgot to list Farmar's stats for the night, which I know is part of your write up. Just FYI.

I liked that big line-up out there, even though they're still working to flow together on both ends.