Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:15 pm Post subject: LAKERS -at- JAZZ - 4/23 - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings
Stranger Must Die... "Do you believe in yourself?" she asks, her tone more serious than you can recall. "You need to...now." You ask her why. She says something you didn't want to hear, that you're on your own. "I can't go with you for the next two. This is why I've helped you all these months. For these moments. You must travel the road and seek out the Horsemen. Now, think. What have you learned these past few months? Do you believe in yourself."
You stammer, stutter and a flood of memories come back to you. "I...I believe in confronting your fears...in imposing your will. I...I believe in the Four Horsemen."
Hours later you're driving like a madman on some kind of psychotic mission. You do it because you have to. You do it for Little Larry O'Brien, wherever he is. Those damn storm clouds, however, seem to follow you no matter where you go. You look out your car window and eye them like a nervous Ray Liotta in Goodfellas checking for helicopters.
Finally, you pull up at the location. The rain beats down on you as you make your way to the edge of a lake. You can barely see a few feet in front of you when faces take shape through the downpour. You are approached by a child, a little girl with straight black hair and dark eyes. "I'm sad," she says. You ask her why. "Because ... Stranger must die." She smiles like a girl Damien Thorn. You hear other little voices echo her, "Stranger must die! Stranger must die!"
"Bring it on," you say. Two more Damiens appear on your right and distract you just long enough. She's on top of you scratching, clawing, biting. The other Damiens jump on you. You struggled with one, but the little bodies are all over you, swarming your defenses. They get several good blows in and it's lights out.
You don't know how long you've been out for when wake in the backseat of your car. Someone pulled you to safety and left you a note. DancingBarry:
The Four Horsemen were here. Three of them struggled throughout the fight. Their opponent went small in the final leg of the battle and seized momentum. The Horsemen reeled and tried to regroup, but their biggest weapons had few answers.
They will fight again. I will continue to track them...
After Carlos Boozer and Pau Gasol traded dunks in the final seconds, the Lakers found themselves tied with the ball in the hands of Deron Williams. He took the clock down, attacked to his right and swished a fading jumper with 2.2 seconds left -- the game winner in an 88-86 wrestling match.
The Jazz were 33-8 on their home floor during the regular season. Those aren't typical eighth-seed numbers. In fact, that's probably one of the best home records for an eighth seed you'll see. The Lakers found themselves in a hole early.
Kobe struggled throughout the game, shooting just 5-24. Pau left 6 points at the freethrow line. Bynum played just 7 minutes because of fouls. That left Lamar practically holding up the fort by himself. It's amazing that this one came down to a final shot for each. Unfortunately, the Lakers were relegated to a long heave from three, which is what they typically get with under 5 seconds when trying to draw up a play.
Amid the battle, we saw some lineup changes. Sloan started AK for Korver. Phil benched Bynum in the second half for LO. He also didn't play Farmar. He'll need to find some answer to Boozer's 23 points and 22 boards. But the biggest shift in the game seemed to come at the start of the fourth when Sloan went to a small-ball lineup and they Jazz erased a Laker lead and seized momentum.
The complete disappearance of Andrew Bynum in this game cost the Lakers. His ability to get putbacks and easy points around the rim would have been key with the Laker offense bogged down. Phil said the Jazz are causing him issues. "I think he's dealing with a small lineup, a different type of a team, some awful quick action coming at him," Phil said.
The Lakers don't want a repeat of last year, having to come back here for a game six and giving the Jazz a chance to push the series to seven -- where anything can happen. They need to find a way to win the next one. Too bad they couldn't do it tonight. This one was there for the taking.
Kobe -- -- Yikes. The Lakers are going to have a hard time getting a "W" on the road with Kobe shooting that badly. Amazing they were still in this one. He had some excellent passes in the fourth quarter, but he continued to miss himself. He went just 1-6 in the fourth. The D was collapsing on him and not giving him anything easy. That's why some of those passes were there for easy scores for others. "It was a combination of two things," Kobe said of his poor game. "One, I just didn't shoot the ball well. Two, they did a good job of mixing up their defense... It's my responsibility to put the ball in the hole." Yes, and orchestrate the offense for others. If the Lakers are going to steal one in Utah on this trip, he needs to bring a strong game in both areas. The Stats: He scored 18 points on 5-24 shooting (1-4 from three, 7-8 from the line) to go with 7 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls in 43 minutes. He was a -7. The Action: He stripped a ball off Boozer to force a turnover. He hit Pau on the two-man game for an And-1. He hit Lamar on the pinch-post kickout for a three. He missed a wing jumper, his first attempt midway through the first quarter. He missed a wing three. He missed a short turnaround after posting up. He missed a baseline turnaround, short. He didn't score in the first quarter on 0-4 shooting. He missed a 19-footer. He posted up, drew FTs and made both, scoring his first points with 5:10 left in the half. He blew past Brewer next time down for a layup. He missed a drive off the glass, but Lamar tipped it in. He missed a leaner off the two-man game. He missed a fade from the elbow. He sealed his man and drew FTs after the entry, he made both. He missed a difficult fade around a couple defenders. He had 6 points on 1-10 shooting. Second Half: He swished a corner three to start the half. He posted up, drew a double and hit Lamar cutting for a dunk. He got into the lane and hit a 10-footer on the next trip down. He was blocked by Brewer as he tried to back Deron down. He missed a wing jumper, short. He hit a FT leaner out of the timeout. He attacked and kicked to Ariza for a three. He gave up an open jumper on the other end, too easy. He missed an 18-footer. He took contact with no call and missed a short floater. He missed a wing step-back jumper. He had 13 points on 4-18 shooting after three. He attacked down the middle of the lane and drew FTs, he made one. He missed a chuck from three. He charged on a drive. He was blocked on a drive. He drew FTs and made both. He missed a tough turnaround jumper away from a double team. He missed a long sideline jumper with a couple minutes left. On the other end, he left Brewer under the hoop trying to zone too early (Pau was already there). He was trapped in the corner trying to run the two-man game and called a timeout with 30 seconds left, down by 2. He scored a layup off a baseline cut when LO hit him with an inbounds pass. He attacked from the wing and hit Pau in the lane for the dunk with 11 seconds left. He missed a long three as the buzzer went off.
Gasol -- -- Pau went stone cold from the freethrow line. When you are on the road, hitting those freethrows is critical. You look at the stats and his 4-10 was just giving away free points that we didn't have to give. He struggled to bang and hold position in the interior. Granted, Boozer got away with a ton of push offs, but some of those boards were just out-working Pau. The Jazz were owned the glass on both ends for some stretches. Late in the game, Boozer got away with a hook for a dunk. Pau threw down on the other end off the two-man game. But we were always trying to even up the score down the stretch after a Jazz make. Hit a few of those FTs and the roles are reversed. The Stats: He scored 20 points on 8-15 shooting (4-10 from the line) to go with 9 boards (5 offensive), 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers and 4 fouls in 38 minutes. He was a -6. The Action: He missed a drive around Boozer. He snagged pass from Kobe that was behind his head and threw in an And-1 layup, he missed the FT badly. He missed a 14-footer. He missed a baseline turnaround. He missed a short leftly hook off the glass. He tipped in a Kobe miss. He gave up an offensive board and putback to Boozer not getting into proper rebounding position. He scored 4 points on 2-7 shooting in the first quarter. He was stripped by Boozer. Poor challenge on Boozer's elbow jumper. Finally some low position and he hit the easy jumphook. He had 6 points on 3-8 shooting and 5 boards. Boozer had 13 points and 16 boards. Second Half: He swished a long wing jumper with the shotclock low. He spun baseline on Boozer and drew FTs, he missed the first short again, then made the second. He swished a short jumper over a double team. He stepped around Boozer to swipe an entry pass. He drew FTs working for position against Boozer in the lane, he missed both. Phil got him a minute of rest before Bynum picked up two fouls (thanks, Drew). He was fouled with a few seconds left on the shotclock, he made both FTs. He had 13 points on 5-10 shooting after three. He spun baseline and drew FTs, he missed the first, made the second. He missed an awkward jumper off an offensive board. He was stripped trying to attack, but the ball was saved right back to him for an And-1, he missed the FT. He hit a jumphook over Boozer with 1:48 left to tie the game. He fouled Boozer on the other end for FTs. Boozer hooked him with an off arm and dunked with 16.9 left to take a 2-point lead, should have been an offensive foul. Pau threw down on the other end when Kobe hit him with 11 seconds left.
Bynum -- -- This was a ridiculously weak game from Bynum. He might as well have not been here. If the Lakers are going to get anywhere in the playoffs, they need the impact Bynum from earlier in the season to get in the mix. Some of the fouls were cheap and some were trying to anchor the paint. He never got going in this game after his first stint. He looked much more like a rookie Bynum out there, especially with the treatment from the refs. Not having his size on the court, getting offensive boards, helping on the defensive glass, hurt the Lakers throughout the game. We missed those easy points and it evened up the battlefield quite a bit. "It's his first playoffs, so he's got to get used to the rhythm of the game -- what he can do, what he can't do," Bryant said in the Times. The Stats: He scored 4 points on 1-2 shooting (2-2 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 2 turnovers and 5 fouls in 7 minutes. He was a +/- of 0. The Action: He picked up a foul 16 seconds into the game after a Laker miss. He missed a jumphook in the middle of the paint. He drew FTs trying to clean up an Ariza drive and miss, he made both. He picked up his second foul and had to sit with 7:39 left in the first. He posted up, took the entry pass, faked left and banked right. Two minutes into the second quarter, Bynum picked up his third foul, cheap call after he spun around his man. He played 6 minutes in the half. Second Half: Off the bench and his man flopped as he posted up, fourth foul for Bynum. A minute later he picked up his fifth challenging a shot in the lane. Back to the bench where he stayed.
Ariza -- -- The Jazz switched up their starting lineup, moving Korver to the bench and starting AK. That seemed to help the Jazz in the first stint of the game. In the second half, when we started getting some scores from Ariza, the Lakers were clicking. That was one of the few stretches of good ball from the Lakers and Ariza was in the middle of it. Defensively, I might like to see Ariza on Deron for just a few stints. We need to measure if this is an option that could have some impact in critical junctures. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 3-9 shooting (2-4 from three, 1-2 from the line) to go with 1 board, 4 assists, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls in 38 minutes. He was a -6. The Action: He missed a layup on a handoff. Sloppy pass to Bynum flashing to the ball, turnover. He missed an easy layup off the drive. He kicked out to Fish for the three. He was stripped by AK for a dunk. He missed an open elbow jumper. Second Half: He challenged Boozer's jumper, leaked out on the miss and was fouled by Deron for FTs, he made one. He attacked off the pinch post and hit Lamar with an interior feed for a layup. He swished the open sideline three on the Kobe kickout. He dunked on the break when Kobe found him trailing. He drained a sideline three in early offense. He missed a forced jumper trying to post up Korver (ugly sequence where everyone just stood around). He missed a three, wide left. He missed another three from the corner.
Fisher -- -- Much will be made of Fisher's last defensive stand against Deron's game winner, but I'm not sure I can expect him to play much better D than we saw. We are going to have to get the ball out of his hands with help if we aren't going to try switching up with a different defender. Frankly, the fact that Deron scored just 13 points on 3-7 shooting, we should be looking elsewhere for the reason the team couldn't take this one. I'll take those numbers from Deron any day of the week. Offensively, Fish didn't give us much. He played some extended minutes, but we needed a role player to pick up the slack. Didn't happen from anywhere. The Stats: He scored 7 points on 3-8 shooting (1-3 from three) to go with 3 boards, 2 assists and 2 fouls in 38 minutes. He was a +/- of 0. The Action: He missed a runner in the lane (should have pulled up for the short jumper). He swished a three from the sideline on the Ariza kickout. He saved a hoop in transition by setting up Williams for the charge. He missed a baseline jumper out of a timeout. He got in the lane in transition, just chucked a shot up and it banked in. He tried to push out on a one-man break with AK behind him and Deron in front of him, he was swatted with ease by AK. Second Half: He missed a sideline three, short. He swished a 19-footer behind the Pau screen. He missed an early offense three.
Lamar -- -- Of the Lakers four impact players, Lamar was the only one who really showed up. He saved the Lakers butts again and again. Phil gave him the start in the second half after some great work on the offensive glass in the first half. That kept the Lakers in the game when they were missing just about everything they took. The Lakers started to find him in the lane for scores late in the game. They should have been trying to work it to him there as much as possible. At the end of the night, Lamar led the Lakers in scoring, rebounds and +/-. With as badly as Bynum looked tonight, Phil may keep LO in that starting unit. You've simply got to play him as many minutes as you can find. The Stats: He scored 21 points on 10-17 shooting (1-2 from three) to go with 14 boards (5 offensive), 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover and 2 fouls in 41 minutes. He was a +7. The Action: He drained a three on a pretty two-man, pinch post sequence with Kobe. He missed a layup, beating Milsap off the dribble. He spun, missed, got it back and scored the putback easily. He scored a layup, taking all kinds of contact in the restricted area with no call. He tipped in a Kobe drive and miss. He put back in a missed Powell turnaround. He grabbed a Kobe miss and hit a short fade in the lane. He had 13 points on 6-8 shooting and 9 boards (5 offensive). Second Half: He threw down off the dive cut off a Kobe double team. He scored a layup off the Ariza feed. He missed a quick three and Phil called a timeout (LO said he was sorry and it was all good). He missed a short pull-up in the lane. He got tapped on a layup. He missed a 17-footer. He scored a layup when a loose ball found him under the hoop. He scored a layup when Kobe found him under the hoop with just over a minute left. He hit Kobe cutting baseline on an inbounds for a layup.
Luke -- -- Harpring helped ignite a Jazz run in the fourth quarter. Phil had Luke at PF matching up against him and we lost that matchup. Some ugly minutes from Luke, and Phil limited his PT as a result. Outside of LO, the Laker bench went 2-12. The Stats: He had 1 points on 0-2 shooting (0-1 from three, 1-2 from the line) to go with 1 foul in 6 minutes. He was a +5. The Action: He attacked Korver in early offense and drew FTs, he made one. He missed a corner three, then a shotput runner in the lane on the final sequence of the first quarter. Second Half: To start the fourth, Harpring blew past him for a layup. Harpring hit a jumper in the lane.
Brown -- -- With Fish able to go longer minutes without foul trouble again, Phil kept Farmar on the bench for Brown. Shannon didn't have a huge game as he did back in Staples, but played steadier defensively. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-4 shooting (1-2 from th eline) to go with 1 assist and 3 fouls in 9 minutes. He was a -2. The Action: He missed a reverse attacking baseline. He missed a 15-footer. He attacked off the three line and drew contact on Harpring for FTs, he made one. He missed a 21-footer. Second Half: He reversed when Pau found him cutting baseline. He got caught in the air trying to challenge a Williams' jumper and gave up FTs.
Vujacic -- -- After hitting his first jumper, Sasha struggled with his shot the rest of the game. The Lakers needed a shooter in this game as the Jazz started to really pack it in later. This series, Sasha hasn't been deadly from the perimeter, more like deathly. He's giving the Lakers nothing offensively. Sasha had some good hustle, especially on the boards. That was easily the best part of his game. Typically, he started the fourth quarter with an off-the-ball foul. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-5 shooting (1-3 from three) to go with 4 boards, 2 steals and 1 foul in 7 minutes. He was a +3. The Action: He drained a wing three behind a screen to start the second quarter (soft looking shot on release). He missed a quick-fire baseline jumper next time down, but fought for his board and reset the offense. He stripped his man on a drive. He fought for an offensive board to regain possession. He missed an early offense sideline jumper. He knocked a pass to Korver loose and it ignited a break. He missed a flat sideline three (a good look, unlike the last two). Second Half: He missed a good look at a three (soft shot, too).
Powell -- -- He came in the game for the final couple minutes of the first half when Phil sat Pau with 2 fouls. Not much to report. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-1 shooting to go with 1 board in 1 minutes. He was a +/- of 0. The Action: He missed a tough baseline turnaround, LO cleaned it up. Second Half: Nothing to report.
Phil -- -- He activated Mbenga over Morrison to have an extra big available. Perhaps, he sensed Bynum's impending foul trouble. He didn't use Mbenga, though... The Lakers struggled to get points midway through the quarter. They missed several layups and chippies and the Jazz went on a run to lead 22-14. Phil went to Luke and Shannon down 8... The Lakers trailed 26-17 after the first quarter. The Lakers shot 6-25... Phil started the second quarter with Bynum, Lamar, Luke, Sasha and Brown. They went on a 6-0 run... The starters returned and gave the Jazz a lead again, but chipped back in... Jazz got offensive boards all half... The Lakers trailed 43-39 at the half after winning the second quarter 22-17. Kobe was 1-10 and the Lakers made just 14-46 (30 percent). The Jazz shot 17-43 (39.5 percent). Both teams had 11 offensive boards... The coaches couldn't believe they weren't down by 20. They told the team to hit the glass... Phil started Lamar over Bynum in the second half... The Lakers pulled out to a 64-51 lead, playing more like they did back in L.A.... Bynum came in with a 12-point lead and 2:26 left in the third. A few seconds later and he picked up his fourth... The Lakers won the third 29-17 and led 68-60 going into the fourth... The Jazz went with a small lineup to start the fourth. Phil went with Luke at PF. He then subbed in Ariza at PF... At the 9:28 mark, he brought back in LO. The Jazz had gone on an 11-4 run to start the fourth. The Lakers now with Pau, Lamar, Ariza, Kobe, Brown were up 1... The Jazz got into the bonus with 7:13 left in the fourth. The Jazz were out of fouls, too, shortly later... The Laker offense completely stalled in the fourth quarter. They struggled to take advantage of the doubles being sent... Down 79-76 with 3:28 left Phil called a timeout. The play busted, but we got a layup from LO... Down by 2 with 16 seconds left, Phil called a timeout. The Lakers run a high screen middle of the lane, Kobe hit Pau for a dunk with 11 seconds left... After a timeout, Williams swished a 12-footer fading on the right side of the lane with 2.2 seconds left... Phil called a 20-second timeout. Kobe missed a long three. Game over... The Lakers shot 37 percent from the floor, but the 16-26 from the line killed them. The Jazz gave the Lakers a break by going just 18-28 from the line...
Game Flow -- LINK -- The Lakers had a 19-4 run early in the third to nearly take control with a 13-point lead. The Jazz had a 14-2 run to start the fourth.
Last edited by DancingBarry on Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:14 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 12825 Location: Somewhere watching a Laker game
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:23 pm Post subject:
Thanks DB!
I want to see effort out there from our massive front line. Boozer (22rebs) and Milsap (14rebs) almost out rebounded the entire Lakers team (40rebs) by themselves!
On the bright side, LO has continued his stellar post season play.
Joined: 30 Nov 2006 Posts: 33474 Location: Long Beach, California
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:32 pm Post subject:
It's easy to look at the rebounding disparity and say that's what lost us the game. However, its pretty easy to outrebound a team who misses 13 more shots than you do. We made 13 less shots than them and got 15 less boards than them - a relatively even trade off.
We missed 55 out of 87 shots. Yes, read that again. You can't beat a team when you only shoot 37% from the field. Yet, despite that low %, missing 10 out of 28 free throws, and allowing the Jazz to shoot 44%, we still only lost by 2.
I loved that we only had 9 TOs, but the stat which bothers me most is that we only had 15 assists. This team should be closer to 30 assists in a game than 20, no less under 20. _________________ LakersGround's Terms of Service
This game furthered my belief that we need another perimeter playmaker. Someone that can allow Kobe to play 15' and in without having to rush out to 27' just to get the ball. Our inability to get the ball to Kobe in striking positions kills us. Did in the Finals and again today.
As long as teams are able to camp on him like that, and he not able to have someone set him up for a good look, we might as well trade him for a top flight PG. His game isn't tailored to that.
For the last time, GET A PG AND PUT HIM OFF-BALL!! _________________ Stephon Marbury on Kobe: "He's the only person on 'dis earth that can do 'dat. He guards people, like shuts 'em down. Then, to do 'dat on 'da offensive end. It's like 'Damn, I can't score on him AND he about to bust my ass."
Joined: 13 Apr 2001 Posts: 5470 Location: A room with a view!
Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:47 pm Post subject:
I really am beginning to have my doubts about the heart and desire of this team. They seem like they haven't learned anything from last year. Bynum was a joke. Gasol is soft and probably very tired. Kobe is doing his usual bricking in the playoffs, Fisher is playing like he is 34 and the Lakers can't still get a rebound, make a defensive stop or make a FT when they need to.
This was only one loss but the signs are still there--no killer instinct, no sense of urgency, no worries-- all equal NO RINGS. I don't know what it is going to take for this team to actually play perimeter defense and not let teams have open treys and second helpings to offensive rebounds. With the Lakers size they should have KILLED the Jazz down low but instead they like to throw poor passes into the post that get bobbled or deflected for turnovers. I hope this team does realize that the playoffs have already started and the time has come for everyone to bring their A game every night until a ring has been won. Anything else won't bring home the bacon. _________________ Let them HATE so long as they FEAR!
As horrible as the first half was for the Lakers, then having the last shot for a tie or win in a very hostile environment, even with Bynum in foul trouble througout the game, does show that this team is progressing. Phil will get their heads straight and the next two will be W's. _________________ "Just show up ready to work, ready to play, Have your big boy pants on, leave your diaper at home." Kobe Bryant
Anything less than a championship is a failure. Period.
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:18 am Post subject: Did U See That?
DID U SEE THAT? 3/23/09
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Lakers @ Jazz Rd 1 Western Conference Playoffs
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What's up LG? I haven't written this piece since 12-9-08. The season has been fantastic. Yet tonight I saw something. Something I believe will haunt this Laker team and keep them from winning a ring. It's not talent, desire, ability or even the fact they lost. No. What I saw tonight was a lack of proper leadership and guidance. Did you see that?
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First let me explain I didn't watch all of the game. I listened to the last 9 minutes on the radio and caught the last 30 seconds at home. Some people may ask how can I make my point without watching the complete game. Easy. In this particular game my point became evident in the last 8 or 9 minutes. This was the crux of the game and where the point was driven home like a stake through Dracul's heart.
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So what's the point? It's something I've never said or felt ever unitl this game. I don't think Kobe will win a ring being the alpha male. He is capable, but he has one major flaw and that is he wants it too bad. He desire is blinding him and pushing him to a point where he is fighting himself like Luke in the cave during Yoda's training.
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I have my flame stunted suit on so start spitting. I'm not some rash fan just panicking. Naw. I'm a basketball junkie who understands you can't, won't and don't need to win every game. What you must do is play the game properly. Kobe did not do that tonight and rhe blame falls square on the shoulders of him and Phil.
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Kobe is to blame 30% because he knows what to do but he hungers for the challenge of coming up big. When Boozer returned to the game with 6:30 left in the game the Lakers should have feed Gasol in the mid or low post every trip. Instead Kobe forced shots, Fisher forced shots and they feed Ariza on the perimeter instead of playing inside out. Kobe is the floor leader so he gets the blame. His shot was off but he didn't adjust and take advantage of the mismatch. If the Jazz double Pau down low then Lamar, Kobe and Ariza all have open driving lanes or Fish can get an uncontested shot. Smart basketball even if predictable.
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Phil gets 70% of the blame. He should have hammered that philosophy into his team. He had 3 timeouts. Boozer can't handle Gasol. Exploit it. I know Phil likes his players to make the decisions, but sometimes the coach just has to put his foot down. Feed the post!
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I witnessed bad coaching and bad leadership and what I fear most is neither Kobe or Phil will adjust. Life has enough challenges naturally. There is no need to invent or create them. Take the easy wins. Play smart.
Peace
ADDICUS BROWN _________________ Stop crying and start doing.
Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Posts: 3006 Location: Arcadia, CA
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 1:24 am Post subject:
I think you bring up a good point. And as much as people would love to defend the ability of Kobe as an ever versatile player AND leader, he paired with a coaching staff that seems to badly lack in ability to recognize and adjust in-game can only result in a decent playoff team.
Either Kobe, the staff, or both need to tone down their egos and start allowing their minds to free up a bit. _________________ In regards to a certain fan wanting to cut his wrists:
Orestes: "Guess that's one way to find out if you really bleed purple & gold."
Sorry man his shot just wasn't falling. Sometimes he took a couple shots he shouldn't be taking unless he's on fire but it's something you live with. 4/25, we lose by 2.
How can you say he doesn't make this team better? Their offense would be (bleep) without the synergy he provides the team. When they can't seem to find their offense, who steps up and creates?
Joined: 01 Jul 2001 Posts: 1951 Location: Los Angeles
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:14 am Post subject:
Up 13, Jazz can't hit a thing and are on the brink of implosion, and Kobe comes down and feeds Ariza in the post at the elbow. Ariza does his best Kobe impression and fails miserably. That was this teams' lack of killer instinct in a nut shell.
This is the playoffs, we're on the road, we've got the crowd out of it, Utah is getting frustrated, and we casually come down and feed Ariza in the high post area? Right then, I knew it was about to be a turn around for the worse. Why try to get "cute" instead of going with something that you know will work? Lakers have absolutely no clue how to kick a team while they're down, have they not learned anything from last season?
Up 13, Jazz can't hit a thing and are on the brink of implosion, and Kobe comes down and feeds Ariza in the post at the elbow. Ariza does his best Kobe impression and fails miserably. That was this teams' lack of killer instinct in a nut shell.
This is the playoffs, we're on the road, we've got the crowd out of it, Utah is getting frustrated, and we casually come down and feed Ariza in the high post area? Right then, I knew it was about to be a turn around for the worse. Why try to get "cute" instead of going with something that you know will work? Lakers have absolutely no clue how to kick a team while they're down. And with a Kobe led team that really disappoints me. A dagger in my heart, you might say.
wow, umm, I have a question, if this is the play I remember then do you really believe that korver could defend ariza on that play? I know I didn't, I thought it was good move to explore that option, I really didn't think ariza couldn't just overpower and back down korver. I figured ariza would fling korver like a rag doll, however that in it self though certainly wasn't the play that killed the lakers. _________________ 11/9/12 the day the brown was flushed down!!!!!!
Joined: 01 Jul 2001 Posts: 1951 Location: Los Angeles
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:34 am Post subject:
MedRomLaker wrote:
nokio wrote:
Up 13, Jazz can't hit a thing and are on the brink of implosion, and Kobe comes down and feeds Ariza in the post at the elbow. Ariza does his best Kobe impression and fails miserably. That was this teams' lack of killer instinct in a nut shell.
This is the playoffs, we're on the road, we've got the crowd out of it, Utah is getting frustrated, and we casually come down and feed Ariza in the high post area? Right then, I knew it was about to be a turn around for the worse. Why try to get "cute" instead of going with something that you know will work? Lakers have absolutely no clue how to kick a team while they're down. And with a Kobe led team that really disappoints me. A dagger in my heart, you might say.
wow, umm, I have a question, if this is the play I remember then do you really believe that korver could defend ariza on that play? I know I didn't, I thought it was good move to explore that option, I really didn't think ariza couldn't just overpower and back down korver. I figured ariza would fling korver like a rag doll, however that in it self though certainly wasn't the play that killed the lakers.
Of course that one play didn't kill the Lakers, you took it too literal. It was just a sign of what was to come. When you're on the brink of blowing the game open, you've got to go to your bread and butter. Pau in the post or a P & R with Kobe, things where you know you'll get a good look. I'm sorry, but Ariza posted up in the elbow area, is going no where fast, and the fact that we never run that for him proves my point. If he's ever in that position its because thats where the Triangle requires him to be at that particular time, not because we want him to get the ball and score from that spot.
Look, I'm not trying to blow 1 random possession out of proportion, but it pretty much just summed up why we can't keep our leads. When you have a chance to blow the game open, go to what you know will work. Their is no time for wasted possessions.
Last edited by nokio on Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:42 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:38 am Post subject: ??!!Rebounds??!!
I don't see how this team is consistently outrebounding us. We were the best team during the regular season in rebounds and they were like 19th. Yet they outrebound us in Game 3 by 15 (55 to 40).
As for the first two games at home - where we should be the more active team - they outrebounded us by 8 in Game 1 (also got 13!! more offensive boards) and matched us in Game 2 (each team had 30).
I just don't get it. We have WAY more size than this team and yet they're killing us on the boards; we have yet to outrebound them in one game.
If it was just a game or two you could say the ball didn't bounce our way. But when it happens three games in a row - with two in LA - then it's hustle.
This is why games 1 and 2 were closer than they should have been and why we couldn't pull out game 3.
Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 5742 Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Posted: Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:32 am Post subject:
They have some great hustle players who seem to get every single loose ball or rebound (Millsap, Boozer). I mean some of those rebounds came between 2 or even 3 Laker players. Boxing out is an issue. So is the zone we play, imo.
We laid an egg and almost won. Even with Boozer's game, Harpring won that game for them. The game really changed with that stint from Luke. I'm encouraged that Phil had such a short leash for him, but it was too late.
Whatever the case, we need to get back to feeding the post more times than not. But how many times has that been evident and yet the Lakers still don't do it? This is just not a smart team. _________________ Repeat Champs Baby!!!
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-- Yikes. The Lakers are going to have a hard time getting a "W" on the road with Kobe shooting that badly. Amazing they were still in this one. He had some excellent passes in the fourth quarter, but he continued to miss himself. He went just 1-6 in the fourth. The D was collapsing on him and not giving him anything easy. That's why some of those passes were there for easy scores for others. "It was a combination of two things," Kobe said of his poor game. "One, I just didn't shoot the ball well. Two, they did a good job of mixing up their defense... It's my responsibility to put the ball in the hole." Yes, and orchestrate the offense for others. If the Lakers are going to steal one in Utah on this trip, he needs to bring a strong game in both areas. 
-- Pau went stone cold from the freethrow line. When you are on the road, hitting those freethrows is critical. You look at the stats and his 4-10 was just giving away free points that we didn't have to give. He struggled to bang and hold position in the interior. Granted, Boozer got away with a ton of push offs, but some of those boards were just out-working Pau. The Jazz were owned the glass on both ends for some stretches. Late in the game, Boozer got away with a hook for a dunk. Pau threw down on the other end off the two-man game. But we were always trying to even up the score down the stretch after a Jazz make. Hit a few of those FTs and the roles are reversed. 
-- This was a ridiculously weak game from Bynum. He might as well have not been here. If the Lakers are going to get anywhere in the playoffs, they need the impact Bynum from earlier in the season to get in the mix. Some of the fouls were cheap and some were trying to anchor the paint. He never got going in this game after his first stint. He looked much more like a rookie Bynum out there, especially with the treatment from the refs. Not having his size on the court, getting offensive boards, helping on the defensive glass, hurt the Lakers throughout the game. We missed those easy points and it evened up the battlefield quite a bit. "It's his first playoffs, so he's got to get used to the rhythm of the game -- what he can do, what he can't do," Bryant said in the Times. 
-- The Jazz switched up their starting lineup, moving Korver to the bench and starting AK. That seemed to help the Jazz in the first stint of the game. In the second half, when we started getting some scores from Ariza, the Lakers were clicking. That was one of the few stretches of good ball from the Lakers and Ariza was in the middle of it. Defensively, I might like to see Ariza on Deron for just a few stints. We need to measure if this is an option that could have some impact in critical junctures. 
-- Much will be made of Fisher's last defensive stand against Deron's game winner, but I'm not sure I can expect him to play much better D than we saw. We are going to have to get the ball out of his hands with help if we aren't going to try switching up with a different defender. Frankly, the fact that Deron scored just 13 points on 3-7 shooting, we should be looking elsewhere for the reason the team couldn't take this one. I'll take those numbers from Deron any day of the week. Offensively, Fish didn't give us much. He played some extended minutes, but we needed a role player to pick up the slack. Didn't happen from anywhere. 
-- Harpring helped ignite a Jazz run in the fourth quarter. Phil had Luke at PF matching up against him and we lost that matchup. Some ugly minutes from Luke, and Phil limited his PT as a result. Outside of LO, the Laker bench went 2-12. 
-- With Fish able to go longer minutes without foul trouble again, Phil kept Farmar on the bench for Brown. Shannon didn't have a huge game as he did back in Staples, but played steadier defensively. 
-- After hitting his first jumper, Sasha struggled with his shot the rest of the game. The Lakers needed a shooter in this game as the Jazz started to really pack it in later. This series, Sasha hasn't been deadly from the perimeter, more like deathly. He's giving the Lakers nothing offensively. Sasha had some good hustle, especially on the boards. That was easily the best part of his game. Typically, he started the fourth quarter with an off-the-ball foul. 
-- He came in the game for the final couple minutes of the first half when Phil sat Pau with 2 fouls. Not much to report. 
-- He activated Mbenga over Morrison to have an extra big available. Perhaps, he sensed Bynum's impending foul trouble. He didn't use Mbenga, though... The Lakers struggled to get points midway through the quarter. They missed several layups and chippies and the Jazz went on a run to lead 22-14. Phil went to Luke and Shannon down 8... The Lakers trailed 26-17 after the first quarter. The Lakers shot 6-25... Phil started the second quarter with Bynum, Lamar, Luke, Sasha and Brown. They went on a 6-0 run... The starters returned and gave the Jazz a lead again, but chipped back in... Jazz got offensive boards all half... The Lakers trailed 43-39 at the half after winning the second quarter 22-17. Kobe was 1-10 and the Lakers made just 14-46 (30 percent). The Jazz shot 17-43 (39.5 percent). Both teams had 11 offensive boards... The coaches couldn't believe they weren't down by 20. They told the team to hit the glass... Phil started Lamar over Bynum in the second half... The Lakers pulled out to a 64-51 lead, playing more like they did back in L.A.... Bynum came in with a 12-point lead and 2:26 left in the third. A few seconds later and he picked up his fourth... The Lakers won the third 29-17 and led 68-60 going into the fourth... The Jazz went with a small lineup to start the fourth. Phil went with Luke at PF. He then subbed in Ariza at PF... At the 9:28 mark, he brought back in LO. The Jazz had gone on an 11-4 run to start the fourth. The Lakers now with Pau, Lamar, Ariza, Kobe, Brown were up 1... The Jazz got into the bonus with 7:13 left in the fourth. The Jazz were out of fouls, too, shortly later... The Laker offense completely stalled in the fourth quarter. They struggled to take advantage of the doubles being sent... Down 79-76 with 3:28 left Phil called a timeout. The play busted, but we got a layup from LO... Down by 2 with 16 seconds left, Phil called a timeout. The Lakers run a high screen middle of the lane, Kobe hit Pau for a dunk with 11 seconds left... After a timeout, Williams swished a 12-footer fading on the right side of the lane with 2.2 seconds left... Phil called a 20-second timeout. Kobe missed a long three. Game over... The Lakers shot 37 percent from the floor, but the 16-26 from the line killed them. The Jazz gave the Lakers a break by going just 18-28 from the line...
dood your post topic should have a warning... flame on!
