Extra! Extra! (1.10)
The positive news for the Lakers is they won't meet the likes of Charlotte and Memphis in the playoffs. Good thing, too, because while L.A. has played some serious hoops against the Boardwalks and Park Places of the W.C., the Baltic Avenues of the NBA world have beaten them up. The trend continued in Tuesday night's 128-118 loss to the Grizzlies in Memphis. After taking a five point lead into the half, the Grizzlies came out firing- and running (and running and running), scoring 46 points in the third, part of a statistically noteworthy second half outburst. Having apparently missed the repeal of Congressional order mandating teams attack a zone with endless jumpshots, the Lakers went dry in Q3 while the Grizzlies went nuts. P.J. tried benching his starters, but there was no Superman act for the second unit. Memphis was up by 19, and Kobe had some unwanted R&R on the Lakers bench. The box score shows a lousy shooting night for L.A. starters not named Bryant, and if there were a stat for "really easy shots missed," it would pop off the page.
One positive, at least offensively, was a second consecutive good game from Sasha Vujacic, who is showing signs of breaking out of his early season mega-slump, scoring 18 points against Memphis after dropping 16 on Dallas Sunday night. It wouldn't hurt to have a similar effort tonight in Houston- does "The Sasha Factor," (Joel Meyers, what were you thinking?) counteract the T-Mac Factor?
Having already garnered yet another colorful, decorated basketball to honor his 900th win, Jackson isn't thinking about 1,000. But he'll get there faster if Lamar Odom comes back quickly. Right now, the hope is he'll return by the end of the month.
At $20 million plus, Chris Webber is an albatross. But what about at post-buyout prices? Things just keep getting worse for the Hornets.
ZONE…. ZONE…. ZONE…. ZONE
The coaching staff has to do a batter job with teaching these guys how to take advantage of the zone defense or get another penetrating guard with grate ball handling skills.
Posted by: coxman | January 10, 2007 at 11:43 AM
TALK ABOUT DEAD MAN WALKING.
THE LAKERS WERE DEFINITELY MOVING IN SLO-MO IN THE 3RD QUARTER.
NO WALTZING IN THE LANE- WE GOTTA DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND AND MAKE PLAYERS PAY FOR COMING TO THE RIM.
A COUPLE OF HARD FOULS IN THE 3RD COULD HAVE BROKE
THE MOMENTUM. I COULDN'T BELIEVE WE LET THAT GO
ON FOR 12 MINUTES.
AS FAITH SAID- THE STARTERS DIDN'T HAVE IT LAST
NIGHT, EXP KOBE. JUST PLAIN UGLY GAMES BY LUKE,
SMUSH, COOK AND BYNUM. BYNUM JUST KEEP MISSING
THOSE CHIPPIES THAT HE USUALLY HITS.
NO EXCUSE FOR THE 3RD QUARTER BUT I THINK WE MIGHT
HAVE OUT SCORED THEM AND WON 130-128 IF THE STARTERS HAD THEIR NORMAL PRODUCTION.
PJ ABLE TO SMILE AFTER THE GAME???
THATS BECAUSE PJ KEEPS THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE
WHICH ALLOWS HIS PLAYERS TO KEEP PERSPECTIVE.
THE WORLD DIDN'T END AND DON'T GET YOUR HEADS DOWN.
WE GOTTA PUT IT BEHIND US -WE GOT A BIG GAME TO
PLAY TONIGHT.
IT IS A YOUNG AND DEVELOPING TEAM WITH 2-3 STARTERS INJURED. I'LL TAKE 23-12. WE'LL GET THERE
WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
I THREW A WATER BOTTLE AT THE TV SCREEN AND WAS
SPOT ON- FORTUNATELY IT WAS PLASTIC. LOL.
SOME GAMES VLADY LOOKS LIKE A FAN THAT HAS WANDERED
ON THE COURT AND HAS NO IDEA WHATS GOING ON?????
Posted by: stargazin | January 10, 2007 at 11:43 AM
WHATS THAT, EDWIN??? THE LAKERS BY 30 TONIGHT.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT 30 BUT I DO BELIEVE WE
WILL WIN. REMEMBER, NO WALTZING.
SHOULD/WILL KOBE GUARD MCGRADY???
IT WOULD BE SCARY TO WATCH LUKE, COOK OR VLADY DO IT. EVANS TOO SHORT.
ONE OF THOSE GAMES WHEN WE REALLY MISS ODOM AND
KWAME AGAIN.
Posted by: stargazin | January 10, 2007 at 11:52 AM
Sasha Fest huh?!!!.... lol
Got to give his guy the props for balling of late...
but please, please, spare us all the comments of
"see, you were quick to rush to judgement on Sasha and now he is playing well..."
Ummm... NOOOO... This is the first time Sasha has played well in 3 years and yea, he was the lakers 1st rounder a while back too. His shooting %s have been horrible and his game has been VERY VERY limited in the past.
Maybe it was confidence, maybe it was talent, maybe it was whatever, but the truth of the matter is 2 1/2 years of poor basketball doesnt instill a lot of support in fans or coaches for that matter.
So STOP acting like EVERYONE was wrong on Sasha, because really, the Sasha-"haters" were more than warranted in their criticism of the man. LOOK at the stats if you dont believe.
But lately, I will say the last stretch of games Sasha has made open shots, cut down on the amount of foolish fouls 30-feet from the cup, and is showing that he may be able to survive in this NBA world.
So you got to give him his props for that.
But dont act as if you "aaaallllways" knew he would do it, cuz you didnt.
And frankly, I'm not sure he will continue to do so. I hope he does though. The Lakers definitely need a consistent marksman from deep.
Posted by: Korey | January 10, 2007 at 11:54 AM
AZ,
I am almost surprised that you would even ask me a question like that. I would think that this would be an obvious answer. But....
The win against Dallas is handled differently because it means more in the positive side than the loss against Memphis does. Here's how. The Lakers beat a fully loaded (no notable injuries) Dallas team on a winning streak while having two of our starters at KEY positions in street clothes recovering from injuries. We in turn lost to a Memphis team with nothing to lose, playing a new uptempo style than we faced before, after coming off of an emotional win in Dallas, with 2 of our starters still in street clothes. Am I missing something, or is it obviously understandable why the win against Dallas was considered so much bigger than the loss last night to Memphis? Sure it is 1 win and 1 loss in the standings, yet the magnitude of the results and how they managed to get there are pricelist. You could not win enough games against teams like charlotte and Memphis to equate to the win we got against Dallas.
I disagree with you also on your stance of you win what you should and lose what you should. That is such a misstatement. You are starting to cause me to question your opinion. In any season, there are always games that you win but really were expected and really based on calcualtions should lose and vice versa. For instance, the Lakers should have won against Sacramento and they did...however, one last second play by Kobe and Smush and we would have been heading back to LA with a loss. Would you have said that that was one we should have lost...or one that we let get away?
Posted by: JJ | January 10, 2007 at 11:57 AM
McGarnagle,
Your response to my post that this loss does matter:
"No it doesn't. The West has at least 7 or 8 good teams this year. No one will advance in the playoffs if they're playing poorly, regardless of their seeding, and vice versa."
You seem to be implying that seeding doesn't matter. If so, that's one of the dumbest posts in a long time. Playing an extra game at home DOES make a difference in a close series.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | January 10, 2007 at 11:59 AM
JJ,
If the Lakers had already figured out the "consistency" thing, were a solid defensive team, and were so far ahead in the standings that they had secured home court throughout the playoffs, you could throw this game out as being just an aberration. But they are inconsistent, they don't play good defense, they don't know if they will have home court advantage, they are going to have to re-adjust to playing with Lamar and Kwame when they return, so an extra check in the L column absolutely does matter. By the same token, this game should not be blown out of perspective. BUt to say it doesn't matter is ludicrous.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | January 10, 2007 at 12:03 PM
Korey,
I disagree with you...I think they were too hard on him. If Sasha had been a highly recruited top rookie draftee, then I would see guys coming down hard on him. However, what fanfare followed him into the league? Because it has taken him some time to develop shouldn't cause people to want to throw him out. The league, media and fans have a way of putting pressure on people that is unwarranted.
For instance, did Kwame enter the league professing to be the next best big man since Shaq? No. However, by MJ drafting him number 1...he entered with a proverbial bucket of cold water placed slightly above his head. He had 1 option...succeed...EARLY. There were no other options...Hey, LeBron handled that pressure and has developed greatly...However, everyone isn't LeBron. Kwame didn't respond to the pressure like that.
My point is that we only just beginning to see who Sasha is. The guys have been saying that he has a torch in practice...Did you think that they were lying?
Posted by: JJ | January 10, 2007 at 12:06 PM
Andrew Z & JJ,
I have to side with AZ on this mostly.
We are who our record says we are. Not quite top-tier, but not struggling to make the playoffs either.
The record says it all, if we were elite, we would have maybe 5 or 6 of these bad losses all year.
But we already have 7 and it's not the All-Star break.
Ultimately, this will make it tough on the Lakers to go deep in the playoffs because of harder competition to face, BUT thats what happens when you arent playing consistently at a top-tier level.
I expected the Lakers to make this jump though. Last year, we struggled to get in the playoffs and could barely beat ANY good, legitimate, contender team.
This year, we can beat anybody but arent consistent at beating anybody.
That's progress though. That's the journey.
I would be thrilled with 55 games and a 4 or 5 seed in the playoffs.
As Bynum develops and Lamar gets back, we should be where Dallas is at this year, next year.
Posted by: Korey | January 10, 2007 at 12:10 PM
Exh,
Did it make a difference to Miami to not have home court?
In fact, I am starting to believe that having homecourt is not always the most important thing. Sometimes starting on the road is better. Think about it like this. When you start on the road, you have the first opportunity to upset the opposition on their home floor. They have the pressure to win the first 2 at home. How often has a team with homecourt lost 1 of those first 2. It has become a regular thing in this new NBA. If you are able to win on of those 2, you then return back home with either a split or a tie. The Lakers benefited in that way last season. The Problem was that we didn't close out Game 6. That was the one that got away. We did everything right up to that point because you expect the Suns...down 3-1...to respond liek they did in Game 5. If the Lakers had won Game 6 though...it would have ended that whole thing.
Where homecourt comes into play is in a tight game 7 and even then...sometimes the road team gets the win as the Mavs did last year.
Posted by: JJ | January 10, 2007 at 12:12 PM
JJ,
know he didnt come with fanfare of a top-10 pick, but when you are a 1st rounder that should say something about your potential.
Nobody should take 3 years to show flashes of being "good".
And it's not like he didnt get playing time, because he got all the time he could ask for last year.
There have been plenty of good practice players in the league. Players who make stuff in practice but not the games. Players who shoot free throws well in practice but not the games.
Sasha isnt the first "7:30 shooter" in the league, believe me.
I think of all Sasha criticism is warranted because you couldnt point to me an extended stretch in the past 3 years where he played well.
Heck, he just got his career high in back to back games (16 and 18). He just made his career high in 3s for a game (4 right?). For a guy to play significant minutes and NOT show he deserved said a lot about who Sasha was last year.
This year may be different, but last year Sasha was pretty horrid.
Let's just hope he doesnt revert.
Posted by: Korey | January 10, 2007 at 12:16 PM
Well... I can't say I wasn't upset watching last night's game. Matter of fact, I stopped watching after they were down by 15 in the third. Not because I don't believe they will make a comeback, but I can't stand them to be down by that much to Memphis.
But what I know for fact is that Phil will not let this happen after the all-star break. I even predict they will make some HUGE noises after the break when it come close to playoff time. I believe we will be putting togather winning streaks like Suns and Dallas are doing now. This is what Phil always do. Win as many as possible when come close to playoff time. Now is still early in the season, he wants our young players to learn and maybe fly under the radar a little bit. And being the Zen master he is, he is messing with our young players' heads. To make them angry and hungry!!! GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: Ed | January 10, 2007 at 12:22 PM
I see the sixers are going to release Chris Webber. He could look nice in purple and gold, and could at worst take the wasted space of Mckie at the end of the bench.
Posted by: Frank | January 10, 2007 at 12:24 PM
AK/BK,
The term 'The Sasha factor' is used by the coaching staff, yesterday assisstant coach Frank said that that's how they refer to Sasha, because even if fans or journalists(AK) don't like Sasha; the coaching staff thinks Sasha is a factor on defense and in annoying the opposing teams guards.
To the coaching staff and Phil, Sasha is a good player, one that has the nickname 'The Sasha factor' even if it kills AK, haha.
BTW, ugly game last night, but like Kobe said, they will learn how to win against lesser teams. That's why Kobe did not play in the 4th quarter. Kobe was not going to save the day. The other players need to be mentally stronger and if it costs them a few games, so be it.
They won't win tonight either.
Posted by: lakofan | January 10, 2007 at 12:25 PM
I see the 76er's are releasing Webber. I think he would look great in purple and gold. Especially if we get rid of the wasted spot Mckie is taking.
Posted by: coop | January 10, 2007 at 12:35 PM
I think Sasha has been playing pro ball since he was 15. And didn't get drafted by us until 19 or 18...so I kinda got the feeling that as a team we were looking for development. In any case, he's balling of late, and I think that's something we should appreciate, and hope to continue. But like he said, he just needs to be consistent, and play with confidence.
On a sidenote...what is with our players playing better after they get paid, or their positions get secured. Why can't they be like the Tim Thomas' of the world, where it's play on when the paycheck is coming, not after lol (just kidding on the paycheck part). But seriously is it like a confidence booster or what?
Posted by: Faith | January 10, 2007 at 12:35 PM
Let me throw my 2c into discussion ‘Better loose to under .500 team and win against elite team’. As someone already point it out, W is W and L is L. One loss maybe not a big deal on the scale of 82 games total played, but we’re piling up loses against teams we suppose beat any given day anywhere. Forget about Memphis, how about 2 loses to Charlotte? Loss to Portland? Should I go on? Not looking into anything else this 4 loses can be a HUGE difference by the middle of April. The biggest question, will this lackadaisical approach when they playing not very good team, will get us anywhere close to 4/5 seed in loaded West?
Another observation – our forwards yesterday were horrible. Luke, supposedly most intelligent guy on team, suddenly forgot how to pass, bearing in mind, nifty pass supposedly his primary weapon. Several times he passed directly to Grizzlies player.
Vlade and Cook suddenly forgot how to shoot. Yes going to tell me, their shot was not falling. But it’s like NBA 101 your shot is not falling, try to get to the hoop/foul line. No, they keep shooting jump shot until PJ finally bench them.
Posted by: LAL_Fan | January 10, 2007 at 12:36 PM
Lakofan,
This is also the same coaching staff that has openly joked that Sasha isn't a "7:30 shooter." So with all due respect to Mr. Vujacic, whom I'm genuinely happy has strung together a few productive games, I don't think he's quite contributed enough (much less consistently) over the course of his career to qualify as a legit "factor" of sorts. Just my opinion.
But again, very happy for Sasha. He works his ass off and is a nice kid. I still have my doubts as to his career potential, but I'm rooting for him to prove me dead wrong.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | January 10, 2007 at 12:39 PM
Thanks for the FYI on the Sasha factor. Interesting facts...and if there's one thing he does it is to annoy opposing guards. By the way do you know why he always combs his eyebrows with his fingers? lol
AK hates it cause it makes him miss the days of the Vonnator lol.
Posted by: Faith | January 10, 2007 at 12:39 PM
Korey,
First off, I could care less that you side with AZ on this. What does that mean?
Second, if you all choose to make a big deal out of everything, fine...but I choose to be more even tempered about it. It does matter who you lose against...not simply that you lose. It does matter who you win against...not simply that you win.
Third, regardless of how you see Sasha, the last two games prove my point of him having the potential to be a solid NBA player. I don't care if it takes 5 years for a player to develop, the point is that they develop. How many years have people been saying...We are still waiting for Lamar Odom to reach his potential? He finally started to at the end of last season and improved at the start of this season before injury. How many years was he in the league and how much more potential does he have than Sasha has? If a player of his magnitude took this long to adjust...is it far fetched to think that a player of lesser skills would take as long to progress.
Posted by: JJ | January 10, 2007 at 12:41 PM
Exh-
Dude, the Lakers won't have home court against Phoenix or Dallas anyway. This is all bean-counting on your part.
Posted by: McGarnagle | January 10, 2007 at 12:43 PM
FAITH- EYEBROW HYGIENE IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR THAT MANY MEN IGNORE. KUDOS TO SASHA FOR HIS ATTENTION TO DETAIL. AS A BUSHY EYE BROW FELLOW
MYSELF, I UNDERSTAND HIS CONCERN AND ATTENTION TO
THE MATTER. ( ACTUALLY I THINK ITS JUST ONE OF
THOSE NERVOUS HABIT SORTA THINGS-LOL).
Posted by: stargazin | January 10, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Kobe's #1 jersey accomplishment is so overrated and is not a reflection that his "image" is on its way up. People are buying #24 because 1) It will probably be worth some money someday and 2) Its a new number that no one owns yet and 3) Kobe will no longer sign #8 stuff.
In other words, if Kobe still had #8, he wouldn't be #1.
Posted by: zen | January 10, 2007 at 12:48 PM
Stargazin, I dunno...if I were him I'd be scared of rubbing it too much it can go bald. Can you imagine him with tattoo eyebrows? Wait a minute...didn't he used to rub his hair? Maybe he got smart and went for less hair to lose. LOL
Posted by: Faith | January 10, 2007 at 12:52 PM
JJ,
I'm really not making a big deal out of one loss/win, I'm just saying that losing repeatedly to subpar teams is indicative of the mental toughness/focus of this particular team, and at the end of the year, the few losses against these teams could end up costing us spot or better seed in the playoffs.
As for homecourt advantage, I think if you polled every coach, player, GM and most importantly the owners, having more games on your homecourt is a good thing. But like you said, not having homecourt advantage doesn't mean you automatically lose (see Miami). However, if these few losses to crappy teams are the difference between facing Utah/Denver in the first round versus Dallas/Phoenix, I think that could be an issue.
I'm with you on enjoying the ride here, don't get me wrong, but what I'm trying to argue is that I don't think this is an elite team yet, whereas, I believe you do. Am I wrong there?
Posted by: Andrew Z | January 10, 2007 at 12:59 PM
Tonights Scouting report brought to you by Chico's Bail Bonds (If you're in a cell, yell like Hell)
"Houston has a problem", they can't find the basket. Yes, they beat Chi town, but get this they shot 39% for the game and had only 54 pts at the end of the 3rd. How did they win? Because Da Bulls shot only 36%! They only shot 11 ft. Little penetration and settling for outside shots.
How to win?
Bottle up the middle like Chicago, but unlike Chicago make some shots. Run the offense each time. A zone is comming, start the offense early and patiently work for open shot. And put it in the hole.
Tonites motto: Play mad. Play hard. Play to win.
Posted by: FATTY | January 10, 2007 at 01:00 PM
kupchak:
get c webb's agent on the line, STAT!
worse case scenario, c webb becomes a poor man's ho grant for tha show.
c'mon!
Posted by: tha show | January 10, 2007 at 01:08 PM
Faith,
I have this from a good authority that he is checking for cockroaches. As a baby was sleeping the cute little booggers would crawl up on their faces and eat the eyebrows. Its the protein, they like it. Its an old habit he doesn't like to talk about too much. You can see why.
Posted by: FATTY | January 10, 2007 at 01:14 PM
can someone post the ESPN.com Insider article "10 BEST moves of the offseason?"
Posted by: showtime 07 | January 10, 2007 at 01:15 PM
Exh,
When you say the Lakers don't play good defense. Do you mean they are not capable playing solid D or just that they are inconsistent? Just curious. I think there are times when the defense plays solid to maybe even pretty good. I think it goes back to your inconsistent comment. The Lakers are wildly inconsistent.
We also have to keep in mind that the team is not as good on the defensive end without LO and Kwame. Not that this Lakers team will be confused with the Pistons...
I agree with you that these types of losses may come back to bite them. No one game is not the end of the world but home court is an advantage. And I agree that arguing otherwise is silly.
We will find out as the season goes on where the Lakers are headed. It is not out of the question they could win it. But at this point it doesn't seem likely. Thankfully the team has time to grow, I would just prefer they win every game, sweep through the playoffs and plan a parade. Now back to work.
Eagleboy
Posted by: Eagleboy | January 10, 2007 at 01:17 PM
Eagleboy,
"I would just prefer they win every game, sweep through the playoffs and plan a parade"
That's a good line. You aint asking for much, Are you?
Posted by: FATTY | January 10, 2007 at 01:26 PM
Fatty,
If they did win every game and swept the playoffs it would be great - the blog would become a big lovefest - Smush haters and Smushkateers could all unite. Maybe world peace would break out....
Eagleboy
Posted by: Eagleboy | January 10, 2007 at 01:30 PM
Eagleboy,
I don't think that this Lakers team is capable of playing the level of defense needed to win a title. Possibly by the end of the season, but I doubt it. There are two many weak spots in the defense that can be exploited by a good coach/good team.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | January 10, 2007 at 01:32 PM
SMUSH PARKER SUCKS AND IS KILLING OUR STARTING LINEUP.
You guys aren't convinced that somebody else should be starting so that they can finish the game to. I mean why not Sasha or Farmer or even Mo Evans. For the last couple of games I guess nobody noticed that Phil takes Smush out when they are behind, because Smush Parker can't knock down the open jumper. I mean he is better with a hand in his face. He is 1 track minded with the ball and it kills out team, because he is not consist througout the game with it. He always scores majority of his pionts in the first 6 mins. You want to know, because he knows he is coming out of the game no matter what, beause Phil has a set rotation. It is always when Smush comes back in the game where as though he disappears. I am not saying that we don't need Smush Parker. Al I am saying is that
SMUSH PARKER SUCKS AS A STARTER. I don't care if we do jump out on teams, because all the good teams that are in the league play a 48 min game.
Posted by: Zakee | January 10, 2007 at 01:33 PM
Fatty,
I can dream can't I? Just think the blog would be a lovefest. Smush haters and Smushkateers could unite. Mike T would have only Thumbs up. All would be right with the Laker Universe!
Eagleboy
Posted by: Eagleboy | January 10, 2007 at 01:36 PM
Eagleboy, I think we'd have a better chance of having world peace than that lol.
But like you said, we can dream lol.
Posted by: Faith | January 10, 2007 at 01:40 PM
I have always defended Sasha on this blog, not because I knew for a fact that he would be good someday, but that he needed more of a shot to tell. Contrary to some of the posts, he has shown flashes of talent even in previous years. His career 3 pt shooting percentage is a decent .336. Compare that with Kobe Bryant who has a career percentage of .337. He has a career free throw percentage of 89% - best on the team. His biggest problem is that he hasn't gotten a lot of easy buckets which lowers his overall averages. He has improved somewhat in that area. Also, in the past, he has always been on a short leash. If he missed 2 shots in a row, he was yanked. Now, PJ has been showing more patience with him. Anyone who has ever played the game knows how hard it is to come into a game cold, and immediately find your shooting touch.
Roger
Posted by: Roger B. | January 10, 2007 at 01:42 PM
Correction...there's a better chance of Kobe being unequivocally appreciated by the "biased" media...than that lol.
Posted by: Faith | January 10, 2007 at 01:42 PM
I didn't even see the first half yesterday. When I came in and watched the 3rd quarter, all Smush did was make me disgusted last night. I don't care how much of a fan that I am. The reality is that this guy should not be a starter, because he is not good enough as an over all basketball player. Smush Parker has a lot of flaws in his game that are going to ultimately hurt our team at the end. He just doesn't have it. Great guy, but is terrible with his decision making. He is 1 track minded. Score Score Score. What about assist???????????
Does anybody know how many assist he had last night??? I bet you the Smush fans don't know. I feel that Smush got the starting spot by default, because we didn't have a point guard that was ready last year. Well this year we have to that can start so that we can really spread our offense in Sasha and Farmer. Plus Kobe is always willing to take on new challenges if Phil wants to somehow put Evans in the lineup. I would recommend it though, because we need Evans energy off the bench. But if Phils does it, I will be OK with because I would rather have anybody in the starting lineup besides Smush. I don't care if you guys are saying that I am hating. I am not a little kid and I know when A guy sucks.
And as a starter SMUSH PARKER SUCKS!!!!!
Posted by: Zakee | January 10, 2007 at 01:44 PM
Exh,
I am inclined to agree that at this time the D doesn't measure up - especially if had to go into the playoffs without LO and Kwame. Even with them the D is not THAT great. My hope is that the D picks up more once we get healthy and that the offense is sufficient to offset the defensive weakness. (I still think there are times when they look good - but most of the time they are closer to what we saw in the 4th period than the Piston championship team)
Eagleboy.
Posted by: Eagleboy | January 10, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Eagleboy,
how is this for consistency? Lakers are the 5th ranked offensive team the nba at 105.3 ppg.
however, they are the 25th ranked defensive team in the nba at 102.3 ppg
so for all those who believe the lakers sometimes play good defense, quit fooling yourselves.
allowing the worst team in the conference to put up 128 points is inexcusable!!!
tha show is only concerned with putting up points right now, they could care less about stopping anybody.
which is fine, if you have the phoenix suns roster (which we don't).
hopefully lo and kwame will help remedy this poor excuse of a defense.
until then, i will keep hoping that we can outscore teams instead of stopping them.
and that is tha truth....ruth.
Posted by: tha show | January 10, 2007 at 01:46 PM
i was waiting for a Zakee Smush Blast!
Nice.
Posted by: tha show | January 10, 2007 at 01:47 PM
tha show,
I agree that the Lakers offense must offset their defensive liability. I disagree that the Lakers CANT play good defense. That is my opinion. To me it is about energy and effort. The Lakers clearly are not a great defensive team and I am not arguing that they are. If they can be a middle of the pack or slightly better defense than that, with their offense they can still compete.There are plenty of games for them get better. Neither you nor anyone else can say with certainty they will get better, worse or stay the same -that is why they play the games and not decide it on paper.
BTW Did you break down the numbers before/after LO and Kwame went down? I haven't but I am sure it must have hurt an already suspect defense at least a little. I am curious but not curious enough to go through the trouble.
Posted by: Eagleboy | January 10, 2007 at 02:02 PM
Zakee said "I am not a little kid" ... funny thing is my lil bro says that all the time too and he's only 11 .... lmao
We stunk up this one ... in the end i gave up on watching and then switched to gears of war ... were a berserker handily kicked my butt ... so i switched back to the game and my boys were still getting their asses whooped ... so i switched back to xbox and the beserker still whooped my ass ... just one of em nights fellas, not to worry, eventually we'll get it right.
Andrew Z, nice point on our record on the sub .500 teams being horrible compared to phoenix, san antonio, and dallas. You're right, we're not elite, and compared to the teams you listed we just don't have that basketball experience that helps in maintaining elite status. As you eluded to with time we'll get there, maybe next year, maybe the year after that. But what we do have and what we've always had with Kobe in our line up is "heart" and that beats any other adjective you can throw out there when it comes to winnning championships. When A.I. was traded to denver I wet my pants because he's the only other player in the league whose heart rivals Kobe, but whereas A.I. brings it every night on the court, Kobe brings it every night on the court and in practice, so hopefully that'll give us the edge if the Melo/AI combo turns out to be as deadly as i imagine it'll be. So fear not y'all ... we will have our ups and downs but we will still hit 55 this season and we will still bring that cup home y'all
Say what you may about Kobe but he never quits, Say what you may about Phil but he never quits on his team,
Say what you may about our Laker Squad but they never quit,
Say what you may about purple and gold fans but we never quit.
We believe
Posted by: Taliq | January 10, 2007 at 02:15 PM
Taliq
Well maybe you should listen to your little brother sometimes he might help in some situations.
And if you look at teams like Phoenix they have a losing record agianst the top half of the league.
Posted by: Zakee | January 10, 2007 at 02:24 PM
i think if the lakers could add a veteran like cwebb or steve francis it could really push them over the top this year.francis and webber on their worst day are equals to smush and kwame's best day.the reason the lakers are inconsitant is because they are so young.every team in the west has a third guy i think it is time the lakers even the playing field.
Posted by: jf | January 10, 2007 at 03:42 PM
JJ "I actually don't mind the loss, and believe that it will only serve as an additional platform for Phil Jackson to teach. By the end of the season each of these lessons will add up to an impressive resume of both successes and failures, which will provide a solid foundation for the Lakers to make an strong playoff run."
I agree totally with this comment. Many bloggers have expressed scepticism about whether this process is actually playing out, and prefer to think that losing to inferior opponents is becoming a habit. However, the quality of the Lakers coaching staff, the leadership of Kobe, and the competition for pt within a deep squad of players are all factors favoring steady improvement.
A number of the younger players (Bynum, Farmar, Turiaf, Evans, Sasha, etc.) have not adjusted to the grind of an 82 game schedule, or playing substantial minutes every other day, much less back to back. It is understandable that they "hit a wall" at times and, subconsciously at least, take a night off. Learning to pace oneself and play consistently is part of becoming a veteran NBA player. Let's give our guys the benefit of the doubt and EXPECT that they will learn these lessons from losses such as last night.
Posted by: freakylakerlover | January 10, 2007 at 04:18 PM
freakylakerlover,
That's the thing, the Lakers aren't learning from losses like last night, getting beat by lesser teams keeps happening.
As for the youth excuse, it's over! Other than Farmar (rookie), Bynum (almost a rookie based on few minutes last year) and Turiaf (see Bynum), everyone has been around enough where "hitting a wall" doesn't pertain.
Maybe this squad starts beating the crap out of the sucky teams in the second half of the year, but until I see them take care of business like they should, I'm calling them a weak-minded team without a killer instinct.
Posted by: Andrew Z | January 10, 2007 at 04:25 PM
JJ,
what is your problem? Me taking sides on an issue has nothing to do with anything personal in regards to you. Yea, I agreed with Andrew Z. on the fact that our losses to bad teams do SAY something about the current Lakers. You said something to the point of "what does that mean" in regards to opinion.
Well, since it is my opinion, it doesnt mean anything, just like ALL of your posts mean exactly NOTHING. Dont get mad just because someone disagrees with you in quite the respectful manner.
while you make some good points, you are showing evidence of serious "wackjob" syndrome ... lol ... Especially, with your defense of Sasha Vujacic and saying that he has "potential to be a solid NBA player" and "it doesnt matter how long it takes for him to develop as long as he develops"
Any player with "potential to be a solid NBA player" is probably not the greatest of players if you ask me... LOL...
And sorry JJ, it does matter how long it takes a player to develop if he's a first round pick and it takes him 3 years to show some semblance of life.
And no Roger B., a 33% 3pt percentage isnt good for a 3pt marksman. Check the 3pt leaders in the league. 40% is the standard for 3pt shooting... 40% AT LEAST. Kobe shooting 34% isnt necesarrily a good thing and remember Kobe takes a lot of desperation shots and "trying to get us back in the game" shots.
So to Sasha Vujacic has been a disappointment in his 3 year NBA career is almost an understatement, but one thing is clear: we are all glad he is playing well now.
And JJ, how about tone down yourself for once, ok!!!
Posted by: Korey | January 10, 2007 at 04:35 PM
AZ
I was agreeing with JJ's comment that losing to inferior opponents makes for a learning process for a young team. Your conclusion that it's not happening seems a bit harsh considering the following:
1. This is only early January, 35 games into the season. If this pattern of losing continues into March, then I will agree with you.
2. Two major components are out of the lineup. Having to adjust to the loss of LO and Kwame puts extra stress on the team. Did you expect a better record from the Lakers after LO and then Kwame went down? I for one expected a worse record.
3. Aside from the three players whom you give a pass to (Bynum/Farmar/Turiaf) for having the "youth excuse", here are three others who have had limited playing time in the NBA:
SMUSH: 6 mpg in 5 gms, '05 season. Last year was his first with substantial pt, 33 mpg, 82 gms. I would think that one would not consider him to be an NBA veteran based on that experience.
MO EVANS: 19 mpg, 65 gms with Sacramento, '05.
14 mpg, 80 gms with Detroit, '06. Do you call this veteran experience?
SASHA: 11 mpg, 35 gms, '05, 17 mpg in '06. Hardly a seasoned veteran in my estimation.
I guess I'm much more of a GHF fan than you are at this point. You may be right about the Lakers being soft, but I think our varying positions will become much more clear by May.
Posted by: freakylakerlover | January 10, 2007 at 05:40 PM