Bad night all around
Ordinarily, losing a game to an elite level conference rival in the midst of a tight race for the top seed in the playoffs (or, if you prefer, a tight race not to drop down the ladder) would be enough to prompt a frown or two. That the Lakers took care of with a 108-98 loss to the Hornets Friday night in New Orleans. But in news that will absolutely not rotate that frown in the slightest, the Lakers may have lost Pau Gasol for a while. He went down at the 9:27 mark of the first quarter after stepping on Vlad Radmanovic's foot and rolling his ankle, didn't return, and left the arena after the game on two of the longest freakin' crutches I've ever seen and sporting a walking boot, which apparently the Lakers buy in bulk. He'll be reevaluated in Houston, but short of divine intervention, won't play Sunday against the Rockets, or likely the rest of the trip. (Phil Jackson said he'd be "ecstatic... well, maybe not ecstatic, but, you know, happy" if Gasol was able to suit up before the Lakers return home.)
After the game, Gasol said he'd rolled the same left ankle in training camp with the Grizzlies, and it took about 10 days to heal. He said this one felt "similar," but he didn't look like a guy who thinks he'll be back in a few days. The Lakers, then, will need to prepare for a run without any of their primary bigs in the lineup.
The effects of his absence were felt in the second half, when the Hornets came out strong, crashed the boards and got inside, while the Lakers because almost exclusively a perimeter team. Jackson said they'll get to practice tomorrow in Houston and work on a plan to try and keep the offense moving. Meanwhile, it'll be bigger minutes for Ronny Turiaf, more time for LO down low, and some burn for DJ Mbenga. But no question, this one hurts. A lot.
Click below for the breakdown:
The Good:
- Kobe Bryant: For one night, at least, the MVP chants were for another player, but that doesn't mean Kobe didn't do what he could to keep the Lakers in it. While his shooting percentage was down, prompted in part by a barrage of jumpers late to try and get the Lakers back in the game, overall Kobe played a good game, keeping LA close. he scored 22 points in the second half, 36 overall, and chipped in with nine boards and three dimes. He was also the only Laker who managed to get to the stripe with any frequency, making 12-13. On a night where the Lakers became at once very shorthanded and undersized, Kobe did what he could to keep his team in it.
- Luke Walton: His lack of an outside shot is still a major issue, not simply because he can't make them, but because his lack of confidence in his shot changes how they play offense, but in 20:19 of PT, Walton was pretty effective. He was particularly good in the first half, scoring six points and delivering five dimes. He was a big reason the Lakers were able to take a three point lead into the locker room. In the second half, he opened his run with a big steal and a pair of big offensive rebounds. He's still not where he needs to be, but at least Walton is at a point where his contributions are coming more regularly, and he's having a much more positive effect on play. But with Gasol down, he needs to be able to make a shot.
- Lamar Odom: Better in the first half than the second, but still, LO worked his tail off and made some positive plays. He'd finish with 15/13, of which 12/8 came in the first half, but he also did a great job on David West in the first half. The All Star forward finished the first 24 with only four points on 2-7 from the floor, and found little space to operate against LO's defense. In the second half, West, like everyone else on the Hornets, found momentum (he'd finish with 12/14 before leaving in the fourth with an injury), but that had as much to do with the elevated play of Chris Paul and Byron Scott's decision to really let CP3 push than it did Odom getting beat.
The Bad:
- Sasha Vujacic: I love that Sasha is a confident player these days, but tonight, he was a little too confident. He found himself in a lot of bad spots off the dribble, jacked up threes whether they were open or not (making only 1-5), and was totally unable to contain any of the guards he was on, especially in the second half... though he had plenty of company there. The great thing about Sasha pre-breakout was that he always believed his shot would go down, even if nobody else did. Now we believe... and he believes a little too much. He needs to dial it back, and make sure he's taking quality shots within the offense. He was a little out of control tonight.
- Second half... everything: It's hard to find much to like. The Lakers were outscored 62-49, outrebounded 28-20, outdimed 16-13, outshot 55.3%- 34.0% from the floor, and made fewer triples (six) than NOH (seven) despite taking 11 more tries from downtown. As a whole, the Lakers became extremely perimeter oriented in the second half, and while they had moments of good ball movement and penetration, overall they became a jumpshooting team. Understandable, given the circumstances, but it's something they need to figure out. They're not a good team when they go outside in. It hurts them offensively, and also on the other end where they allow too many easy transition points. If you want an idea of how much more efficient the Hornets were down the stretch, New Orleans outscored the Lakers by 13 in the final 24 minutes, despite taking nine fewer shots.
The Mixed:
- Other guys had some moments- Jordan Farmar made some good plays, and his 5-12 shooting was hurt by some late, more desperate shots. Ronny Turiaf moved the ball well in the post, but didn't shoot the ball well at all (it doesn't get much worse than 0-7), and struggled against Tyson Chandler in the second half. Of Chandler's nine offensive boards, eight came in the second half. Vlad was far more active tonight than he was against the Raptors, not saying much as he was one block short of a bagel in that one, but with Gasol on the bench he'll need to be more than a three point shooter.
Overall, it was a lot of what you'd expect, once Gasol was out of the game. This is a very good team, and the Lakers would have had some trouble winning with a full lineup. Without Pau, the advantage clearly went to New Orleans. Over the course of the second half, they put the ball in Paul's hands, and allowed him to create, get into the lane, and cause some serious havoc. The Lakers had trouble keeping a very good rebounder in Chandler off the boards. Given how tight the Western Conference is, though, they can't afford to suffer a long let down. 0-3 through Houston, Dallas, and Utah could drop them three or four slots in the conference, and that'll be tough to make up.
It's not an easy lot they've drawn, but somehow the Lakers will need to figure it out.
AUDIO: Good stuff from Fish on how they need to adapt in Gasol's absence. PJ talked about how he was disappointed at their effort in the first quarter, when the Lakers failed to take advantage of opportunities to build a lead, then got into what he thinks they'll need to do without Gasol in the middle. It starts with continuing to run the offense without relying too much on jumpers. Ronny talks about his need to step up and play big minutes for however long Gasol is out. He's a confident guy, and while he knows he's not the All Star he has to replace, believes he can do some good. Sound as well from Gasol on his injury, and Walton on most of the stuff the other guys talked about.
- Phil Jackson: Download phil_jackson_3.14 postNO.mp3
- Ronny Turiaf: Download ronny_turiaf_3.14 postNO.mp3
- Luke Walton: Download luke_walton_3.14 postNO.mp3
- Derek Fisher (great answer to a kid who asks if the Lakers have a target on their backs- "How old are you?" They always do, he told him.): Download derek_fisher_3.14 postNO.mp3
- Pau Gasol: Download pau_gasol_3.14 postNO.mp3
BK
all we can hope for is health in the playoffs
Posted by: dave m | March 14, 2008 at 09:26 PM
BK,
I really thought that Fish should've at least been in the mixed category for missing a few wide open jumpers and early layups that could've widen the lead in the first quarter. He's got to finish those or pass it to someone who can. Both Farmar and Sasha settle for way to many jump shots and seem to be competing with eachother as to who can hit more threes.
Thanks for the breakdown. I for one am not impressed with the Hornets and I believe they would not want to see us in the playoffs at full strength. The Hornets seem to matchup better with the Suns or Spurs, but I don't think they stand a chance against us when Bynum, Gasol and Ariza are healthy. Chandler was lucky that Bynum is out and Gasol went down early tonight or else it may have been a different game. I can't get to upset about tonight's loss considering that we were in it until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. I still believe that the Lakers will rise to the challenge in these next three games after they get over the initial shock of losing Gasol. Go Lakers!!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | March 14, 2008 at 09:30 PM
This night sucked. At least the Spurs lost, I wanted Boston to beat Utah, Houston won and that's not good. I finally got over it. There's more to life than Lakers basketball.
Colorado STILL loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | March 14, 2008 at 09:32 PM
BUUUUURRRPP
I'M SO FULL
drewpaukobe
just forgot the "Y" simple as that.
Anyway, I previously posted that Laker fans wouldn't push the panic button until game 3 of this road trip.
I stand corrected.
GET IN MY BELLY
FEED THE TROLLS
Thanks for dessert
Coffee anyone?
Posted by: Troll Man | March 14, 2008 at 09:33 PM
Just a curious question but, are we like the only team in the NBA who's players get hurt from their own teammates.
Posted by: Ron | March 14, 2008 at 09:37 PM
We didnt play defense well enough tonight...Full stop...
The team needs to step up...Not the refs...
This is a little off topic but he goes anyway......
To all of you trolls that pop up before and after games...Your like what we over here call TYRE KICKERS.....The type of guys that when nice car is for sale that you cant afford but yet you still ring to check it and waste the person who is selling the cars time....Talking RUBBISH.....TYRE KICKERS ...=TROLLS....You know who you are ....its pretty sad that the team you support has never won a ring and probably wont for a long time to come....Time wasters ...TYRE KICKERS......BLAH BLAH BLAH.....Your team should do this ,Your team should do that ...Dont be ashamed to be closet supporters ........YOU ALL KNOW YOU ARE......YOU SAY YOU DONT SUPPORT THE LAKERS BUT YET YOU STILL DROP BY TO WASTE PEOPLES TIME...........................
Posted by: Thirty2 | March 14, 2008 at 09:43 PM
If Houston can win 8 games in a row without Yao, we should be able to win for the next month without Pau and retain at least a 4 spot in the playoffs. Lakers, this is an open letter to all of you...
* Fisher, I know you bring toughness and wisdom, but please, you must find your shooting touch. I appreciate your big games, but I'd rather you score 15 a game consistently, then go 20+, then 7, and so forth
* Lamarr, I know you don't play well thinking you're the #2 option. Okay, you're not. Let Fisher be the #2. Regardless, please don't start taking 3 point shots. I know you are going to make stupid plays, but that's okay. Just rebound and don't start taking 3 point shots.
* Luke, I have trashed you for a few years now, but if you notice, I've laid off of you as of recent. Please don't make me start going off on you again. I know you are limited, but your stupid passes that lead to turnovers only proves my contention that you have an average basketball IQ. All I need from you is to hustle for rebounds and hit the occasional mid range shot.
* Sasha, you have been one of my favorite players, and I still feel you will play a pivitol role in an upcoming game. Please, you must become consistent. Yes, hit the 3, we need that, but you have the rep now of hitting those 3's, so your defenders will be rushing at you. Learn to fake the 3, drive a bit, and hit the mid range. You must do this.
* Ronny, I like your passion. You must be brave now, and fill in that center spot. Keep playing solid d, and start hitting that mid range shot. We will need your offense and defense, and we need minutes from you, so tell your chronically sore hips to get with the program.
* Jordan, you have a great attitude, or you use to until you started missing with those basketball groupies. Leave the young ladies alone (let Papa Buss have them). You are starting to remind me of one Smush Parker; a bit cocky, a decent 3 point shooter, inconsistent offense, and terrible on D. Either you learn to slow down the fast guards in the west or the LA Lakers can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye. Think about that.
* Vlad, I like you but you look stupid. I hate that dumbfounded expression you keep on your face. Look, if you can't hit the 3 pointers, do something else. Rebound, play some decent d...anything. Make yourself useful, dammit.
* Coby; be ready in case we need you.
* Mbenga, you are an African warrior. You're making alot of money for sitting on your azz. When you get in the game, I want you to hurt someone. Yes, I said it. You can't shoot, rebound, pass, or dribble, but you can jab the opposing centers in their kidneys when the refs aren't looking, and when Farmer/Fish get beat by quick guards, you can undercut that guard and send him to the floor lower back first. Yes, you will get the flagrent foul, but such is the life of a warrior.
* Kobe, I know you are a superstar, you have a fine wife, and you want to be a MVP. I don't know how you can light a fire under your team, but you must do this. Somehow, and someway, you must.
* Phil, I hate you because you are bedding my secret love, Jeanne Buss. But please, coach with intelligence and passion. We need you to change things up, and inspire greatness from this mediocre laker players. These next few games will test the fortitude of the Los Angeles Lakers. Earn that 10 mil.
Posted by: troy | March 14, 2008 at 09:56 PM
RE: sorry
DrewPauKobe
ok I'm not comparing coaches, simply pointing out how D'antoni adapted to SHAQ having 5 fouls, and ok so some luck was involved also and it worked out better for the SUNS that SHAQ had those fouls. I mean I've seen before where Phil will play Luke, Vlad or Sasha for long minutes even if they continually get burned, but yet I'll see him pull Farmar out b/c it's the 6 minute mark in the 2nd or 4th quarter, even if he's (Farmar) playing than Fisher.
As for tonights game, I'm with you Phil didn't have much to work with. Mbenga really isn't all that good of a player, but I think Karl atleast should of got a shot, I mean I know he would of done better than your so called MACHINE.
>>>And I will say it again, how can you compare your knowledge of coaching to PJ and think you know better how to get a team mentally ready for battle over the course of 8 months? It's just funny.
Well theres no way I'm comaring myself to Phil, but watching tonights game and seeing how your team/coach can't handle a adversity/change in the line up, I see he's not too far in front of other coaches in the league, maybe Phil has just gotten lucky to be blessed with players like M.j, Shaq and Kobe.(some luck is involved)
Posted by: Fire32 | March 14, 2008 at 10:18 PM
Well, we're down to "Fire" for a while Lakerville. Wow! How depressing that second half was. We need the Earth and Wind back. But knowing our training staff as we have become accustomed to the last three years, Pau will be doing well to make it back by the playoffs, if we make it there that is. We're only 4 1/2 up on the 8th spot after all.
Sorry about the negativity. I'm really down about the injuries on this team. I mean, this is borderline conspiracy the way injuries have attacked our team.
Mike T. must have that voodoo doll out right now.
Speaking of good ole Teniente, is it just me or does anybody else think Mike T was a fictional character created by Kwame's agent...or Kwame himself. I mean for such a self-proclaimed #1 fanatic of the Lakers, how do you just completely withdraw after Kwame leaves?
Anyway good night Lakerville.
KILL THE ROCKETS!!! 21 will be tucked away in the record books Sunday as the second longest streak ever. Congrats, but it is OVER!
PS: 10 days ago I posted the Spurs would lose 3 games by tonight, and I predicted this when they were ranked #1 in most power rankings. Well, I was wrong, dead wrong. They lost 4 of those games.
We will win Sunday.
Posted by: Earth Wind & Fire | March 14, 2008 at 10:19 PM
WELL ANOTHER OBSTACLE IN OUR WAY AND HAPPENED AT THE WORST TIME ON A TUFF WESTERN CONFERENCE ROAD TRIP WITH ROAD GAMES IN.NO.,HOUS,DAL, AND UTAH WE NOW ARE A PERIMETER TEAM NO INSIDE PRESENCE OR SHOT BLOCKING WELL WISH & HOPE WE STAY IN TOP FOUR AND SPEEDY RECOVERY FOR GASOL , BYNUM,ARIZA, AND MIHM GO LAKERS! TIME FOR VETS TO STEP UP!
Posted by: J R. RAMIRES | March 14, 2008 at 10:29 PM
My main concern is the timing of this injury (not the severity of it). Listening to his interview it sounds like he will be out for about 2 weeks. I see us going 1 -4 in our next 5 games without him which could potentially drop us into the 7th or 8th seed. Terrible timing.
Posted by: JBMONKEYMAN | March 14, 2008 at 10:31 PM
"Ordinarily, losing a game to an elite level conference rival in the midst of a tight race for the top seed in the playoffs (or, if you prefer, a tight race not to drop down the ladder) would be enough to prompt a frown or two. That the Lakers took care of with a 108-98 loss to the Hornets Friday night in New Orleans. But in news that will absolutely not rotate that frown in the slightest, the Lakers may have lost Pau Gasol for a while."
My sentiments exactly. Curse word!
Posted by: Faith | March 14, 2008 at 10:39 PM
I PREDICT THE LAKERS TO DROP TO 7TH PLACE BEFORE PAU COMES BACK
Posted by: never | March 14, 2008 at 10:44 PM
The truth? The Lakers are a soft weak defensive team and no amount of playing with heart will change that. The fact is, other than Kobe (and probably Lamar) the short handed Lakers do not have the personnel to play physical dominant defense. It's true absence makes the heart grow fonder but here something I never thought I'd say--I miss Kwame (remember vs Suns game 3 Kwame knocking Diaw to the floor then glaring down over him? That's what we need.)
Ok-back to reality and how freaking awesome it is to have Gasol.
But, until Bynum and Ariza return to the line up (add Gasol here) expect more of the same soft weak defense.
Posted by: Swanman | March 14, 2008 at 11:08 PM
Stop shooting so many fricken threes!!!!! Run the fricken offense and get some penetration, cuts, backdoor passes- the stuff that got the team to where it is... possession after possession they just swing it around the perimeter and settle for a dumb three. Sasha shoots the three every time he touches the ball. What the hell? No need for a knockout punch, just put some work into scoring interior baskets. And play some dam D already... sigh.
Posted by: stopshooting3s | March 14, 2008 at 11:31 PM
never,
shut the heck up!
you are the most pessimistic Laker fan ever.
Actually, you aren't a Laker fan. Just a guy who constantly writes what the Lakers wont do and how they'll suck.
shut up shut up shut up!
i really wish you went away from the blog... for good.
Posted by: Korey | March 14, 2008 at 11:37 PM
MAN OUR TEAM NEEDS TO MAKE TAPING ANKLES MANDATORY LIKE CHICAGO DID OR FIND A NEW TRAINER!!
THIS IS BULLCRAP
Posted by: ookboy24 | March 14, 2008 at 11:44 PM
Why oh why does this always happen?
Well, there was precedent in this case. Gasol missed half of last year with a broken foot, then missed weeks this season in tennessee. He's injury-prone.
But, vs. Houston, it's going to be fair now that the lakers are missing their yao, too.
Posted by: Nash for MV3 | March 14, 2008 at 11:52 PM
Those opens shots that we missed, we need to make and we need to go to the hole more and get more fouls not just Kobe but everyone, thats the only way I see the Lakers beating Houston without Gasol. This wasn't a great time for him to go down.
Posted by: Brittney | March 15, 2008 at 12:06 AM
I WILL BE WAITING BY THE PHONE !!!!!!
Posted by: KARL MALONE | March 15, 2008 at 12:21 AM
Mihm, Kwame, Bynum and now Pau? The 5 center position is snake bitten and cursed. Henceforth it is cancelled. It shall now be called the Taller Forward Postion or the 4 1/2.
Posted by: p ang | March 15, 2008 at 12:27 AM
Lakers coach Phil Jackson rested Bryant for the first four minutes of the fourth quarter and the Hornets went up 94-82 when rookie Julian Wright hit a jumper, then jammed an alley-oop feed from Paul on a fastbreak.
Jackson called timeout, but continued to rest Bryant and the Lakers fell farther behind when Stojakovic made a pair of 3-pointers, the second giving New Orleans a 100-85 lead with 5:35 to go.
THANK YOU PHILLIP FOR FEEDING THE TROLLS
I knew I could count on you
CROISSANT ANYONE?
Posted by: Troll Man | March 15, 2008 at 12:28 AM
Good morning from Spain, Laker friends.
First, allow me to introduce myself. I'm a new follower of this blog... since early February (any guesses -based on my location and the date- as to why I started dropping by? ha ha). Admittedly, I am more of a Pau follower than a Lakers follower, but I do have some LAL fan credentials (more on that later).
I haven't posted here before, but I think Pau's injury is a good excuse to start.
Pau is a good ball player, and especially a good team player; maybe not an All-Star, but a good, solid player. And he helps any team take their level up a notch or two. But, like the vast majority of NBA players (excluding, say, Mamba-type superhumans) he's not irreplaceable. His injury comes at a very bad time, that's true, but it doesn't have to spell disaster.
Since Pau joined the team (and before last night's loss), the Lakers had gone, what, 16-3? Was it because he brought in some impressive D? Ummm... no. Because he's an offensive machine? Well, he does pretty well in that department, but Lamar, for example, I think can put up some similar numbers. No: what I think Pau brought into the mix was a better concept of play distribution. Pre-Pau (and post-Bynum injury) strategy: feed the Mamba, the whole Mamba and nothing but the Mamba. Pau-era strategy: feed the Mamba, feed the Pau, feed the Lamar, feed everyone (just not the Trolls). I think that lesson has been learned... and if the Lakers can remember that lesson and keep that style going, they'll survive and be just fine.
Oh, as for my Lakers fan credentials: I lived in the LA area from mid-1978 to mid-1983, when my dad was working on some research project at UCLA. At that time, I became a supporter of the Lakers, the Dodgers and the Rams... plus the Bruins. Of those, the most exciting for me were the Lakers. Our last year in the USA, my dad's colleagues got us tickets for several sports events: the best, for me, were the 1983 Rose Bowl (Bruins won) and, best of all, a Lakers home game at the Forum during the NBA finals, which they ended up losing, but still... seeing Magic, Kareem & Co. in action, live... that leaves a mark on you!
Anyway, if I can be a faithful follower of the Memphis Grizzlies for 6+ years to keep tabs on Pau, you can be sure that I'll stick by the Lakers for at least as long, win or loose.
Saludos desde España,
David
Posted by: David In Spain | March 15, 2008 at 12:56 AM
Stupid injuries. This is total BS.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 15, 2008 at 01:30 AM
I count 1,345 missed games this season due to feet-stepping-on-other-players-feet.
Are we ready for a four game loosing streak? We'd better be, cause that long black cloud is coming down and heading right at us.
Don't mean to scare the children, but if we can't beat the Kings on our home court with first place in the WC on the line I don't see how we can go into Houston, Utah or Dallas and expect anything but a loss.
Houston is going to demolish us. I mean by 20 points; and that’s OK. We need to either start winning, or we need to get our a*sses handed to us to teach us just how surly the real world is.
We need a wake up call and the sooner it happens, the better. This team has gotten fat, lazy and old since they returned from that long road trip, and I think the only hope we have to right this ship is to get repeatedly embarrassed and thoroughly butt-whipped over the course of these next few games. I don’t see any other way to get the passion and effort back.
I mean really, we don't have time to start playing like pansies now. The season's almost over, destiny's once happy smile has turned bitter and our players are dropping like flies.
Can't help loosing when our starting center hoes down, I know, but we sure could have helped beating those last three lottery-bound teams we lost to over the past 15 games.
This is why we needed to win those games.
Ugggg.
And we can't have poor play from ANY of our players the last 8 weeks of the season. We can't repeat the absolutely shameful play we demonstrated at the close of last season. Luke, Sasha, Jordan, Ronny, Lamar...yall better step it up right now.
Right now.
And can Houston please play more than one tough road game every 14 days? This winning streak is nice, but with 2 or 3 exceptions, the Wolves could have won 20 straight with that sugary schedule. Luckily that will al be made right when the go on the road for some tough games.
Yuck.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | March 15, 2008 at 02:00 AM
Join me in June as we hang another NBA Championship Banner in H-Town.
GO ROCKETS!
Posted by: T-Mac | March 15, 2008 at 02:28 AM
If Lakers can come big against Houston then I think it will surely say that they really have the HEART of a CHAMPION... if not then they are just mere CONTENDERS.
Good Luck guys..Have the HEART!
Posted by: shaggy | March 15, 2008 at 03:59 AM
hey troll face man.
I think your underestimating the genius of Phil Jackson. I think Phil put the team out there to play without Kobe so that they can be tested and built for playoff atmosphere type games. Kobe is going to get tired, especially now he is going to be burning crucial minutes in these next few games. Phil needs to have the players adjust to scoring, stepping up their D, and adjusting their game to figure out who else can step it up besides Kobe. I think Phil gambled and lost, no doubt, but it may have been a glimpse of Phil's Zen.
Gasol's lost is heart-breaking. However, I honestly still believe this team is capable of beating a Yao-less Rockets. Kobe loves to step it up on T.Mac. It will take a lot from Odom and Vladi, defensively. A win in Houston will be HUGE for the team.
--first time posting; avid reader, but never posted~
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: L.A. MENTALITY | March 15, 2008 at 04:03 AM
Wow, that couldn't really have gone worse. So now we have to adjust to Gasol being goone, to Gasol coming back, then Drew coming back...we might not be comfortable until the playoffs, maybe next season. I still think this team can do a lot of damage, but it's going to be difficult to win this year, I think.
Paul is a load to handle. Right now, point guard is as stacked as I've ever seen the position.
Posted by: Michael A | March 15, 2008 at 04:03 AM
Sorry Loss for MY LAKERS...
sad to see PAU go down last night.
But I have to admit, the lakers did a good job staying in the game.
I just want to comment on the Hornets and their arrogant center, tChandelier.
Hornets team is nothing without cP3, same as phoenix without nash. What annoyed me most yesterday is how Chandler felt he's the superstar for the hornets.
1. he's what I called "only-for-alleyoops" type of center.
2. I didn't see him post up and make his own shot. AGAIN only relied on CP3's alley oop passes.
3. yeah, he gets offensive rebounds alot... that is because there's no center , therefore lakers interior defense sux a little bit. He sometimes got away with 3 second calls.
4. he can't shoot free throw. He can't shoot jumpers.
5. He has an ugly shot. Watch how he shoots his FT. UGLY!
after that Gasol injury, it looked to me like "GROUND ZERO".... so how about call the month of April a "REBIRTH OF the TWIN TOWERS"
that's all.
Posted by: lakersgameboi | March 15, 2008 at 05:01 AM
Good morning everyone,
If Adversity truly makes you stronger, the Lakers are Jack Armstrong. For the next two weeks, this will be a test of character more than talent. If this group of Laker individuals has truly come together as a team (as all the sportswriters have been telling us it has), the Lakers will rebound from two weeks of poor play and come together.
It can be done. Just as soldiers push forward in battle to honor their fallen comrades, the Lakers can push forward towards the Championship to honor their fallen team mates. Gasol, Bynum, Ariza and Mihm didn't choose to fall away from the fight; fate chose them for a reason.
This will be a test of PJ's flexibility, Kobe's leadership, and the resolve of the Bench Mob to play with maturity and intelligence. The mission can still be accomplished.
As the TV commercial we've all seen says, Life comes at you fast. The players and my fellow bloggers would be wise to stop complaining about the officiating (it will always suck), and to refrain from "Why us? Woe is me." Lakers! Let's get down to business.
The prize is still in sight. Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rick Friedman | March 15, 2008 at 06:31 AM
I'm losing my hope. Championship looks a dream now for at least this season. But I'm more worry about MVP for Kobe. This is his best chance to win MVP. He has been the best player in the league for sometime but never got a MVP.
Posted by: Manwarul Alam | March 15, 2008 at 08:33 AM
Well, now Lamar is back to being the #2 option. It will be interesting to see if he goes back to the "old, wildly inconsistent" Lamar, or keeps his more recent, "relaxed, better" Lamar tendencies.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 15, 2008 at 08:34 AM
Bienvenidos al blog, David!
Good morning Laker Family!
While I'm sorry to hear about the loss (I had to work last night), it's only one game. I'm getting ready to watch the replay of the game, so I'll give my comments later.
Still, this one loss shouldn't put us in a bad position. To tell you the truth, I'm not too sure if playoff seeding will really matter this year - it seems like the top 10 teams in the west can win anywhere they play (as can our Lake Show).
My biggest thing is echoing what L.A. Mentality said - if we can get healthy for the playoffs, then we should be in good shape. We're not afraid of anyone, and teams in the west aren't afraid of us. I expect this year's playoffs to be like the USC-UCLA game last night.
Jon K. - I'm still hoping for good news about your dog.
Hugo - It's good to see you back! :-)
Hope everyone is doing well!
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | March 15, 2008 at 08:36 AM
ugh....not good... not goood...
we need Mbenga to be the muscle beast in the middle.
any word on if we'll pick up Ira Newble? reports say he's a tough cookie. even though he's only a 2-3, he might be our perimeter stop gap for a minute.
Posted by: socalife | March 15, 2008 at 08:42 AM
Well another unfortunate case of friendly. First casualty was Bynum courtesy of LO, a.k.a. Schleprock. Then Ariza who was originaly the victim of Schlep's sobotaging foot again, but Lakers spin master palmed it off by disclosing that the culprit was good locker room guy D-Fish. Now another casualty with Pau down. Similar to prior case there again seems to be disparity as to culprit is. TV reported that it was Chandler of the Hornets, while AK stated it was our Jughead Vlad. Nevertheless, there's some bad Chi around here.
Posted by: rollo | March 15, 2008 at 08:44 AM
This may help the lakers eventually - instead of getting GS in round 1, LA can look forward to getting NO, SA or PHX in round 1. Maybe Utah.
Meanwhile, did kupchak even THINK about Gasol's spoty history of injuries before rushing to sign him? This was not a good long-term solution! Shaq is healthy and what do you think the SUNS are going to do to kobe in the playoffs with a healthy, tuned-up man of vengeance named Shaq?
I think kwame brown is secretly smiling right now.
Posted by: Nash for MV3 | March 15, 2008 at 08:47 AM
I strongly believe we're gonna end this Rockets winning streak.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Tsiry | March 15, 2008 at 09:06 AM
Gasol and Kobe combined for at leats 10 assits a game, 50 points a game, when Gasol out, it hurts, but I want Phil to try D-Menga to guard Chandler but Phil did not do that, D-Menga can't score but at leats he can guard the basket better than Turiaf, i like the coach who try something new when we need it, and don't call time out when it was too late, it doesn't show you're smart coach, it only shows you just wake up on the bench.
Posted by: steve | March 15, 2008 at 09:08 AM
AK, I can't believe you came down hard on Sasha and gave
DFish and Ronny Turiaf a pass in the "Bad" section. Sasha's
defense wasn't THAT bad, and Chandler had like 50 offensive
putbacks -- Ronny wasn't able to keep him off the glass at all.
I'm not saying this to come down hard on Fish or Turiaf, just
pointing out that if you're having a "BAD" section in your
review of a game, 0-for-7 and 4-for-13 count as bad in my book.
And btw, Chris Paul made all three of Fisher, Farmar, and
Vujacic look bad at times, but he makes almost every guard
in the league look bad.
Honestly, once Gasol went down, they really needed
Turiaf to step up and play like the starter he was at the
start of the season, and he dropped the ball. It's a lot to
expect from him, to try to outplay Tyson Chandler. Gasol
probably could have prevented a few of those putbacks
by Chandler (Bynum could have prevented MOST of
them), and either Bynum or Gasol would have scored more
than the 1 point that Ronny contributed. It's just a lot to
ask of Ronny to be the main center on a team. Main PF
maybe, but not main C.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | March 15, 2008 at 09:08 AM
I feel like I've gone to crazyland!
I don't care if I'm beating a dead horse.
DIT DA JOW!
I, myself, have used Dit Da Jow on my ankle when I sprained it and it worked!
I've also had electro-stimulation on my knee when I've injured it in football.
Dit Da Jow works better.
I presently feel like I want to strangle Gary Vitti.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 15, 2008 at 09:09 AM
My thoughts on the first half -
- Luke looked strong. I didn't know he could hit that floater in the lane!
- D. Fish was chucking too many 3's (as was Vlad Rad). When they were rotating the ball, it seemed that people would be open.
- Running the offense through Kobe (mid post - high post triangle) is probably the best way to slow teams down; everyone has to not only pay attention to him as a scorer, but as a distributer as well. For the future, I think that LO and D. Fish should be the primary ball handlers. That way, Kobe can save his energy for defensive purposes. There'll be less of a need to slash to the rim.
- Jordan and The Machine need to be a bit more under control. I love their energy, but I would like to see them be a bit more efficient with it.
- If Luke has to guard a center again against Houston, he should let Deke shoot all the 15 ft. jumpers that he wants. No need to get back-screened like he did against Tyson.
- Why doesn't Vlad Rad actually dunk the ball more often? Isn't he 6'10"?
- Hopefully, with a practice today, we'll get a chance to work the new rotation out. I''m personally hoping for less turnovers.
- Any time a point guard matches up defensively with Luke, we should go to him in the block. He's a good enough passer to find people in their happy spots on the floor. And if they don't double, he's way too big and strong for any point guard to hold him (See the Mav's game at Staples when J-Kidd was trying to guard him).
- Chris Paul is unbelievably good. If he ever starts to shoot 3's, well....
- Peja can't hit anything with someone in his face. Must be having flashbacks of that key game 7 in 2003.
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | March 15, 2008 at 09:30 AM
Where are all those bloggers that were asking for Kobe to have the surgery? Can you imagine how we would be feeling today without Kobe, Pau, Bynum, and Ariza?
All that were sceptical should be aplauding his judgement now. Now lets just hope he can keep us afloat and near the top of the western conference.
GO LAKERS!!
Posted by: CHITOWN_LAKERFAN | March 15, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Nemaia-
Yeah, he could have been in there, for sure. It wasn't his best night by any stretch. These things aren't an exact science, so there's always room for interpretation (haha).
LTLF- I agree that it was a lot to ask of Ronny to work on Chandler like that. Ronny is tall, but overall is mismatched against the better centers in the league. He's a four, not a five. I can see why you had him in your personal "bad" category. He didn't shoot well at all, but I liked how he moved the ball in the post, and before started breaking down the Lakers D (which made it much easier for Chandler to hit the glass) I thought Ronny was doing okay. I saw it as a sort of mixed bag, keeping in mind that I don't really expect him to suddenly morph into a top shelf center just because the Lakers need him to play there.
I think Ronny will bring what he always does- energy, incredible effort, solid passing, some relatively decent shooting from mid range, and blocks. But he's going to be mismatched as a big minutes center for as long as the Lakers need him to play there. No knock on Ronny, that's just how it is. They're lucky to have him around.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | March 15, 2008 at 09:43 AM
Chris Paul is unbelievably good.
Probably the second best player in the league after Kobe.
He'd sure look good in Purple and Gold.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 15, 2008 at 09:49 AM
korey,
don't get all emotional. I didn't say the Lakers would be out of the playoffs.
Posted by: never | March 15, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Thoughts on the second half:
- There's NO need to guard Tyson Chandler outside of the paint area. I really hope they take note of this for the game against Houston.
- High Post Triangle - a much better solution to jacking 3's. Better movement, better involvement of the entire team.
- We really have to stop reaching in on players - too many cheap fouls came from that.
- We have to do a better job as a team with defensive rebounding. Way too many second chances. We're gonna get killed if Houston does the same things as NO did.
Looks like it's going to be a great challenge for Sunday. I hope the lake show is up to it!
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | March 15, 2008 at 10:16 AM
p ang wrote "The 5 center position is snake bitten and cursed. Henceforth it is cancelled. It shall now be called the Taller Forward Postion or the 4 1/2."
HAHAHAHA!!! That's the best thing I've read in a while. Time for the taller forward guys to light it up!
Posted by: dave m | March 15, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Gasol is supposed to be injured at most 2 weeks or so right? Let's say that the worst case scenerio (of two weeks) does happen, and look at our schedule. If Kobe can help us pull out 2 of the next three games (which I'm pretty confident he can), then we have a pretty favorable schedule until Gasol somes back. We have Seattle at home (win), Golden State in a home-and-home (let's say we get 1 out of two there), and then Memphis at home (win), Charlotte at home (win), and Washington at home (win). That's it. That's the two week stretch. So our record would be 7-2 while Gasol is out (leaving us with a 52-22 overall record), and that's using the worst case scenario. Then after that Gasol would be coming back, and Bynum a couple of weeks later. So, let's not push the panic button just yet.
Posted by: laker hopeful | March 15, 2008 at 10:22 AM
New blog law...
From now on, every sentence concerning the fate of the Lakers hereby starts with an implied, "barring injuries".
Posted by: Vman | March 15, 2008 at 10:22 AM