Just a speedbump to 22
Given that the Rockets came into Sunday's game the winners of 21 straight, are one of the league's best defensive teams, and the Lakers had all of one day to adjust their offense and defense to life without Pau Gasol (temporary as it might hopefully be), it's fair to say that the Lakers faced an uphill battle. The Vegas money, as they say, was on the Rockets... and it turns out there's a reason Vegas always does so well. Those are some smart dudes out in the desert. Final score, 104-92, bad guys. L.A. fell behind early and found themselves down 15 at the half. An effective third quarter and a strong start to the fourth got them close, but down the stretch couldn't sustain the momentum on either end. Kobe decided to put this one on his back, and in the end, it fell off.
Click below for the breakdown.
The Good:
Wow. Not an easy prospect. The Lakers played one very good quarter, one okay quarter... and two pretty bad ones. In all honesty, there wasn't a ton to love about today. But hey, let's give it the college try. Nothing, it should be noted, listed below would be considered a "pure good." Everyone in a Lakers jersey had some warts.
- Ronny Turiaf: Pressed into starters minutes, Ronny was active, making some big blocks underneath (three overall), grabbed eight boards, and scored 13 points. He was one of the few Lakers who managed to stay active without the ball, part of the reason he went to the line nine times, more than any other Laker. He was 3-4 from the floor, but for the Lakers to make space on the court he'll have to knock down that midrange jumper he's been willing to take, but didn't today. All in all, if this is the sort of game they get from Turiaf filling in for Gasol, the Lakers won't have much to complain about.
- Lamar Odom: It's worth listening to PJ talk about Lamar in his postgame comments. Overall, it's hard to say that a guy who finished with 17/11/2, with two blocks and only one TO in 40 minutes and change had a lousy game. But as Jackson pointed out, LO is capable of filling a stat sheet while not necessarily asserting himself. With Pau out, he's back to being the guy the Lakers need to shove into the role of #2 scorer. We all know it's a bad fit... but that's where the Lakers are. Overall, Odom was active on the boards, and was especially strong in the second half, going for 9/6/2. He had some success in the post against guys like Scola, and seemed frustrated that he was unable to get the ball down there late. Jackson said he'd have to check the tape to see whether or not it was because LO wasn't asserting himself, or if the Lakers were missing opportunities. Frankly, I'd have to as well.
Down the stretch, there weren't really many opportunities to be had, given Kobe's play (see below).
- The Third Quarter: Down 15 after the break, LA used a very strong third 12 to get back in the game. They limited the Rockets to 12 points, and used some very strong ball and player movement to put points on the board. Easily the high point of the game.
The Bad:
- Kobe Bryant: 11-33, two dimes, three TOs. In the first half, I thought he was forced to take some tough shots late in the clock, in part because the Lakers could find no offensive rhythm at all. 6-17 over the first two quarters, and while I didn't love his game, some of it was clearly a function of how the Lakers were playing as a team. He tried to give people some opportunities, and the supporting cast didn't come through. My big issue was with the second half, particularly the fourth quarter. The Lakers got back into the game with a balanced attack and great ball movement. In the fourth, though, Kobe decided he was going to win or lose the game for them... and we know how it turned out. 2-10 in the final 12, but worse, most of those misses came on possessions where he was the only guy to touch the ball.
I've said many times on this site that I'm less concerned with the total number of Kobe shots than I am what shots he takes, and I thought his selection in the fourth was awful. Shooting over double teams, pulling up for a three on Battier with a hand in the face. Worse, when he goes without setting up the offense, it hurts the Lakers in the other direction. It's difficult to set up transition D when there's no flow on the other end. Plus, it sucks the energy out of the other four guys on the floor.
Overall, Kobe's done a great job of balancing the need for him to be aggressive with playing solid team ball. Today, he didn't, and it cost the Lakers.
- The Lakers Bench: The Sasha Slump continues. 1-4 from the floor, with a turnover. His decision making right now isn't very good, and he'll need to step it up now that the league has become aware of his presence. Luke Walton improved in his second stint on the floor, finishing with nine points and two boards, but overall wasn't great. Jordan Farmar had eight points, made a couple good shots, but struggled mightily with a red hot Rafer Alston (in fairness, everyone who had to guard him did as well). Overall, the Lakers bench was outscored 35-27, and as PJ said after it was over (and I paraphrase), the Houston bench kicked the Lakers' bench all over the floor.
- Defensive communication: PJ pointed it out as a problem, one confirmed by Luke and Fish after the game. Continuity plays a big role in that, and right now, the Lakers don't have much of it. It's not simply that the Lakers are missing a few guys, but that they have a lot of players playing in a lot of different positions. The need to juggle lineups makes it hard to build up that familiarity defensively.
- Vlad Rad: Offered little on either end. Houston didn't give him much space to shoot, and aside from one drive to the basket, did little to make life hard for them. 25:32, five points, five boards, two dimes, one technical and was in foul trouble for much of the game.
- Derek Fisher: Missed some open looks that would have helped out, especially early. Also struggled against Alston (join the club), and generally wasn't much of a factor on either end.
There's still no need to panic, because even with a full roster, this was a tough game on a tough trip. Dallas and Utah will be rough as well. Under the best of circumstances, 2-2 would have been a nice result from this roadie. Now, they'll have to regroup, and try to split against the Jazz and Mavs. Even better, try to win both. But in the meantime, the Lakers need to find an identity they can use for the next few games.
AUDIO: Definitely worth going through today. Phil had interesting words on both Kobe and Lamar, and the problems the team had today as a group. Luke talked a lot about Houston's D and what they do well. LO was frustrated after it was over, for sure. And Fish is always worth a listen. He very calmly explains what they're up against, what they need to improve, and how it can happen.
- Phil Jackson:Download phil_jackson_3.16 postHOU.mp3
- Luke Walton: Download luke_walton_3.16 postHOU.mp3
- Lamar Odom: Download lamar_odom_3.16 postHOU.mp3
- Derek Fisher: Download derek_fisher_3.16 postHOU.mp3
- Pau Gasol (from before the game): Download pau_gasol_3.16 preHOU.mp3
BK
btw Houston also was missing Landry in addition to Yao.....
Posted by: neil | March 16, 2008 at 06:28 PM
With Kobe shooting on 9 of 11 possesions without ANYONE else touching the ball,it was not LO being less aggresive but Kobe being selfish.....
Posted by: neil | March 16, 2008 at 06:32 PM
BK:
Pretty accurate assessment. I thought Kobe was effectively balancing "viable threat of Kobe" vs. "actual Kobe execution" as the team got on track in the third. This helped the team's ball movement and helped extract the most from the limited overall talent/heat on the team right now.
In the fourth, he went all "actual Kobe execution,"
the Rockets focused in and him, and his lack of heat this game was exposed. Others were disjointedly trying to make the most of their own gifts.
I am not saying Kobe alone lost us the game. (BK's right- plenty of the good guys stunk it up). Nor am I saying that this is emblematic of a long-running problem with Kobe. I just think he made a bad choice in flipping the switch early in the fourth.
Also: Really? The Lakers were supposed to know beforehand to structure their defense around stopping Rafer Alston? Really? A journeyman nicknamed "Skip to my Lou"? Will he ever have another game like that one?
Posted by: The D | March 16, 2008 at 06:38 PM
I guess the Rockets are for real...cause I saw the game, and I couldn't believe Skip To My Lou was that hot.
Overall, I agree with much of the assessment that you did BK. One thing I think that they didn't do enough of was try to take it to the tin when Scola picked up his 5th foul - I give Jordan credit for hitting a 3, but there wasn't enough effort made in the direction of getting good post position. One doesn't necessarily need a 7-footer (Besides Didier) to have a post presence (see end of MJ's career).
I mean, Luther head trying to guard Luke in the post? Chuck Hayes trying to guard LO?
I feel that there were too many iso pick-and-probe plays instead of the mid-post and dive plays as well.
Another thing was that I felt that there were WAY too many shots from the corner (especially Kobe). It hurt being reminded that Bobby Jackson is still fast as anyone. BTW - when did HE start hitting 3's? I don't ever seem to remember him doing that with Sacramento.
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | March 16, 2008 at 06:43 PM
BK, I applaud your comments above.
"Overall, Kobe's done a great job of balancing the need for him to be aggressive with playing solid team ball. Today, he didn't, and it cost the Lakers. "
DEFINITELY SHOULD BE UNDER THE "BAD"
LET ME REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID, "TODAY, KOBE DIDN'T PLAY SOLID TEAM BALL, AND IT COST THE LAKERS"
THE TRUTH HAS BEEN TOLD.
Posted by: Gunner | March 16, 2008 at 06:46 PM
BK,
"But in the meantime, the Lakers need to find an identity they can use for the next few games"
MOST TEAMS TAKE ON THE IDENTITY OF THEIR LEADER. IF NO LEADER, (KOBE SUCKS) THEN IT WILL BE HARD TRYING TO FIND AN IDENTITY.
Posted by: Gunner | March 16, 2008 at 06:49 PM
I still have faith. I felt gutted when we lost today, but I still have faith we'll win in the playoffs.
The Lakers are a good team, we've just had lots of bumps on the road: injuries, defense needs work on, open shots have to go in, but overall, I have faith.
Kobe, you're still my MVP candidate, don't force your shots, I understand your burden, but trust your teammates too. The rest of the team plz step up your A game so Kobe doesn't feel like he needs to shoulder the team for the W.
Gasol, Bynum, Ariza, I look forward to your return.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: PeanutButterSpread | March 16, 2008 at 06:51 PM
Vlad Rad has been pretty bad at both ends of the floor for the past few games. he seems lost on defense, and well, lost on offense too.
luke has actually been making very good plays as of late, in terms of making things happen. its a shame he played the least of any laker.
Posted by: greek dude | March 16, 2008 at 06:51 PM
DEFINITION OF A BALL HOG
BK,
"2-10 in the final 12, but worse, most of those misses came on possessions where he was the only guy to touch the ball. "
12 YEARS AND RUNNING, AND THIS GUY STILL HASN'T FIGURED THIS OUT.
IS THIS HOW AN MVP OPERATES?
Posted by: Gunner | March 16, 2008 at 06:52 PM
disappointing loss..everytime the Lakers pulled with 1 or 2..the Rockets pulled away with a 3 or an AND 1....with the loss of Pau the Lakers have Ronny who fouls quite often and Mbenga..can those 2 handle Boozer or Dampier? I hope Gasol comes back at the end of the road trip..the Lakers need him..also where has Farmar and Sashas shot gone? they can't seem to hit anything..and Vlad is in lala land as usual...
Posted by: drew | March 16, 2008 at 06:53 PM
This is a game where Lamar should have gone for 30. He has the skills and the body for it, but not the mental game. Besides, with Bad Kobe deciding to dominate the ball in the 4th quarter, nobody else was going to have a chance to contribute.
All in all, this game would have been winnable in Staples. This is why it's bad for teams to rely on 3 pt shooting on the road bec. the home court advantage will favor the shooters. If this was in Staples, Lakers' 3 pt. shots would have gone in and the Rockets' wouldn't have.
Rockets w/out Yao versus Lakers w/out Bynum and Gasol is a wash and series would go to whoever has home court advantage.
That's why I'm still hoping to meet this Rockets in the 1st or 2nd round of the playoffs bec. Gasol and Bynum will be back by then and Yao won't.
Good game by the Rockets and they fully deserve the streak. Obviously, not a good game by the Lakers but not necessarily a terrible game.
We saw the Bad Kobe, the Bad Sasha, and the Bad Lamar tonight but playing on the road minus your 2nd best player against the hottest team in the L can do that to anyone.
Objectively, Lakers will probably lose in Dallas and Utah bec. these 2 have the best home records in the WC and Lakers don;t have enough time to adjust on the road to the loss of Pau. So Lakers will probably be in 7th place by end of road tri,p 2 or 2.5 games back of 1st but still have a chance to get 1st back if Gasola and Bynum come back with at least 10 games left and the rest of WC knock each other out. Mihm will also help since he c/d be back in a week.
Posted by: LakerinBC | March 16, 2008 at 06:56 PM
Actually Vlad Rad did a great job on D today and he was guarding Tmac in the first half...I dont know why the coach took him off of Tmac in the second half..Also why is the coach not giving Kobe any rest????
Posted by: neil | March 16, 2008 at 06:59 PM
BK,
I found your choice of words for Kobe's play strange..."Today, he didn't, and it cost the Lakers. " Wasn't it the play of the whole team that end up costing us the game? Why single out Kobe? I understand that Kobe had a pretty bad 4th quarter, but saying it like this makes it sound as if he was the sole reason we lost.
Posted by: tim | March 16, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Hey Gunner,
Where were you in February? Hiding under the bridge, waiting for passers by so you could tell them your riddles? Go away troll. Your meat is tasty and sweet though!
Pig
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | March 16, 2008 at 07:04 PM
Good Evening Lakers Fans-
All in all the game today wasn't the best. I had posted on a previous thread we needed some lock-down D, better shot selection, better game from both Vlad Rad and Farmar. Didn't happen. Also seems that the Machine needs a bit of a tune-up.
Not too sure where we are going to go from here. It is starting to feel a little too much like "deja-last-year" all over again. Today's game had that herky-jerky feel to it: Phil having to go way too deep into the bench for too many minutes, too much standing around watching Kobe and not enough offensive flow, and players just not where they need to be.
Odom: another game where the stats aren't bad but he had bad things happen (turnover, fumbled passes, T) just at the worst possible time.
Yikes. Not good with the West this tough but definitely fixable- especially when we get key guys healthy.
I'll be happy with 1 win out of the next 2 games.
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Jesse | March 16, 2008 at 07:05 PM
It's trip how when the Lakers lose there is a call for Walton/Farmar/ Sasha's heads. They are fine as long as the Lakers win.
The Lakers D was never great even when they were winning with Gasol. The Lakers were functioning so well offensively they put a lot of pressure on the opposition. And the D was adequate.
Without Gasol, wins will be tough to come by and that's just life in the NBA. And now Turiaf looks like he is wearing down a bit.
The Lakers just need to play smarter and start passing the ball again. Pickup the defense and they should keep a playoff spot.
You can forget about winning the division or home court in the first round though..
Posted by: Andy B | March 16, 2008 at 07:07 PM
next time when the game is over with seconds left,don't dance in front of me like a " stupid" Harlem globetrotter, I'll give you a punch on your face instead
Posted by: Sasha | March 16, 2008 at 07:08 PM
NEIL,
"With Kobe shooting on 9 of 11 possesions without ANYONE else touching the ball,it was not LO being less aggresive but Kobe being selfish....."
When you are a ball hog, you're selfish about everything. You're even selfish when you're force to pass the ball. Which is why I believe Kobe leads the league in the most turnovers for his position (Shooting Guard). His passes are always forced, erratic, and not with great intentions.
Posted by: Gunner | March 16, 2008 at 07:08 PM
PiG,
I've been his every week. I don't know where your gyes have been. I'm here when the Lakers are winning and I'm here with the Lakers are losing.
If Kobe is our leader, i'm going to ride him when he's playing good and when he's playing bad. I also ride other players when they are playing terrible too. Ala, Luke (overpaid) and Sasha.
So, I'm not going anywhere. And I'm happy to be called a troll. Doesn't bother me. Your lord and saviour kobe still sucks as our leader.
Lamar is the only person playing consistently good all year long. I actually think if Kobe got the surgery on his finger right now, the team would not miss him. They would actually play better without him.
Posted by: Gunner | March 16, 2008 at 07:12 PM
I most have been watching another game from you guys. The lakers got beat flat out by the rockets three point shooting. The lakers were down four and out team did not do enough to get the lead. Blaming Kobe for this lost is ridiculous. I actually thought Kobe shoot the ball in the 4th when they lead kept going up and up, and I would rather have him shot.
And that hand in your face thing has to be illegal. I actually thought Kobe had to shoot, but we see it differently.
Posted by: wow | March 16, 2008 at 07:18 PM
Glad to see Kobe play well today. I fail to see how he affects a game other than scoring. For somebody to be considered the “best player in the game”, he’s got to do more than scoring. Players on the team are looking for direction and inspiration during this tough road trip and it seems looking at Bryant’s corner yields absolutely nothing.
MVP? No way. As I wrote in previous entries, Chris Paul and Lebron should be top contenders.
As for Kobe pundits, here’s a thought. Why do you bestow the award upon Bryant things go well. For example, during Lakers winning streak when Bynum was still in the lineup or when Gasol first joined the Lakers. But when those players go down, the excuse for Bryant’s poor play is the result of injured players.
When the times get tough, it’s when one see the true value to a team. It’s when there’s an injury to the team, the team leads its best player to STEP UP. Not fizzle and cower in the corner. Bryant himself has said. It’s time to walk the walk. Enough talking.
MVP? Certainly not on the Lakers.
-Jeffs Aho
Posted by: Jeffs Aho | March 16, 2008 at 07:23 PM
Lamar is the only person playing consistently good all year long. I actually think if Kobe got the surgery on his finger right now, the team would not miss him. They would actually play better without him.
Posted by: Gunner | March 16, 2008 at 07:12 PM
Oh, I get it now. Your posts are a comedy routine. That still sucks.
I absolutely think if you get the brain surgery that you have postponed, this blog would actually do better without you. So feel free.
Posted by: Jman449 | March 16, 2008 at 07:25 PM
OUTLOOK:
No worries about this loss, the last loss againt the hornets or the next couple of roadies.. Lets remember that the Lakers were the #1 team in the west when Bynum got hurt.. and they were the #1 team in the west when Gasol got hurt.. I dont care which seed we get because when we get both of those guys back WITH Ariza to defend the perimeter, we'll be just fine.. teams have their stretches (albeit Houston's is pretty impressive).. the 76ers have won quite a bit lately, the suns are on a little roll, the rockets are doing what they're doing, and the lakers had a great stretch the last 25 games.. all in all, let's see what happens when the playoffs come around when it all boils down to defense and having that one intangible on your team that can take over a game in the last quarter.. I'm talking about twin tower defense in the paint with bynum and gasol along with odom.. kobe on the wing and ariza off the bench.. dont worry fans, we'll be just fine.. i'll enjoy hearing the "experts" write off the lakers just cuz of a few losses when they have key guys out.. heres to looking forward to the playoffs.
Posted by: dpk | March 16, 2008 at 07:38 PM
MAN............
Ya'll are typical fake laker fans. Love them when were winning and hates them when were losing. Same thing goes for Kobe.
DID ANYONE NOTICE THAT WE WERE UNDERSIZED AND ALSO WHEN THE PICK AND ROLL WAS RAN IT WAS RUN WITH MBENGA AND HE COULDNT FINISH. NOT HAVING A POST PRESENCE WAS THE MAIN REASON WE LOST THAT GAME.
YOU NEW FAKE FANS ARE THE MAIN REASON I RARELY BLOG ON HERE ANYMORE LIKE I USED TO. I LOVE THE BLOG IN ALL BUT MAN THIS IS REDICULIOUS
Posted by: Paul Lee | March 16, 2008 at 07:44 PM
"I've been his every week. I don't know where your gyes have been. I'm here when the Lakers are winning and I'm here with the Lakers are losing."
Perhaps you've been lees trite during the bad times? Or maybe you're just saying that to gain leverage? I've got the feeling that your lesser intelligence prohibits you from making arguments other than the petty BS Kobe slander. You've got nothing of consequence to say, that must be why I didn't notice you lurking around eating scraps while the Lakers and the League MVP were running roughshod up until the injury bug bit again.
You don't like Kobe for personal reasons, that's fine. I obviously can't stop you from speaking your mind so I'll just make sure to add you to the Troll Call for the next win and then we will see how much smack you talk then. I'm tired of yours and everybody else's BS around these parts. I'm not just going to ignore your troll smack anymore. You want a spirited convo, cool. Bring your A game though, and back up your points with some real evidence if you want to play my game, cause I'm not the one.
Pig
Let the assertion begin.
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | March 16, 2008 at 07:51 PM
claaaassss, claaaasssss, claaaaassss, shuuut-up
Thank you
Teacher is again very disappointed with the results of todays test and the lack of preparation everyone showed to the national school board association.
Teacher's Aide, Little PJ recieves an F today, sorry you already used the excuse that Luke's puppy ate your game notes when you lost to the Kings. Normally I would send you to detention for this fib, but it is my understanding baby girl Jeannie has your paycheck and you need to make that deposit on that island you bought in the South Pacific. Excused.
In your place Jumpin Jimmy Cleamons will review the book "Defense for Dummies" and will be tested on it tomorrow. Jimmy will have to get 70% of the questions correct. I know we normally allow Jimmy to pass with 40% correct but the principal has sent me a memo saying that I can no longer grade on a curve. This mandate by the principal also means all the players must pass their tests with at least 70% correct.
This of course is very bad news class, as you know the average grade for the team as a whole is 59.5%. If you can't raise the score, you cannot pass into the playoffs.
I am sure that your are capable of achieving this goal, but Little PJ doesn't really work well under pressure and he has so little time left to tutor after cleaning his rings. No need to worry though, I am sending everyone Magic Johnson's video on winning basketball. This should raise the IQ of the class by 50% alone.
I want everyone to know I have faith in youuuuu, claasss,claaaasss
JORDAN SASHA stop with the spit wads
LAMAR NO SMOKING
VLADY VLAAAADY stop singing "Its a Small World"
KOOOBE do something
claaaassss, claaaasssss, claaaaassss, shuuut-up
Thank You
Posted by: Sister Mary Elephant | March 16, 2008 at 08:00 PM
Kobe's numbers since Pau arrived have been pretty much what I've always been looking for out of him.
29.8p5.8r5.4a 50-88-35(14-2 record)
*excludes the NJ and Atlanta games where Kobe did not shoot well because of his finger*
I hope that is a sign of things to come in the post season and not how he has played in the last two games without Pau.
Posted by: jf | March 16, 2008 at 08:13 PM
Tim-
Argue about the construction of one sentence if you want, but I think it's pretty clear in the writeup that I don't think Kobe lost the game himself.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | March 16, 2008 at 08:14 PM
One more for the Bad:
The officiating in the 2nd quarter was unbearable. There was a stretch where the Rockets were given very generous free throws. It's not like they were driving the lane, they were getting free throws for jump shots and on defensive rebounds. And then there was the ultra quick technical on Radman...
The officiating put the Lakers down 10.
Posted by: joey numbers | March 16, 2008 at 08:17 PM
Pig,
Just give him a good spraying of "Troll-B-Gone". They hate it. It's like throwing salt on a snail.
Laker Nation,
Ask yourself, "Do I want to be like Mamba24, Faith, or Charles... or do I want to be like a Troll?"
The choice is yours.
Troll hunt continues tomorrow.
REMEMBER! WE ARE THE FREAKING LAKERS!
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | March 16, 2008 at 08:20 PM
Forgot to mention the technical they called on Sasha at the end of the game. The Rocket guard literally put his hand in Sahs's face. Sasha calmy yaks his mouth... and who gets called for a technical? Sasha.
So is putting your hand in someones face ok? Cause on the street, putting your hand in someones face is grounds for a fight.
That play should be reviewed by the league.
Posted by: joey numbers | March 16, 2008 at 08:24 PM
This team is playing no defense. They havent played D for about 2 weeks now, bu also they look like the team after bynum got. No energy, life, and fire.
Posted by: Stars_R_Aligned | March 16, 2008 at 08:25 PM
Gunner and neil your hatered for Kobe is blinding! Phils strategy from the beginning was horrible not to mention Houston outplayed and out hustled the Lakers today not just Kobe. It's clowns like you two bozo's that give this fan blog a bad vibe. Can I suggest you two daiseys go create a hate blog so that the both of you can deal with your sick blinded disdain for Kobe Bean Bryant! This was a bad game for a team that was outcoached from the start and Shaine played solid D and having Luke out their didn't help etheir. P.S YOU SUCK!! you no the rest!
Posted by: chuck23 | March 16, 2008 at 08:26 PM
Shane Battier was the reason for kobe's flat shot - Battier looked like an all star with his D.
Kobe's mvp chances took a hit today, big time. T-Mac didn't look any better. The season ain't over yet, and Amare or CP3 or LeBron seem to be strong candidates.
The tough thing is that the Suns are now only 1 game behind in the division, and their schedule lightens a tad this week. Look for the Suns to take advantage with Shack's astounding resurgence and overall team confidence soaring.
Could Shack be in line for this year's MIP?
Posted by: BUTLER | March 16, 2008 at 08:26 PM
I know the Gasol injury is a bad situation but man at least go out and fight. Kobe quit on transition D after not getting calls
Also, Van Gundy was right on the money when he said the Lakers have become big time complainers, wanting every call and quitting when not getting it.
Posted by: Stars_R_Aligned | March 16, 2008 at 08:27 PM
hmmmm i don't think sasha and jordan get along. why does sasha always look at farmar as if he doesn't know that farmar should be dribbling the ball up court? sasha is NOT a ball handler. he can't dribble with his left hand, and it looks very easy to steal the ball from him. maybe he should just park himself at the three.....
they should've let mbenga in there in the 4th... he was in there on the run in the beginning of the 3rd.
sigh, its games like these where i feel i am wasting so much emotion and time because i'm so into it, and they just don't commit, and then they lose, and then i am so down.....
Posted by: | March 16, 2008 at 08:27 PM
instead of kobe needing to step up when a player is down, the team needs to step up. kobe's already stepped up enough. what a bout the rest of em?
they should've fed it to ronny more.
just saw sports center on espn, and battier put a hand in kobe's face every time. why does he like taking those contested shots? and he blew the game with those 2 threes from like the half court line. what's up with that?
Posted by: | March 16, 2008 at 08:29 PM
This team complains on every call and it seems that they quit playing or become lifeless if calls arent going their way. Kobes been complaining like crazy since about 2 weeks ago maybe more about calls.
I know PJ's supposebly addressed it but man this team is not fighting from my point of view, I dont know if its cockyness that they feel they can come back but their not playing 48 of good basketball.
Posted by: Stars_R_Aligned | March 16, 2008 at 08:30 PM
Greetings Laker Nation,and everyone who post one this blog. I'M not going to dwell on the lost to long or to much yes it was disapointing watching my team get out hustle,and the rockets get second even third chance oppturnities to score which they did hats off to them.Now it's time to move on to Dallas and regroup the team need to be focus if they do that they'll be fine.
Posted by: LakerFan | March 16, 2008 at 08:31 PM
I also think Ronny doesnt like sasha, in previous games sashas been beat on D or played no D and Ronny tries to cover his **s and either gets a foul or Ronnys man scores and on TV I hear Ronny scream SASHA!, in a complaining way, like where you at!
Posted by: Stars_R_Aligned | March 16, 2008 at 08:34 PM
BK,
I think you should include Luke in the GOOD column on this
one. I'm not sure why they only played him 14 minutes, but
3 for 7 qualifies him as the second best shooter for the Lakers
and he looked VERY good posting up against Houston.
I know Luke is most people's favorite whipping boy now that
Smush and Kwame are gone, so it's important to give him
credit on the infrequent (this season) occasions when he is
a positive contributor.
And there's an important BAD you left out as well... free
throw shooting. 70% overall wouldn't be bad... if most of
the team is making up for Shaq. But while the game was
still close in the fourth, Ronny missed a free throw, Kobe
missed a free throw, and Lamar missed TWO free throws.
It's just bad news to miss free throws that could have
given you a tie with 5 minutes left.
Posted by: | March 16, 2008 at 08:37 PM
What are you Lakers' fans crying about?
You got whooped & ran out of the gym... period. You cry & moan after every shot. Kobe is the best player in the NBA period but he got be by 5 and then 5 more of the bench.
The Rockets made it happen for themselves. You be better serve playing some grunt ball like we do. Nothing about it was pretty unless you like team ball.
And that's how we won the game.
Posted by: Skip to this lou | March 16, 2008 at 08:38 PM
I can wait till Trevor comes back, then we get some real D. When Trevors on the floor it seems hes everywhere, he makes great reads and breaks the opponents flow. Cant wait till Luke lives on the pine, and Trevor and Vlad come off the bench, with Trever the main SF
Posted by: Stars_R_Aligned | March 16, 2008 at 08:39 PM
Caliphilosopher,
Bobby Jackson has always been a high energy defender who would also put up and knock down threes without hesitation. I wish he was still our sixth man.
Sonnybelfast
Posted by: sonnybelfast | March 16, 2008 at 08:45 PM
If the lakers fall to #5-8 seed in the west, they would likely be playing either NO, HOU, PHX or UT in round one, without home court.
Posted by: BUTLER | March 16, 2008 at 08:48 PM
BLOG CRUE
I finally returned to planet earth. I was in a bad mood after the game. Then I realized that no of the Lakers even no who I am, most likely their chilling in a plush hotel in Dallas. I didn't want to ruin the rest of my weekend so I spent the rest of the day hanging with my family and friends across the street. 2 and 2 sounds so good for the rest of the road trip. We'll see.
Colorado loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | March 16, 2008 at 08:55 PM
The MVP is not the goal! Winning the NBA Title is. Sometimes a good dose of reality is needed to get were your going. Houston have found there groove as a team and the Lakers are searching for theirs. We have yet to play at full stregnth long enough for players to grow comfortable with what they should be doing in game. But our biggest problem as a team is we don't defend well against anyone and to me that's what we pay Phil big chief triangle to do. The triangle offense can't stop ball penetration nor guard against teams pick and roll kick out for threepointers that make us look as though we have never spent any time on taking away other teams options!
Posted by: chuck23 | March 16, 2008 at 08:59 PM
game sucked all around, its really hard to win when you're playing one of the hottest teams in nba history without your #2 or #3 scorer. not too concerned with the loss. i wont be concerned until the lakers start losing at full strength (or whoever will be with them for the rest of the year). atleast the defense was pretty good (really good at the start of the 3rd). nothing could be done to stop skip, i thought farmar actually played pretty good defense tonight.
however, the only good part of the game was when sasha stood up for himself when skip to my lue was being a show boat with all the dribbling. this aint the streets its the nba and i applause sasha (probably the weakest laker) for taking a a hard foul to send a message. much appreciated sasha.
when its all said and done, lakers nba champions, rockets out in the first round.
GO LAKERS
Posted by: mrbarneydangles | March 16, 2008 at 09:11 PM
Reassessing the road trip.
Bad news - lost first 2 games & now 1 game out of 1st place
Good news - since they started the trip, New Orleans lost
once, San Antonio lost TWICE, and Utah lost once.
----
Lakers still have Dallas and Utah, the two teams with the
best home records in the league. I hope they can steal
one of the two games, and thus keep themselves in a
top 3 seed in the West of their own effort.
On the other hand, the Lakers might get a little help. Even
if they do lose both games, Phoenix would have to win
more than they lose to move ahead of the Lakers into the
top 4 seeds.
In other words, if you count those other two games as
losses (I think the Lakers will win one, but that's another
story), then that puts them in a virtual 4-way tie with
Phoenix, San Antonio, and Dallas. But they own the tie-
breaker with Phoenix, so Phoenix would have to win at
least one more game than they lose to knock the Lakers
out of the lead in the Pacific, and thus the top 4.
Got it?
So what do the other top teams have coming up?
Phoenix: currently 1 game behind the Lakers
Let's start with Phoenix, since they have the only chance
of displacing the Lakers. Tuesday @ Portland, Wednesday
@Seattle. Not a particularly daunting schedule, though both
games are on the road. But note that Portland is MUCH
better at home than on the road, and Seattle has played
Phoenix close all three games this season. If Phoenix
loses either game, the Lakers stay in the top 3 until Friday,
win or lose.
------------------
New Orleans: currently 1/2 game behind the Lakers
Chicago on Monday, Houston on Wednesday. They should
be able to beat Chicago tomorrow night, which will move them
into 2nd place (since they own the tiebreaker with the
Lakers), and then Houston vs New Orleans on Wednesday
helps the Lakers wrt one team and hurts them wrt the other. In other words, the Lakers probably need to win
BOTH games to be sure to stay ahead of them.
-------------------------------
Utah: currently 2 games behind the Lakers
Toronto on Monday, Lakers on Thursday. Both in Salt Lake,
where the Jazz have only lost 3 games all year. If Utah
wins both and the Lakers lose both, then Utah moves into
a tie with the Lakers, but they'd have the tiebreaker, so
it would move the Lakers down to 4th or worse.
------------------------------
San Antonio: currently 1 game behind the Lakers.
Boston on Monday, @Chicago on Thursday. We should
cheer for Boston to win that Monday night game, as it
would keep the Spurs at bay. With Chicago now fighting
for a playoff seed and San Antonio 17-17 on the road,
the could conceivably go 0-2 this week and help the
Lakers out. But knowing the Spurs this time of the season,
they could also go 2-0 and zoom past the Lakers.
---------------------------------
Dallas: currently 11/2 game behind the Lakers
Lakers on Tuesday, Boston on Thursday. If they lose
either game, the Lakers stay ahead of them in the standings,
win or lose.
------------------------------
Houston: currently 1 game ahead of the Lakers
Boston on Tuesday, New Orleans on Wednesday
Despite the Lakers playing shorthanded today, I definitely
didn't get a feeling of invincibility from this Houston team.
I think they will lose at least one of these two games, and
maybe both. After that, they got to Golden State and
Phoenix back-to-back on Friday and Saturday.
--------------------------------
Conclusion:
Very similar to the original statement at the start of the trip.
If the Lakers win either 1 of the remaining games on the
trip, they will stay in the top 3 seeds in the West, and they will then have a somewhat cushier schedule the rest
of the way (no more hellish road trips, but they do sill play
Golden State twice, Dallas, San Antonio, and New Orleans).
My prediction: Lakers beats Dallas on Tuesday and hang
around the 2 or 3 seed.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: | March 16, 2008 at 09:11 PM
BK & Gunner,
Perception is a MF. I love ESPN's play by play. Roll the tape.
In the 1st 6 mins. of the 4th, there are ~ 13 shots. Kobe
Sasha, Lamar, Famar & Turiaf have shot. Is his
decision flawed with letting the others shoot or is
his decision flawed for taking 1 more than Farmar,
depending on when you look at the clock?
8:23 to 6:07, Kobe is 1 - 2 on free thows. Makes a
12 footer and misses the 3. Is it here that the rest
of the Lakers become despondent? I don't know
how to correlate "Lack of energy" with Jordan Farmar
making the 3 at the 6:07 mark. How do you see it?
4:46 mins left in the 4, we're down 84-91. Kobe makes a
9 ft J to make it 86-91. [ Has he sucked the
energy out of the other 4 yet? ]
4:15 Kobe misses after T-Mac makes 1.
Followed by Battier missing a 3. Houston rebounds.
McGrady misses a lay up. Hou rebounds.
Kobe misses a layup. If I recall the layup correctly it
wasn't a bad shot. Between 4:15 & 3:05 we were
out rebounded 4-0. @ 2:48 we're down by 12.
B/n 5:45 & 2:24 Hou made 2 J, 2 3's & 2 layups.
B/n 4:15 & 2:10 Kobe, Sasha & Lamar are the only
Lakers who shot. That means that either Farmar or
Fisher didn't shoot. Turiaf is C and he didn't shoot.
It should be noted that at 2:39 Kobe loses the ball.
Kobe took 2 shots in the first 3:30 of the 4th.. Farmar took
2 shots in the same time. Sasha tried to take
2 shots in the same time.
Vlad, Fish & Turiaf took a combined 13 shots. Turiaf was
3 - 4, Vlad & Fish averaged 1 - 3. Our bench came up
with 27 pts. on 9 - 25 shooting. B/n 5:45 & 2:24 Hou
made 2 J, 2 3's & 2 layups.
Now with those *FACTS* laid out, please explain: Overall, Kobe's done a great job of balancing the need for him to be aggressive with playing solid team ball. Today, he didn't, and it cost the Lakers
The points that I'm making are: Houston shot
the lights out. Rafer dropped 4 3's in the first quarter.
We came out cold.
Hou held this offense to below 90. They have been
doing this to *EVERY* team they've played on this
streak.
Hou played a very good defensive game and our guys
didn't.
I listened to Phil's audio. He didn't seem particularly
tweaked by Kobe's play. He mentioned Kobe shooting
in desperation. He also said Kobe won't be taking so
many shots.
Posted by: hobbitmage | March 16, 2008 at 09:22 PM