Live from the Game - Lakers vs. Grizzlies
This game is so big, fans who swore off the Lakers in February for good will make an exception and tune in.
AK (with the first)
First Quarter
11:00 - Ronny sets up Kobe for a 12-foot jumper in the lane. Easy enough, but so was the ensuing 20-footer by Hakim Warrick.
8:33 - Kobe gives Mike Miller the up fake, receiving the bite, the contact and the foul. Two freebies go down.
7:40 - A defensive play by... and this is not a typo... Vlad Rad sets up a three ball play for Kobe. Vlad swats Warrick under the Laker goal and secures the board. He shuttles the loose ball to LO, who in turns dishes to Kobe outside the arc. Money.
7:16 - Turiaf's attempt to follow suit isn't as successful. He stops the shot, but gets called for the whistle, his second in quick time. He'll sit in favor of DJ Mbenga. Say with me now.
TACOSSSSSSS!
6:10 - As the shot clock winds down, Fish keeps the dribble alive just outside the arc. Instead of pulling up, he passes off to Mbenga in the paint, who immediately makes the extra pass to LO at the 13-foot mark. Ball goes down.
4:46 - Darko quite possibly gets away with a bit of offensive interference putting back a Rudy Gay miss. A dude in the section next to me is yelling for the call, but personally, were I him, I'd be more upset that neither Mbenga, LO or Vlad put a body on Freedarko.com's namesake.
3:59 - Good decision by Walton going up for a shot in the paint with a couple Griz defenders closing in. He pushes the ball behind him to LO, who immediately hits Farmar behind the arc for a wide open look. Unfortunately, neither Luke or LO put a sufficient body on Darko on the possession immediately following, allowing him to get the easy putback of Mike Conley's errant six footer.
By the way, Darko's off to a huge start in this game, already having pocketed 6/5, plus 3 blocks. I'm torn. On one hand, the Lakers are my team and this hurts. On the other, as somebody admittedly fascinated by the alternately disappointing, bizarre and oddly endearing career path of one Darko Milicic, I inevitably find myself rooting for the guy.
3:00 - The Critter checks in to some nice applause from the crowd. Not surprised. The Staples folks generally liked them some Javaris. Call me crazy, however, but should he manage to get on the court, I don't see Kwame receiving the same love. I talked to him a bit before the game, and as one might imagine, I don't get a sense he's having a blast in the land of barbeque.
1:08 - A loose ball foul on Mbenga means three for the quarter and a trip back to the pine. LO reenters the contest and the Lakers go very small.
8.0 - LO and Walton team up for some solid D on Gay around the arc, forcing the missed 27-footer. The board is corralled by Kobe and put up by Farmar just short for a buzzer beating three ball attempt. The Lakers finish the quarter down 32-30. They're getting beaten badly on the glass (particularly by Milicic) and with 23 points fr Kobe and 7 for everyone else, not much balance. I'd love to see things even out a touch. BK will take over the second.
SECOND QUARTER:
Kobe out to start the quarter for the Lakers.
19:24- 35-32 Memphis.
10:00 Nice quarter thus far for Radmanovic. He moved along the left baseline cutting to the hoop to receive a pass from Ronny for a bucket, blocked a shot on the other end, then crashed the boards a couple trips later to get another deuce. It's hard to predict sometimes which Rad will shoot from game to game, or even quarter to quarter, but the one playing right now is pretty good.
8:45- PJ said before the game that Sasha would likely be doing more ball handling if Fish has to miss some time, and we just saw why that might not be a great thing. Driving the lane, he got himself into the air and turned the ball over. Only a FANTASTIC recovery and block of Crittenton on the other end saved the Lakers from two points.
He doesn't generally make very good decisions with the ball, and when he drives, he'll often do it with his head down and without any real notion of where he's going with himself or the ball if Plan A doesn't work.
8:00- Good call from Violet Palmer, who got Lowry for shoving off with the lead arm as he went in on Turiaf under the basket. Replay showed it was a very good call. Then on the next trip, she correctly called Kobe for a charge underneath. Violet Palmer is on fire tonight, people!
7:09- Grizzlies 39, LAL 38.
Kobe picks up a foul on Navarro shooting a three. That's happened to him a lot lately. Navarro makes the first... and the third. Three point lead for Memphis.
6:50- Kobe takes Miller along the right baseline, jab steps, pulls back and makes the jumper. That's a move he likes, against a player he likes to light up.
5:42- Memphis 41, Lakers 40. Very little offensive flow right now for the Lakers. Lots of jumpers, not a whole lot of guys finding space in which to work. Defensively, the Lakers are holding Memphis to 41% from the floor, but have been hurt some by putbacks, and Memphis has been aggressive, getting to the line 13 times thus far (compared to six for LA).
4:25- Kobe continues to shoot the rock aggressively, burying a three, then following up on the next trip with a nifty layup coming off a double screen from LO and Ronny. That opens up a six point lead for LA, and gives him 32 points with a third of the second quarter still left to play. Fair to say this could be one of those nights.
2:34- Kobe up to 34, and tossed in a nifty little pass behind the back to Radmanovic, right in the hands. He got fouled, though.
2:12- Great play from the Grizzlies, who on the break ended up with two guys putting in the alley oop. Lowry came down the lane, off a pass from Gay, then lifted the ball up I think for Warrick, but Gay finishing the play (and not looking at the wing) went up, too. But the ball went in anyway. Don't see that all too often.
:54.8- tied at 51, then Turiaf gets a nifty layup off a great pass inside from a driving Odom. Those plays in tight quarters are always tough to pull off, from both ends.
HALFTIME:
Tied at 53. Dick Bavetta just winked at me on his way off the court. Can't say I was expecting that.
Anyway, I'm putting this one on the offense. It's very difficult to run up a lead while shooting 37% from the floor. On the other end, 43% for the Grizzlies. This will be one of those halves people argue about with Kobe, who is both dominating the ball, but also the only source of consistent scoring. Is he shooting because other guys aren't making it, or are other guys missing because they're not involved in the offense? However you slice it, there's been a decided lack of ball movement and energy on the offensive end.
No question, there are extenuating circumstances. LO is sick, Fish is banged up... and you know the rest. But they still have to try and play. And more importantly, they have to try to get inside. Only nine FTs in the first half, but they've taken 18 threes. That's not a great ratio.
More to come.
THIRD QUARTER
11:17 - A three ball from Kobe goes down one possession removed from a 17-footer swishing. You may not have noticed, but Kobe's utilizing something of an "aggressive" mindset.
10:41 - There's something you don't see everyday. Ronny Turiaf gets called for an illegal assist while going up for a dunk. Basically, he used half of the rim to hoist himself up for the jam. About ten seconds later, Turiaf picks up his fourth whistle and sits. Tough sledding for Martinique's Favorite Son this game. Mbegna checks in.
9:19 - A chippie hook from Mbenga goes down pure. He's now only about 38,000 points behind Kareem.
7:53 - Mbenga gives Darko a taste of his swatting medicine, telling the former #2 pick that nonsense will not occur in his house. The ball lands in the mitts of one Kobe Bryant, who whisks it coast to coast for the breakaway dunk.
7:03 - A trey from Kobe (his 9th make on 14 from distance) gives him 47 and counting with a LOT of time to play. Could 81 be in danger? I doubt it, but I guarantee I'm not the only one with that thought popping into this head.
5:06 - Shades of Kwame with the muscle displayed by Mbenga. Darko works his best to back down The Congo's Favorite Son, but DJ doesn't give an inch. If anything, he might have knocked Dark off balance. The result is a wild miss from Darko.
2:47 - Sorry for the delay. Some connectivity issues. Anyway, Miller's at the stripe to put down a pair after absorbing a foul from LO. In the meantime, I'm pretty sure I heard some yahoos in the crowd chanting, "We want Kwame!" C'mon, Staples. Go easy on the dude. After all, he did once throw down Boris Diaw and lord over him like a pro wrestler during the playoffs.
32.3 - Sorry, more net issues, more delays. Mbenga picks up his sixth foul on a sequence that could have just as easily been an offensive on Lowry. DJ running into the tunnel doesn't get the called reversed. With ROnny in foul trouble, PJ puts in... Chris Mihm! A big round of applause and a lot of Staples citizens up on their feet while the theme from "Welcome Back Kotter" plays.
The third comes to a halt with Jason Collins snagging a loose ball and putting up the miss just before time expires. 89-80 Grizzlies.
FOURTH QUARTER
Man alive, are we struggling with the Staples Center wireless. Anyway, at the 10:46 mark, The Critter catches a bit of bad luck. He puts up a 16 footer that gets caught between the rim and the backboard. Not only does it could as a miss on his stats, but the result is a jump ball that Mihm takes away. Kid's just a rook tryin' to get by.
6:50 - More internet, more problems. The problems continue for the Lakers as well. Down 7 and trying to stage a rally, Farmar steps out of bounds while looking to attack. The turnover leads to a Lowry jumper stroking nylon.
6:05 Walton works inside and absorbs the contact from Collins putting up the six-footer. The shot falls, followed by a converted freebie. The Lakers are back within six, a deficit they manage to at least briefly keep from increasing after an emphatic block by Turiaf at the expense of Rudy Gay.
5:43 - Walton snags Darko's seriously errant backwards dish and drives the lane before getting wrapped up hard by Lowry. Dick Bavetta seems intent on separating them, although neither looks terribly upset or ornery. Walton sinks one of two.
5:24 - Walton drives the lane, then dishes a beautiful wrap around to Turiaf for the dunk. That Memphis lead is beginning to trickle down a bit. If the Lakers can manage to accompany these makes with some D (thus far, only sporadically has that happened), they can pull out the victory.
3:10 - Kobe's penetration causes the Memphis D to sag a touch, causing Kobe to in turn dish off to Sasha from behind the arc. Money.
2:20 - Terrible decision by Sasha. Farmar snags Turiaf's miss to allow the Lakers the rare FIFTH try and a fresh 24. He shuttles the ball to Sasha, who immediately puts it up from 20 out with barely two seconds expired. Not a great look and not the result they're seeking out.
.50 - The Machine's been more than a little off this game, but he picks a ferocious time to hit a HUGE trey ball and put the Lakers within a bucket.
By the way, we just now noticed that the Lakers have taken 43 shots from behind the arc. 43!!! Forty-freakin'-three! Between Sasha and Kobe alone, that's 36 of them. Are you kidding me? 43? Even Antoine Walker would find that disgusting.
.9 - Rudy Gay tries to make his first three and misses. Trying to create a scrum and kill some time off the clock, He tries to miss the second and makes it. Hakim Warrick and Coach Iavroni kept help but laugh a bit.
With a 20 second time out remaining, Walton looks to find Kobe for the in bound. He can't get a clean look, but instead of calling timeout, he forces a pass to Bryant that gets swiped by Gay. All the ticks wind down as Kobe gestures to Walton that he should have put his hands together in a "T." Kobe is indeed correct. Final score, 114-111. The comeback attempt runs a little too little, a little too late. 53 from Kobe (the only starter in double figures) and not a ton from everyone else. Way too many threes. Not nearly enough D. Back-to-back losses against theoretically "gimme" opponents. Rough night and a waste of an opportunity, to say the least. Sorry we couldn't do better for everyone. More to come later.
maybe you will remember why kobe asked to be traded
or some of you fans are still upset that he did not apologize?!
does he need to?!
if kobe does not win the MVP is because of his teammates
starting with FARMAR. i started really to despise this guy when he plays. i think he, kobe should do what MJ did to kerr. just punch him in the face so he will wake up. sorry rick, i know is your favorite.
FARMAR SUCKSSSSSSS
zakee thanks
FARMAR SUCKKKKKKKKKKS
Posted by: ZIn Master | March 28, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Ok, this team is officially out of control. Lamar gets a pass; he was sick as a dog; Fish gets a pass, he was playing on one wheel. What about the guys who were health?
45 three-point shots? No way.
Vlad with 9 points? No good.
Sasha, 4 makes on 14 three-pointers? No good.
DJ with 4 blocks to Ronny's 3. Ronny with only 6 points? No good.
Luke -- Worst inbound, ever.
Bright spots?
Kobe -- put the team on his back.
DJ -- Good minutes.
Mihm -- Thank goodness he was suited up.
But what decided the game was Defense. Memphis was terrific. Gotta give them props for their D.
Farmar -- 11 points. Maintained his average.
What should we expect on Sunday? I sure as h*** don't know. I'm done. Time to pour another shot of vodka.
Posted by: Rick Friedman | March 28, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Phred, look up the mascot for Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts.
He also unfortunately invented biological warfare.
Posted by: Lord Jeffrey Amherst | March 28, 2008 at 10:30 PM
The only players who played well tonight were Kobe.....Benga...and Luke. Yes, Luke made that bonehead inbounds play and non-TO call but he was the only Laker playing inside in Q4. Kobe shot the lights out in first 3 quarters but he also made that pass to a cold Lamar to take a 3 when Kobe s/d have taken a high percentage 2 or try to get the foul. Benga played within his limits and that's the best we can get out of our #5 center option but he was definitely hustling out there tonight-4 blocks!. Props to Chris Mihm for even getting out on the floor.
I'm ready to strangle Sasha with his headband bec. he attempted 14 3 pt shots tonight. Farmar was just killed on the defensive end. Turiaf had some good blocks but he was awful on offense. Nobody but Benga seemed to be moving their feet on defense.
I'm neutral on LO and DFish bec. they were obviously playing sick and injured.
Posted by: LakerinBC | March 28, 2008 at 10:30 PM
70's fan,
I know you're frustrated, so take your anger out on me.
I'm frustrated too, but it's easier to deal with it if you are realist fan, like me.
Come on over to our side. Realist v. Optimist.
Posted by: troy | March 28, 2008 at 10:30 PM
It doesn't matter who Kobe passed the ball too. If Lamar was so sick, he should not have been on the court. Maybe you should ask Phil why lamar was on the floor instead of Vlad or fisher. Kobe looked for his teammates and got them wide open looks and they didn't show up...Period...
Posted by: 70slakerfan | March 28, 2008 at 10:31 PM
Oh, and game ball goes to Chris Mihm, who absolutely should not have played but did.
Posted by: Lord Jeffrey Amherst | March 28, 2008 at 10:31 PM
The coaching staff needs to get in the ear of the rest of the laker players and let them know that they need to step up and be accountable right now
Posted by: 70slakerfan | March 28, 2008 at 10:35 PM
I don't like the lost, but since I'm here in Memphis I will here about it. We can't afford to lose anymore, but guys look at the inside game for the grizzlies. The Bobcats and the Grizzlies have both taken advantage of the height advatage. Look at the points in the paint. Then let's scream about the three point shooting. Lamar was sick. I believe the team is really tired, because we have no extra players. The injuries are starting to catch up with this team. They will make the plyoffs, I just don't know how much further they will fall unless we at least get Gasol back. The Grizzlies used Collins, Milichek, and Gay and with Lamar being sick they just took advantage of the inside game, the same as the Bobcats. Without Gasol & Bynum & Mihm every team is going to now take advantage of the inside. I do fell that we should have at least used Mbenga to counter their height advantage. This team has no chance of winning any playoff games if we don't get them both back, we are too small in the inside with Turiaf.
Posted by: TONI | March 28, 2008 at 10:35 PM
I'm learning several new ways to spell certain words tonight, and I'd add most of the fans have good reason for their creative spellings.
I'll lay the blame primarily on the coaching staff; from the top down. Granted, the healthy list is extremely short, but unless you empty that bench (Ira and Coby come to mind) to see if any combination of available players work, then the coach hasn't done his job to win the game with what he had available.
Let's start the rumor mills----Jackson for Johnson.
Someone call Cuban. I hear he needs a manager for that new Dairy Queen he's opening, and Jackson has the talent and IQ needed to create a perfect soft serve cone. Adding jimmies shouldn't be too hard to learn.............
Posted by: MiloRambaldi | March 28, 2008 at 10:37 PM
If Jordan Farmer doesn't improve his defense, he'll meet the same fate as all the other PGs who've played for the Lakers since Magic Johnson.
Posted by: troy | March 28, 2008 at 10:38 PM
Fast guards and 3 point shooters - Lakers' Krytonite
Posted by: troy | March 28, 2008 at 10:41 PM
Balllllll Hoggggggggg!!!!!!!!
37 shots - one freakin' assist!!!
And wasn't it Phil who said that New Orleans would have chemistry problems because C. Paul was taking too many shots????!!! LOL!!! Phil, you inhaling the hippie lettuce again??!!!
Posted by: yanks0001 | March 28, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Yeah, it's all Kobe's fault,.you @#$h@%%^&*.
Posted by: Laker/KobeFan | March 28, 2008 at 10:46 PM
DEFENSE...the lack of it!!! We lost because we dont have DEFENSE!!!
everyone on the floor has no DEFENSE, no ones communicating DEFENSE!!!!
can we say again why we keep losing lately...DEFENSE! no other thing...
we can't stop anyone...no DEFENSE!!!! maybe WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!
Transition D? he just left town... Inside D? he went on vacation? Defense...he took an untimely sick leave....
NO...don't say we're TIRED... what we don't have is
DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!
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DEFENSE! please come back soon...
Posted by: KiKosDad | March 28, 2008 at 10:48 PM
I'm on my way to Jon K.'s house to help him smash everything up. Glad to help, Jon.
Posted by: Earth Wind & Fire | March 28, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Already smashed up everything in my house including my TV, now I need to get a new one tomorrow so I can smash it again on Sunday night.
Check out the three point shooting tonight:
Kobe 9-17 (at least he was above 50%, but still too many threes in my opinion)
Fish 0-2
LO 0-2
Rad 1-5
Sasha 4-14
Farmar 1-5
Kobe is 9-17 and above 50%
His Mates are 6-28 combined. If they make even two more of their 3's we win despite how terrible we played. And the majority threes taken were uncontested. The free throw shooting disparity reveals that the Lakers had no balls to go the basket tonight. I wished Kobe would've shot more in the second half, especially the fourth quarter, but I can't fault him for passing to shooters with WIDE OPEN looks. I hate when people criticize Kobe for the same reason they praise LeBron and Paul. The other night Paul drove into the lane and kicked it out to West who hit the game winning shot. LeBron does it a lot as well. People will jump all over Kobe and say that his shooting in the first half took everyone else out of their offensive rhythm, but that's bullcrap because he tried to set the tone early by being aggressive and even when he passed the ball his mates either missed shots or gave the ball right back to him. LO was definitely not looking to shoot tonight, Fish and Rad were off and Turiaf was in foul trouble and doesn't seem confident to finish inside unless spoon fed for an easy dunk. I won't even make any comments about our bench other than Mbenga and Luke who at least played hard. Our defense if we can even call it that really sucks big time!!! Again, we have no excuse whatsoever for losing back to back to the Bobcats and Grizzlies.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | March 28, 2008 at 10:49 PM
I'm not a religious guy.
However, here goes.
Dear God/Allah/Budah:
I pray that the Lakers do not re-sign Jordan and Sasha.
I pray that the Lakers trade Luke and Vladimir.
I pray that D-Fish goes to the bench.
I pray for guards that can go to the hole and defend.
I pray for athletic small forwards who can defend.
I pray for Byron Scott (a defensive-minded coach).
Thank you for listening.
Posted by: passionate Lakers fan | March 28, 2008 at 10:50 PM
If LO is still sick and a non-factor on Sunday, the Lakers will be odds on favorites to LOSE that game. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are bonafide all-stars. Seems like Lakers have forgotten how to make defensive stops and are just trying to outshoot opponents with 3s.
Posted by: LakerinBC | March 28, 2008 at 10:52 PM
Good night.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | March 28, 2008 at 10:54 PM
WAAAAAAAAAAIT A MINUTE....is this the same team that just destroyed the utah jazz in utah a week ago??? really????????????????????? what the hell has happened lakers??
Posted by: golakeshow | March 28, 2008 at 10:56 PM
The Lakers team defense has never been a strong point, and we know that we don't have any great individual defenders. I hoped we would win a championship this year, but I don't see it . Everyone wants Bynum to be the savior, but defense wins championship and this team doesn't have it. Without a inside game and Lamar being sick, Fish's foot problem. I want the Lakers to win, but I believe that injuries, the number of minutes that Kobe & both Lamar have to play,us having no defensive stopper, and our love with the three point line that everything is finally catching up with this team. No matter what the seed is I want to see what a truly healthy team can do.
Posted by: TONI | March 28, 2008 at 10:57 PM
I WISH WE HAD SMUSH. i never thought i want to remember him. at lest he had all the reasons to pout. he was really underpaid for a starter. that was his big complain. attitude?! started to get bad, but hey, i do not see fish ....now, or farmar especially doing much better. especially on the defensive side.
if fish is really hurt, even with PG and AB back, and our future point guard, Farm trash, we r not going too far.
Posted by: ZIn Master | March 28, 2008 at 10:59 PM
The Lakers will be fine once Pau and Andrew come back.
The game will become easier for every player on the team.
Kobe will shoot less,pass more and play better D.Lamar
will play great as the 3rd or 4th option.The Lakers bench
will once again be great with Ronny and Vlad returning where
they belong.These last few home losses would have been
easy blowouts if the Lakers had someone to throw the ball
into and protect the paint.I like Ronny but he's not Pau or Andrew.
Posted by: jf | March 28, 2008 at 10:59 PM
against the worst teams in the NBA and in their own floor....what a shame......phil has to go....his triangle isnt working.. we need a new system and defensive minded coach.... tell you what...lakers will again be eliminated in the 1st round..that triangle is obsolete....charlotte and memphis proved it...
Posted by: sonny | March 28, 2008 at 11:04 PM
Losing to Memphis is unacceptable.
Posted by: Lakers_Nation | March 28, 2008 at 11:05 PM
we will be alright. relax. we are in a better position than was expected from us. Health and fatigue are holding the team back. Reinforcements should be coming soon.
Posted by: numbers | March 28, 2008 at 11:06 PM
2 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists... who does that?
Posted by: eddie brock | March 28, 2008 at 11:06 PM
passionate Lakers fan
i'm not a religious guy myself
but i will pray with you.
the problems r the same like last year
we need the chinese guy ....tall .....hardworking and it will be happy to play in the NBA. he will feel privileged to play, not like these punks.
luke is from the old guard/cook, mo, smush, who still have grudges with kobe, and now he is indoctrinating fart-mar
Posted by: ZIn Master | March 28, 2008 at 11:12 PM
2 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists... who does that?
Posted by: eddie brock | March 28, 2008 at 11:06 PM
JASON KIDD
Posted by: rob | March 28, 2008 at 11:17 PM
Someone should ask why there was always ten feet between Jordan and the man he's guarding.
Posted by: sepho | March 28, 2008 at 11:18 PM
SMUSHED of the night...
...coaching style coupled with 5 players wearing purple and gold trying team defense... (put sarcasm icon here)
Play of the night...
....during halftime...when coaching staff trying to point this following plays. http://www.basketball-plays-and-tips.com/zone-defense.html
Lakers play of the week....
...praying that the bigs comeback to bail us out!!!
.ouch..that hurts!
Posted by: KiKosDad | March 28, 2008 at 11:22 PM
Have I not been telling guys like LongTimeLakerFan, Rick Friedman, LakerTom, and everyone that this Fish/Sasha/Farmar/RAdmanovic 3pt thing is ridiculous.
That they are shooting with an unconscious heart. That they will shoot you in/out of games and that this is the heart of why we cant win?
Well most of you bloggers, commended LTLF for coming to the defense of Sasha. See, he's really a good player, shoots a great% from 3 and he is really valuable! And you know what, So is Farmar!
I think you guys know the answer now. When you give guys like this too many minutes their true colors shine. If you actually watch the games, then you already knew this. You already knew Sasha can make shots, but 9 times out of 10 he knows he's going to shoot it before he gets the rock. Open or not it's going up. And a lot of times rushed and early in the shot clock. What is this guy, in middle school or something?
For some reason, Farmar decided he wanted to become a 3pt shooter too. I think it was because he got a lot of props for scoring early in the season. NOW, Farmar chucks up 3 after 3 when he gets in the game.
The worst part is, neither Sasha or Farmar play good on-ball D! Sasha is pesky, but not good. Anyone quick is going right by him. Farmar has no excuse for not at least being better on D.
So in conclusion, I want an apology from all you bloggers including LTLF , Rick, and whoever who argued with me this the last few days.
Can you see now? Can you see why I get so angry with Sasha and Farmar in particular? Can you now agree that the stats you show are skewed because they are not with these backups playing big minutes? Put these guys in the game without a post player or with free reign and they will shoot you in a game or shoot you out of game. And same for Luke except he will pass you in a game or dumb pass you out of it.
This is ridiculous and exactly why Kobe wanted to leave the Lakers. The Bench Mob/Role Mob is just not that good when Bynum or Gasol is out. We still need some serious upgrades in PLAY or upgrades in PLAYERS if these guys dont get it and get it fast.
Injuries happen. So you have to have players who can step in and play solidly.... We dont...
Posted by: Korey | March 28, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Everyone seems to agree on one thing. We are gonna get killed by other teams point guards. DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE! At what point do you all agree to learn to play defense. I beginning to believe like other bloggers that Fordan & Sasha are trying to outdo each other on the offensive end, here's a thought how about trying to outdo each other on the defesive end of the court. The problem is with all our injuries Phil has to play both of them. I listened here in Memphis on the radio and even they agreed that our inside game is shot without Bynum & Gasol and even though they are homers, they talked about all the three point attemps, and nobody driving to the basket. Just look at the free throw differences. I know Pau & Bynum will make a huge difference but I would still like to see a commitment to defense from all the other players. If this isn't our year for a championship , (and I don;t think it is) I want to see a commitment to defense starting next season when we start with our whole team. LAKER fan for over 20 years.
Posted by: TONI | March 28, 2008 at 11:31 PM
Man we defeated Two Teams with with better records than the Bobcats and the Grizzlies. (Utah and Dallas) It has to be a motivational issue with the coaching staff. PJ, I have defended you before but is it a non-chalant approach? This is not the early 2000's Lakers team...
Posted by: Charles | March 28, 2008 at 11:34 PM
Wow, frustrating game. No one could make a shot except for Kobe. And then he was covered to well to take a reasonable shot.
No less frustrating than the game itself is the growing list of sick and injured. It's unending. If Kobe keeps from getting a 16th tech and gets the Lakers to 55 wins (regardless of where that puts them and how the Hornets do), you gotta give him the MVP. If I were Kobe, I think I would seriously lose it right now.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 28, 2008 at 11:38 PM
Good night Lakerville.
Thanks for letting me vent with y'all.
ps...I stated earlier that some dummass would come in here after looking at the box score like yanks00000001 and say how Kobe lost this game as a ballhog bc of the number of shots and 1 assist.
He should have had a near triple-doub with 50+ points AND the win if his dumass co-workers would have come to play.
I think they should keep a stat for "failed assists" to show how many assits a player should have had.
Posted by: Earth Wind & Fire | March 28, 2008 at 11:40 PM
That's it... the 7th layer of granite rock. So low you can't get under it. Unthinkable.
The Lakers were one call away from a 4 game losing streak..
against inferior teams. Forget the analysis, you don't lose to Memphis at the end of March and expect to contend.
Hear that? That's the sound of Phoenix (with #$#$^ Shaq) winning the Pacific Division.
I'd rather endure a root canal than watch this team implode.
Posted by: Vman | March 28, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Korey,
Good shooters without a great deal of ability to penetrate shooting 3s is fine. I don't think I disagreed with you, but I will now despite the loss.
As a team we must penetrate and move the ball more, but against a zone you have to take some open jumpers. It's extremely rare for us to be this cold.
We're undermanned, we're beaten, we're overworked, and we're injury and sickness plagued.
Time to cut the team some slack.
You asking for an apology from people that legitimately disagreed with your radical opinion is lame.
Posted by: Benjamin | March 28, 2008 at 11:41 PM
man, i swear i didn't smash anything, i honestly would have if someone had some along and offered to buy replacements, but my computer seems to be having some weird issues. I am reading all these posts from guys who have been defending the lakers through every attack by the shortsighted, suddenly giving up on them because of one stupid game that I doubt the actual players will lose a minutes sleep over. who is the better team? the lakers or the grizzlies? well, gosh, i think its the lakers. how could the better team have lost? well, gosh, that seems to happen a lot in the nba. personally, i have better things to do, mostly involving the previously mentioned single malt, but i would guess that the griz have won games before. and i know the lakers have lost games before.
so why the big deal? i'm pretty damn frustrated that the lakers played so crappy, but that's a long shot from assuming they are going to lose every game for the rest of the season. some games just don't happen. if i wanted to see silver linings, i would point out that kobe didn't take every shot. he gave his teammates a chance. they cubaned it up, but that won't always happen, and better it happen now that when it matters.
yeah, if I was elvis and could pop a cap in televisions that offended me, i would have done that tonight, but I'm not going to turn in my membership card for the happy little laker elves fan club.
someday , we will have a parade down figueroa or whatever street draws the least gunfire, and ronny will dance like mark madsen and kobe will hug drew and pau, and odom will still be out of it, but whatever, and maybe we'll even invite kwame to chuck a cake at someone, cause we're winners, and we can do whatever we want. in the meantime, i'm going to keep my head up, and my other body parts at attention, and wait for the playoffs.
also, remember, somewhere, there is a beast being made.
also; the mascot of amherst college? and this is the name you post under? well, if you got a degree from amherst, i guess more power to you. seems kind of a silly thing, but more power to you. I almost applied to amherst, honest i did. too much amherstism for me, though.
Posted by: phred | March 28, 2008 at 11:43 PM
The Lakers are first in the west and third in the NBA in point differential.
That's really impressive considering they still have not played one game
with both Pau and Andrew in the lineup together.Losing to Memphis and
Charlotte without them means nothing in regards to how far this team will
go in the playoffs.
Posted by: jf | March 28, 2008 at 11:50 PM
These last two games have been disappointing, no doubt, but our season and playoff position will come down to those two games against San Antonio and New Orleans. If we can pull off two victories, we're right back in it.
Posted by: gokobego | March 28, 2008 at 11:59 PM
Lakers were basically projected to be a .500+or- team at the start of the season. Then Bynum had his breakout year earlier than scheduled. So the Lakers became a contender. Then he got injured and Lakers went back to being a .500 team. We stole Gasol from Memphis (thank you Grizz and you got paid back tonite) and we became contenders again. Then Gasol got injured and we went back to being a .500 team.
So the Lakers just have as much chance of losing home games to Charlotte and Memphis as they do winning on the road versus Dallas and Utah. A .500 team, a flip of the coin, heads or tails.
It's amazing what a difference a dominant big man can do to an entire team. Just check what was the Lakers' record during the Shaq era whenever Shaq was injured (w/c was often enough, big men just get more injuries). It wouldn't be too far from .500.
So in these last 10 games, Lakers could go 5-5. But the fact is Gasol and Bynum are that close to being back. You could tell that Gasol was dying on the bench wanting to play the Grizzlies because he got disrespected by the Memphis fans. Don't be surprised if he's back on the court ahead of schedule this Sunday versus Wizards. Mihm surprised everyone by being in uni today. That PT video of Andrew looked great so I won't be surprised if he comes back earlier than speculated as well. I say we still have a chance at that No. 1 seed. Even if we don't get it, we won't end up lower than #3.
Posted by: LakerinBC | March 29, 2008 at 12:20 AM
JF... You hit it on the head... If anything this hampered run of poor performances has given the likes of DJ and Sasha/Farmar more invaluable experience going into the POs. If they get healthy as planned and can gel before #72, I don't care if they're a 6, 7 or 8 seed. Playing on the road ignites the Mamba and with the role players returning to said role, we can beat ANYONE in 7 games...
Pray or chant for or visualize health in the postseason; I like the Lakeshow's chances...
Remember: Born out of failure is the opportunity to evolve and ultimately succeed...
Posted by: SCDim30 | March 29, 2008 at 12:22 AM
What's up Laker fans! Boy! What a perfect time to take some anxiety meds (courtesy of ATROCIOUS defense, Bobcatitis, Gizzlitis and injuryitis). I'm new to this blog and have been reading fan comments for a couple of years from Guam. I'm a die hard Laker fan PERIOD! So, I decided to put my two cents worth just to vent my absoulute frustration, especially losing to two cellar dwellar teams. Getting to the point! I'm really suspicious about the Lakers injuries in general other than Kobe, Ariza, Fisher and our bigs. Are the rest of them dealing with HIDDEN ones we fans don't know about such as wrist sprains, hamstring pulls, ACL/MCL sprains and tendonitis just to name a few? It sure looks like within the last two weeks, the Laker sharpshooters can't shoot a decent percentage of outside shots even when open. Open ones! No legs whatsoever! Another observation. Why can't the Lakers FO call up some D-Fenders from the D-League such as Jelani McCoy, Brian Chase, Sean Banks for the meantime until health is restored. They seem decent enough based on their performances down under. Why have a developmental team in your backyard if you are not willing to use it to the fullest! Hmmm! Finally, can we please see Newble and Mbenga on the court on a consistent basis! Newble would be perfect to defend Butler, Jamison or Daniels vs Wizards while Mbenga controls the paint for a little stretch to give Turiaf much needed breaks. It surely won't hurt to try these ideas now. After all, solutions to the problem so far have been reduced to nothing but a meat grinder. C'mom Lakes, I know that your ability to solve temporary setbacks is much bettter than you have shown lately. SHOW up with EFFORT, DESIRE and SOLUTIONS! Go Lakers!
Posted by: flex | March 29, 2008 at 12:58 AM
You guys are making this 4th division title victory too easy.
Fortunately for Laker fans, the Suns were robbed in Detroit, or you'd already be in second place in the Pacific.
Posted by: Sunsfan | March 29, 2008 at 04:56 AM
Pfunk, get over yourself and see the light, you're living in darkness (as The Brick would say).
Posted by: troy | March 29, 2008 at 07:07 AM
Xodus,
"I know Kobe was hitting them tonight but that mindset "
Agreed - even when he is hot, and the rest of the team isn't, he needs to get his
teammates involved more, because ultimately the team does better then. He still
has a tendency to slip back into that mode.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | March 29, 2008 at 08:19 AM
Benjamin,
how do you beat zone?
With 3s? If you think that, then that is your first problem.
You can luckily beat a zone hoisting away 3s, but the consistent way to beat a zone is penetration through passing, getting the zone to rotate and then taking short jumpers in the paint and driving. Then you kill the zone with offensive rebounding.
If all you do is shoot 3s against a zone, you will lose, cuz ZONES are meant to force the other team to have to shoot 3s!!!!
Thatz why you, Benjamin, need to read up on your hoopz knowledge and realize that 45 3ptrs by any team , zone, or not is ridiculous.
4 for 14 IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE. If you want to win in the NBA, you win by driving to the lane and getting close shots + FTs, not by hoisting up 3s time after time!
Posted by: Korey | March 29, 2008 at 08:26 AM
Troy,
I don't get frustrated over games, and that is what these are, "games" i'm too old for that. I'm just tired of hearing the same ole immature song and dance bull sh#t from people like you. I 'm realistic about everything, are you? I call it like it actually is and anyone wtith eyes that just watched the game can see that Kobe clearly gave his runnin mates a chance to step up and make shots in key situations but they didn't. Its a credit to him, not a knock against him. I've been around long enough to know that everyone has an opinion and to be respectful of other's opinions but the one you gave doesn't hold water. Please give realistic and insightful commentary about what actually happened in the game that we all watched like the majority of us laker fans do. We are very intelligent fans and are very critical of our team when need be and want good constructive feedback, not blatent off the wall Bull Sh#t. Thats all i'm saying....
Posted by: 70slakerfan | March 29, 2008 at 02:19 PM
TELL ME, WOULD YOU HAVE THIS GUY LEADING YOUR TEAM?
http://www.nba.com/media/lakers/av_080328postgame.jpg
THE FACE OF A BALL HOG!
JUST TOTALLY DUMBFOUNDED. DON'T HAVE THE MINDSET OF A LEADER AND QUITE FRANKLY HE DON'T SEEM TO EVEN CARE.
WE BRING OVER HELP AND IT DOES NOTHING. HE STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO BE A LEADER.
STATEMENT FROM KOBE
"I WAS OPEN SO, I'M GOING TO SHOOT IT" ALL ABOUT "I". IT'S ALL ABOUT ME. HEY IDIOT YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. CAN'T YOU FIGURE THAT OUT!
ANOTHER COMMENT FROM OUR SO-CALLED LEADER
"STAYING IN FRONT OF THE BALL HAS BEEN A BIG PROBLEM FOR US" I'M ASSUMING YOU ARE INCLUDING YOURSELF KOBE. AM I RIGHT? ARE YOU ADMITTING THE THE SUICIDE REACHING POOR DEFENSIVE ATTEMPTS YOU HAVE BEEN DOING LATELY?
KOBE SUCKS!
Posted by: Gunner | March 29, 2008 at 06:25 PM