Let's get big
George Karl is going big. In an effort to limit mismatches on the floor, he announced today that Anthony Carter will be replaced in the lineup by Linus Kleiza. The move isn't unexpected, given the way LA dominated the post on Sunday. From the Denver Post:
While that offensive production was welcome, Karl seemed more concerned with taking measures to stop a Lakers attack that scored 29 of its 46 field goals in the paint.
"I think it's a matchup thing," Karl said. "I just don't think I want to give (Lakers coach) Phil (Jackson) as many postups and mismatch situations as he has in the lineup at the beginning of the game. I think I can make one or two changes and get that taken care of pretty quickly."
In their understandable haste to find a way to prevent NBA most valuable player candidate Kobe Bryant from blowing up, the Nuggets gave power forward Kenyon Martin the task of defending him. While that ploy was largely successful — Bryant shot just 9-of-26 from the field — it left the Nuggets vulnerable on the inside.
Whenever a Laker penetrated to the basket, that left center Marcus Camby to try to pick up the man with the basketball. That, in turn, left a bigger Laker open for easy baskets. More often than not, that man was Pau Gasol, a 7-footer who scored 36 points, mostly on easy layins.
"I don't think he took more than two shots from outside the lane," Martin said.
The report also indicates that Karl will keep Kenyon Martin on Kobe. Honestly, I don't think the change will hurt LA that much offensively- I can't believe Karl would have let Waltmanovic exploit the Carter mismatch on the post for very long in Game 2, and despite the added length, when the Lakers move the ball, they can score on anyone- but it'll force them to pay more attention defensively, as Kleiza is a far more potent scorer than Carter. BK
Why are the Euros so soft when the two jerks or idiots ( one finger-pointing at Sasha , one finger-slapping Dirk twice on his face ) did those stupid things to them? I would punch Alston on his face and smack on West hard to stand on one's dignity.
Posted by: nowhere | April 22, 2008 at 05:19 PM
Well Sasha's job is to get under opponents skin and can't do that kicke d out of game. Dirk don't know why. But Vlade took a stand and knocked Tyson Chandler down and stood up to him. Not soft to me.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 23, 2008 at 01:29 AM
Xodus,
“Wait, so are you saying KG DIDN'T deserve the DPOY and only won as a result of East Coast Bias?”
Actually, I didn’t see enough of KG or the Celtics this year to really judge, although I was under the perception that Camby was the favorite again to win the award. But I have lived on the right bank and understand how west coast sports just doesn’t exist when you live in the east. And while I don’t know what the percentage breakdown between east and west is among MVP voters, I would bet there are far more voters on the east.
Did KG play any better in Boston than in Minny? That is debatable. I think he is being given too much credit for demanding the rest of the Celtics to play defense like he does. That is pretty much MVP type talk, not defensive player of the year talk. I never thought KG was that great of a defensive player or even a true superstar offensive player. He is too passive as a player and competitor to me, willing to stay in Minny forever, not willing to take a chance to play with Kobe. He shoots too many long jump shots for my taste and rarely overpowers anybody in the post. He is not championship tough. Nor is Pierce. The only guy to fear on the Celtics IMHO is Ray Allen, who is a clutch shooter.
Thank God, we didn’t trade Drew for Garnet or anybody else. I’ll take Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom over Ray Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce individually or collectively any day, thank you. And I did mean to say that that includes taking Pau Gasol over Kevin Garnett. Pau is a much better fit on the Lakers than KG and I predict he will outplay KG if we play the Celtics in the Finals.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 22, 2008 at 05:22 PM
I agree and see Gasol vs Garnett
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nHAuZdEH9Q#
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 23, 2008 at 01:39 AM