Okay, teach, what else you got? Lakers 111, Houston 82
Had I aced the big tests of my academic life as successfully as the Lakers did Sunday night in their 111-82 win over the Rockets, my walls would be lined with endless graduate degrees and I'd currently be figuring out how best to decorate my array of ivory towers- primary residence plus beach and vacation towers- instead of typing up postgame analysis. Because man alive, the Lakers nailed the hell out of this one. While the Rockets aren't yet working like a well oiled machine, they came into Staples representing the best squad the Lakers had seen, and left like everyone else: Thoroughly defeated.
To get a clearer picture of just how much the purple and gold controlled the action, remember that LA struggled through a first quarter slop fest in which they turned the ball over eight times leading to 17 Houston points, and shot the ball like AK after too many martinis*, going 5-17 from the floor. Maybe it was the light game schedule this week or concern over struggling fantasy football squads. Whatever the problem, after the Lakers fell behind by 16 a minute into the second quarter they found their inner Svengali, putting the Rockets on a string and pulling at will. Over the final 35 minutes, the Lakers outscored Houston by forty five freakin' points.
Click below for the breakdown.
Outside of their Santa act over the first 13 minutes of the game, very little went wrong for the Lakers. Just about everyone chipped in with positive play. Some highlights:
- Kobe Bryant was a very efficient 10-17 en route to 23 points in only 33 minutes of run. As has been his custom, Kobe put his stamp on the game in the third quarter, when he went off for eight points, three dimes, three boards, and a great recovery-and-block on Tracy McGrady, his second impressive swat of the game. The first? A stuff of Yao off in the first quarter.
- Trevor Ariza was all over the floor, filling up the box score with all sorts of goodies. Eight points, eight boards, three assists, three steals. More than that, he contributed in ways that don't show up on the stat sheet- tipping balls off the glass to keep plays alive, cutting off passing lanes, grabbing loose balls. Ariza continues to play some outstanding ball.
- Pau Gasol had 20 points, 15 boards, three dimes and three blocks. Energized after an early run in with Carl Landry, Gasol played up the mismatches he saw all night from the Rockets, controlling the glass and making a push to the rim whenever possible. He's never flashy, but Gasol's influence on a game as a genuine number two option shouldn't be underestimated.
- Jordan Farmar made a few goofy plays leading to TO's, but overall was a very positive force in the game: 16 points on 6-9 from the floor, including three triples. His six assists in only 25:50 of play paced the Lakers, who notched 26 helps on their 42 field goals.
Bad stuff? Well, I mentioned the first quarter already, didn't I?
Other important things to know:
- Matchups: As we went through our preseason previews of Western Conference foes, one of the things that struck me was how no team in particular stood out as an obvious bad matchup for the Lakers. Tough? Challenging? Sure. But no squad that screams Kryptonite for the LAL. Houston is a very good team, and will get better as the season goes along, but on paper, it looked like they didn't have the length to control LA's bigs. Tonight, that's exactly how things played out. Pau had his 20, Andrew Bynum had a solid 13, and the Lakers dominated the boards by a 50-36 margin. Whenever Yao was off the floor, LA was able to play at the rack offensively and prevent Houston from getting easy hoops inside. On the night, LA blocked 10 Houston shots, including seven in the third quarter alone. Overall, the Lakers outscored the Rockets 44-36 in the paint, 40-26 after the opening quarter.
- Shutting Down the Big Guns: T-Mac and Ron Artest were a combined 3-22 from the floor. Yao had to struggle for his 12 points, and was only sent to the line five times. Yes, Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks lit up the Lakers for 32 points on a combined 14-25, but who wouldn't take that trade? If on any given night the Rockets beat you with those two guys, they get a hat tip and a pat on the back. So be it.
- Defense, Defense, Defense: The Lakers have been so strong on their half of the floor that the breakdowns they do have seem incredibly egregious, sticking out like a Twinkie on an organic farm. Sunday night, they forced 19 turnovers, had 13 steals, and held the Rockets to 38% shooting. In the third quarter, that figure was 27%, and when they blew the game open in the fourth, it was 35%. In the second half the Rockets were 12-39 from the floor, and had only five assists as the Lakers closed off their passing lanes and forced Houston to play as individuals. The Lakers continue to build a very strong defensive identity.
- Depth: There will be many games in which the Lakers don't rush out to an early lead... and probably more where they gain separation from the second unit and continue to push as the firsts return to apply more pressure than the other team can bear. The Lakers come in waves, and withstanding that for a full four quarters is no easy task. Think about it: LA's garbage time fivesome was Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Chris Mihm, Luke Walton, and Josh Powell. Garbage time. These are mid-to-high rotation players on many teams.
More on the game tomorrow.
BK
*Actually, a few martinis might improve AK's jumper. It's just that awkward.
more thoughts....
watching Powell, Mihm, and Walton (along with Shasha and Farmar) play in their limited minutes in garbage time with intensity and purpose was extremely gratifying...
that attitude is very telling of what this whole team believes in and exactly what the goal is---a championship and nothing less---a dynasty and nothing less...
hopefully Mihm and Powell get some meaningful minutes as well...we have a solid 12 man rotation if needed...
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | November 10, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Good Morning everyone....
Hey Lakertom, AK, BK, Korey, Faith, Xodus, Taliq, Edwin Gueco, Hugo Boss, Jason Graves, Jon K., Mamba, Mike T., Tim, kobeblitz
Great Game. Lets keep it going. One key thing I've seen is Kobes commitment to shutting his man down again. My only gripe with Kobe is whenever theres a turnover he rarely runs back on the defensive end, I saw Phil yelling at him about it. (Good job). Kobe was a beast and whats finally is we've havent even reached our full potential yet. Sasha is just getting into game shape, Andrew bynum is still working the rust off and Lamar is still getting used to his 6th man roll.
Key is as long as we bring that energy on defense and stay out of foul trouble the skys the limit.
Paul Lee Proud of our lakers :)
Posted by: Paul Lee | November 10, 2008 at 09:37 AM
***BEAT BOSTON BANDWGON****
(01) TALIQ - Owner - but until we avenge our loss to Boston, I don't think we should yearn for any regular season accolades (ala an exaggerated 82 wins) ..
(02) MAMBA24 - Riding ShotGun - KILL BOSTON
Posted by: MAMBA24 | November 10, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Floyd,
I followed the line in your post, what we got out of the Shaq trade? This is like analyzing the origin of Man, how did we get here? We got a bunch of nobodies, lived with them for sometime, till the somebodies appeared and the nobodies were gone. In a nutshell, Shaq contributed three Championship and this team hasn't proven anything yet, it is still in the works in the first five games of this season. Trendwise, we like our chances, we no longer miss the shadow of Shaq in the middle.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | November 10, 2008 at 09:40 AM
LakerTom,
"I think the second time around, we'll see other teams make adjustments," Phil Jackson said, craning his neck to find clouds"
This is one of the areas where PJs insistence on making players figure things out for themselves when things aren't going well pays big dividends. His teams tend to be much better than most at adjusting to adjustments.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 10, 2008 at 09:42 AM
Eric,
>>>>>Opening day of the best Laker season EVER.
>>>>>2 future Hall of Famers
>>>>>6 current and future all stars
>>>>>7 players average double figures in PPG
>>>>>Team will be mentioned in the 5 greatest teams ever discussion.
>>>>>68+ wins
>>>>>12 players who contribute on any given night.
>>>>>Doesn't get any better than this folks. Sit back and enjoy the next 98 games.
>>>>>Glad you've FINALLY come around. ;)
LOL. What is this? More over-the-top outrageous and unrealistic optimism from another whacked GHFer stoned and drunk with the success of 5 games out of 98? You betcha!
Props for the great call, Eric. Amazingly, we are in complete agreement. Peace.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 10, 2008 at 09:44 AM
Laker haters prepare for a long season.
This is the first year in awhile where I dont get jacked up thinking: Kobe might drop 40 on these fools tonite...
Now, I get excited to see if we can keep holding teams under 100, under 90, under 80!!!
This type of defense is contagious and allows us to go on these 15-0 runs in games.
Last year we proved we are the best offensive team in the league. Sooner or later Kobe Pau and Bynum get hot.
But this year we are the best D.
EVEN Hollinger cant complain...
#1 in defensive efficiency
#2 in offensive efficiency...
HOW YOU LIKE THEM APPLES, HATERS?!
I really really really want that 73 win season.
Posted by: Korey | November 10, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Good Morning My Family!
Just checking in on a busy day.. Well, It's awesome to see the positive vibes and the hard work paying off. Kinda like the time we put in supporting our team.
Props to the bloggers who do this everyday and make it a part of their routine. Gotta keep kicking and pushing for the prize.
Good to see tim-4-show and hugo boss pop in once in a while. I'd love to see some great basketball exchanges on this blog, and keep on.
What else can I say? This blog is way ahead of the Basketball IQ and it would be blog-sync-think (A Nod to Laker Tom) It's not like we are those beer construction head geared two strawed thinkers; just drinkers!
Cheers!
Posted by: Charles | November 10, 2008 at 09:53 AM
Some nice sobering words in the wake of an impressive win last night - from LZ Granderson at ESPN talking about Boston:
------------
No, the truth is, barring injury, you'd be hard-pressed to find a team in the East that will get pass Kevin Garnett's defense in the middle in a seven-game series. Sure, Andrew Bynum will give the Lakers more beef in the middle if the Finals repeat, but unless Pau Gasol undergoes a heart transplant between now and June, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and Kendrick Perkins will once again have their way down low.
"Our bench has been phenomenal [and] has been the reason we've won games," Rivers said. "They play together, they share the ball and they've done all the things as a group that makes them a good group. There is no one guy that can carry them, but when they play together it makes them a really good basketball team."
------------
The reason why I bring this up is b/c this is what I was thinking about last night and talking to the guy sitting next to me at the game about. How, beating the defending champs is really the only thing that matters right now seeing as all signs point to them representing the East in June right now. And also that their bench is playing very very well right now together and is the reason why they've been winning games. The Lakers may be deep but House, Davis and Powe are playing extremely well together with a lot of intensity. Like I said in my post last night, seeing the Lakers destroy teams along the way may be entertaining but it really is just preamble to the main event.
Posted by: lakers_sth | November 10, 2008 at 09:53 AM
The only thing I haven't like about the last few games is that Phil Jackson is playing Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant in minutes when the game is absolutely in the bag.
He should be resting those legs and giving players like Luke, Powell, and Mihm more minutes.
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 09:55 AM
AK/BK,
Any salary cap limitations on teams giving partial ownership to a player? THinking ahead to Kobe's contract negotiations, I'm wondering if that is a possibility (a la Magic Johnson) as a way to minimize the impact on the team's salary structure.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 10, 2008 at 09:56 AM
I can't help but notice that the Troll has been awfully silent.
Michael Teniente has also not been spreading his wisdom.
Hmmmm....
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Proud of Paul Lee, you're back. Mike T. is still shy to come back, still suffering from withdrawal due to Kwame's absence. Make them obey chants.
You said: "My only gripe with Kobe is whenever theres a turnover he rarely runs back on the defensive end, I saw Phil yelling at him about it." ~~If there's is such thing as rookie's shortcomings, this is veteran's equivalent. Somehow, they conserve their energy and choose their own battles. This is the effects of Father Time on a player, he has a broad outlook of the game and manage it accordingly.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | November 10, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Wow! That game was so anticlimactic.
What happened to the Rockets? The first quarter looked so much like we were finally going to see a game. Then, boom, the Lakers seemed to just close the Rockets rim.
It wasn't even close.
I occurred to me that Mihm used to be our starting center. He actually looked good and fluid and like he already has him timing back. He'd start on many teams in the NBA right now, especially teams in the East.
Walton can't even get off the bench, can he?
We have a 10-man rotation in which two competent starters can't get off the bench. Amazing.
Go Lakers!
I've still gotta see how our young bucks handle this very challenging back-to-back coming up. We get to see Chris Paul on the second night. Interesting.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 10, 2008 at 10:02 AM
Ok, let's get one thing straight here Laker fans. The Laker team so far is on track, doing what they are supposed to, so far so good, don't broke don't fix, etc.
I mean, its 5 games into 82 game season, we've beat some decent teams at HOME, and they are playing well. NO BIG DEAL. Im happy, Im giddy like everyone else, but no big deal.
Why do I say that, cuz we about to go on difficult Texas road trip, 4 games in 6 days and we about to see what happens when party Bynum goes on the road with 50 mil to make it rain. We might see the old Lamar Odom, you know the one who plays like KG one night and like Darius Miles the next. We might see ice cold Sasha and Vlade on the road, and apple turnover Farmar.
The road is different, and back to backs when your out of shape are tough, just ask Kazaam.
We can expect Kobe and Gasol to play well. Let's just hope that their desire filters down to the others on the road. The, we can make history conversation shouldnt start till the Lakers are like 15-0. And thats a long ways off.
So chill Laker fans. Keep that parade talk quiet. Real talk, WE NEED TO BEAT THE CELTICS before we even crack a smile. When we are 2-0 in the regular season games against Boston I'll be more impressed than with a 5-0 start against Portland (without Oden), Clippers (injured as well), Denver (well its Dever), and Houston (no Battier and injured Mcgrady).
Im not hatin, just not congradulatin, at least not yet.
Posted by: johnnyboy | November 10, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Is Shaq the gift that keeps on giving? :)
Posted by: mel | November 10, 2008 at 10:05 AM
Baywood,
It's GOING to happen!
When we win the Championship, the Lakers will go to the White House to meet President Obama (just as the Celtics went to meeting George W. Bush).
You think they're not going to play a pick-up game?
I can see it right now. President Obama in a Lakers jersey driving around Sun Yue for a lay-up!
It is going to happen!
(This meeting also will go down historically as the beginning of Derek Fisher's political ambitions as Obama and Fisher form an immediate friendship.)
Expect it.
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 10:06 AM
***BEAT BOSTON BANDWGON****
(01) TALIQ - Owner - but until we avenge our loss to Boston, I don't think we should yearn for any regular season accolades (ala an exaggerated 82 wins) ..
(02) MAMBA24 - Riding ShotGun - KILL BOSTON
(03) longtimelakerlover - Right behind Mamba - "cue the music! I LOVELA!!!!" *mamba please add me to roll call!*
Posted by: longtimelakerlover | November 10, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Mamba 24,
The Roll Call is our constitution, hence the capitalization. As such I'd think it would take a 2/3 majority to change order. I've been bumped off the first line in an historic Laker season. Et tu, Mamba?
GO Mamba. GO Lakers,
season of the sweep
Posted by: VMan | November 10, 2008 at 10:08 AM
SWAGGER, the last step on the road to the Big Dance.
Swagger blows out at home and wins on the road.
Panache scores in the interview room.
Swagger rules the court.
Kobe's got swagger over flow. Pau's got it now. It's spread through the bench.
It's the viral element teams break win records with.
Swagger SWEEPS
GO Lakers
Posted by: VMan | November 10, 2008 at 10:09 AM
lakers_sth,
LZ Granderson is another East Coast biased Laker hater.
Screw him!
We're going to smash us some Celtics this year!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Have there been any articles about attendance at NBA games this season? Now that the Lakers are really going on the road, it will be interesting to see how many empty seats there are. I was absolutely shocked to see the LA Times employment section for yesterday, Sunday. It was less than THREE pages!!! That's right, the ENTIRE employment ads section was 3 pages with big ads on the pages.
This will certainly be a story of interest as we go forward with some big time free agents expecting big money offers that frankly, may not be coming.
Posted by: King Kwaminus The Pontificator and Exalter of his Majesty's Good Word | November 10, 2008 at 10:10 AM
BK,
With regards to Tribune, they should sell reprints of Nov. 5th while iron still hot, say $ 2 per paper, there is a ready market for that.
Even Yao Ming from the picture was amazed on the appearance of Arize: where did this guy come from?
http://tinyurl.com/5md5y5
That's a word from Adande, former Kobe hater now born again love of Lakers just like Plaschke, only missng is T J Simmers, in the first place who needs TJ opinion?
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | November 10, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Laker Tom,
Is that you? You have been incredibly positive for the longest stretch I can ever remember. It must be a new record.
Your post, though positive, was not over-the-top. What we saw is what we saw. It was amazing.
It was also sad. Imagine being a Rockets fan. No ring for you this year. They have T-Mac, Yao, Artest, and Battier and they will probably just get brushed aside by the Lakers.
Again.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 10, 2008 at 10:11 AM
Exhelodrvr,
"Any salary cap limitations on teams giving partial ownership to a player? THinking ahead to Kobe's contract negotiations, I'm wondering if that is a possibility (a la Magic Johnson) as a way to minimize the impact on the team's salary structure."
That's a very interesting question and off the top of my head, I have no idea. But I did some quick research and according to this section of cap expert Larry Coon's rules manifesto (which is provided in our blog's "categories" section), I'm thinking it's not kosher.
"Q: Can a team circumvent the salary cap by paying a player less but arranging for an affiliated company to also pay him, perhaps by way of an endorsement contract?
A: I suppose it could happen, but the NBA will investigate if it suspects that an outside person or organization is paying a player on behalf or at the request of a team. If they find out that such an event has occurred, they will penalize the team. For the first offense by a team, the fine can be up to $2,500,000, forfeiture of a first round draft pick, and/or voiding the player's contract. The penalties increase for subsequent violations."
From that explanation, it doesn't sound like a player getting team "points" is above board. But honestly, I'm not worried about the issue, nor am I particularly surprised to hear Dr. Buss say that he's willing to pay taxes to maintain a contender. As BK and I have both noted in the past, the minute he brought in Pau Gasol and his long term deal, Buss essentially acknowledged and okayed some time spent in "dollar for dollar" country. You don't make a move like that without being play with such results.
Does that mean EVERY core player will be retained, no questions asked? Probably not, and in particular, depending on what he wants, LO could be a casualty along these lines. But by and large, I'm expecting Buss to pony up for the majority of important guys, because his decisions leading up to this point wouldn't make any sense unless he was willing to do so.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | November 10, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Did someone actually suggest bringing in Marbury?
I won't even call you out by name because maybe you can avaoid embarrassment by getting the Kam brothers to retroactively delete your post before more people see it.
It's called chemistry and we have it in spades....
No injuries = 67-win Lakers team, minimum + championship
Posted by: Jesterguru | November 10, 2008 at 10:20 AM
King Kwaminus The Pontificator and Exalter of his Majesty's Good Word,
"That's right, the ENTIRE employment ads section was 3 pages with big ads on the pages."
Wow. That's not particularly encouraging information.
Storm's a'comin'.
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 10:22 AM
BTW,
Did anyone see/hear Pau slip up in the post-game interview and say, "we just have the better team"?
I know the Lakers are trying their best to be PC and give the opposing team all kinds of credit and not really putting anyone down.
But, DANG, that was so pimpin'! I know he just couldn't help it.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 10, 2008 at 10:24 AM
AK,
"Does that mean EVERY core player will be retained, no questions asked?"
To answer your question, the answer is "YES!"
You're welcome.
You can go now.
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Great win last night, obviously. I thought Ron Artest really hurt them last night by overdribbling and trying to get into one-on-one battles with Kobe. Their offense totally stagnated when he was on the floor and they couldn't recover. Credit the Lakers' suffocating defense for that.
On a more sour note, is anyone else a little worried about our defense from the PG spot? Fish was adequate but Farmar looked downright atrocious, getting burned by Aaron Brooks time and time again. Granted, Brooks didn't play any more defense than Farmar did, so they offset each other, but for as quick as Farmar is, he seems to have trouble staying in front of guys.
The reason I bring it up is because it makes me a little nervous for the New Orleans game. A defense that relies on trapping and quick rotations could have a tough time against a lightning quick offensive surgeon like Chris Paul. I've always thought the key to Paul is to let him get his (as with Steve Nash) and take the other guys out of it, but that's easier said than done.
Our rotations are going to have to be extra crisp for that game.
But enough downers! This Lakers team definitely has the highest ceiling of any team I've ever watched, and it looks like they're realizing that too.
Posted by: puddle | November 10, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Mamba,
You KNOW I should be riding shot-gun on the Beat the Celtics bandwagon.
You KNOW it.
F the Celtics!
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Jon K.,
"I can see it right now. President Obama in a Lakers jersey driving around Sun Yue for a lay-up!"
I can also see Bynum, in a show of youthful exuberance, send one of Obama's shots into the stands. That would be something if the Lakers were at the White House every year of Obama's term.
Posted by: EJK | November 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Paul Lee in the house! Any relation to my drum hero Tommy Lee?
Colorado loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | November 10, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Puddle,
"I thought Ron Artest really hurt them last night by overdribbling and trying to get into one-on-one battles with Kobe. "
Par for the course with Ron Ron.
Exactly why I was so happy we didn't do the Lamar for Artest deal. He would have been a triangle killer.
Posted by: Jesterguru | November 10, 2008 at 10:41 AM
EJK,
"That would be something if the Lakers were at the White House every year of Obama's term."
Hell yes, it would!
And it's quite possible!
The idea is not just fanatical delusion! It's a true and reasonable possibility.
Yes We Can!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 10, 2008 at 10:51 AM
EJK,
>>>>> I can also see Bynum, in a show of youthful exuberance;
>>>>> send one of Obama's shots into the stands.
>>>>>That would be something if the Lakers were at the
>>>>>White House every year of Obama's term.
LOL. That would be 8 championships in row, wouldn’t it? SWEET!
And I thought I was over the top. I may have to join the GHE crew. LOL.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 10, 2008 at 10:57 AM
BK, long time reader. Posting for the 1st time. No comment about Sasha's night? Thought he played some pretty good D on T-Mac and his form in shooting looked pretty good (not that it looked bad in the previous games but the rock did not go down with 100% accuracy like last night!)..Add couple of nice dimes to it, you get a pretty efficient 15 mins run!
Posted by: R B | November 10, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Fearless,
>>>>>Is that you? You have been incredibly positive for the longest stretch
>>>>>I can ever remember. It must be a new record.
>>>>>Your post, though positive, was not over-the-top.
>>>>>What we saw is what we saw. It was amazing.
That’s me! Great to see you’re still with us (and WhackJob is gone, lol. Hard to believe but I think reality is catching up with me. LOL. I mean there are actually bloggers who truly “believe” in the 82-Win Bandwagon. Only on the Lakers Blogs! The Fourth Dynasty is underway. A championship for every year that Barack Obama occupies the White House (compliments of EJK).
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 10, 2008 at 11:05 AM
LakerTom,
"That would be 8 championships in row, wouldn’t it? SWEET!"
I'd prefer that Obama only meet the Lakers 4 times out of the next 8. LOL. But hey, you're welcome on the GHE crew anytime...your seat is saved :)
Posted by: EJK | November 10, 2008 at 11:10 AM
LakerTom,
"LOL. That would be 8 championships in row, wouldn’t it?"
Nah, just four, but don't worry - Sarah Palin is a basketball fan, too.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | November 10, 2008 at 11:16 AM
EASY LAKER NATION, EASY, 82 GAMES IS A LONG SEASON
Posted by: MAMBA | November 10, 2008 at 11:18 AM
>>>Think about it: LA's garbage time fivesome was Sasha
>>>Vujacic, Jordan Farmar, Chris Mihm, Luke Walton, and
>>>Josh Powell. Garbage time. These are mid-to-high
>>>rotation players on many teams
Farmar would start for half the teams in the league.
Mihm would probably start for a third of them.
And you're correct that all five of those guys would be in the
rotation on any team in the league.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | November 10, 2008 at 11:32 AM
How about Pau's post-game comment? "They are a good team but we are better"!!Loved it!And his tussle with Landry too!Way to man up, Pau!
Posted by: R B | November 10, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Tom,
You are gushing and I'm trying to remain reserved. It's like we're rubbing off on each other.
Good times are ahead, my friend. Good times are ahead.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | November 10, 2008 at 11:35 AM
ex,
>>>>>Nah, just four, but don't worry - Sarah Palin is a basketball fan, too.
LOL. You and Eric wish. It is going to be cool to replace that old bowling alley with a basketball court, though. How sweet would it be to lace up your sneakers with Barack?
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | November 10, 2008 at 12:35 PM
>>>On a more sour note, is anyone else a little worried
>>>about our defense from the PG spot? Fish was adequate
>>>but Farmar looked downright atrocious, getting burned
>>>by Aaron Brooks
Well, there are a couple of things to say here.
First, Fish played more minutes against Rafer Alston, who
generally sucks, so he had an easier time.
Brooks is an exTREMEly fast little guard, so he'll blow by
90% of the people in the league who guard him a lot of
the time. He blew by Jordan a few times, but there were
also times where Jordan was able to steer Brooks into
help defense and force a turnover - Brooks turned the ball
over 5 times.
Also, if you've listened to Phil talk about their current defensive
philosophy of "trap on the strong side", he says that it is susceptible
to skip passing to an open 3-point shot on the weak side, and that
is exactly how Brooks got 9 of his 20 points - on weak side 3's
where nobody rotated over to him on time. If Jordan has rotated
over to cover T-Mac or Ron Artest, you can't blame him for not
being able to get back to Brooks in time.
I don't think Jordan is a lock-down defender, nor will he ever be,
but he is a very good team defender. Both he and Trevor have
very quick hands and get a lot of steals that lead to immediate
fast breaks.
I have no worries about Jordan's defense, and I think he is a MUCH
better offensive PG than Derek Fisher. Much of the blame for
giving up the big lead in the first goes to DFish - I though he was
too slow and deliberate on offense. Against a quick team like Houston,
that just gives them time to recover.
The best way to beat a good defense is to attack while
they're still scrambling to get into position. Or if you make
several quick passes to get them out of position, then take
the shot, you'll have a more open shot, and a better chance
that someone can sneak in and get a rebound and a putback.
In the first quarter, the Lakers (and Fish in particular) did too much
holding the ball trying to force it in to one person, rather than moving
the ball around to find the open man.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | November 10, 2008 at 12:50 PM