80-2 now the best offer: Nuggets 105, Lakers 79
Forum Blue and Gold's Kurt Helin reminded folks yesterday that while altitude on the flip side of a back-to-back may not serve as an "excuse" for poor play, it does qualify a legit "explanation." And I imagine the travel/air does provide at least a little insight as to what went so poorly. But make no mistake. This was an up, down and sideways beatdown that hardly stemmed from just one issue.
Among other reasons...
-Kobe Bryant failing to dominate the post. This could also reflect the fatigue cited earlier, but give credit where credit is due. New Nugget/former Bruin Arron Afflalo did a terrific job denying Bryant position and easy shots. The Lakers also didn't respond to this particularly well, often forcing the ball inside to Kobe out of habit and without some initial rock movement to help create a better entry. The mental edge definitely went to the hosts.
-In the meantime, Carmelo Anthony got the better of Artest. #37 is theoretically better sized and
-Jinx? As before the game whether he'd tab Lakers-Nuggets as a rival, Phil Jackson declined, giving the honors instead to the Sacramento Kings. They are, after all, in California. Part of the same division. And Phil refuses to acknowledge events taking place after 2002. (I made up the third reason.) By the way, PJ, a rook says you're wrong.
- Chips residing on shoulders? I expressed an opinion during the preseason that the Nuggets were being slept on in large part because they were the lone elite team that didn't make a splash move. Apparently, I'm on the same wavelength as Denver's players, as Yahoo!'s Marc Spears explains:
“It was a big win, a big, big win for us,” Anthony said. “…Hopefully, it sends a big message to not only the Lakers but to the whole NBA saying we’re a legit team. We live by that.”
The Nuggets are still haunted by their loss to the Lakers in last season’s Western Conference finals, still trying to prove they belong on the same stage with the league’s elite. They feed off disrespect, perceived or real, and they listened this summer as everyone gushed over the roster improvements made by their peers. The Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers all strengthened themselves over the offseason. To the Nuggets, that meant only one thing: Once again, they were dismissed.
-One thing's for sure. The blame can be laid several different ways, but as the Press-Enterprise's Jeff Eisenberg humorously notes, Sun Yue is off the hook this time. If you're looking for another laugh, check out Mike Trudell's light interview with Artest over at Lakers.com. Topics include pro razzlin', American Gladiators and LO.
NBA Notes
-Kobe is giving LeBron's free agency code of silence a thumbs up.
-Are the Warriors thinking about firing Yeltsin... I mean, Nellie? It would be the first step in solving a zillion problems.
-Steve Nash could play until he's 67.
-A very in-depth look at the joy and frustration that accompanies working with Rajon Rondo.
-The number of NBA players named "Pops" sadly now sits at zero.
And finally... The Memphis Grizzlies have just one win. There's no leadership whatsoever. Chemistry is non-existent. Allen Iverson left a sour taste in everyone's mouth upon leaving for a period yet to be determined. So what's the obvious answer? That's right. Bring in Jamaal Tinsley.
I hate loosing the way we did but its not big deal its a long long season. The fact that we got there at 4 am and that denver was out for revenge made the loss a little more easier to take. Plus we played good the first half but after that we could not keep up with them. Only because we turned the ball over to many times and on the other side we were out coached. We did not handle the double team good. I blame the suns for our lack offense because they made it to easy for us. No big deal lets all move on, the lakers will play better vs the nuggets the next time we play. Now lets get a w on sunday! And yea the patriots will win.
Posted by: omega | November 14, 2009 at 12:30 PM
hi, link abt rondo refers to the same URL as abt pops.
Posted by: QS | November 14, 2009 at 12:33 PM
If you don't have love for Doctor Dre, Snoop Dogg, and the Lakers, then let it be known! Everybody's gunning for the Lakers. We all know every team brings their A game when the Lakers are in town. The only rival I see are the Spurs. Everyone else wants to flatter themselves, thinking they are a rival. But let's be real, you guys are not on our level. Come back with 4 rings in the past decade and then you can talk.
Posted by: never | November 14, 2009 at 12:48 PM
I woke up this morning with a massive headache and I had vague memories of crusing the 70 win bandwagon down Auraria blasting Randy Newman.
Then I saw the blog's headline, and my memory snapped back. I was chased down by some thuggombies. They keyed the 70 win bandwagon and dented the hood with a baseball bat. Now I have to go it fixed, but it's still humming well.
I fared much better than Laker Tom W's 81-1... I heard news that the repo man came in the still of the night and that it is no longer.
I'm feeling lucky that I still own this 70 win ride, and I promise to get it back into good repair.
Just remember that which does not kills us will make us stronger. We went on a pretty good run after that Dallas mishap, and I think we'll bounce back okay after this.
I will add one comment (and I'm sure this has been all over the blog), but D Fish looked like garbage even while the Lakers were playing pretty strong. His +/- was way negative when the score was tied.
Phil really needs to reconsider the minutes and/or starting line-up at the PG spot, especially on the road with back to backs, but even without the circumstances, both JF and UPS are outperforming D Fish.
Just my 2 cents
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | November 14, 2009 at 12:56 PM
Kent/QS
Both corrections have been made. Thanks for the heads up.
AK
Posted by: Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky | November 14, 2009 at 01:11 PM
Last night sucked... badly.
I think Ron Artest should have his own talk show. His interviews are so consistently entertaining.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | November 14, 2009 at 01:12 PM
The article regarding the Nuggets sending a message to the Lakers and the rest of the league is so cliche' and a load of crap. So what happens when the Lakers beat Denver later in this regular season? Or if the Lakers finally win in Portland? Or they beat their supposedly biggest threat at least on paper in the revamped San Antonio Spurs? Will it send a message to those teams and the rest of the league that we're actually the defending champs?!!! Seriously, the only message the Nuggets sent was to themselves in that they belong on the same playground with the Lakers and that's it, because obviously the Hawks and Bucks didn't get the memo this past week.
Kobe was absolutely correct in his postgame interview when he stated that the Lakers have been through so many battles to let this one loss, albeit to the self-soothing Nuggets, bother the Lakers. It's ridiculous to think that one game so early in the season is going send an emphatic statement about a team being legit as Melo put it. If that's the case, then the Jennings beating Denver earlier in the week makes them legitimate contenders. I think not. For the Nuggets to talk the way they do speaks of a confidence that seems to be covering a deep seated insecurity and uncertainty if you ask me or else why make only the Lakers the so called statement or message game on your schedule???
With the supporting cast that surrounds Kobe today, especially when Pau returns, I predict that Melo and LeBron will never win a ring so long as Kobe is around. Much like Stockton/Malone, Payton/Kemp, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing never got a ring due to the unfortunate fate of playing in the MJ era.
I reserve judgment on the Nuggets until I actually see them beat the Lakers in a playoff series which I believe won't happen anytime soon. Last night's game was only a message to the Nuggets themselves and nothing else. Go ahead and give yourselves a pat on the back Denver for winning a regular season game.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 01:22 PM
The same applies to the Suns beating the Celtics in Boston. It was a statement game for the Suns, but probably meant very little to the Celtics.
Don't get it twisted though into thinking that both the Lakers and Celtics don't want to win every game, because I believe they do. It's just that both teams and coaching staffs preach that it's a long season and that health, chemistry and last team standing at the end of the season is all that matters. The greatest statement is made in June not November.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 01:30 PM
You know, for every Shannon Brown YouTube moment this year there's been an equal DJ MBenga posterization.
Posted by: Rob | November 14, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Headline: League-wide retirement of MJ’s No. 23 unlikely
Despite LeBron’s push for honor, NBA says it leaves decision up to teams
My line: Kiss Kobe's rings, Lebron.
Posted by: Rick Friedman | November 14, 2009 at 02:11 PM
i know it was back to back nights and i know denver played with more energy and i know its early in the year but LET US NOT TURN ANOTHER BLIND EYE TO THE HORRIFIC PLAY OF DFISH AND LUKE LAST NIGHT.
just finished watching the game (thanks again to my hd dvr box which has to be the single greatest technological invention in the history of mankind).. here are some observations:
-DFISH TRACKER: played the most critical minutes of the game and threw up another big stinkin donut hole in the scoring column. on a sequence of plays, he actually threw the ball away on a lob, took back to back extremely low percentage shots with a man on his face, and on defense got repeatedly burnt by lawson to ignite the denver run...
- LUKE TRACKER- the funniest moment of the game midway through the 3rd period when artest picks up his 5th foul and lakers are down 70-58 with about 7 minutes left in quarter... phil has a big decision to make on who to bring off the bench and with denver in the midst of a big 10-0 run and lakers desperately in need of some defensive intensity who does phil turn to:::::: LUUUUUUKE! hahaha... much to nobody's surprise denver then BREAKS THE GAME WIDE OPEN and extend their lead to over 20 and put the game away... playing in a pressure packed arena with the game on the line (non-garbage time i might mention) luke again shows his true colors and plays indecisive by passing up wide open 3s and throwing the ball away leading to fast breaks.
-PHLLIP TRACKER... i know its early and i'm not about to question the fact he let them play through the entire 3rd without a timeout... but with the game still IN-REACH how do you replace artest and sub in luke in the 3rd to GUARD MELO and then leave an ice cold dfish in virtually the entire denver run.. in fairness to shannons bad game it was already out of reach by the time he checked in the 3rd... evenmore, in the second the farmar/shannon backcourt during the 2nd quarter seemed to be clicking just beautifully and were actually controlling the tempo until phillip decides to end the last 5 minutes of the half with sasha/dfish... WOW! i'm not callin out phillip. hes the greatest ever but at what point in the year is he gonna decide to pick up the clipboard and start coaching... homecourt in the finals against boston is gonna be crucial and every regular season game counts.
Posted by: yellofever | November 14, 2009 at 02:16 PM
The bench mob blew their assignment last night. They must remember that their job is to control the ball, play good defense and run the offense the coach has laid down. They must give the starters some rest. Excess dribbling, throwing the ball around, turn overs and fouls are not things that increase playing time.
I don,t blame the loss last night on the bench mob but they didn't help any. Whole team must learn to feed the post. First get the ball into position and that is seldom from the center of the court. Then they must cut off the ball to open the post.
Jack
Posted by: LakerNorth | November 14, 2009 at 02:57 PM
Tim4show
Thanks for the pickup.
AK
Posted by: Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky | November 14, 2009 at 03:00 PM
Repost,
I don't buy the idea that we made a mistake not getting the ball to Bynum more. Andrew Bynum is being paid 12 million dollars a year for a reason. He needs to demand the ball more. Stop blaming some nebulous entity for Andrew not dominating. The buck starts and stops with him.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | November 14, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Wes,
I respectfully disagree with you. Watching the games, I've seen many times Andrew calling for the ball in the post when he has great position only to have some of his mates swing the ball to the other side of the floor where Kobe is posted up. I'm surprised that you can't see him demanding the ball with his arm outstretched, sometimes reposting and still not getting the ball. The main culprits for this are Fish, Brown, Luke and Sasha. Kobe, Ron, LO and Farmar at least make attempts to get him the ball.
Remember last year during certain games in the regular season and then in the playoffs, especially in the series against Denver how both PJ and Pau lamented the fact that Pau wasn't getting enough touches in the post despite being super efficient??? Pau even said in that Denver series that he didn't understand why he wasn't getting more touches when he's so effective down low. All you have to do is go back and read the articles last year and you discover how disappointed PJ and Pau were about that. Fast forward to the present and you'll see that it's happening to Bynum right now. It's nothing nebulous at all when many of us on here can see clearly that his mates just don't get him the ball enough. To keep mentioning his contract is just becoming redundant because from my vantage point, Drew seems to be dominating and could be a more dominant force if his mates involve him more. As it was with Shaq, high percentage shots and high FG percentages are undeniable proof that the big man deserves more touches.
It's not to say that we shouldn't go to Kobe a lot in the post, but Kobe shouldn't have to shoulder the offensive load alone just because Pau is out when Drew has been putting up Pau like numbers and we have LO, Artest and Fish who has had two games of zero points which is unacceptable to me from our starting PG.
Sure Andrew has a lot to still prove and needs to stay healthy and play well to justify his contract, but for now he's our second option and most automatic offensive weapon next to Kobe which is why we should utilize him more. Mark Jackson said during last night's game that Bynum should just have his bags packed for Dallas because Mark Jackson believes that Bynum will be the starting center for the West in the All-Star game.
The one area that I would really like to see Andrew improve upon is his passing out of the post. His defense is improving and he seems to be getting over the mental hurdle of last year's knee injury. All I'm saying is that we need to utilize both Pau and Andrew more in the post because they're a load for anyone.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 02:57 PM
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 03:01 PM
Good Afternoon Charles...Good Afternoon Everyone...
well that wasn't pleasant--it just seemed it was one of those nights where not much went quite right and rightly we got our buttocks kicked rather royally indeed...
the great (and only) thing about a loss like that is there is another game a comin' up to help heal and forget this one...is it Sunday yet?
I really don't want to mention how ugly (or how much epiduras ink they have slathered about their persons) the Fuggets are so I won't...but they are...verily
I am really glad they are not my tean---I couldn't take looking at them for extended periods of time...they really should play with bags over their heads...
can we have more photos of Pau's girlfriend please...hopefully she gives good leg massages...I for one really miss that cool Spanaird...
"man I was mean, but I'm changing my scene and I'm doing the best that I can"
"I sang when they sawed my other arm off"
despite last night's record setting second half of
"basketball" or indeed because of it, I still say (with much conviction indeed, as it were, seemingly:
AS ALWAYS, AS EVER, YET ANOTHER GREAT DAY (AND CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) TO BE A LAKER FAN !!!
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | November 14, 2009 at 03:51 PM
It's official: "Worst performance this weekend by an LA sports team" no longer goes to the Lakers.
Posted by: Scott | November 14, 2009 at 04:08 PM
J-Dizzle,
Watch your language in future posts. "S" word doesn't fly and you've been on the blog long enough to know that. Please don't make this an issue again.
AK
Posted by: Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky | November 14, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Watching the Celtics/Pacers on league pass and I must say that Tom Heinsohn is possibly the worst commentator I've heard along with maybe Portland's commentators. Nothing against the Celtics fans that frequent here, but Heinsohn is just one sided in his analysis and commentating.
I looked up some early season stats for starting centers and right now Bynum is at 20ppg, 11rpg and 1.4 bpg. Dwight Howard averages 19ppg, 10rpg and 1.8 bpg. Chris Kaman is at 22ppg, 9rpg and 1.7 bpg. They are the top 3 centers statistically right now.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 05:08 PM
Nemaia,
All your points are good. I just want to see Bynum actually dominate entire games with regularity before I say his underperformance in a game is the coaches fault. I really do not believe that Bynum can dominate games from start to finish, like the all-star he's shown he is, for more than, say, 3-4 games in a row. But he's getting there.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | November 14, 2009 at 05:36 PM
AK - did the team practice today?
Posted by: dave m | November 14, 2009 at 05:47 PM
Wes,
I totally agree with your last post. I'm also hoping that Bynum will be able to dominate for an entire season and the rest of his career because it will only benenfit our Lakers. The only way that we can find out whether or not he can dominate a game from start to finish is for his mates to consistently go to him throughout the game and not just for one half. Andrew has been been griping the past two seasons about PJ not playing him at the end of games, but now that Pau is out and he's playing the end of games including the two we won in overtime, why not see what he can do in crunch time? He's also only 22 years old and hasn't had much mileage at all on his legs due to limited playing and injuries, so why not push him harder?
Thanks Wes for your response. Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 06:25 PM
I do not accept such a third quarter.
Better soon than later, and it's still a long season, and Denver is OF COURSE legit and losing at the Mile High City happens. but not this way.
learn the lesson and move on. it's november.
Posted by: L.M. | November 14, 2009 at 06:33 PM
Dave M-
No, they had the day off.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | November 14, 2009 at 06:41 PM
"D Fish will cost us a championship soon" - posted by dave m????
I think NOT!!
AK - what is with this??? First somebody's posting as phred, now it's happening to me? Is there not a way to tell when somebody's doing this? Seriously? Is this blog just going to become a vehicle for imposters?
Posted by: dave m | November 14, 2009 at 06:50 PM
Celtics lose at Indiana tonight. It happens.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 07:00 PM
Dave-
We're working on it.
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | November 14, 2009 at 07:15 PM
That kid Brandon Jennings is the real deal for Milwaukee. He's killing the Warriors tonight. Michael Redd who???
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 07:15 PM
Dave M,
We're working on the situation literally as I type this. We're trying to find a way to manage it while allowing comments to post at a good pace. It's understandably annoying.
AK
Posted by: Andrew and Brian Kamenetzky | November 14, 2009 at 07:16 PM
Namaia....
On the night of the draft i payed him out for his performance...
Im eating some pie right know....43 points on 17/28 shooting....
This guy can ball ...And what makes it even sweeter is that the Knicks took Jordan Hill before Jennings.....They are eating pie as well...
Posted by: Thirty2 | November 14, 2009 at 07:37 PM
Jennings with 53pts tonight against the Warriors. Boy is a serious baller. I doubt that even a healthy Blake Griffin can touch this boy for ROY. He's fearless. He broke Kareem's rookie record for most pts scored in a game for the Bucks. Too bad we didn't trade some players to move up in the draft to pick him.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 07:56 PM
Brandon Jennings.....55/5/5.....This guy is Allen Iverson mark 2....
Posted by: Thirty2 | November 14, 2009 at 08:03 PM
And the beat goes on...Spurs lose at home tonight to OKC Thunder. It happens.
Jennings finishes with 55pts instead of 53. He did it without scoring a point in the first quarter. Amazing.
It's crazy that Kobe scored 55 in the second half alone against the Raptors in his 81pt game and 60 in just 3 quarters against the Mavs. Jennings was hitting from everywhere on the court tonight.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 08:18 PM
BLOG CRUE
My wife asked me why my face was RED HOT last night when we left the Coke Center at the beginning of the 4th Q. She knew I was steaming. Luckily we ran into Champ Bailey and that distracted her until we drove back home to Colorado Springs.
I'm over the beat down and hope the Lake Show KICK STARTS MY HEART on Sunday. I'll be in Scottsdale, AZ all of this week. Any cool bars in that area?
Colorado loves our World Champion Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | November 14, 2009 at 08:50 PM
Kbros, I hope you are not going to force bloggers to sign in to post. I have nothing to hide but I like it how you have it now.
Tomorrow will be a new day - and Ariza gets his ring? Should be good.
Also, to all the Laker fans bummed out - Celtics lost again - this time to Indiana, Nets almost beat Miami on their home court, Spurs lose on their home court to the Thunder - it's a long season ahead.
Posted by: James | November 14, 2009 at 09:48 PM
Ladies and gentlemen,
In the latest LAT article, PJ gave the team the day off, took inventory and assessed what went wrong in Denver. Guess what stood out to Jackson the most??? He stated that the Lakers didn't go to Andrew Bynum enough inside and punctuated it by saying that "these are things that they need to learn." That my friends came straight from the proverbial horse's mouth and our Head Coach.
Hmmm...
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 09:48 PM
I like playing GM, and I hope Mitch reads this. Trade Bynum (didn't need him in the play-offs) and Jordon Farmer to New Jersey for Brooke Lopez and Devin Harris (frees up some money). Trade Walton, a number one and two (and some cash) to Memphis for OJ Mayo. Trade Harris and Sasha for Deron Williams. Laker line-up: Gasol, Williams, Kobe, Artest, and Odom. Off the bench: Dfish, Mayo, Brown, Lopez, Powell. Unstoppable with Deron scoring twenty and 10 assists every night in the starting 5, and no more Walton or Sasha to agonize over, for the icing on the cake. What do you think?
Posted by: biggy bry | November 14, 2009 at 09:57 PM
Thirty2,
Yeah, I think a few teams are eating pie tonight regarding passing on Jennings. He does have some similarities to Allen Iverson, but he's more of a pure PG because he still runs the offense and looks to get other people involved. Right now he's just giving the Bucks whatever they need in order to be competitive and win. He also reminds me of Isaiah Thomas in some ways.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | November 14, 2009 at 10:00 PM
Back to back games against two opponents with good records - I expected one loss. Denver players really !really! want to beat the Lakers, and played some solid defense.
We fell apart in the 3rd quarter. Artest lost control of Melo. All our shots bounced and the Nuggets got the rebounds. Embarrassing turnovers. No timeouts?
Has there been one game this season where one of the following players (Derek, Jordan, Sasha, Shannon, Josh, Luke, Adam [Who?] ) scored 15 points? In nearly every game, one or two bench players from the other team scores 15. OK, I exaggerate, or do I??
Actually, we have a pretty good win record considering we are playing without Pau Gasol.
I agree with those that say Andrew Bynum is calling for the ball and is in good position many times to get the ball; but, instead, we have one of our players who shoot a poor percentage from the outside fire up another misser.
I have been somewhat surprised that with Gasol out, Artest is giving us 11/5 a game. Last night, Melo was too much for Ron in the 3rd.
We need better shooting from the outside. With Bynum, Gasol, Bryant, and Odom we can pound the paint, but we do eed more deadeye shooting from beyond 16 feet. No offense to Kobe, few can't be amazed by his skills, but do we really need another post player??
I see that the next two Laker games are on NBATV. Yes!! As for announcers, I like Kevin Harlan and Doug Collins on TNT. I've not found half-time or post-game chat shows appealing, so I don't watch, e.g., TNT's Barkley's bickering is tiresome.
Posted by: RedBluffPete | November 14, 2009 at 10:43 PM
AK/BW... any updates on Pau?
Posted by: bobo | November 15, 2009 at 01:42 AM
darn.
next game...
Posted by: mud | November 15, 2009 at 01:47 AM
Nemaia Faletogo
It took me the whole day to get over the loss on Friday night. It's not the loss that bother me, it's how we lost the game! We're not competing. I agree with your assessment since the beginning that we need to feed the ball more to AB. On Friday night, we're too predictable on the offensive ends, feeding the balls primarily to Kobe who obviously was guarded by at least two players all night. And Kobe had an off night!
Despite DFish's poor play and inability to make his usual mid range jump shots (Forget the lay-up), Farmar has not earned the right to earn more minutes as a PG. Yellowfever, your observation is right on on Phil's philosophy of substituting, UPS was not inserted until the game has alreasy decided.
Puke was aweful on Friday, we're all watched the same game, he has no confidence in his ability whatsoever!!!
I was rooting for increasing AMorrison's playing time, but after watching him throwing bricks after bricks most of the time wide open, I'm no longer believe in his potential as a NBA players...
Thriller was doing OK. He was a victim of the referees who are trying to protect the hometown's star, Melo. Some of the foul calls he got was indeed a cheap ones.
I also think LO's mind was elsewhere, he didn't box out and allowed Denver to collected several offensive rebounds. He permitted KMart to do whatever he wanted on both ends...
It's a long season, I hope they learn a valuable lesson from this loss!! The team has several parts that don't fit; Puke, Farmar, Sasha and Adam M. I'm confidence that at least one of these players will be moved before the dateline for either a SF or a reliable PG.
Biggy bry:
I don't think trading AB & Farmar to get Brandon Roy as suggested by you would solve the Lakers' problem. AB is a future of this team and is one of the best legitimate centers in this league. No way no how Dr Buss would agree to this trade. It's easier to get a decent point guard than a decent center.
I love this Jenning guy, he's fearless!!!
Posted by: Wallace | November 15, 2009 at 06:20 AM
Man, I had to shower twice just to get the stink of that game off. Who were those impostors in World Champion Lakers! uniforms? Anyway, here are some reflections after a good night's sleep.
1) The mile-high altitude definitely was a factor this time. It's tough normally, but after a 4:30am flight arrival on game day, it's ridiculously tough. The Lakers not only didn't have any legs in that third quarter, they were brain dead too. That was high altitude attitude adjustment.
2) Bynum was fresh (hey, he's 22 years young), ready to rumble, and showing the league that he's finally here. The kid was amazing. He could easily have gotten 30+ if our guards had looked for him instead of heaving up brick after brick.
3) I second RedBluffPete's call to find a red-hot outside shooter. All the elite teams but us now are loaded with guys who can bury the 3. Worst of all, our very system, the triangle, totally depends on having at least one guy that shoot from the perimeter. If we don't have one, the opponent can pack in the paint, doubling our post players and scooping up every rebound in sight. That's exactly what happened in the 3rd quarter against the Fuggets. We were something like 4 for 22 from the perimeter, and they were vacuuming up every rebound. Mitch...we desperately need a 3-pt gunner. Take it as gospel from CornerJ.
Posted by: CornerJ | November 15, 2009 at 06:24 AM
Man, this is all too much negative blog-think to absorb on a Sunday morning. Cheer up, people. We're Lakers' fans. Let's expect our team to bounce back tonight. I am. Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rick Friedman | November 15, 2009 at 09:03 AM
That Brandon Jennings kid can BALL. I (along with Mychal Thompson and Scoop Jackson, so far) think he should be a Laker when his rookie contract is up.
Who the hell scores 55 in their rookie season? Only some of the greats (Lebron, Lew Alcindor, I think).
Posted by: #4 | November 15, 2009 at 09:23 AM
Wow...a lot of Laker fans suddenly concerned about something said in another team's locker room...lol
The NBA is all about the theater these guys get from seeing their mugs on ESPN so I take all this stuff with a grain of salt. Whatever the Lakers did over the last ten years means nothing for this season unless they do it again.
One thing is pretty clear though; it was assumed Denver stood pat after almost beating LA in the series last year, but the addition of AA and Lawson have clearly added two things that should at least concern the Lakers, a possibly legit defender on Kobe and a guy in the backcourt that nobody in purple can stay with. That's not insignificant, especially when you factor in the fact that the addition of Artest didn't seem to have much impact on Anthony.
We'll see what happens next time around but I think it can be said that Denver has certainly gotten better. It ought to be remembered they were 6-3 coming into this game having played 7 games on the road and minus JR Smith as well for all but one game of that and missing Martin for two more that they lost.
Posted by: Mark | November 15, 2009 at 09:29 AM
Denver was a blip on the radar, nothin' but Ws on the horizon.
Posted by: VMan | November 15, 2009 at 10:08 AM
The Lakers were dog tired after the first half against Denver. That is the major factor in their loss. When you are too tired people jack up shots, throw lazy passes, and reach and grab instead of moving their feet on defense.
They met a team that was rested and looked forward to that game all week and it showed. The Nuggets came off a trip where they beat New Jersey and The Pacers, then lost to Miami, Atlanta, beat The Bulls by 1 point and then lost to The Bucks. The Nuggets are flawed and crummy on the road.
Let's go out tonight and clap for Trevor and give him his ring and then beat the tar out of The Rockets
Posted by: richard | November 15, 2009 at 10:11 AM