Things to watch in Lakers-Wizards matchup
1. Look for a healthier and energetic Pau Gasol: A three-day stretch between games couldn't have come at a better time for El Spaniard. He appeared like he needed to refuel his tank after playing at least 40 minutes in five of the last six games. Though he scored 16 points on six of eight shooting in only 27 minutes in the Lakers' 113-80 victory Friday over Sacramento, he played with understandable caution so he wouldn't expose his strained left hamstring to further injury. Well, with the Lakers (14-6) hosting the Washington Wizards (6-13) at Staples Center on Tuesday night, there's no better opportunity for Gasol to show more spring than against a team that yields 105.6 points per game and holds the fourth-worst mark in defensive efficiency (108.4).
Gasol's ineffectiveness before Sacramento provided a trickle-down effect, where the Lakers didn't pass the ball inside enough, the Lakers' backcourt dropped in shooting percentage and the overall execution lacked the ball movement and rhythm fans were used to seeing. With Gasol rejuvenated, things should get back to order. Based on the Wizards' personnel, it appears going to Gasol first will be the good formula. Washington center JaVale McGee appears undisciplined and Kobe Bryant might see Kirk Hinrich forcing him to at least look for his shots. As Bryant demonstrated recently against Chicago, however, he'll make the opposition pay with the team's quick ball movement and effective cutting.
That remained absent during the Lakers' four-game slide, but it came back against a defenseless Sacramento and will happen again against Washington.
2. It's critical to give the Lakers' reserves some quality time. Gasol should be back on his game, but that doesn't mean he should log another 40-plus minutes. If he or any other starter has to play that many minutes Tuesday night against the Wizards, it means the Lakers experienced serious problems. Washington remains winless on the road this season at 0-10. The Wizards haven't beaten the Lakers at Staples Center since 2006, when Gilbert Arenas dropped a career-high and franchise-record 60 points. And Washington currently has gone 0-8 against teams with winning records. The Washington Post's Michael Lee explained in great detail how injuries to John Wall, Yi Jianlian, Al Thornton and Arenas have made it hard for the Wizards to formulate a definitive identity and rotation.
So rather than exerting more energy than necessary, the Lakers need to finish the game early and give the bench some playing time. They followed that formula against Sacramento, and it contributed to Shannon Brown returning his sharp shooting stroke, Derrick Caracter dropping career highs and Sasha Vujacic and Devin Ebanks realizing they're not just going to Laker games for free courtside seats.
3. How will the Lakers defend Washington in the open court? This issue won't suddenly leave the Wizards with a chance to upset the defending champions. The Wizards 19th overall in total offense (97.5 points), have the sixth-worst offensive efficiency rating (100.5), and Hoopdata.com shows shot locations have plagued Arenas and everyone else. With the Lakers pitting defense as their main area of improvement after 20 games, this should be a good exercise on how they stop the Wizards in transition and Wall at the point. This issue should never be solely squared on Derek Fisher, but both on him and his frontcourt on help defense. It appears that the Lakers have inconsistently addressed help in the lane and on screen-and-rolls by either switching up top or down low, exacerbating the poor communication. Should the Lakers lock into a specific philosophy, it'll be much easier to establish definitive rotations.
-- Mark Medina
E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com
Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant draw a host of Washington Wizards defenders as he attacks the basket during the game Thursday night. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times
Greetings from the Philippines to all bro/sis, enjoying my holiday sojourn but missed the infighting in putting up You Tube songs with 63 & Lrob. lol! So we are back to winning form against the lowly Kings and peaceful coexistence int he blog.I think this will continue with the Wizzards tonite. Watch out for that rookie player Young, he is good.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | December 07, 2010 at 04:58 PM
Thank You everyone for the great B-Day wishes...
Laker Tom - have a fantastic dinner tonight with your family...give the oysters a try...I will be going to that eatery next time I'm in SF....just from what you and 888 wrote about it...
CCX - Happy B-Day to your son...he is destined for greatness...just look at the other people w/ the same birthdate...lol
OCLEZY - welcome aboard...happy BDay again...you should post more often...I would be interested in your opinions and insights...
Laker J - a sign saying "B-Day Boy In The House"...would be excellent...have a great time at the game...
It's been a GREAT day...a A Laker win would be the cherry on top...
Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: LEWSTRS | December 07, 2010 at 05:40 PM
LEW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY FRIEND!!!!!!
Posted by: Magic Phil | December 07, 2010 at 05:56 PM
1. I'm not wiping the slate clean, nor am I putting things under a microscope. I am analyzing what I see as the season goes. I don't overreact and think losing to Memphis means Memphis is the better team, but I do think such games can give indications about the team's margin of error, such as if the Lakers have a bad shooting night (without being complacent, mind you) can they still win the game. The Lakers did a good job of winning their "bad" games in the past, but not as much so far this year. You may have already fast forwarded through the season and declared them the champion. That is fine, but that's not my approach.
2. I wasn't sure if they were going to be the champion last year, but I never said they wouldn't be. Up until the last couple minutes of game 7, it was on very shaky ground actually. This "complacency" excuse came up against Oklahoma City, then again against Phoenix, and even in the Boston series. The expected switch never flipped.
3. I watched the games and I never saw Kobe, Fisher, Gasol, etc out there not trying. If they are making a conscious effort to rest and be ready for the playoffs, I have a real problem with Gasol playing 40+ minutes in a game.
Posted by: Bay to LA | December 07, 2010 at 05:31 PM
=====
Your approach as a Lakers fan is probably more conventional than mine, but to say that the expected switch never flipped is factually incorrect because the Lakers won a championship against a hardened former champion with 3, maybe 4, potential Hall of Fame players. The Lakers played GREAT basketball in Game 1 and 5 of the Thunder series, then they swept Utah, closed out Phoenix with a dominating performance, dominated the Celtics in Game 1 and Game 6 (their best game of the season) and played their best defense of the season in the second half of Game 7. That, my friend, is called flipping the switch!
justa, a ruling please ...
1-2-3 RING! #17 coming up STRONG!!
Posted by: KobeMVP888 | December 07, 2010 at 06:16 PM
888 - I'm on the fence on the whole switch-flipping thing.
If it was there, surely it would be put to use more often. See vs Indiana... or vs Memphis....
That said, there are many games when they're not playing well then all of a sudden - after a big stop or big basket - the momentum changes and they go on a tear.
It all leads me to conclude that the switch may be there - but it's fickle. And they shouldn't count on it. Solid effort, focus and hustle is better than any proverbial switch if you ask me. (And you did!)
Posted by: justanothermambafan | December 07, 2010 at 06:49 PM
Lakers game night baby-
happy b-days to all born this day!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX_t10Ole7g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXv0eUIYwis&feature=related
enjoy the game everyone-
Posted by: ms | December 07, 2010 at 07:01 PM
justa
The Lakers went into the playoffs last season playing poor basketball to put it mildly. Then they won a championship, including the above-referenced impressive wins. That is called "flipping the switch" IMHO. Like Bay to LA, I was skeptical, but they did it (although he does not agree that they did somehow). No it wasn't 2001, but...
... THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP. After a 5-6 finish, then what exactly did they do?
Posted by: KobeMVP888 | December 07, 2010 at 07:06 PM
888 - they did have some impressive wins, and yes they won! That said, if the switch was indeed flipped, why didn't they sweep everyone?
Posted by: justanothermambafan | December 07, 2010 at 07:08 PM
What Switch?
PJ is like Lewis and Clark just pacing on the trail till June.
Surveying The League.
Yawn
(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")
Posted by: srafrank | December 07, 2010 at 07:19 PM
What so interesting about tonights game?
PJ justa using the compass to navigate.
Next!!!
Posted by: srafrank | December 07, 2010 at 07:23 PM
justa
A little greedy, don't you think? :)
Posted by: KobeMVP888 | December 07, 2010 at 07:26 PM
"Your approach as a Lakers fan is probably more conventional than mine, but to say that the expected switch never flipped is factually incorrect because the Lakers won a championship against a hardened former champion with 3, maybe 4, potential Hall of Fame players. The Lakers played GREAT basketball in Game 1 and 5 of the Thunder series, then they swept Utah, closed out Phoenix with a dominating performance, dominated the Celtics in Game 1 and Game 6 (their best game of the season) and played their best defense of the season in the second half of Game 7. That, my friend, is called flipping the switch!
justa, a ruling please ...
1-2-3 RING! #17 coming up STRONG!!
Posted by: KobeMVP888 | December 07, 2010 at 06:16 PM "
They also beat those teams during the regular season. They were better than the Jazz, Suns, Thunder, and Celtics all season.
Which of those teams did you think was better than the Lakers? Better to the point that the Lakers had to get on another level to beat them, no less?
Posted by: Bay to LA | December 07, 2010 at 07:29 PM
They also beat those teams during the regular season. They were better than the Jazz, Suns, Thunder, and Celtics all season.
Which of those teams did you think was better than the Lakers? Better to the point that the Lakers had to get on another level to beat them, no less?
Posted by: Bay to LA | December 07, 2010 at 07:29 PM
-------------
You just pointed out how little relevance the regular season is...except for HCA, the regular season is 'practice' for the real season...the Playoffs...
Posted by: LEWSTRS | December 07, 2010 at 07:43 PM
"You just pointed out how little relevance the regular season is...except for HCA, the regular season is 'practice' for the real season...the Playoffs...
Posted by: LEWSTRS | December 07, 2010 at 07:43 PM "
HCA is a pretty large exception, don't you think? A few games different and the Lakers are playing game 7 in Boston.
Besides that, it gives you easier matchups in the playoffs theoretically. A team may or may not capitalize on that but regular season games do matter.
Posted by: Bay to LA | December 07, 2010 at 08:38 PM
888 - greedy? Nope. Just saying that if they have a switch, and they supposedly turned it on, then they would have swept their way to the Larry O, right? Or at least every game would have been really close, right? But that's not how it happened. That leads me back to my original supposition - that if the switch exists, and I'm not saying it does, then the team can't count on it.
Posted by: justanothermambafan | December 07, 2010 at 10:14 PM
"888 - greedy? Nope. Just saying that if they have a switch, and they supposedly turned it on, then they would have swept their way to the Larry O, right? Or at least every game would have been really close, right? But that's not how it happened. That leads me back to my original supposition - that if the switch exists, and I'm not saying it does, then the team can't count on it.
Posted by: justanothermambafan | December 07, 2010 at 10:14 PM "
I agree. These aren't the Shaq days where a dominant player is holding back a lot all year and makes the team almost unbeatable once he decides to give his full effort.
Posted by: Bay to LA | December 08, 2010 at 09:08 AM