stangfoeva

Had other stuff to do tonight, but I guess it's for the best. This one would have given me gray hairs lol

Lakers lose a tough one on the road 107-105 with Pau, Nash, and Blake out.

Check the blog for more detail

stangfoeva

Not enough firepower tonight as the Lakers fall to the OKC Thunder on the road 108-114. The Lakers came out with focus and energy. They played the Thunder pretty much even in the 1st quarter. At the start of the second they were up 27-26, but halfway through Westbrook went on a scoring tear that was almost unstoppable. He had 27 points at the half. They played even in the third, and made it interesting late in the fourth by cutting the deficit to single digits with about a minute to play. But it was too little too late.

This the Lakers. There are no moral victories here. Nor are there any excuses. But you have to be happy with the effort the team put forward tonight. They made their fair share of mistakes, but they played hard. That will pay dividends when/if the team gets healthy.

Notables:

The Good:
-Jodie Meeks w/ 17 points off the bench
-Good overall effort by the team
-Kobe (35/7) and Dwight (23/18) were solid

The Bad:
-Too many turnovers. A lot were offensive fouls that need to be cleaned up
-Could not slow down Westbrook in the first half. It wasn't really poor defense, he was just on tonight. But the Lakers can do a better job getting the ball out of his hands
-Quiet night from MWP
-Too much complaining to the refs. The Lakers (especially Kobe) were getting knocked to the floor, fighting through illegal screens, and hacked all night. It seemed like the KD went to the line if he was even breathed on. However, they cannot keep complaining on calls when the ball is going the other way. It only makes the refs let more calls go as they try to prove they can't be bullied.

It was going to be an uphill battle facing an OKC team on the road while being shorthanded. They battled all night, but they just couldn't create enough easy buckets. They are running a pick n' roll/uptempo offense without a true PG at the moment. Difficult to do.

stangfoeva

You hear that? That's the sound of thousands of "Lakers" fans jumping off of the bandwagon.

This franchise and fanbase is used to winning. And this current Lakers squad is doing just the opposite. The Lakers fall tonight 110-117 to the Utah Jazz at home. The game storyline was almost identical to Friday's contest against the Thunder. Lakers played well in the 1st quarter, got out played in the 2nd, came back in the 3rd, and then mounted a too little too late run in the 4th. Every time the Lakers cut the deficit to 1, 2, or 3 points the Jazz answered with a hoop. Give them credit for that.

Mike Trudell, the Lakers' reporter, noted the Lakers are 9-9 without Nash and 1-3 without Gasol. Anyone doubting the Spaniard's influence on this team isn't watching the games. There is just no offensive system being run. They're not even running uptempo anymore. All I see are iso's, post ups, and drive and kicks. It makes the Lakers very predictable. Teams can turn them over pretty easily which lead to easy fast break points. Then they get their confidence going and become hard to stop even in the half court.

Notables:

The Good:
-3 point shooting was good tonight 54% (15/28)
-Great bench contributions from Meeks and Hill

The Bad:
-Turnovers (14). Broken record.
-Gave up waaaayyy too many offensive rebounds (16)
-Got beat up inside. Kanter feasted in the paint whenever Dwight was out. The Jazz had 50+ points in the paint. Unacceptable.
-Like a billion missed layups

Overall, the Lakers didn't bring the overall effort to win tonight. Utah was more physical. I don't think I saw one loose ball that the Lakers recovered. This team isn't good enough at the moment to play lackadaisical.

stangfoeva

Missed the game tonight because it was so early. I was still at work. There will be a link up on the blog later for a review from another source when it becomes available.

stangfoeva

The Lakers entered Madison Square Garden on a 3 game losing streak, and unfortunately that streak continued. They lost tonight's contest 107-116. The Knicks controlled the game essentially from start to finish. The Lakers cut a 26 point deficit to 7 late in the 4th, but again it was too little too late. That's one of the most frustrating things about this team lately. They don't seem to play hard or well unless they are losing.

It's conclusive from where I'm standing that this team is not a contender, and *gulp* maybe not even a playoff team, with Nash and Gasol out. They have no point guard (Morris didn't even get any PT) and older legs which is a bad fit for D'Antoni's offense. Ironically right about now is when running the Princeton offense would have paid off if they had stuck with it since it less dependent on a true point guard. Kobe is relied on to do too much and it's starting to take a toll on his body. Despite suffering from back spasms and showing visual signs of pain, Bryant played the entire 2nd half. Not good when the Lakers play the Wizards tomorrow night. Someone else will have to step up.

Charles Barkley criticized the Lakers for being slow footed defensively. He acknowledged that you can't really assess this team until Nash, Gasol, and even Blake are back, but questioned how that would help them defensively. Here's how Chuck: when the offense leads to defense. When the Lakers take care of the ball they are hard to beat. By limiting their own turnovers they limit the oppositions fast break opportunities. It's as simple as that. They may not get much better in the half court from Nash's impact defensively, but he will insure better ball movement offensively which motivates guys to play harder defensively.

Notables:

The Good:
- Showed signs by playing better in the second half (although Carmelo Anthony sprained his ankle halfway through the 3rd)
-Shot well from the free throw line

The Bad:
-Couldn't get key rebounds after forcing missed shots.
-Allowed the Knicks to have a 41 point 1st quarter
-Couldn't stop the pick and roll
-8 turnovers to only 6 assists as a team at the half

A banged up Lakers team started the game, and an even more banged up Lakers team finished the game. Hopefully Kobe's body holds up and his team mates play well tomorrow night.

stangfoeva

Also, just want to remind TMS there is more Lakers coverage on my blog. Lakers twitter, highlights, instagram, etc. http://pandgcoronation.blogspot.com/
(Link is always in my sig)

But as always I will update the posts on TMS as well

Zastava_101

I know I said I won't say anything until the regular season is over, but I really gotta ask - how is this any different than what I've been saying all season long?
Being too old, not being able to keep up with much younger teams, older players not being able to play at 100% full season (Kobe is already having issues keeping up the tempo, Gasol and Nash are injured ... and its only been like 1/4 of the season) ...

Speaking of last night's game, which I did watch ...
One thing I really gotta say - as much as I dislike Kobe, I have a lot of respect for him because I think he's the only player on the current Lakers team that really loves the team and really wanna win and is ready to die on the court for it. There aren't many players like that, that truly love the game and the team; instead, for majority of them its just a job.
Unlike Howard, who's laughing when he misses one of many free throws (not last night, but in general) like it doesn't matter at all. I get the feeling that he doesn't care if Lakers win or lose, he just wanna for the game to be over so he can go home ...

stangfoeva

LOL you can post here all you want. It doesn't bother me.

But it's different because I'm giving that evaluation w/Nash & Gasol out. Heck even Blake would help right now. None of those 3 guys are hurt because of D'Antoni's system because they were hurt before he even got here.

IMO the Lakers can't run the system w/ those 3 out, but they can when they return. You're saying they can't run it period. That's a fair criticism. But I think they can especially if they make tweaks and wrinkles here and there.

And yeah I know that even though you don't like Kobe you still respect him. It's hard not to. The man leaves it all on the court and will do whatever he thinks is best to make the team win.

Zastava_101

I think Lakers are gonna be better with Nash (they can't be worse than they're now), but I don't think he's gonna improve Lakers as much as people think.
Reason for it - everybody keep saying "Lakers are losing because Nash ain't playing" (this was before Gasol was out). Well, we still don't know how well Lakers would play if Nash was playing since he never played for the Lakers before. Its not like other Lakers players were used to him in the past running the show and now all of the sudden they're struggling because he's out.

I think Lakers management needs to admit their mistake and beg Phil Jackson to return. The Knicks are playing great ever since D'Antoni left; it will work for Lakers too.

So ... you haven't said anything about my comment on Howard. Does that mean you agree with me?

stangfoeva

It's because this system is so dependent on a good pick and roll PG. If they Lakers had another quality pick and roll PG I think they'd be fine right now but they don't. That's why our offense gets so stagnant and predictable. Pretty much the only consistent weapons we have are Kobe or Dwight iso. Makes for a ton of turnovers and that demoralizes you defense.

No question Phil or even running the Princeton would be a better benefit to the team now since those systems don't require PGs. Lakers management is praying Nash returns and plays at least at the level he did last year.

And LOL no I don't agree about Dwight. He's definitely not of the Kobe/Jordan "I'm going to kill somebody if we don't win" mentality, but I don't think it's bad. I think he's from a different generation. If he doesn't develop the killer instinct we will have to find someone that does have it. But I really love having him on the team.

stangfoeva

Finally we won a game!! Lol review link will be up later. I can't get home in time to catch these 4pm games

stangfoeva

The Philadelphia 76ers had only given up over 100 pts to an opponent once in their last nine games. That is until the LA Lakers showed up this afternoon. With a final score of 111-98, the Lakers ended their 4 game road trip by winning their last 2 games. From the onset the Lakers were focused. For the first time in a long time they were running the 4 out 1 in offensive sets really well. The spacing was there and the shots were falling. With Jrue Holiday out for the Sixers the Lakers could switch everything on the pick and roll, and it worked well. Their defense was there all night and they rotated well in help the helper situations.

If you don't follow the NBA or the Lakers regularly you'd be hard pressed to recognize some the lineups the Lakers are fielding. With Nash (shin fracture), Gasol (knee tendinitis), Blake (abdominal surgery), and Hill (back spasms) out it's not uncommon to see lineups of Morris, Meeks, Ebanks, Jamison, and Howard on the floor. The bench played well tonight so that was not a factor. Morris and Meeks were the bench scorers tonight providing 15 and 12 points respectively. Those were huge for the Lakers and allowed Kobe to pick his spots when to switch from being the Mamba or the facilitator. MWP was also huge for the Lakers tonight first setting the tone defensively (4 steals), the adding 19 points and 16 rebounds.

Notables:

The Good:
- Great team effort defensively and offensively
- The Lakers did a good job rebounding the basketball, limiting second chance points for Philly
- I liked how the Lakers got the lead and maintained it throughout the game. Once the Lakers went up by 10 they never led by less than 9
-Duhon played really well. He'll be a great backup guard when Nash gets back.

The Bad:
- Ebanks and Jamison played a combined 33 minutes for a combined 0 pts
- Big minutes for Kobe again, although he said he's not tired, only sore
- 15 turnovers is still a little too high

Overall a nice finish to the road trip. Hopefully the team will continue to buy into the new offense/defense and the team will grow. Let's look for them to build on the momentum against the Bobcats on Tuesday.

stangfoeva

Heading into tonight's contest Lakers' reporter Mike Trudell pointed out that there were only two teams with a winning record against the Lakers. The first being the Boston Celtics...the second being none other than the Charlotte Bobcats (8-7). No matter how inept the Bobcats seem to be, it has just never been safe to pencil the Lakers in for a win against them. Fortunately the Lakers escaped with a comeback 101-100 win tonight. Well sort of. They went from being up by 11 to down by 18 between the 2nd and 3rd quarters. In Pau Gasol's return from resting to recover from tendinitis in his knees the team gutted out a win.


Coach D'Antoni experimented with some lineups. Opting to bring MWP off of the bench and start Devin Ebanks for a little extra speed. Meeks had another solid game off the bench and continues to impress the coaches and fans alike. So much so that Coach D'Antoni said he will be starting him in the next game and moving Kobe to the small forward position. It's unknown whether this move will be permanent or temporary until Nash comes back.


No Notables for tonight's game The reason being I have yet to see the game other than reading the game diary. The Lakers don't play again until Saturday so I may have time to watch it, and then I will edit this post and add my thoughts in. Enjoy Dancing Barry's review for more detail: DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings


Just another W to help float the team until Nash returns. He is expected to practice in 5-on-5 contact scrimmages this Thursday or Friday. He will be evaluated after that. Say your prayers Lakers fans.

stangfoeva

Christmas came a little early this year for Lakers fans. After missing 24 consecutive games, everyone was surprised to learn that Steve Nash would get the start tonight. It was announced only about an hour and a half before the game. With his return came a gritty come-from-behind win on the road against a hot Warriors team. The Lakers fell behind by 14 (13 to start the 4th), but won tonight's contest 118-115 in OT.

It wasn't a pretty game until late in the 4th and OT. In fact it was pretty ugly. Dwight was in foul trouble all night. Going into the 4th he only had about 12 minutes in the game. Because of his absence the Lakers defense suffered. Kobe was his usual aggressive self, but was not getting any calls. He shot only 1 free throw in the entire game and that came from a technical foul. As a result he shot poorly from the field.

The Lakers were able to stay within reach due to great bench play from MWP, Jordan Hill, and Jodie Meeks. Then when closing time came late in the 4th and throughout OT, Kobe Bryant took over. And this time the Mamba had some help. Nash hit some clutch shots including a 3 and a runner in the lane. Dwight even kicked it out to MWP for a crucial corner 3. It wasn't perfect, but it was a great team win. Credit the Lakers for their never say die attitude.

Notables:

The Good:
-Klosing. The Lakers were clutch down the stretch. Great passing and team play.
-Steve Nash played better than expected in his 1st game back. He shot well, passed well, and played big minutes. He seems to be in great shape still. We'll see how his leg responds tomorrow morning.
-Solid bench contributions

The Bad:
-Too many offensive rebounds given up for the 1st 3 three quarters
-Foul trouble for Kobe and Dwight. Both had 5 fouls from early in the 4th
-Too many ISOs. The ball movement was much better late in the game. Nash will improve this as time goes on and players get more comfortable.

Overall, this win will go a long ways for the Lakers building confidence and chemistry. It was a solid road win that took a lot of guts to pull off. Next up is the Knicks on Christmas day. It's the perfect time for the Lakers to turn their season around.

stangfoeva

Is it safe to say the Lakers have turned the corner? They are only 14-14, but after the return of Steve Nash it certainly feels that way. Today they won a tough battle against the resurgent New York Knicks at home 100-94. Of importance to note as well, it was a Christmas day game, which aren't usually friendly to Lakers' fans.

The Lakers played well all game from an energy standpoint, as did the Knicks, which made for an enjoyable game. There weren't many times when the ball became stagnant. Steve Nash is having that affect on this team and it's offense. The Lakers ran a variety of play combos that were pretty lethal and kept the Knicks on their heels. The Nash/Howard high screen & roll was unguardable because they can't leave Dwight to receive a lob, nor can they leave Nash because he will kill you with his shooting/runners. The Lakers also took advantage of MWP in low post opportunities. Kobe was able to attack 1-on-1 when matched up with the smaller Felton. Even Pau got his touches in the post when Melo was guarding him. Pau was also highly effective facilitating from the elbow with Nash setting screens. Finally we are seeing glimpses of how the weapons of this team can fit together, and I really don't think we have even scratched the surface yet. Credit Coach D'Antoni for taking advantages of mismatches.

Late in the game defensive juggernauts from both teams fouled out (MWP and Chandler), but the Lakers just had too many options with seasoned players who have to be respected. Nash running the high pick and roll resulted in a Howard dunk, a Nash shot, and another good look on a runner for Nash which barely rimmed out. Kobe found Pau at the free throw line for a key jumper. Perhaps most surprisingly was the play that sealed the game for the Lakers. With the Lakers up 3 and only 14 seconds in the game (6 seconds on the shot clock), Pau received the inbounds pass from Nash. Two defenders (Kidd and Anthony) went for Kobe and Pau attacked the basket strong with a two handed dunk to seal it. He even got fouled which was not called. It was a great play for the Spanish Wonder.

Notables:

The Good:
- Great team effort/intensity all night
- Howard dominated on the defensive end securing rebounds, and blocking/altering shots
- Kobe & MWP led the way offensively
- Nash & Pau facilitated the offense very well
- Coach D'Antoni made the proper adjustments when the Morris on Melo experiment was clearly not working
- Only 11 turnovers
- Dwight's free throw shooting (especially in the clutch) 6/9

The Bad:
- Only won the rebounding battle by 2. Should be more against the shorter Knicks
- Allowed J.R. Smith to score too much
- No bench contributions outside of MWP and Meeks

Overall good game from the Lake Show. Even when they were down it didn't seem like they were going to lose this game. They can't relax and celebrate though, they've got to play the Nuggets in Denver tomorrow night.

Zastava_101

It was one of the better games this season.

The Knicks really need Stoudamire back ASAP, they need a 2nd all-star (and Felton is not that for sure) if they wanna go far in the playoffs ... Anthony can't do everything on his own when the game is on the line ...

stangfoeva

One of my best friends is a Knicks fan. And I think he is on the fence about amare. While I agree they need another superstar, unless j.r. Smith plays really well, I still don't think amare will fit well.

They're still running D'Antoni's offense. And they've been successful with Melo at the 4. If Amare comes back and starts they will suffer from similar issue spacing issues we suffer from when we start Pau/Dwight. D'Antoni has made a nice adjustment to this by letting Pau operate/facilitate at the elbow some. Amare doesn't have that skill set. I've heard talk of them bringing him off the bench and that might be better. Then you'll have less attempts for Smith and you lose some toughness from the Knicks reserve bigs. Should be interesting

stangfoeva

After a great win yesterday, the Lakers gave a pretty lackluster follow up tonight. Energy seemed to be lacking all night. The Lakers struggled to keep the Nuggets off of the offensive glass, and as a result found themselves on the losing end of a 114-126 game. They were shooting well from the field so they were in the game all night up until the final 3 or 4 minutes of the night. But their defense just couldn't hold the line.

With about 5 minutes to go in the 3rd, and the Lakers down 6, Dwight Howard was called for a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game. After that point the Nuggets went to the basket at will. The Lakers tried to mount a comeback, but MWP missed a layup that would have cut the deficit to 5 with 3 minutes to go. The Nuggets responded by hitting a 3 followed by a layup. And that was all she wrote. The Lakers looked like they had no legs following a tough game yesterday. That is understandable, but their defensive communication also looked off. Their rotations were frequently wrong and slow. They just weren't on the same page. Pau and Nash both had good first halves, but made much less impact in the second half. Dwight wasn't available for almost the entire 2nd half. Kobe was the only one who put together a complete game, and even he had several defensive lapses that were costly.

Notables:

The Good:
- Efficient night offensively for the Bean. He scored 40 and is really torching teams. There were some nice feeds from Nash to Kobe where he doesn't even have to work hard to score.
- Good first half from Pau. He made two 3s and facilitated some
- Nash shot 6/8

The Bad:
-Waaaaayyy too many offensive rebounds given up to a Nuggets team that lives and dies by that. The Lakers have to do a better job of team rebounding against a team like that. Boxing out is key.
- Poor defensive communication
- Dwight getting ejected
- The backup guards, with the exception of Meeks, rarely penetrate with the intention of scoring. Causes the ball to move east and west instead of north and south.

It was a poor effort overall, but especially defensively in the second half. Gave up 39 points in the 3rd, which is just too much.

stangfoeva

It was a blowout win for the Lake Show in their final game of 2012.* They beat the Portland Trail Blazers 104-87.* The Lakers jumped on them early and energy was never a problem.* Smiles were frequently seen on the faces of the Lakers players, as is usually the case when the team is winning.* It was a great game from the Lakers stars as they all focused on what they do best.* Nash was facilitating (10 dimes) and money on his jumpers.* Dwight was dominant defensively and in the low post (21 points, 14 rebounds).* Pau got a few buckets in the low post, dropped 5 dimes, and hit 2 threes.* Kobe was in Mamba mode and dropped 27 on 50% shooting, and added 4 dimes of his own.* To top it all off, the only one of the stars that played in the fourth was Pau.* Morris, Hill, MWP, and Meeks also played well.* As a result of the good offensive flow, the defensive effort was there all night.

In the last game against the Blazers Howard scored 33 points.* They went to him early and often in this one, and he delivered after being kicked out of the game against the Nuggets on Wednesday.* The Blazers tried to slow him by resorting to the Hack-a-Dwight with about 6 minutes to go in the second quarter.* He responded by hitting 4 of 4 free throws in that stretch.* It prompted the Blazers to end that strategy.* From there the Lakers onslaught continued. They scored at will and held the Blazers to 41% shooting.* It was a good win, and an example for how the Lakers should play everynight.

Notables:

The Good:
- Dominant bounce back game from Dwight
- Great ball movement for 95% of the game
- Gasol 3 ball is looking like a real threat
- Rest for the stars in the 4th quarter
- Good defensive hustle

The Bad:
- Free throw shooting can still improve
- In a blowout game, Jamison still cannot get any minutes.* You just hope this doesn't mess with his confidence for when he is called upon.* He's a pro's pro though so he should be alright.

You can definitely see the improvement.* Especially with "El Mago" Steve Nash at the helm.* All the pieces just fit.

And congratulations to Jamaal "Silk" Wilkes for getting his #52 retired to the rafters of Staple's Center tonight.* The 4-time champion (1 w/ Warriors, and 3 w/ Lakers) definitely deserves the honor.

stangfoeva

I don't know what kind of New Year's resolutions the Lakers made, but it certainly didn't look like they were related to improving as a basketball team. They dropped their game tonight against Philadelphia 99-103. The Lakers started off cold from their 3 days off, and quickly found themselves in an 11 point hole. They battled back against that deficit all night. They were able to take the cut it to 2, tie, and even take the lead by 4 (in the 2nd quarter), but they could never string together enough offensive/defensive sequences to control the game. Credit Philadelphia for playing hard. However, there's no question the Lakers were capable of winning this game.

The offense never had a rhythm the entire night. Scoring mostly on ISOs due to missing a bevy of open shots, the Lakers had only 8 assists at half time. They shot a putrid 3/22 from behind the arc. Pau & Dwight shot a combined 3/19 from the field. Several players missed a ton of open looks, and collectively the team shot only 39%. That will not get it done. Kobe scored 36 on nearly 50% shooting, but there were several forced shots. Despite all this, the Lakers found themselves down only 2 with about a minute left to play. A slow close out from Pau resulted in a 20 footer by Hawes. Then on the next possession Kobe was trapped off the dribble and threw an ill-advised pass where he thought Howard would be, resulting in a turnover and easy score for Philly. There was another play where the Lakers needed to foul to extend the game. Instead of doing that, their miscommunication allowed Jrue Holiday into a wide open lane for a dunk. The Lakers fell apart in the clutch, and that was that.

One continuing trend I really don't like is the extended minutes Kobe is having to play. I don't think he sat at all in the 2nd half. He is conditioned well, but you can see the lift in his jump shot start to fade late in the fourth because of it. He was 14/29 tonight, but most of his made attempts came at the rim. I thought his jumper was a little flat all night. He needs more rest. And with the way Meeks is playing I think they can get away with it. The team has a tendency to stand around when he has the ball, so it might be better for everyone. If Kobe is rested heading into crunch time tonight, I think the Lakers pull off the ugly W. Coach D'Antoni will have to find a better balance.

Notables:

The Good:
- Good bench contribution from Jordan Hill (10 pts, 8 reb), Meeks, and at time MWP (made his fair share of mistakes as well)

The Bad:
- Disappointing games from Kobe, Pau, Nash, & Dwight. I don't think any of them played how they are capable of playing. Nash didn't control the offense enough, Kobe forced it at times, Dwight missed too many bunnies and didn't run the lane strong, and Pau's shot was off.
- Poor defensive rotations. Several times I saw two players rotating to the same guy.
- Bad shooting from the field, 3-point land, and the free throw line.
- Poor ball AND player movement on offense

The Lakers have their work cut out for them. They've got the Clippers on Friday, which should show if they have or haven't improved.