Game Thread GAME# 9: LAKERS @ BLAZERS - NOVEMBER 3, 2018 - SATURDAY, 7:00 (PDT), NBCSNW

[Labinot41]

More here:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...hes-luke-walton-los-angeles-lakers-slow-start

Seriously, talk about a lack of self-awareness and unreasonable expectations.

Hey Magic, you gave Luke Walton the EXACT opposite of what he had when he coached GSW to a 39-4 start and you're blaming HIM?

Sure, LeBron fell in your lap. Lucky you. Then you surrounded him with guys who can't shoot, starting with the guy you drafted with the #2 pick the year before and then adding Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. This is 2018, not 1982. 3-point shooting matters in today's NBA. You cobbled together a roster full of ill-fitting parts around LeBron and expect it to magically (pun intended) work. This is on YOU, it's not on Luke Walton.

BNM

Mhh Magic said: you can not beat Golden State with shooters, you need tough guys, and i think he's right at that point. But to have no shooters is pretty dumb, their best shooter is who? Hart or Kuzma?

 

[Pinwheel1]

BTW, this could end up hurting the Blazers. Luke Walton is a players' coach. If the team thinks he's fighting for his job, they may come out inspired and focused to try to help him save it.

BNM

No doubt. Even the LA media has been talking about ending the "16 straight streak". They will be focused and desperate. I would not worry if not for LeBron.
When he wants to take over a game he usually does. Someone for the Blazers needs to have a huge game to counter. Despite the Lakers record this will be a nice win for the Blazers if they can pull it off. Rondo always seems to kill us

 

[Boob-No-More]

Mhh Magic said: you can not beat Golden State with shooters, you need tough guys, and i think he's right at that point. But to have no shooters is pretty dumb, their best shooter is who? Hart or Kuzma?

You need two-way players to beat GSW. You're not going to out score GSW by surrounding LeBron James with Lonzo Ball, Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. Anyone who believes that is delusional.

Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard originally wanted to play for the Lakers. Both changed their mind. THOSE are the players you need around LeBron to beat GSW, not Lance The Headcase Stephenson. What's he going to do for you in the playopffs (if you actually make the playoffs), blow in Steph's ear?

BNM

 

[PtldPlatypus]

More here:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...hes-luke-walton-los-angeles-lakers-slow-start

Seriously, talk about a lack of self-awareness and unreasonable expectations.

Hey Magic, you gave Luke Walton the EXACT opposite of what he had when he coached GSW to a 39-4 start and you're blaming HIM?

Sure, LeBron fell in your lap. Lucky you. Then you surrounded him with guys who can't shoot, starting with the guy you drafted with the #2 pick the year before and then adding Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. This is 2018, not 1982. 3-point shooting matters in today's NBA. You cobbled together a roster full of ill-fitting parts around LeBron and expect it to magically (pun intended) work. This is on YOU, it's not on Luke Walton.

BNM

FYI, Lonzo's shooting 41% from 3 so far this year.

 

[Labinot41]

You need two-way players to beat GSW. You're not going to out score GSW by surrounding LeBron James with Lonzo Ball, Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. Anyone who believes that is delusional.

Both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard originally wanted to play for the Lakers. Both changed their mind. THOSE are the players you need around LeBron to beat GSW, not Lance The Headcase Stephenson. What's he going to do for you in the playopffs (if you actually make the playoffs), blow in Steph's ear?

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

FYI, Lonzo's shooting 41% from 3 so far this year.

Do you believe that is sustainable?

He's also shooting .556 from the FT line.

One is a short term anomaly. The other is the continuation of a long term trend. If you had to choose one as indicative of his shooting skill, which would you choose?

BNM

 

[Pinwheel1]

Do you believe that is sustainable?

He's also shooting .556 from the FT line.

One is a short term anomaly. The other is the continuation of a long term trend. If you had to choose one as indicative of his shooting skill, which would you choose?

BNM

In both scenarios he is left wide open. Similar to Aminu. At some point he will be guarded at the 3 pt line

 

[Boob-No-More]

In both scenarios he is left wide open. Similar to Aminu. At some point he will be guarded at the 3 pt line

Good point.

Also, guys who don't shoot well from the shorter FT line, rarely shoot well from the longer 3-point line. Ball shot .451 from the FT line last year and is at .556 this year. At this point in their careers Shaq was a better FT shooter than Lonzo Ball.

BNM

 

[Reep]

Do you believe that is sustainable?

He's also shooting .556 from the FT line.

One is a short term anomaly. The other is the continuation of a long term trend. If you had to choose one as indicative of his shooting skill, which would you choose?

BNM

I do. His shot is ugly has hell, but it works for him when he is wide open. I don't expect to see many at the end of games when he is guarded closely.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Do you believe that is sustainable?

He's also shooting .556 from the FT line.

One is a short term anomaly. The other is the continuation of a long term trend. If you had to choose one as indicative of his shooting skill, which would you choose?

BNM

He's improved his FT% by a factor of 23% over last year. Could be even greater improvement is in store.

Do I expect him to shoot better from 3 than CJ over the course of the full season? No. But do I think he could be league average or better? Actually, yes I do.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I do. His shot is ugly has hell, but it works for him when he is wide open. I don't expect to see many at the end of games when he is guarded closely.

If he continues to shoot > .400 3FG%, teams will start closing out on him hard and he'll be fucked. In addition to his shot being ugly as hell, he also has a low release point for a player his size. Challenge that shot and things will get a lot harder for him.

Between Ball, Rondo and Stephenson, there is always someone on the Lakers you can leave open. So, if Ball continues to shoot well from three, you start running him off the line and let one of their other non-shooters try to beat you.

And that goes back to my original point. Magic has surrounded LeBron with non-shooters and is blaming their lack of success on Luke Walton. Can you say scapegoat?

When you have LeBron James and can't win, somebody's going to get fired. Magic just wants to make sure it's not him.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

He's improved his FT% by a factor of 23% over last year.

And he still sucks.

Do I expect him to shoot better from 3 than CJ over the course of the full season? No. But do I think he could be league average or better? Actually, yes I do.

Time will tell...

BNM

 

[Rozay]

More here:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/...hes-luke-walton-los-angeles-lakers-slow-start

Seriously, talk about a lack of self-awareness and unreasonable expectations.

Hey Magic, you gave Luke Walton the EXACT opposite of what he had when he coached GSW to a 39-4 start and you're blaming HIM?

Sure, LeBron fell in your lap. Lucky you. Then you surrounded him with guys who can't shoot, starting with the guy you drafted with the #2 pick the year before and then adding Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson. This is 2018, not 1982. 3-point shooting matters in today's NBA. You cobbled together a roster full of ill-fitting parts around LeBron and expect it to magically (pun intended) work. This is on YOU, it's not on Luke Walton.

BNM

I want to also believe those were Lebron approved moves as well

 

[Boob-No-More]

I want to also believe those were Lebron approved moves as well

Add another star like PG13 or Kawhi and those moves look less horrible, but LeBron and the Meme Team isn't working out so well (as I, and others, predicted).

I still can't believe how many "experts" predicted the Lakers would be a top 3 or 4 team in the West. Yeah, LeBron is LeBron, but basketball is still a team sport and anyone who looks at that roster and thinks "contender" is an idiot.

BNM

 

[stampedehero]

This home game stretch is going to have me exhausted living on the east coast. I'm already working six days a week, staying up until 1 and 2 am is going to take it's toll.

That being said, I won't miss a game!

Lastly, FUCK THE LAKERS!

I went through that years ago. Utube saved me..

 

[crandc]

A Lakers game not on national TV?

In regards to the question, no one I love could ever stoop so low as to be a Lakers fan. It would be like someone I love being a Trump supporter or cat hater

 

[KingSpeed]

Lakers is 3-5 but they been in every game though.

Huh? We blew them out.

 

[Chris Craig]

This is pretty interesting mhh

View attachment 23055

Told him Lebron is the coach now. How long until we see Walton standing outside of huddles during timeouts.

 

[BonesJones]

Huh? We blew them out.

No we didn't?

 

[beast blazer]

LeBron should have come to Portland.

 

[kjironman1]

LeBron should have come to Portland.

He didn't though....

 

[Boob-No-More]

He didn't though....

But we had a stupid billboard and everything. Fucking bastard! What more could he possibly want!!! We rolled out the red carpet and he rejected us. He could have been our third option, but NOOOOO!!! Fuck him!

BNM

 

[beast blazer]

He didn't though....

But he should have.

 

[jlprk]

The Lakers lead the league in FGM and FGA. Very high in FG%, assists, and steals. They get no free throws and miss the few they get. Their average final score is 121 to 121. Surprisingly, the Lakers record is

3 - 2 with more Turnovers than opponent
1 - 4 with more Field-goals Made than opponent
1 - 3 with more Field-goals Attempts than opponent
1 - 3 with higher Field-goals Percentage than opponent

Hoopsstats is greatly underappreciated.

http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/portland-trail-blazers/team/matchups/19/25/1-13

 

[Hoopguru]

The Lakers lead the league in FGM and FGA. Very high in FG%, assists, and steals. They get no free throws and miss the few they get. Their average final score is 121 to 121. Surprisingly, the Lakers record is

3 - 2 with more Turnovers than opponent
1 - 4 with more Field-goals Made than opponent
1 - 3 with more Field-goals Attempts than opponent
1 - 3 with higher Field-goals Percentage than opponent

Hoopsstats is greatly underappreciated.

http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/portland-trail-blazers/team/matchups/19/25/1-13

team d must be their problem?

 

[hoopsjock]

Here are some things that some might not remember.

The first game of the streak was when Steve Nash got hurt. Essentially ending his career.

Chris Kaman was their starting center.

Pau Gasol was their starting PF.

Meyers Leonard played 1:32 and had "No Blocks" (Had to throw that in there)

Blazers starters were Lillard, Aldridge, Lopez, Batum, Mathews

CJ went 0-2 in just over 2 mins.

TRob played almost 18 mins.

Nick Young scored 40 points.

https://www.landofbasketball.com/box_scores/2014/0401PORLAL.htm

That wasn't the game that Steve Nash got hurt. That game was Dame's first ever game in 2012.

 

[kjironman1]

That wasn't the game that Steve Nash got hurt. That game was Dame's first ever game in 2012.

Are you sure of that?

 

[Jade Falcon]

Layman on LeBron? Really?

And Collins needs to start over Nurk. McGee is going to eat them alive, but Collins has the better chance of stopping him.

 

[hoopsjock]

Are you sure of that?

Yup, 100%. Nash had just been acquired that off season along with Howard and that is the last year they made the playoffs.

 

[kjironman1]

That wasn't the game that Steve Nash got hurt. That game was Dame's first ever game in 2012.

In 2012 Nash played 50 games for the Lakers.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nashst01.html

He only played 15 in 2013-14 when he got hurt. Tried to rehad and come back but hurt his back carrying his bags and his season was over.
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2014/10/24/7057117/steve-nash-lakers-career-recap-nba