OT: what happened to the Lakers' Defense?

[Rastapopoulos]

Weren't they supposed to have the best defense in the league this year? The big difference between last year's flameout team and this year's unstoppable championship team? They're still winning, but only by outscoring teams. Even crappy teams are scoring over 100 points against them. And this is the soft part of the schedule. Methinks the Eastern Conference Finals will be the real NBA Finals this year.

 

[DaRizzle]

There is a reason focus on their layup lines before the game...cause thats what they are gonna be doing all night

 

[DaRizzle]

By the way...you guys can have Kobe

Dude is shooting multiple 20 footers in a row with 18 sec left in the shot clock with nobody in rebounding position...awesome Kobe...I think the air in China made him lose brain cells.

Dereck Fisher all of a sudden thinks he is the 2nd most important scorer on the team.

Pau Gasol has been far and away the best player for the Lakers this year

 

[The_Lillard_King]

By the way...you guys can have Kobe

Dude is shooting multiple 20 footers in a row with 18 sec left in the shot clock with nobody in rebounding position...awesome Kobe...I think the air in China made him lose brain cells.

Dereck Fisher all of a sudden thinks he is the 2nd most important scorer on the team.

Pau Gasol has been far and away the best player for the Lakers this year

As far as I'm concerned that was a moral victory for Phx . . . thus a moral loss for the Lakers.

So can I know assume that you are a Blazer fan.

And thanks for Kobe . . . Roy needs a goods backup.

 

[DaRizzle]

Bah...Laker fan forever

Your right Roy does need a backup cause if you put Kobe in the first string he will ruin you guys.

Kobe sucks...I swear to god he must be the dumbest HOF player ever. The guy still comes out with the me against the world mindset which is horrible with all the other options the Lakers have

 

[GrandpaBlaze]

And thanks for Kobe . . . Roy needs a goods backup.

Actually, Rudy is Roy's backup - but we need a good backup for Rudy! (unless, of course, we put Bayless in that spot - in which case, it is always nice to have a quality 4th string player).

Gramps...

 

[DaRizzle]

pile it on....im with you! Fuck Kobe and his childish, idiotic ways

 

[Tortimer]

pile it on....im with you! Fuck Kobe and his childish, idiotic ways

I didn't watch the Laker game last night but it is hard to believe this coming from a Laker fan.

 

[DaRizzle]

I didn't watch the Laker game last night but it is hard to believe this coming from a Laker fan.

Dude...you dont even know. Fisher and Kobe for some stupid fucking reason dont feed the post even CLOSE to what they should be. Both of them are jacking up 20 footers early in the shot clock with nobody underneath to rebound yet leading to easy transition baskets.

Im dead serious about the next thing...The Lakers would be better as a team if Kobe wasnt as good and think he can do so damn much.

Put ANY top 5 SG not named Kobe and this team will play soooooo much more efficient

 

[Tortimer]

Dude...you dont even know. Fisher and Kobe for some stupid fucking reason dont feed the post even CLOSE to what they should be. Both of them are jacking up 20 footers early in the shot clock with nobody underneath to rebound yet leading to easy transition baskets.

Im dead serious about the next thing...The Lakers would be better as a team if Kobe wasnt as good and think he can do so damn much.

Put ANY top 5 SG not named Kobe and this team will play soooooo much more efficient

That's why I always laugh when people compare Kobe to MJ. I think they do have similar abilities but their basketball IQ is what makes the difference. IMO there is no comparison between Kobe and MJ.

 

[DaRizzle]

That's why I always laugh when people compare Kobe to MJ. I think they do have similar abilities but their basketball IQ is what makes the difference. IMO there is no comparison between Kobe and MJ.

Lakers shouldnt resign Kobe....6 years at the max at this point in his career?!?...fuck that

Lakers could spend that money in much better ways

 

[Tortimer]

Lakers shouldnt resign Kobe....6 years at the max at this point in his career?!?...fuck that

Lakers could spend that money in much better ways

I don't think there is anyway the Laker's won't resign Kobe unless they could get LeBron. I don't think the Laker fans could go without a superstar in their lineup even if they were winning. At least it would take them winning it all before the LA fans would be happy if the signed a real good SG(ex. Roy) instead of Kobe.

 

[DaRizzle]

I don't think there is anyway the Laker's won't resign Kobe unless they could get LeBron. I don't think the Laker fans could go without a superstar in their lineup even if they were winning. At least it would take them winning it all before the LA fans would be happy if the signed a real good SG(ex. Roy) instead of Kobe.

Lakers games will sell out regardless...I dont give a rats ass if the half assed Lakers/Kobe fans get pissed. They dont know shit except how to yell "Kobe!"....mindless fucks


....I think if the Lakers do resign Kobe he cant have that bullshit "no trade clause"...it will cripple the Lakers for years. Sign Kobe if you have to ONLY if it doesnt have that clasue...then trade him the next year for Lebron. That's my pipedream, that has an outside chance of happening...improbable but possible

 

[Masbee]

Dude...you dont even know. Fisher and Kobe for some stupid fucking reason dont feed the post even CLOSE to what they should be. Both of them are jacking up 20 footers early in the shot clock with nobody underneath to rebound yet leading to easy transition baskets.

Are you sure?

I watched a big chunk of the game last night against Phoenix.

LA's guards DID feed the post.

Gasol was KILLING the suns.

How do you think Gasol got the ball? Guy can't set himself up you know.

Then, yes the guards did launch long jumpers, but because the Suns starting packing the middle to try to limit Gasol who (did I mention this already) was KILLING the Suns.

I think the Lakers problems in the Suns game start and end with defense. They seemed like they forgot what that was.

 

[Nikolokolus]

Are you sure?

I watched a big chunk of the game last night against Phoenix.

LA's guards DID feed the post.

Gasol was KILLING the suns.

How do you think Gasol got the ball? Guy can't set himself up you know.

Then, yes the guards did launch long jumpers, but because the Suns starting packing the middle to try to limit Gasol who (did I mention this already) was KILLING the Suns.

I think the Lakers problems in the Suns game start and end with defense. They seemed like they forgot what that was.

Actually I remember Odom feeding Gasol a pretty steady diet of passes in the high post in the second half of the game (I didn't watch the whole thing so I can't really comment on the parts I didn't see).

The only thing I saw last night was that maybe the Lakers are losing their focus a little ... other than that, they've got so much fucking talent and depth they can get away with coasting most nights. However, I'm sure they'll ratchet up the intensity in March and April (or hopefully not ).

 

[Rastapopoulos]

they've got so much fucking talent and depth they can get away with coasting most nights. However, I'm sure they'll ratchet up the intensity in March and April (or hopefully not ).

They've got talent and they've got depth, but their depth is not as talented as people say. As I've said before, Jackson deserves a hell of a lot of credit for fostering team unity that enables a group of fairly scrub-esque players to contribute so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Their talented players are: Bryant, Gasol, Bynum and Odom. The rest play their roles to a T. BUT in a series, when their team plan can be picked apart more, their lack of talent will be exposed. I don't see them beating Boston or Cleveland.

 

[andalusian]

I think you are selling Ariza short - he is one hell of a young player.

 

[ehizzy3]

i know. ariza is really good and they got him for brian cook? wtf..which reminds me dude is huge now. he put on a lot of weight when he went to orlando

 

[alex42083]

Ariza's a nice bench player for them, which made me wonder: Who's better since they play the same role, Trevor Ariza or Travis Outlaw?

 

[ehizzy3]

i think ariza is. more d less o.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

I think you are selling Ariza short - he is one hell of a young player.

He's a Matt Barnes type. Okay, a bit better than that. But he's a more consistent Batum, and Batum was our low first rounder this year and we'll be disappointed if he's not a lot better than Ariza when he's Ariza's age.

Outlaw is much more valuable in general than Ariza. Ariza has to have the right system (and that's another part of Jackson's genius) and is a good (notice Minstrel) role player, whereas Outlaw can score on anybody. I like Ariza a lot, but I'd rather have Batum (particularly with Ariza's health history).

 

[andalusian]

I agree that Batum has a higher potential than Ariza - but I like him more than Travis, to be honest. His D is really stout.

 

[hasoos]

Once you realize that no matter how good your favorite team is, every season they will lose games they should win, win games they should lose, then you realize that sometimes on the basketball court, shit just happens. Move on to the next game.

 

[DaRizzle]

I have no complaints on Ariza. That guy was a great find

Once you realize that no matter how good your favorite team is, every season they will lose games they should win, win games they should lose, then you realize that sometimes on the basketball court, shit just happens. Move on to the next game.

Except when you are supposed to compete for the 'ship and have the STYLE of losses the Lakers have had. I can take a loss, just not losses due to stupidity/lack of hustle.

BTW food for thought: Every loss the Lakers have had this year Kobe has taken more shots than Pau and Bynum combined