The highlights I have seen lately reflect that Kobe is the only one actually playing. The others are impersonating rocks and clowns.
Nba 2012-13
- Thread starter ArmchairCritic
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Nope, he's actually trying to find his team mates, but only Artest and Howard (first three quarters only) are trying. The bench is is terrible in most games, except for a few games now and then where they show up and actually make shots.
Lakers right now are basically pinning all their hopes on Nash returning and running d'antoni system like its 2004 in Phoenix. I still have my doubts on it being a success as I still feel the Lakers are the exact opposite of what a d'antoni requires, mainly speed and loads of shooters.
Did the Suns even make a single Finals with D'Antoni? They were your classic big scoring team that was great in the regular season but are the reason people say 'defense wins championships'.
People perhaps forget those Shaq Lakers teams were the best defensive team in the league, not the best offensively.
People perhaps forget those Shaq Lakers teams were the best defensive team in the league, not the best offensively.
For a few seasons now that's been a problem for LA, and I feel a large part of that is Kobe hogging the ball so much that people lost hope that they would actually run the offense or touch the ball before Kobe shot it.
If he's actually sharing the ball as Elmo suggests then I'd have to wonder why Gasol and company aren't more motivated to figure this thing out.
I'm certainly not used to Lakers teams that lack hunger.
Off the top of my head I think the only got to one West finals but were often stymied by opposing sides that could play defense, similar to Nelson's Golden State Warriors of the 80s/90s (Run TMC, No D).
Which was why hiring D'Antoni was really weird. The main problem with the Lakers for the first few games when Mike Brown was still head coach was mainly down to their defensive woes, letting most opponents go for 47% from the field is hardly acceptable when your team has the size advantage over nearly every team in the league.
If they can solve the defensive issues, the offensive game will be settled eventually. There's no way a team consisting of Howard, Kobe and Nash will have problems scoring baskets.
Once Nash gets back, Lakers should go with a starting lineup of
Nash, Kobe, MWP, Jamison, Howard
Blake, Meeks, anyone, Hill, Gasol
With Gasol replacing Howard in the 4th quarter.
It tells a lot about their problems that even with Kobe having one of his most efficient offensive year so far, and MWP playing like he's Ron Artest again that they are struggling to reach .500
If they can solve the defensive issues, the offensive game will be settled eventually. There's no way a team consisting of Howard, Kobe and Nash will have problems scoring baskets.
Once Nash gets back, Lakers should go with a starting lineup of
Nash, Kobe, MWP, Jamison, Howard
Blake, Meeks, anyone, Hill, Gasol
With Gasol replacing Howard in the 4th quarter.
It tells a lot about their problems that even with Kobe having one of his most efficient offensive year so far, and MWP playing like he's Ron Artest again that they are struggling to reach .500
I think we're finally far in enough to take a look at the stats leaders:
Points:
1. Kobe 28.0
2. Durant 26.5
3. Melo 26.4
4. James 24.8
5. Harden 23.6
6. Westbrook 23.6
7. Aldridge 20.7
8. Mayo 20.7
9. Lillard 19.7
10. Bosh 19.3
Rebounds
1. Varejao 15.4
2. Randolph 13.3
3. Asik 12.1
4. Howard 12.1
5. Al Jefferson 10.7
6. Lee 10.7
7. Faried 10.4
8. Duncan 10.1
9. Noah 10.1
10. Boozer 9.9
Assists:
1. Rondo 12.8
2. Paul 9.5
3. Holiday 9.3
4. Williams 8.8
5. Vasquez 8.7
6. Westbrook 8.7
7. Parker 7.3
8. Lawson 7.3
9. Calderon 7.1
10. Mo Williams 6.9
Steals:
1. Paul 2.7
2. Conley 2.5
3. Jennings 2.4
4. Westbrook 2.4
5. Walker 2.1
6. Lawson 2.1
7. Lin 2.1
8. Ariza 1.9
9. Dragic 1.9
10. Chalmers 1.8
Blocks:
1. Ibaka 3.3
2. Hibbert 3.1
3. Sanders 2.9
4. Howard 2.8
5. B. Lopez 2.8
6. Duncan 2.4
7. Josh Smith 2.3
8. Noah 2.2
9. Gortat 2.1
10. R. Lopez 2.1
Points:
1. Kobe 28.0
2. Durant 26.5
3. Melo 26.4
4. James 24.8
5. Harden 23.6
6. Westbrook 23.6
7. Aldridge 20.7
8. Mayo 20.7
9. Lillard 19.7
10. Bosh 19.3
Rebounds
1. Varejao 15.4
2. Randolph 13.3
3. Asik 12.1
4. Howard 12.1
5. Al Jefferson 10.7
6. Lee 10.7
7. Faried 10.4
8. Duncan 10.1
9. Noah 10.1
10. Boozer 9.9
Assists:
1. Rondo 12.8
2. Paul 9.5
3. Holiday 9.3
4. Williams 8.8
5. Vasquez 8.7
6. Westbrook 8.7
7. Parker 7.3
8. Lawson 7.3
9. Calderon 7.1
10. Mo Williams 6.9
Steals:
1. Paul 2.7
2. Conley 2.5
3. Jennings 2.4
4. Westbrook 2.4
5. Walker 2.1
6. Lawson 2.1
7. Lin 2.1
8. Ariza 1.9
9. Dragic 1.9
10. Chalmers 1.8
Blocks:
1. Ibaka 3.3
2. Hibbert 3.1
3. Sanders 2.9
4. Howard 2.8
5. B. Lopez 2.8
6. Duncan 2.4
7. Josh Smith 2.3
8. Noah 2.2
9. Gortat 2.1
10. R. Lopez 2.1
That's the biggest key - and they won't be able to imo. The fact that they still give Kobe the All Defensive First Team honors is a complete joke. MWP has been taking other team's best perimeter players on his own, and kudos to him for trying and being aggressive but he simply can't be relied on night in and night out to shut down opposing superstars. Kobe's fallen in love with randomly/unnecessarily bringing help and leaving Dwight to dry. Dwight is a little immature baby and I'm starting to have real doubts about any team being able to win it all with him and his shit attitude.
Nash will make the offense run much smoother - it's a joke that Chris Duhon still has a job. I used to joke that the Knicks were playing 4 on 5 on defense when Duhon was on the court and lo and behold that's still the case, except he plays for the Lakers now. Nash won't help either as his minutes will have to be closely monitored and he can't stop a wet paper bag.
They need to trade Gasol and get more athletic. I heard rumors of Derozan for Gasol and that'd be a great move for both parties imo. I'm not a Laker fan, nor do I get to watch them all that often, but with their defensive frailties especially on the perimeter I think Devin Ebanks was a tremendous defender in college. He's long, quick, and athletic. While I'm sure his offensive game is still extremely raw, he's needed to help make stops and not score points. Any Laker fans have more insight on him?
All said and done, Lakers just don't have what it takes to win another NBA title. They need to completely rebuild, and probably around Howard...
There are rumours that Gasol is untradable because Nash made it clear before signing for the Lakers is that he wants a guarantee that Gasol will stay in the team.
In my opinion, Howard is the biggest problem. The management clearly wants to build the team around him in preparation for life after Kobe, but does Howard really deserve to have a team built around him?
In my opinion, no. His game will always be handicapped by the fact that everyone knows he can be stopped by sending him to take free throws and his defensive game is massively overrated because of him doing flashy blocks every game. After being in the league for that many years, you'll think he will learn by now that tipping opponents' shots to your team mate is much better as it gives you fast break opportunity, but he still smashes them out of bounds at every opportunity.
As frustrating as Bynum was, with his tantrum and injuries, he's still a much better fit for the Lakers than Howard. At least he has shown that he's able to work in tandem with Gasol, and the Lakers are much better off when Gasol is performing well.
The season now largely depends on how Nash will solve the problem of getting Gasol involved in offense, whilst keeping Kobe and Howard happy and convincing them to take lesser shots in order to have an actual team instead of being 5 people being forced to play in the same uniform. A happy team on offense will lead to a better defense, if only because they'll make more effort on it.
When is Nash due back? I'm sure he was only meant to miss 1 week, but this is turning into an Owen Hargreaves situation.
Gasol shouldn't be traded until we see how he fits in with Nash and whether the offense clicks better. With or without Nash, D is still going to be a problem which will need fixing if we plan on making it deep into the playoffs.
Gasol shouldn't be traded until we see how he fits in with Nash and whether the offense clicks better. With or without Nash, D is still going to be a problem which will need fixing if we plan on making it deep into the playoffs.
Lopez, Brooks and combination of another player/picks for Howard is the right move. Howard will get his coveted Brooklyn move, the Lakers get younger and more quality depth, a win-win for both parties.
Think he misses the next 2 weeks too, not sure how the hell they estimated him to miss only a week when he fractured his leg. I don't think he'll be back till at least the new year though.
With Nash back, Kobe and MWP will be very crucial in defensive match ups. Nash's main defensive contribution is steering opposing guards to his team mates, and letting them handle the dirty work. If it works, they'll get some steals in and there'll be an opportunity to get a fast break in.
On paper, Gasol and Nash is a perfect fit. Nash's ideal partner has always been a ball-playing big men and Gasol's game is perfect for the role. The problem will come if Gasol still continues to play like he's unmotivated, and Kobe decides he has enough and revert back to being plan a-z of the Lakers offensive play.
Humpries and Brooks for Howard sounds good. I wouldn't go near Lopez at all, he's shown nothing when it comes to defense, unlike his brother. The Lakers won't have a problem with scoring, and Humpries will improve on their boards which is crucial when you expect them to be taking loads of shots from mid-range and beyond.
Lifelong Net fan checking in (and I was one of the few before the Brooklyn switch). Lopez is leaps and bounds better than Hump, and not a to disservice Humphries but his type of player is really a dime a dozen. Hump has already lost a tremendous amount playing time this year to Reggie Evans who is essentially a better rebounding version of Humphries. Evans really only lacks the finish around the basket, but his presence around the basket more than makes up for this shortcoming.
I think Lopez is extremely underrated by most people. They think of Brook Lopez and they think slow, white, goofy, can't rebound, can't play defense, can hit jump shots pretty well, is a 7 footer. Actually, Lopez's defense has gotten much better and that can be a testament to both Hump/Evans/Wallace's help and more importantly - Avery Johnson. His rebounding is still quite inconsistent but his defensive play has gotten much more aggressive in blocking and altering shots. Johnson seems to have gotten through to him that he's got a huge body and to use it accordingly. His offensive skill set might just be the best out of any center in the league, and no I'm not even joking. He's extremely smart (Stanford), he can face up and hit 20 footers with ease, can play with his back to the basket, has great finish around the rim, can hit his FTs, and has been running the floor very well. He's averaging over 17 points per game in his career and has shown he's capable of averaging 20+ a night and this is all while playing for the horrible Nets. Lopez has never played with a world class point guard like Deron Williams and his game will only reap the rewards. The days of playing alongside Devin Harris, Chris-douglas Roberts, Rafer Alston, and Yi Jianlian are long gone.
Lopez and Marshon for Howard would be a great trade for the Lakers. Brooks is already an above average scorer and effortless gets to wherever he wants on the court. His minutes have been hampered due to injury and Joe Johnson this season, but he's no doubt a blue chip player. He dropped 50+ on Notre Dame and is an absolute handful to guard. As a Net fan, I'll admit I was willing to mortgage the farm for Dwight, but after seeing his antics in Orlando and now quietly complaining and pointing fingers in LA - I'm not so sure you can win with him anymore.
Miami down 18 points in the 4th quarter, they've been pretty poor tonight.
Knicks 3 point shooting has been pretty impressive.
All season they've been slacking during games, only to put on the afterburners on in the 4th quarter. The Knick's 3 pointers were just too much for the Heat to overcome.
You've been to any games at Barclays yet?
Welcome back, ahead of schedual too.
Best 10 teams by win %
1. Memphis .824
2. San Antonio .800
3. OKC .789
4. New York .778
5. Miami .706
6. Atlanta .688
7. LA Clippers .667
8. Golden State .632
9. Brooklyn .611
10. Philly .579
Golden State in the top 10?! Better than the Lakers, Celtics, Pacers, Bulls, Nets, 76ers, Rockets and Mavs?
Wow.
1. Memphis .824
2. San Antonio .800
3. OKC .789
4. New York .778
5. Miami .706
6. Atlanta .688
7. LA Clippers .667
8. Golden State .632
9. Brooklyn .611
10. Philly .579
Golden State in the top 10?! Better than the Lakers, Celtics, Pacers, Bulls, Nets, 76ers, Rockets and Mavs?
Wow.
Lakers giving up too many points again. Sort out D ffs!
I don't normally like to pull up old posts to make people look like idiots but I just couldn't help it in this case. As you may know, the Pistons just beat the Cavaliers by seven points. This brings them to 5-5 in their last ten games. I'll also have you know that in the majority of their losses, almost all of their shots missed by less than one foot. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. Just the other day the Golden State Warriors found out that you don't just waltz into the Palace, take a 16 point lead and expect it to be safe. The Pistons got that down to 7 points by the end and I'm confident it would have been a victory if only time hadn't run out. Regardless, this sent a message to the rest of the league that Kyle Singler and co. are not to be fecked with. You guys must feel pretty dumb now, care to revise those predictions?
Go home, Eboue, you're drunk.
Don't know if anyone has made mention as yet, but apparently the Lakers have won only 1 of the 8 games in which Kobe has scored over 30 this season.
It has more to do with the team being poor than any of Kobe's doing to be honest. Last game he scored 35 points on 46% shooting and had 7 assist. 95% of his shots were well taken and not forced but we just weren't good enough. Only game where he forced the issue and we would of been better without him doing it was against Indiana. Otherwise he has been very efficient.
you all forget that the Lakers just got a new coach a new center and miss 2 starters .nash played like 2 games and the 2 bigs still need to adapt to eachother .
give it a couple of months and they will gel as deantoni is great coach . lakers will have 4 players who can put up numbers so it wont be all on Kobe's shoulders .
the big concerns are the injuries and sorting out the D especially the pick and rolls (defending pacey guards,same issues as with Fish)
give it a couple of months and they will gel as deantoni is great coach . lakers will have 4 players who can put up numbers so it wont be all on Kobe's shoulders .
the big concerns are the injuries and sorting out the D especially the pick and rolls (defending pacey guards,same issues as with Fish)
How can you say Nash is a 'missing' starter when he as played only a few games for the club though? How did they fare without him last season?
That can hardly be used as an excuse. I agree with the rest though.
a great coach needs to know what defence is.....thus d'antoni is not a great coach. he's like the keegan of basketball or something. he'll probably end up with a good defence with the lakers, by purely by default of having like three great defensive players and just waiting for it all to come together, not him himself.
Yikes. They're also something like 1-11 in games decided by less than 10 pts.
It's like he's become the anit-Jordan. If Jordan had 30 you know the Bulls won the game.
i'm convinced if fit hes a starter
Not yet, but I'll be going to Celtics Nets on Christmas Day and am excited for it.
D'antoni's a great offensive coach and that's where it ends. D'antoni's lacking the three point shooting he needs to spread the floor to maximize his style, and has resorted to Jamison in the corner and Jodie Meeks (who's done extremely well) off the bench.
They have Howard who will help protect the rim, but the "Hack a Howard" will surely be fair game come tight games/playoff time and he's yet to prove he can overcome his piss poor free throw percentage. In a point guard driven league, they simply don't have the defensive weapons to stop opposing point guards. They need to get more athletic.
The whole goal is to win a championship and I don't think the Lakers can beat OKC, San Antonio, Memphis or even Denver in a best of 7.
Let's talk about Robert Horry. Possibly one of the worst mistakes the Lakers ever made, letting him go. He's literally the ideal PF for the triangle. Name another PF that could guard Tim Duncan like a champ and hit the three in the corner?
Back in the glory days, Shaq caused teams to collapse and he could either dish to a slashing Kobe or hit Fish, Fox or Horry for the 3. Now, with Pau clogging up the middle the floor isn't spread as nicely, nor do we have the same quality of 3 point shooters as those turn of the millennium Lakers.
Oh, and Robert Horry has more NBA titles, seven, than anyone who didn't play for the Celtics in the 60s, and more titles than a few who did (like Cousy).
Back in the glory days, Shaq caused teams to collapse and he could either dish to a slashing Kobe or hit Fish, Fox or Horry for the 3. Now, with Pau clogging up the middle the floor isn't spread as nicely, nor do we have the same quality of 3 point shooters as those turn of the millennium Lakers.
Oh, and Robert Horry has more NBA titles, seven, than anyone who didn't play for the Celtics in the 60s, and more titles than a few who did (like Cousy).
The Pistons are currently up 21-8 on the Nuggets but you won't hear about any of that from the Caf's Nostradamuses.
Looks like another loss for LA, down 15 at the half in fecking Cleveland. Cleveland FFS!!
Knicks-Nets has been terrific so far. Brooklyn were up big before Melo got going and NY right back in this. Should be a good second half.
Knicks-Nets has been terrific so far. Brooklyn were up big before Melo got going and NY right back in this. Should be a good second half.
Lakers suck. The D is amateurish.
@SportsCenter: Notice a trend? @Lakers drop to 1-10 this season when Kobe Bryant scores 30+ Pts (42 tonight). @cavs top LA 100-94.
Maybe he should shoot less but if he does shoot less, who is going to get the points? Also, Kobe's been quite efficient this season and was 16/28 tonight. Harsh to suggest that him shooting too much is contributing to all our losses - others have to step up and it would be useful if we bothered playing some defense (where's mike brown when you need him?)
@SportsCenter: Notice a trend? @Lakers drop to 1-10 this season when Kobe Bryant scores 30+ Pts (42 tonight). @cavs top LA 100-94.
Maybe he should shoot less but if he does shoot less, who is going to get the points? Also, Kobe's been quite efficient this season and was 16/28 tonight. Harsh to suggest that him shooting too much is contributing to all our losses - others have to step up and it would be useful if we bothered playing some defense (where's mike brown when you need him?)
Weirdo.
The Lakers should have spent some money and hired Nate Macmillian as assistant coach to Antoni. He would have helped this god awful defense.
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