Lakers

[Surfah]

The FT disparity is annoying, but I don't blame the refs. How can the refs put the Lakers on the line if they are shooting 31 3s, setting new team records for attempted 3s in a post-season game? FTs come when you attack the basket, not when you keep kicking the ball back out to the perimeter for crazy shots. Kobe, Shannon Brown, Fisher...ugh.

Game 4 will be telling.

I don't want to take a Plaschke pill here because the sky isn't falling. After all, it took an epic meltdown and a massive FT disparity (plus amazing defense....credit to the OKCT) for the Lakers to blow a lead that they held most of the game. I initially predicted Lakers in 5 so they had to lose a game.

But it is definitely frustrating. These guys need to step up.

If Odom, Bynum, and Pow are not getting the touches they want, they still can change the game on defense. OKC is killing us with blocked shots. Where are all of our blocked shots? We need to play smarter...Collison picks up his 5th foul, we need to go right at him. Instead, we start shooting more 3s. Pow and Bynum need to work for position and call for the ball down the stretch.

Kobe's shortcoming in all of this isn't that he missed those shots. As Jax pointed out, many times the ball simply just got passed right back to Kobe with a few seconds left, so he had to shoot it. Some of them were also bad decisions on Kobe's part, sure. However Kobe is falling short in the leadership department. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he needs to demand these things from his teammates. I wonder if he has spent so much time being paranoid about making his teammates like him that he gave up some of the alpha-male nastiness needed to run the team properly. He needs to pull Pow aside and tell him to get his a** on the block and to post up the shorter defenders. He needs to get in Bynum's face and demand more blocked shots. He needs to tell Odom to crash the boards on every shot. Not sure he does that effectively. He might, I am just trying to make some sense of this.

I don't blame the refs either. I said as much last night that 31 3pt attempts are ridiculous. I wonder if game 2 made these guys shy to go to the hoop. When was the last time Shannon Brown have a dunk? Before the AS break? Because he didn't throw any down AS weekend. The refs did not cost us the game despite the FT disparity. The only call I was really bothered by was the one on Artest on Durant with a minute left outside of the 3pt line and off the ball. I still can't believe that. That pushed the OKC lead to 4 with Durant's 2 FTs. Had we got a stop on that possession instead we might have stolen the game back.

This team will handle OKC no problem. I am not concerned about that. And over the last two years the Lakers have struggled in game 3's for whatever reason after going up 2-0. My biggest frustration is that they had a chance to close this thing out quick and didn't

I also agree with your Kobe leadership thing. I almost need to see him get into it with someone and get T'd up. Time to start chewing out your teammates again and dishing out the tough love.

[HBCoug]

I can't decide which side of the argument I side with more. I admittedly haven't paid close enough attention to how the bigs demand the ball down the stretch, but I've seen years and years of Kobe shooting just about every trip down the floor in a tight game. Maybe they aren't posting up aggressively because they know there's not a chance in hell they're getting the ball.

[TripletDaddy]

I can't decide which side of the argument I side with more. I admittedly haven't paid close enough attention to how the bigs demand the ball down the stretch, but I've seen years and years of Kobe shoot just about every trip down the floor in a tight game. Maybe they aren't posting up aggressively because they know there's not a chance in hell they're getting the ball.

I have been harping on this since we acquired Pow. It first became evident in the Boston series. They were beating up on Pow and I think it intimidated him.

you only need to watch the final 5-7 minutes of close games. If the Lakers have a nice lead, Pow will be happy to keep shooting. But in close games, he often (not always) shrinks like a frightened turtle.

Don't know if you have last night's game on tivo but if you do check it out. There is a stretch in the final few minutes when he barely even steps into the paint at all on offensive possessions.

To his credit, he did slash to the basket once...and Kobe hit him with the ball. The result was 2 FTs, which he hit, thank goodness.

Kobe is banged up. I think he would be perfectly happy with Pow or Odom scoring some points down the stretch.

[Moliere]

I have been harping on this since we acquired Pow. It first became evident in the Boston series. They were beating up on Pow and I think it intimidated him.

you only need to watch the final 5-7 minutes of close games. If the Lakers have a nice lead, Pow will be happy to keep shooting. But in close games, he often (not always) shrinks like a frightened turtle.

Don't know if you have last night's game on tivo but if you do check it out. There is a stretch in the final few minutes when he barely even steps into the paint at all on offensive possessions.

To his credit, he did slash to the basket once...and Kobe hit him with the ball. The result was 2 FTs, which he hit, thank goodness.

Kobe is banged up. I think he would be perfectly happy with Pow or Odom scoring some points down the stretch.

I was screaming at my tv when Collison was guarding Pau. Pau should get position on him easily and then you just dump it to him and he has an easy 5 footer. Same with Bynum. OKC was playing really small those last few minutes of the game and the Lakers didn't adjust to it. It was frustrating but I bet they have it figured out for game 4.

[TripletDaddy]

I was screaming at my tv when Collison was guarding Pau. Pau should get position on him easily and then you just dump it to him and he has an easy 5 footer. Same with Bynum. OKC was playing really small those last few minutes of the game and the Lakers didn't adjust to it. It was frustrating but I bet they have it figured out for game 4.

Oh, they DID get the ball into Pow for a 5 footer....except Pow then kicked it out to Fisher in the corner who then passed to Kobe, who was standing about 3 feet behind the arc. So instead of a high percentage shot in the paint, we settle for a low percentage 3 a few feet behind the arc. Why? Because Pow simply didn't attack the basket against a guy who was playing with 4 or 5 fouls.

[Surfah]

I can't decide which side of the argument I side with more. I admittedly haven't paid close enough attention to how the bigs demand the ball down the stretch, but I've seen years and years of Kobe shooting just about every trip down the floor in a tight game. Maybe they aren't posting up aggressively because they know there's not a chance in hell they're getting the ball.

It goes both ways. I think Kobe has bailed them out so many times over his career and this season alone that they automatically defer to him. But what they don't understand is that standing and watching doesn't help him any. When they remain active, setting screens, cutting, etc Kobe can go to work much easier. He has shown he is a willing passer. The one time Pau cut towards the end of the game is a perfect example.

[TripletDaddy]

It goes both ways. I think Kobe has bailed them out so many times over his career and this season alone that they automatically defer to him. But what they don't understand is that standing and watching doesn't help him any. When they remain active, setting screens, cutting, etc Kobe can go to work much easier. He has shown he is a willing passer. The one time Pau cut towards the end of the game is a perfect example.

In Game 2, Kobe hit Pow right under the basket. The ball hit Pow in the face and the result was a turnover.

Last night, how many times did Kobe drive and kick to Artest, only to have Artest throw up a brick?

You are right. The problem isn't that Kobe isn't passing the ball.

Lest this turn into a Kobe love-fest, Kobe is in serious trouble if Durant plays him straight up the rest of the series. Kobe doesnt have the lift right now and Durant is too long. I doubt Durant matches up with him for long periods of time because he will pick up too many fouls, but down the stretch if Durant is jocking Kobe on the perimeter, that is one really tall defender you have drawn out of the paint....so Pow and Bynum, set up on the blocks and be ready, for crying out loud.

[Moliere]

Oh, they DID get the ball into Pow for a 5 footer....except Pow then kicked it out to Fisher in the corner who then passed to Kobe, who was standing about 3 feet behind the arc. So instead of a high percentage shot in the paint, we settle for a low percentage 3 a few feet behind the arc. Why? Because Pow simply didn't attack the basket against a guy who was playing with 4 or 5 fouls.

In the last 5 minutes it seemed everytime Pau got the ball he was at least 10 feet away from teh basket. He just needs to be more physical and get his spot. I think you're right that he seems to fade away down the stretch in close games, which is usually Kobe-time, but when Kobe isn't hitting shots Pau needs to do it.

[beefytee]

I've officially become a Lakers fan.

http://www.cougaruteforum.com/showthread.php?p=338723#post338723

That game is going to their heads!

[Babs]

I predict the Lakers blow out OKC in game 4.

cough.

[TripletDaddy]

Lakers look slightly better than awful. What would that be? Crappy? Lousy?

This team is truly tired.

[UtahDan]

Lakers look slightly better than awful. What would that be? Crappy? Lousy?

This team is truly tired.

They are certainly getting out-hustled.

[Babs]

Lakers look slightly better than awful. What would that be? Crappy? Lousy?

This team is truly tired.

I believe 'old' is the word you're searching for.

[TripletDaddy]

They are certainly getting out-hustled.

And you are being generous in that assessment.

No perimeter defense tonight. And by none, I am actually being literal. I don't think any Laker is interested in coming out to the arc to defend.

[TripletDaddy]

Pull the starters and let them rest/avoid injury. Concede the game and move on to Game 5. Also, let some of the bench guys get some playing time.