LAKERS VS. CLIPPERS - KEYS TO THE GAME

Laker Intervention · Star Player Joined: 21 Jan 2013 Posts: 2201

It's been a rough start for obvious reasons. It's still early. You're still a team. You're athletes in a culture that pays you a generous salary for essentially playing athletic games as young adults and grown men. Can they fuel themselves with motivation to overachieve?

1)TURNOVERS
Careless with the ball = Lob City on the other end. Don't give a team like the Clippers extra possessions. Better to miss shots than just give them the ball.

2) Rebound/Paint/Compete inside Griffin and Jordan use athleticism to rebound but they're not great rebounders as far as boxing out. They're coming off a game last night. I'd like to see our bigs give extra energy. Hopefully Hill and Davis can bring a good game tonight. Hopefully Boozer doesn't get owned by Blake. The Clippers bigs off the bench aren't great. I'd like Lin and Kobe to try and get Jordan in foul trouble.

3) Lin/Ellington/Price/Anyone else who can help Kobe add pts
The Clippers second unit can play. We'll need to score points. Kobe will need help. Again, Clippers played against an injured Thunder last night and barely won. We need our 'good conditioning' and fresh legs tonight. I want to see our guys compete and play hard. I'm interested in seeing how Lin responds tonight.

4) Kobe Control The Game / Not CP3
He has to dictate and make the right plays. Simple.

5) No Injuries

6) Guard the 3 point line/defensive rotations
It's not the first rotation, it's the 2nd and third we've been poor with. Gotta be in sync.

Aside from that, would say 3s can help, but as of now that's not an emphasis in our offense.

What are your keys?

44TheLogo · Star Player Joined: 21 Feb 2009 Posts: 6364

Get off to a quick start. Our starting unit has dug us into big holes in the 1st and 3rd quarters. The bench has clawed back in the 2nd quarter to make the games respectable by halftime, but it's too much to ask them to do it in both halves.

I also want to see a more fluid offense, especially with the first unit. The ball is sticking and then off ball cuts die, and we end up with challenged fadeaways.

Other than that, control the pace - limit turnovers, sprint back on defense as soon as possible (don't go for offensive boards AT ALL), and as always, DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS

KobesRevenge · Sixth Man Joined: 14 Jul 2014 Posts: 92

1) Screens
On both sides of the ball. Clippers set great screens for CP3, it will be a challenge for our guards to get by them and for our bigs to negate them. Our pick & roll defense will be tested. On O we need to set good screens for Lin. Lin is an elite P&R guard. He's an average-ish ISO guard.
2) Lin should control the game, not Kobe
Lin needs to be the floor general. If Kobe is controlling the ball, he will get his, but we will lose.
3) Interior Defense
Our interior defense has been a sieve the last two games. We need to shore it up. Perhaps start Davis?
4) Tighter Rotations on D
When the other team forces us to rotate enough, we eventually leave a 3pt shooter wide open. Rotations need to get better.

We've actually scored enough points to win in both games we lost. Even though Offense has been stagnant, defense has been an even greater problem. Perhaps we need to start Davis. I don't care if Hill is getting lots of rebounds if he doesn't know how to stop the ball.

LakerFan87 · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 4:27 pm Post subject:

Try not to lose by 40.
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...in my opinion.

watchME · Star Player Joined: 06 May 2011 Posts: 3384

Im predicting davis to start.

deal · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 5:25 pm Post subject:

Keys to the game, quick go hire an NBA level team...
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Lakers need to build a freaking team !

pickleweed · Star Player Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 1112

keys to the game - swap jerseys

mykeinla · Star Player Joined: 02 Nov 2012 Posts: 1148

Keys to the game....take away the Clippers keys to the locker room.
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MJST · Retired Number Joined: 06 Jul 2014 Posts: 26309

Lin has to be aggressive, be the point guard and run the offense
Kobe needs to get more of his offense off screens instead of all of it on the block
Wes needs to actually move off ball and call for it so he can launch threes and needs to cut to the basket and call for it so he can get lobs from Lin
Boozer needs to start the game aggressive taking it into the paint and looking to score
Hill needs to be Hill till Davis comes in.

Davis and Lin have to play minutes together
Ellington has to continue to have his shooting stroke he had last game.
Clarkson needs to slow it down and be utilized off ball for his scoring instead of isoing all the time.
Ronnie needs to bother the heck out of Farmar and continue to play good pesky defense.

Everyone has to remain healthy.

slavavov · Posted: Fri Oct 31, 2014 5:58 pm Post subject:

Get a crowbar and break Blake Griffin's leg before he hits the floor. Or infect him with the Ebola virus.
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Steve007 · Franchise Player Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 13221

1. The Clippers don't try because they think they already have the game won before it starts.

2. The Clippers miss shots

3. The Lakers make shots (or more specifically, Kobe makes shots because nobody else on this team has shown me that they can score yet)

4. A Laker supporter buys off the refs (okay not really but maybe the calls are more favorable than usual)

5. Somebody besides Kobe steps up because you can't just rely on one guy to outscore a good team unless its Kobe and the year is 2006

LakerLanny · Retired Number Joined: 24 Oct 2001 Posts: 47580

I am sorry but the Lakers are going to lose 55+ games and the Clippers are going win 55+ games.

What happens tonight isn't even relevant although it would be nice to see the team at least compete and not roll over like quitting dogs.
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Love, Laker Lanny

Lakersprime · Starting Rotation Joined: 15 Aug 2014 Posts: 322

There has been too much emphasis on the importance of Lin/Davis P&R. The same P&R can be applied to Lin/Boozer, Lin/Hill, Lin/Kobe, and even Kobe/Lin. We just need to play more organized basketball. Go Lakers!

boisei · Rookie Joined: 31 Oct 2014 Posts: 3

Key to the game is to fire Kupchik....how can his scouting team not find good young talent...c'mon, it's the f'n Lakers man, he's not getting it done.

MJST · Retired Number Joined: 06 Jul 2014 Posts: 26309

Laker Intervention · Star Player Joined: 21 Jan 2013 Posts: 2201

I went to sleep last night slightly frustrated because it was a game we had a chance of winning and we let it slip. But then I woke up, and let it all subside and was pretty pleased with what happened.

We put ourselves in position to win, and Kobe happened to miss some point blank shots in the 4th. But we were in position and with this roster I'll take it if we're going to lose close games in the fourth to contenders.

Silly turnovers, offensive fouls, and the inability to stop Blake Griffin proved to be the difference maker. It is important to note that the Clippers missed A LOT of wide open 3s. I always like to note that when watching, because you should have a rational view on the team's progress. I still rather see more of those 3s contested. Then again, when Jamal Crawford does what he did last night, you kinda just shake your head.

Main point -
Our first game we played arguably the best center and best shooting guard in the game (Yes, you can argue Anthony Davis/Kobe). We got spanked. The next game we played one of the deeper, and youngest teams and perhaps a top 3 backcourt. Got spanked.

Last night we played the best point guard in the league and arguably the best, definitely the most athletic, power forward in the game. Also the best scoring 6th man in the league. We were in the game. Could have won. I know for this franchise, it's a low to now have expectations of just giving effort, but with the teams we're playing in the beginning of this schedule it's realistic. It's delusional if you're seeing something else when looking at our roster. For the most part, we competed and played the right way.

The coaching staff has to use tape of inability to guard Blake, cp3 pick n roll, and guarding perimeter players off screens as a great teaching lesson. Most opponents won't have this fire power. The Clippers weren't beating us off TEAM BASKETBALL. Crawford and Griffin we're all 1v1. That's what I'm happy about.

Tonight we get the best back court in the league. After tonight it's not going to get much tougher by the position with playing new opponents. I just love that we competed. Lin ran the offense and was aggressive. Jordan Hill looked confident and really needed a game like that to see shots fall in. Boozer had good moments, just has to learn how to guard without fouling. Ed Davis didn't have his best game, but even what seemed like a poor game resulted in productivity. Shows his potential.

Kobe played a fantastic first half, solid enough 3rd, and that 4th is probably eating him alive more than anyone, but it's over and you go back to short term memory. It was a step in the right direction.

So yeah, considering that we've gone against elite or best in the league players at positions from 1-6th man (sf's only one excluded) I'm not too mad. Yeah we're giving up hella points but the reality is our roster isn't that talented. Defense also depends on athleticism, length. We just need guys playing with some confidence. Right now our bigs, lin, ellington, and kobe have that in the right direction.

Main thing - I love Kobe and Lin's communication. Late night texts, getting on same page. Kobe is really embracing Lin running the offense. I liked his post game conference. Mentally this team isn't broken.

Keys of the game for tonight will be up later. Stay up LG, it's a long season. I'm happy we have a tough first few opponents.

Go Lakers.