BLAZERS -at- LAKERS - 10-22-14 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

[DancingBarry]

Freight Train… This summer, Julius Randle played some streaky ball. Stretches where he’d disappear followed by stretches of domination. After a quiet game last night, Randle brought it in this one, helping lift the Lakers to a 94-86 win over the Blazers.

The rookie led all Lakers with a 17-point, 8-board performance that showed off his versatility and a glimpse of the future.

“Just getting more comfortable and comfortable every game,” Randle said afterward.

He sank jumpers from around the perimeter. He posted up for scores. He grabbed boards and busted down court like a freight train at high speed. It was fun to watch.

No Kobe. No Jordan Hill. (No Young, Kelly and Nash). Only one starter for the Blazers out there. So, it was really a battle of second units, which the Lakers dominated. The game changed when Lin, Randle, Davis and Clarkson took to the floor -- a very strong two-way game from that unit.


Boozer -- -- Not a lot of fluidity offensively with the starters. This led to a lot of iso perimeter chucks from Boozer, fading and challenged. The starters in this game looked like the bench and the bench looked like the starters. The Randle/Davis duo easily outplayed the Boozer/Sacre combo. Boozer had a couple more steals in this game, showing quick hands. He’s got to challenge a lot of guys that way because he’s not going to be altering a lot of shots like the other bigs on the team. The Stats: He scored 8 points on 3-8 shooting (2-2 from the line) to go with 4 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers and 2 fouls in 24 minutes. He was a -2. The Action: He spun from the wing post and drew FTs on the drive, he made both. He missed a short one in the paint. He faced up and swished a wing jumper. He knocked down a bounce pass to get a stop, but he gave it right back up on the other end on a drive where he forgot to take the ball with him. He missed a face-up wing jumper. He worked the post, froze his man and hit the jumphook in the middle of the lane. Second Half: He missed a long baseline fallaway, tough shot. Good hands on the other end to swipe the ball at the three line as his man tried to drive. He lost the ball again as he tried to turn and attack down the lane, FTs the other way. He drained an elbow jumper after the cutters cleared out. He faced up and traveled on the drive. He airballed on an elbow jumper next time down. He missed an elbow fade.

Johnson -- -- Just one turnover in this game, thankfully. He was aggressive with his shot. Sometimes the shot selection was poor, but at least he cut down on the frequent bad passes and mishandles like last night. Take away a couple of those poor shot choices and this would be about the level of aggressiveness you’d like to see from him. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 4-10 shooting (0-2 from three, 3-4 from the line) to go with 1 board, 1 assist, 1 turnover and 1 foul in 29 minutes. He was a +11. The Action: He missed a baseline turnaround from the post. He sank a 22-footer behind a screen at the top of the key. He missed a long wing jumper, heels on the three line (poor shot selection). Quick drive off the fake pinch post handoff and he was hit on a massive throwdown attempt, he made one FT. Not close on a Kobe-like turnaround attempt (another poor shot selection). He took the behind-the-back pass from Price on the break and slammed to force a timeout. He drained a good look at a sideline jumper. Second Half: He missed a three, open in transition. He sank a sideline jumper over his man. He missed a baseline fade. He clanked a three on a poor play set up for him out of a timeout. He was bailed out on a fade at the FT line (defender needs to see if he can hit that type of shot), he made both.

Price -- -- The Lakers were 3-11 from three with Price handling half of that with the 2-5 from behind the arc. More aggressive than we’ve seen there. Defensively, he was mixing it up as usual. He has 10 steals in 5 games, but his D has been so much more disruptive than that. There were a couple of rotations off ball that forced the Blazers into a turnover just with where he put himself. This preseason he’s had 28 assists to 16 turnovers. His assists aren’t typically the kind that breaks down the D and puts the ball in someone’s lap for a score. The Lakers lost the fastbreak 22-10. The Stats: He scored 8 points on 3-7 shooting (2-5 from three) to go with 1 board, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers and 3 fouls in 23 minutes. He was a +1. The Action: He missed a three on a kickout. Early offense brick three next time down. He rattled in a deep wing three. He picked the pocket of his man as he tried to drive by him. Poor angle post entry, turnover and foul for FTs. He rattled in another three on a kickout up against the shotclock. He swiped and interior feed, pushed out the steal and went behind his back to Wes for the slam. Nice challenge on the break to get a stop, that won’t show up in any stat sheet but it saved a hoop. He missed a 19-footer, left alone. He missed a pull-up three working off a screen. He had 6 points, 3 assists and 2 steals in the half. Second Half: Nice help D on a couple of sequences that forced Blazer turnovers. He was picked from behind, dunk the other way. He curled off the screens and scored a layup with his left high off the glass.

Ellington -- -- Despite the brutal preseason, he got the start tonight with Kobe resting. He clanked away to start the game but got a little better as it went along. He led the team in shots with 12, only getting 11 points for it (gifted a couple points off of techs). Nice to see him hit a three again. Aside from that shot, nothing really looked easy. With Kobe back and Clarkson in the next one, it will be interesting to see where Ellington is in the pecking order. It’s just been very unimpressive. His best play this preseason was the dive to the floor to get a steal in the backcourt tonight. Great effort there. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 4-12 shooting (1-3 from three, 2-2 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover and 1 foul in 33 minutes. He was a -4. The Action: He was blocked on a turnaround trying to create off the dribble. Not close on a pull-up 18-footer. He made a tech FT. He missed a wide open three (2-16 now from three). We have Lin give up the ball so Ellington can try to attack off the screen and brick the fading jumper, doesn’t make sense. He swished a wing three on a swing pass, looked like he squared up nicely on that one (one of his smoothest looking shots in a while). Second Half: He sank a 19-footer coming off the pindown. Same shot and he missed this one. He attacked and bricked the layup attempt. He missed a wing jumper, but swiped it back diving to the floor to recover it. He sank a toe-on-the-three-line jumper from the wing. He made a tech FT. He missed a three straight away.

Sacre -- -- Hill out, Sacre in. Offensively, Sacre has looked much improved this preseason. The team still seems to get their butts kicked when he’s on the floor, but he’s definitely improved. When Kelly returns, Sacre will still be the last big in the depth charts behind the other five. He hit some jumpers and worked the post for scores. This was his best game with the near double-double and the 4 assists. The Stats: He scored 10 points on 4-6 shooting (2-2 from the line) to go with 8 boards, 4 assists, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls in 22 minutes. He was a -2. The Action: He swished a baseline 15-footer. He missed a pull-up 12-footer. He was stripped trying to rise up after an offensive board. He sealed his man under the hoop against the zone and took the high-low for the score. He hit a wing turnaround over Kaman working the post on iso. Second Half: He drew FTs creating in the post. He was called for an offensive foul using a chicken wing to get by his man. He drained a face-up jumper after fighting for an offensive board. Horribly telegraphed pass and it was easily picked off. Late to a rebound and the Blazers went right around him for a layup.

Lin -- -- He said at times he was out of breath. “I played 24 minutes tonight and it felt like I played 62 minutes,” Lin said. He had 19 assists and 1 turnover coming into the game. Tonight, 5 assists with 6 turnovers. Two of those came off post entry passes on his first play after subbing in. The Lakers as a whole need to clean up their post entries. If someone fronts or partially fronts, we just aren’t comfortable going to counters. We’ll see the team try to prevent that from even happening by running our post players of screens, but we really need to work on cleaning up the angles and flowing into instant counters. Scoring-wise, he had a nice sequence to close the first quarter and start the second quarter when he scored three straight layups. That was about half his points in about 30 seconds. I couldn’t wait for Lin and the second unit to get in the game. They could have easily been the starters tonight the Sacre/Ellington/Price starting group. Hope we don’t see that during the regular season. Lin, Randle, Clarkson…that unit can create offense. So much more fun to watch. The game changed when we brought them in. They will only get better as Lin’s still trying to get his wind. It will come. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting (3-4 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 5 assists, 1 block, 6 turnovers and 4 fouls in 25 minutes. He was a +7. The Action: Poor post entry pass, turnover. He waited a little too long on the break and his pass was deflected out of bounds. He probed off the high screen and lost Darius on a hesitation move to draw FTs at the rim, he made one. He blew past his man at the end of the quarter for an uncontested layup. A few seconds later, we got it to him on an inbounds after a Blazer turnover, he attacked baseline and scored another layup (4 points in the last 4 seconds). He attacked to his left on the first possession to start the next quarter and scored another layup with his left (three straight layups). He set up Davis for the short jumper off the two-man game. He forced a turnover by getting a hand on the ball on an inbounds pass. He crossed over but couldn’t knock down the 18-footer. Second Half: Another post entry pass picked off, layup the other way. He missed a layup attempt off a probe. He traveled off a handoff. He attacked down the middle of the lane but couldn’t finish. HE swished a wing jumper working off the Davis screens. He drew FTs on a perimeter foul, he made both. He was sizing up his man and drew an illegal D tech on Portland. Wing pick and roll with Davis and Lin lobbed it up for Davis to slam down. He stepped on the gas, blew by his man and scored the layup with ease all with his left. He missed a drive to his right next time down. His kickout was swiped (poor spacing on this sequence).

Randle -- -- I can't stop thinking “Freight Train” when Randle grabs a board and pushes it out. I don’t know, it just works for me. Randle loves pushing it up the court (seems to be good for a bucket or two every game). “Just getting the wheels going, getting out on the open floor, showing my speed and making the right plays,” Randle said afterward. That combo of size, handles and speed is a rare thing. Tonight, however, Randle also showed the more complete game. He hit from all over the perimeter. He worked the post for a couple of scores. He had a little playmaking in the mix, as well. Throw that in with the Freight Train in the open court and this is what you want to see with consistency as he builds his game with more minutes. Very patient, controlled game from him for the most part. I’d still like to see some better screen setting. Davis gets the two-man game action because he sets stickier screens. Boozer needs to be in his ear on these. Defensively, he’s got to love playing with Davis out there. Scott said he should probably give Randle more slack, but also mentioned, he didn’t think Randle has had to work hard being as gifted as he has been. “When I stop talking to you is when you should get worried,” Scott said. The Stats: He scored 17 points on 7-10 shooting (3-4 from the line) to go with 8 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover and 3 fouls in 24 minutes. He was a +10. The Action: He backed his man down in early offense and hit the jumphook, nice control throughout. He grabbed a board, pushed out the dribble with speed and shed a defender at the rim with a slight change of direction for an easy score. He missed a pull-up wing jumper, we got it back to him and he no-looked to Clarkson on the baseline for a score. He swished a 20-footer from the wing on a busted offensive sequence. He was stripped in the post. He attacked, spun and was stripped again. He had 6 points on 3-5 shooting and 5 boards in the half. Second Half: Nice job on a FT miss to regain a possession for the Lakers by keeping it alive. He overpowered his man in the post and banked nicely over Wright (got to go after that matchup in the post more). He took a return pass from Lin, surveyed the floor for a beat, then swished the 20-footer. He faced up from the wing and drained another jumper next time down. He swiped a lob pass in transition, pushed it out under control and drew FTs on a burst of speed, he made both. He faced up from the wing, jab stepped a couple times, rose up and hit the 17-foot bank (looking like money the way that one dropped). He crossed over to his left, might have got away with a slight clear-out and he drew FTs at the rim, he made one. A good screen (finally) and it led to an easy jumper for Ellington. He missed a wing jumper on our final possession.

Clarkson -- -- Great to see Jordan back on the court. I’d prefer seeing him with Price versus Ellington with Price. We could use that kind of offensive dynamic, someone who can bail out an offense and create something from nothing. That’s not Price’s strength nor Ellington’s. He missed some important time this preseason. He hit a fade across the lane, had a sweet cross-over and reverse and made a baseline floater. “Athleticism and speed. That’s what he brings to the table,” Scott said, liking what he saw. He said they controlled his minutes and will increase them more in the next one. Some good moments on D, tracking down a bounce pass in transition and a good double team on a big to force a turnover. Excited to see him back on the floor. More minutes, please! The Stats: He scored 6 points on 3-5 shooting (0-1 from three) to go with 2 boards, 1 steal and 1 turnover in 15 minutes. He was a +12. The Action: He hit a baseline floater off the no-look feed from Randle. He missed a corner three on a Randle drive and kick. He was blocked on a finish attempt in transition. Second Half: Nice timing on a double to force a big to cough it up out of bounds. He coughed up a drive on the other end to give it back. Great hustle back in transition to flag down a bounce pass and track it down in the corner, then turn it up to ignite a break. He wheeled across the top of the lane and sank the elbow pull-up jumper. Wow, great cross-over to lose his man, he then attacked baseline, brought it down and reversed (that was a very skilled sequence).

Davis -- -- It takes a team to defend well, but you also need a guy who sets the tone. When he’s out there, he puts the work in on D. He had a couple of sequences where he denied the first shot, bounced back up and denied the second attempt. Multiple efforts. Love that on D. We have a couple guys in Price and Davis that really mix things up defensively. He and Lin continued to show some of that chemistry offensively, another lob and a jumper working with Lin. More of that, please. I hate seeing Davis with the ball in his hands as we work off the pindowns. It’s never pretty and on occasion a turnover. Really, the only criticism I have of his game. “Ed did exactly the things we know he can do,” Scott said of his game. The Stats: He scored 4 points on 2-4 shooting to go with 4 boards (3 offensive), 2 assists, 4 blocks and 2 fouls in 26 minutes. He was a +10. The Action: He rejected a shot from behind and then bounced back up from out of bounds a few seconds later to block another on a throwdown attempt. He missed a jumphook in the paint. Bad handoff on the pindowns, turnover. He sank a 10-footer off the two-man game with Lin. He got caught in the air and gave up a foul on a three-pointer. Second Half: He had an inbounds pass thrown of him by Portland and recovered. Another two-block sequence in the paint to erase a sure hoop. He slammed off the wing pick and roll with Lin.

Smith -- -- Decent game from Roscoe. He hit the boards hard and scratched out some garbage points. He was a little more versatile with his scoring tonight, hitting a drive and a wing jumper (in addition to another putback score). Feels like he’s going to be the odd man out with Ellington getting the start and crazy minutes every game. The Stats: He scored 6 points on 3-5 shooting (0-2 from the line) to go with 6 boards (3 offensive) and 1 foul in 19 minutes. He was a -3. The Action: He was blocked and stuffed the dunk attempt into the rim and backboard for a jumpball. He grabbed an Ellington brick, getting up high, and scored the layup. He attacked off the three line and banked in a runner. Second Half: He was fouled under the hoop in transition for FTs, he missed both. Nice crash of the glass to pull down an offensive board and reset the offense. He picked up some garbage in transition and hit the wing jumper.

Scott -- -- He brought in Davis and Randle for Boozer and Sacre down 5 with 5 minutes left in the quarter. Finally some life out there… He sat Ellington for Clarkson and Price for Lin a minute later… Randle and Lin dominating the Blazers… The Lakers led 26-18 after the first quarter…. Smith in for Wes to go with Davis, Randle, Clarkson and Lin… Up 7, he sat Clarkson for Ellington… Still up 7, he sat Lin and Davis for Price and Sacre. So Sacre, Randle, Smith, Ellington, Price… Up 5, he sat Randle for Boozer. Wes back in for Smith… They extended the lead to 10 on a Price three and another Price steal and Laker score, forcing a timeout... The Lakers led 50-37 at the half… Two Lakers with 7 points, four with 6 points. Quite the distribution… Some good looking team defense sequences, forcing turnovers. The offense, though… Up 10 with 3 minutes left and Lin and Davis came in for Price and Sacre… He started the Davis, Randle, Smith, Clarkson, Lin lineup to open the fourth… More spark again with this lineup and they forced a timeout up 72-60… Up 9, he sat Clarkson for Ellington with 4:38 left… Young Randle on fire, burying the Blazers…

[TooMuchMajicBuss]

Thanks DB!
First

[LakerDYnasty72]

First! Thanks DB! ok second

[K0BEE 2.0]

DB - Do you think Davis has the chance to be DPOTY? even if he's not his defense attributes to the team is really valuable.

[KeepItRealOrElse]

sweet. Wanted to see Randle get some recognition for keeping that rebound off the FT alive, during the game our commentary crew gave Davis all the credit for the ball that fell in his lap.
But all in all the kid played great tonight, obviously. it was a beautiful spectacle.

[Hard_Butter]

Thank you for mentioning the feeble screens that our big men are prone to setting. Davis seems to be the only big that actually sets a proper screen.
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The butter's hard and the eggs are chillin' in the dark.

Kiss my Converse.

[DancingBarry]

[summerly]

Thanks db!

[DancingBarry]

[Lakersneuron]

thanks DB. If we suck this year, the consolation is watching Randle develop. I hope there is more of this to come.
_________________
"I don’t give a [expletive] what you say. If I go out there and miss game winners, and people say, 'Kobe choked, or Kobe is seven for whatever in pressure situations.' Well, [expletive] you. Because I don’t play for your [expletive] approval."

[EddieJonesss]

Thanks DB.

[Klone_dd]

Starting to enjoy Lin on the floor. Yes, he was sloppy tonight, but there's a free flowing dynamic when he's leading the charge. I'm wondering if he can bring that if he's playing with Kobe though.

Davis continues to impress. I certainly don't mind him playing over Sacre.

Julius was at the peak as opposed to the valley he was in last night. We saw the whole package -- flashbacks of Lamar, ZBo, Worthy, & Barkley. I like the comments and barbs BScott is throwing at him. He seems to be handling him the right way.

[TooMuchMajicBuss]

[SweetP]

[TooCool]

Thanks DB!

My friend who is an Ontario Reign season ticket holder and doesn't like basketball gave me some tickets to the game tonight in Ontario.

If Randle can keep hitting those shots, along with some of his interesting playmaking, this kid might be fun to watch.

I know it was the battle of the 2nd stringers, but wow.. our defense was pretty terrible all night long. Just too many unforced turnovers and odd man rushes for the other team.

Definitely bummed that Kobe didn't play. I thought he played less last night so he could play tonight? I'm glad my tickets were free or else I would be very upset.
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[A Mad Chinaman]

Seems like we are developing into a team like the Nuggets in the past filled with relatively unknown/untested players playing at a high energy level with a Smash Mouth-type of play

[OregonLakerGuy]

Thanks DB

[Laker_Town]

Great positives, but the rotation on three point shooters is still horrendous.
I still get dantoni flashbacks.

Careless turnovers and rotating on defense are the two things that stand out as weakness for me.


Aside from that, I can see some good positives with Lin, Davis, and randle. Its a shame we've got injuries and can't see the entire squad.

[13th Man]

Thanks DB. Great showing by Randle! Good showings by Clarkson and Davis.

[fiendishoc]

Some of the pre-draft analysis had Thomas Robinson as Randle's comp or at least his floor. Randle showed today how ridiculously bad that comparison is.

Also, for those keeping track, Randle finished that coast to coast drive in the 1st quarter with his right hand. His coast to coast drive in the 4th, he was fouled while also trying to lay it in with the right hand. (A lot of "pundits" had said his right hand is non-existent).

Leaving his man to almost lay it in from the full court pass at the end of the first probably earned him some wind sprints though.

[K28]

[DancingBarry]

[Lakerbull]

newbie here.

nice ratings!

[RVCdesigns]

Thanks DB.

[jorkerjork]

Great work DB, as always.

Just wondering if you could put letter grades for each player instead, where the grade is relative to whether you think the player did well or poorly relative to his perceived talent level. That could be more useful I think. Watching the game, Randle obviously got an A or a A+ last night, Lin probably a B, etc.