jonnybravo Retired Number
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 30679
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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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fiendishoc wrote: | WHAT I LIKED
Kobe's passing: Kobe showed not only good patience in drawing the D and great vision, but his timing in delivering the pass at the perfect time for the assists both inside and out was magnificent. He was under control the whole game, and it paid off for him when came time to score in OT.
Dropping back in the pick and roll: I'm not sure if there was an explicit adjustment or not, but it seemed the bigs were dropping back further in the pick and roll today and therefore able to do a better job containing the ballhandler and forcing the other team to shoot long twos. They still did some high hedges with some messy results, but still overall, it's a step in the right direction.
It also seemed that the Lakers made more of an effort to stay out on the shooters although on a couple of possessions their gambling instincts took over and they gave up wide open shots. If they can get just these two things right, then their defense will be much improved.
Nick Young's off-ball reads in crunchtime: Swaggy is not exactly known for his off-ball movement, but his decisions without the ball were a big part of the two huge threes late in the 4th and in overtime. The first one was in the 4th with a minute and a half to go when he sprinted over towards the baseline and called for the ball right went his man went to rotate to cover Hill as Kobe was driving- Kobe found him wide open and he knocked it down.
Also, the reason Wes was open on his 3 with 3 min left was because Nick ran over and delivered the timely back screen, and Lin made the right decision in delivering the pass instead of giving up and tossing it to Kobe. (Of course, big props to Wes for not hesitating and knocking it down in the clutch, even if it was a kind bounce.)
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Price and Wes as "defensive stoppers": You can see from Byron's crunchtime substitutions that he thinks of these two as his defensive stoppers, and it worked out tonight. But while they make the occasional block / steal / drawn charge that can fool you into believing it, these guys are generally bad for the team defense. Don't believe me? Then go back and watch Lin dart deftly around most of the screens set on him in this game, and then watch these two get caught on or smash straight into every single one. (I know you Lin fanatics out there really want to make me a video of every defended PnR from these three during this game .) Also for every good defensive play they make, they wash it away with boneheaded defensive breakdowns and fouls. So if they aren't good defenders and aren't good offensive players, then why do they get so many minutes?
The minutes rotation: Still too many minutes for Kobe, 37 in regulation, almost playing the entire 1st quarter. Not enough minutes for Lin and Davis, even if it wasn't Ed's greatest game. No minutes for Clarkson. |
You need to post more my friend. |
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