Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:58 pm Post subject: LAKERS -at- PISTONS - 12-2-14 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings
Win Streak!… Two in a row. If the Lakers ate in the Eastern Conference all season where it only takes 42 wins to guarantee a playoff spot, their record would look much better, fans would be happier and the media would lighten up.
They would still be just as far from winning a ring as they are now.
They’re making steps in the right direction. Defensively, they’ve looked better chasing guys off the three line even if they can’t challenge well in the paint.
“Last couple of games I think our focus has been a whole lot better,” Scott said.
Yeah, there is that. And Kobe has been distributing well (a dubious triple-double tonight with the 10 turnovers to go with his 13 assists).
They’ve improved on both ends, tonight securing the 106-96 road win over the 3-15 Pistons. Ultimately it’s the competition right now that is contributing quite a bit to the Laker win column. Perhaps, they will work out some issues against the East and be able to hold their own more in their own conference. Can they pull off three in a row?
Kobe -- -- Well, back-to-back triple-doubles. This one with the 10 turnovers, however. Some very sloppy passing early on with 4 turnovers in the first half (two probably should have been caught and another later in the game should have been caught, as well). The Pistons were doubling a ton in this game and that aided in the turnovers, but some of it was sloppy passing, some not being on the same page with his receivers. “I couldn’t be a quarterback,” Kobe said. He said they are reading defenses better and playing off each other better. I think you see that in how much more active the bigmen have looked off the ball around Kobe…Hill and Boozer consistently moving versus standing around gives Kobe better targets. Kobe in the post, daring someone to double so he can kick it to an open shooter for three. I’d like to see Lin pick up a little more of the shot creation duties to help give us a little more balance and cut down on some of Kobe’s turnovers. Kobe’s not a PG and anytime we get him doing that, you usually the turnover numbers go up. Scott was hoping to rest him, but the lead was cut in half in the fourth so all the starters returned. “I was able to pretty much rest in the first half because I wasn’t doing crap,” Kobe said. Kobe had a single flurry in the third quarter where he scored all his points in just a few minutes. The Stats: He scored 12 points on 4-11 shooting (1-3 from three, 3-3 from the line) to go with 5 boards, 13 assists, 2 steals, 10 turnovers and 2 fouls in 33 minutes. He was a +15. The Action: He missed a jumper from the top of the key to start. He threw a pass away on the break. Teammates not holding on to a couple of good passes that might go down as turnovers, Kobe looked a little frustrated. Extra pass to Boozer on the break for a layup. He overpassed in the lane instead of taking a short jumper. He threw a pass right to a Piston player in the middle of the lane, bad turnover. He faked his man out of his shoes but missed the layup attempt over the help D. Slow outlet, nearly picked off. He missed a short bank in transition. He missed a long wing jumper. He posted up and kicked out a sloppy pass, backcourt violation. He missed a three off a handoff on the sideline. He hit Hill on the two-man game for the dunk. He drew a double and hit Wes for the three. He worked off the high screen and found Hill for the jumphook. He didn’t score on 0-5 shooting but had 5 assists with 4 turnovers. Second Half: He drew a double on the screen and hit Boozer for the open jumper. He hit Hill cutting for a layup off a nice post move by Hill after the pass. He found Wes in the corner for the three. He threw a kickout wide of his man, turnover. He posted up and kicked to Lin for three. He lost the dribble in transition, turnover. He posted up and hit the turnaround, finally getting on the board and the crowd responded). He made a tech FT. He iso’d and pumped his man into the air for FTs, he made both and got some “M-V-P” chants. He slapped a ball loose, got the outlet and scored the layup. He scooped up a loose ball, pushed it out and hit the pull-up three. He got a brush screen and drained the elbow pull-up next time down. He missed a pull-up three, then smothered Jennings in transition to force a prayer layup attempt. He crossed over to lose his man badly and missed the reverse (wanted the foul), but Davis tipped it in. He found Young who was fouled on a three attempt. His cross-court pass hit the bottom of the board, turnover. He found Hill flashing to the ball off the double team for a jumper. He found Hill again for the baseline jumper. He drew a double and his pass to Hill was deflected away. He fumbled a dribble out of bounds. He whipped a pass to Wes for the three. He was doubled and had his pass deflected, his tenth turnover.
Lin -- -- We finally saw Lin go away from a Kobe post-up offensive set down the stretch. We had him working off the high screen for a single set I believe with 3 minutes left (it led to a score). Baby steps, I guess, but getting that little bit more of diversity in the offense down the stretch will pay off. We just need to commit to it more. Aside from leaning on Kobe too much in the stretch another part of our problem with this is we really don’t have a bigman we trust to run that. I think if you had Pau or someone like Aldridge out there, you’d see a lot more of it. But we’re sitting Boozer more to close games, we don’t trust Hill or Davis completely. Kelly has been MIA all season. What’s our bread and butter in crunch time right now? It’s still either getting the ball to Kobe off the sideline split plays or going to Kobe in the post or iso. The Lakers need to diversify. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 2-5 shooting (2-4 from three, 5-7 from the line) to go with 4 boards, 5 assists and 4 fouls in 30 minutes. He was a +12. The Action: He hit Boozer for the open jumper off the two-man game. He drained a wing three on his first attempt. He missed a wide open three next time down. He missed a tough pumping elbow jumper. He found Boozer in transition for the layup. Second Half: He drained a three off the Kobe post kickout. He attacked down the lane and drew FTs (first he missed a tech FT, probably should have let Kobe take it and get him on the board), he then made both of his FTs. He got bumped out of bounds with no call on a rebound. He grabbed a loose ball and outlet to Kobe for the layup. He missed an open three on a Kobe kickout. Finally, he attacked off the high screen, drew the D and hit Boozer for the layup with 3 minutes left. He was fouled in the backcourt for FTs, he made one. Fouled again on a rebound with 10 seconds left, more FTs, he made both.
Hill -- -- He outplayed the Piston bigmen. Kind of dominated them, actually with the 22 and 13. He tallied his tenth double-double of the season. He said he needed to attack Drummond first for the boards and stay aggressive because of his size. He needs that attitude every night no matter whom the opponent. He’s done a pretty good job of it with the ten double-doubles. “I think we should just get used to the fact that he’s going to have these performances consistently,” Kobe said of Hill. Kobe really looks for him at times, working the two-man games or when he draws a double Hill does a good job moving off the ball to get the pass. Those two had very good chemistry tonight. The Stats: He scored 22 points on 10-15 shooting (2-2 from the line) to go with 13 boards (5 offensive), 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover and 2 fouls in 31 minutes. He was a +10. The Action: He hit a long jumper with his heels nearly on the three line and left wide open. He missed a wing jumper on the two-man game. He dunked off the two-man game bounce pass from Kobe. He missed a layup to pad his offensive boarding and scored the easy putback. He missed a layup off the two-man game. He rolled to the hoop and Kobe eventually found him for a jumphook. Second Half: He lost his man on an up-and-under after Kobe found him cutting. He grabbed a Lin missed three and hit the putback jumphook. He scored a layup off the high-low from Boozer against the zone. He swished a FT jumper flashing to the ball. He sank a baseline jumper when Kobe found him again next time down. Nice job pulling down a Boozer miss and he hit the jumphook falling to the ground. He missed a jumper from the top of the key.
Boozer -- -- We looked for him early on and Boozer got us started in our scoring. The Laker D was giving up dunks and layups to start, but tightened that up. My favorite play of his, however, was probably the high-low feed to Hill in the fourth quarter for a layup. The Lakers had been floundering, the starters returned when Scott sat the entire bench and Boozer found Hill for the easy score. That seemed to end any rally ideas and right the ship. Some very good passing sequences from the Lakers tonight. Kobe’s ball movement helps that, but the team getting much more familiar with each other and their sets is paying off. The Stats: He scored 14 points on 7-13 shooting to go with 7 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and 4 fouls in 26 minutes. He was a +16. The Action: He swished an 18-footer for the Lakers first score. He scored a layup off good Laker ball movement next time down. He scored a layup on the extra pass from Kobe on the break. He froze his man with a fake one way and a fallaway the other in the lane for a score. He attacked down the lane and showed the ball for an easy block. He airballed an open wing jumper. He scored a layup in transition. He had 10 points on 5-8 shooting in the half. Second Half: He sank an open baseline jumper off the two-man game with Kobe, then gave up an easy And-1 layup getting crossed over badly on D. He was rejected on a layup that looked like a sure score. Not close on a pull-up at the FT line. Nice high-low to Hill for a layup against the zone. He missed a 15-footer. He scored a layup off the Lin drive and dish.
Johnson -- -- The three ball has been dropping for him in the past couple of games. He sank all three he took in this one and they looked automatic. He’s not throwing up as many off-balance shots and he’s getting more of them to drop. He also had the highlight play of the game with a huge And-1 throwdown on the baseline driving off the three line. Throw in four blocks on D and you’ve got a strong two-way game from Wes again. Very nice, efficient, active effort. Consistency is always the issue with him, however. Keep stringing them together, Wes. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 5-6 shooting (3-3 from three, 0-1 from the line) to go with 2 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 4 blocks, 1 turnover and 4 fouls in 29 minutes. He was a +12. The Action: He fumbled away a pass under the hoop. He missed a baseline jumper. He swatted a layup off the glass, Laker layup the other way. He swished a 17-footer coming off the weakside of the triangle to take a pass. He swished a sideline three when Kobe drew a double team and found him. He passed up the three, attacked past the closeout defender, then cranked it back and hammered down an And-1 dunk past Josh Smith. He had 7 points in the half. Second Half: He drained a corner three off the Kobe pass. Nice recovery to challenge a reverse layup and force a miss. He blocked a jumper on iso. He swished a sideline three off the bullet feed from Kobe.
Young -- -- I’m not sure what had more highlights, Nick’s postgame or his regular game. He popped into Hill’s postgame interview, eventually getting the mic and taking over the questioning. He later gunned for the TWC hosting job. And popped up in a couple more interviews. Got to love him. Not thrilled with Scott’s first half sub out of Nick when he seemed to have it going with 10 points early on. We could have easily kept him in. He only ended up with 21 minutes. Kobe led all Lakers with 33. Nick’s shot was a little hit and miss, either going or airballing it seemed like. He did a great job as always of drawing fouls on jumpers…really one of the best in the league at that. The Stats: He scored 19 points on 5-13 shooting (3-6 from three, 6-7 from the line) to go with 1 board, 1 block and no fouls in 21 minutes. He was a -2. The Action: He missed a sideline three. He drained a pull-up three at the top of the arc, running the two-man game. He airballed a baseline pull-up going to his left. He forced up a tough jumper and missed. He iso’d on Caron and hit the And-1 17-footer moving to his left, he made the FT. He probed and drew FTs at the elbow jumper, he made one. He iso’d, stepped back, fumbled the ball a little, then up-faked and sank the And-1 sideline jumper, he made the FT. Second Half: He let a man fly by then airballed the long jumper. He swished a three off an inbounds pass. He was hammered on a pull-up three attempt, he made all three. He couldn’t finish a layup in transition over a defender. He crossed over to lose his man, then airballed the three. He missed a layup, but we got it back to him on the perimeter for a three. He missed a pull-up on the wing. He missed a long three up against the shotclock.
Davis -- -- Some good hustle on the offensive glass. One sequence helped force a Piston timeout in the second half. Got to love that effort when other guys (Boozer) seemingly need points to be effective. He had some early fouls in this one, but none the rest of the way. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-1 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 11 boards (4 offensive), 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 19 minutes. He was a -2. The Action: He charged on the two-man game down the lane, should have spun. Second Half: He tipped in a Kobe missed drive. He went to the floor for an offensive board and threw it back out to Sacre who dove to recover it (got to love seeing both bigs hitting the floor), Davis would then go after another offensive board on the same sequence and throw it back out for an eventual three by Young, great effort. He yanked down another Young miss and drew FTs, he made one.
Price -- -- “We had better energy coming out of half time,” Price said. They built up a big lead in the third quarter, but the second unit didn’t sustain it. You could see them relax with the big lead. That thwarted minutes for Clarkson by losing half the lead to start the fourth quarter. Scoreless game from Price. He had a couple of moments on D, but not a lot to write about in this one. We may need him to step up big tomorrow. The Stats: He didn’t score on 0-2 shooting to go with 1 board, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 fouls in 18 minutes. He was a-2. The Action: He hit Sacre on the pick and pop for a score. Second Half: He went to the floor for a loose ball and then found Sacre from there for FTs. He spun and missed a drive. He jumped a passing lane and swiped the ball.
Ellington -- -- Ellington and Young have solved a problem we had earlier in the season. Kobe, Wes and Lin could hit some threes, but that wasn’t enough fire power by any stretch from beyond the arc. Throw in Young and Ellington who are now constant threats and have the green light anytime they have room and the offense looks much better. The Lakers went 10-17 from three in this one (59%). If we had a better playmaking PG with the bench, Ellington would get more opportunities from there. Since we don’t it would be wise to explore a bigger variety of plays to work Ellington off screens for open looks. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 4-7 shooting (1-1 from three) to go with 2 boards, 2 steals and 3 fouls in 16 minutes. He was a -9. The Action: He missed a tough, challenged jumper coming off the pin down. He swished a 20-footer working off the screen at the sideline. He wheeled across the lane and swished a jumper from the same spot. He missed a baseline jumper. He pushed out the turnover and scored a layup next time down. Second Half: Tough wing jumper off the pindown and he missed. He sank a wing three as we reversed the ball back to the weakside and hit him behind a screen.
Sacre -- -- He struggled with his shot all game. “I learned how to shoot from Nick Young because if you don’t make them you just have to keep shooting them,” Sacre said of his 1-8. Nick: “I learned that from Kobe.” While he wasn’t effective on that end of the floor, Sacre at least played like a big on the defensive end. Some good challenges and shot alterations. Feels like he’s been picking that part of his game up a little more recently. Lakers need that. The Stats: He scored 3 points on 1-8 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 1 board, 1 block and 3 fouls in 17 minutes. He had a +/- of 0. The Action: He choked a layup off the Kobe two-man game. He blocked his man as he attacked the rim. Not close on a FT jumper (had a man open). Nice challenge on D on the other end going straight up to deny the drive. He missed a turnaround jumper (had Ellington open for three). He ball-faked and swished the FT jumper off the two-man game. Not close on an open baseline jumper. Second Half: He drew FTs attacking the rim off a great pass from Price who was on the floor, he made one FT. He rejected a layup out of bounds. Not close on a 16-footer, great effort to dive for a loose ball on that as Davis got the offensive board and passed it out from the floor. Not close on an elbow jumper. He iso’d and missed a jumphook way short.
Scott -- -- Two layups and a dunk for the Pistons to start the game… The Lakers led by 3 when the timeout came midway through the quarter… Young and Davis in for Boozer and Wes… Tie score, Sacre in for Hill with 3 minutes left… Down 1 a minute later and Ellington came in for Kobe and Price in for Lin… The score was tied 19-19 after the first quarter… Up 5, Wes in for Davis who had two fouls… Up by 5, he sat Young for Kobe (Young had 10 points already, should have left him in) with 7 minutes left… He sat Sacre a few seconds later for Hill… Starters all back in now, Lakers up 1. Lakers should have been up more… The Lakers led 46-45 at the half… Kobe distributing early in the second half and the Lakers pulled out to a 9-point lead… A flurry of points by Kobe in a few minutes to get the crowd going and the Lakers a 16-point lead at the 5-minute mark. He sat Boozer for Davis and Wes for Young at this break… Hill and Lin out for Sacre and Price… They extended to a 20-point lead… He sat Kobe with 2 minutes left for Ellington… The Lakers led 81-65, letting a little of their 21-point lead slip away at the end of the third quarter… He started the Sacre, Davis, Young, Ellington, Price lineup. Hope we see Clarkson sometime… The Lakers let the lead get trimmed to 11, blowing a chance for Clarkson time… Scott made wholesale changes, sitting all reserves for the starters, Lakers up just 10 midway through the quarter… They didn’t let anything crazy happen…
Objective and comprehensive as always, Thanks. _________________ "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." --Sarah Cook.
thanks DB,
definitely baby steps but I'd take any improvements we can get! It's great to see the team continue to grow and become better. Let's gun for the 3rd win in a row! _________________ Calling another person idiotic does not necessarily mean you are less idiotic than that person. The best way to improve oneself is to focus on the positive things in life and build on them.
Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 8488 Location: The (real) short corner
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:21 pm Post subject:
Good to see the Lakers finally coast to a victory. Winning lets you appreciate things that we've come to take for granted, like Swaggy's ability to create something out of nothing and often getting fouled while doing it, and Hill's magnetic hands on the offensive boards. Even though the Pistons looked lost on both ends of the floor, it goes to show that the Lakers really have the talent to beat down teams when they aren't running dumb schemes on defense. Also, it's always great to read T&R and QFTOS after a win.
WHAT I LIKED
Conservative defense pays off
I mentioned in the previous T&R thread for the Raptors game that the Lakers have started dropping back in the PNR, something that us LGers have been calling for all season. In this game, you could see it really paying off as Josh Smith and Jennings laid brick after brick from midrange. With the bigs zoning up in the paint, the lane was too crowded for them to drive or dive, removing the need to help off shooters.
Offensive spacing
Another trend starting from last game was that they turned Kobe into the primary P&R ballhandler. This gets the better 3pt shooter Lin on the wing, and also, defenses know that they can't give Kobe the mid range shot so it creates a lot of openings. And Kobe is patient in reading how the defense is playing him and where the help is coming from, having turned into a willing passer. It also reduces the frequency of the sets that I don't like, like the isolations and floppys (though Ellington killed it this game). I would like to see them mix it up a bit, so he doesn't have to work so hard on every possession.
The weakside movement is better now. I saw them run an high post split on one side and swing it to the other side with a screener freeing up a shooter. Before, the guys just stood there, and they wouldn't even swing it to the weakside.
Also- did I really see the Lakers running "Motion Strong" in posting up Swaggy?
EDIT: I went back and watched the full play. It was actually a Princeton chin action into a post up for Nick, not motion strong. The secondary action had the same movement as motion strong however.
Maybe they are reading the boards. Can we have Lin running the "Loop" next game please?
Wes playing how Wes should play
There are two things Wes does well, which are one, catch and shoot and two, jump over people. I've been harsh on him this year, but he impressed this game. He did most of his damage from the corner and he didn't try to do too much. When he moved the ball he did it without dribbling. When he was open for 3, he launched without hesitating and knocked it down. Four blocks from your SF is icing on the cake. And of course that baseline jam was amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Running the offense through Price in the 4th
They had a chance to put the game away early in the 4th and rest the starters for tomorrows back to to back. Unfortunately, with that lineup that they had on the floor, Ronnie really pounded the air out of the rock, didn't let the O run through Swaggy, and generally let the Pistons get back into it. They could have put in Lin in earlier than Kobe and tried to run some stuff with him and Davis instead. Unfortunately they are on autosub mode with Ronnie at 18.5 min and Lin at 29.5 min.
Kobe overhelping
With the bigs zoning up, there's no need for Kobe to go help off the corner 3pt shooter on drives in the paint. He did anyway several times and the Lakers paid for it. Maybe it was only 2-3 possessions but it was at least 6 points we didn't need to give up. The turnovers you can live with because he was playing through fatigue, but overhelping takes effort and is the wrong thing to do.
Last edited by fiendishoc on Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:28 am; edited 2 times in total
Good to see the Lakers finally coast to a victory. Winning lets you appreciate things that we've come to take for granted, like Swaggy's ability to create something out of nothing and often getting fouled while doing it, and Hill's magnetic hands on the offensive boards. Even though the Pistons looked lost on both ends of the floor, it goes to show that the Lakers really have the talent to beat down teams when they aren't running dumb schemes on defense. Also, it's always great to read T&R and QFTOS after a win.
WHAT I LIKED
Conservative defense pays off
I mentioned in the previous T&R thread for the Raptors game that the Lakers have started dropping back in the PNR, something that us LGers have been calling for all season. In this game, you could see it really paying off as Josh Smith and Jennings laid brick after brick from midrange. With the bigs zoning up in the paint, the lane was too crowded for them to drive or dive, removing the need to help off shooters.
Offensive spacing
Another trend starting from last game was that they turned Kobe into the primary P&R ballhandler. This gets the better 3pt shooter Lin on the wing, and also, defenses know that they can't give Kobe the mid range shot so it creates a lot of openings. And Kobe is patient in reading how the defense is playing him and where the help is coming from, having turned into a willing passer. It also reduces the frequency of the sets that I don't like, like the isolations and floppys (though Ellington killed it this game). I would like to see them mix it up a bit, so he doesn't have to work so hard on every possession.
The weakside movement is better now. I saw them run an high post split on one side and swing it to the other side with a screener freeing up a shooter. Before, the guys just stood there, and they wouldn't even swing it to the weakside.
Also- did I really see the Lakers running "Motion Strong" in posting up Swaggy?
Maybe they are reading the boards. Can we have Lin running the "Loop" next game please?
Wes playing how Wes should play
There are two things Wes does well, which are one, catch and shoot and two, jump over people. I've been harsh on him this year, but he impressed this game. He did most of his damage from the corner this game, and he try to do too much. When he moved the ball he did it without dribbling. When he was open for 3, he launched without hesitating and knocked it down. Four blocks from your SF is icing on the cake. And of course that baseline jam was amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Running the offense through Price in the 4th
They had a chance to put the game away early in the 4th and rest the starters for tomorrows back to to back. Unfortunately, with that lineup that they had on the floor, Ronnie really pounded the air out of the rock, didn't let the O run through Swaggy, and generally let the Pistons get back into it. They could have put in Lin in earlier than Kobe and tried to run some stuff with him and Davis instead. Unfortunately they are on autosub mode with Ronnie at 18.5 min and Lin at 29.5 min.
Kobe overhelping
With the bigs zoning up, there's no need for Kobe to go help off the corner 3pt shooter on drives in the paint. He did anyway several times and the Lakers paid for it. Maybe it was only 2-3 possessions but it was at least 6 points we didn't need to give up. The turnovers you can live with because he was playing through fatigue, but overhelping takes effort and is the wrong thing to do.
Good to see the Lakers finally coast to a victory. Winning lets you appreciate things that we've come to take for granted, like Swaggy's ability to create something out of nothing and often getting fouled while doing it, and Hill's magnetic hands on the offensive boards. Even though the Pistons looked lost on both ends of the floor, it goes to show that the Lakers really have the talent to beat down teams when they aren't running dumb schemes on defense. Also, it's always great to read T&R and QFTOS after a win.
WHAT I LIKED
Conservative defense pays off
I mentioned in the previous T&R thread for the Raptors game that the Lakers have started dropping back in the PNR, something that us LGers have been calling for all season. In this game, you could see it really paying off as Josh Smith and Jennings laid brick after brick from midrange. With the bigs zoning up in the paint, the lane was too crowded for them to drive or dive, removing the need to help off shooters.
Offensive spacing
Another trend starting from last game was that they turned Kobe into the primary P&R ballhandler. This gets the better 3pt shooter Lin on the wing, and also, defenses know that they can't give Kobe the mid range shot so it creates a lot of openings. And Kobe is patient in reading how the defense is playing him and where the help is coming from, having turned into a willing passer. It also reduces the frequency of the sets that I don't like, like the isolations and floppys (though Ellington killed it this game). I would like to see them mix it up a bit, so he doesn't have to work so hard on every possession.
The weakside movement is better now. I saw them run an high post split on one side and swing it to the other side with a screener freeing up a shooter. Before, the guys just stood there, and they wouldn't even swing it to the weakside.
Also- did I really see the Lakers running "Motion Strong" in posting up Swaggy?
Maybe they are reading the boards. Can we have Lin running the "Loop" next game please?
Wes playing how Wes should play
There are two things Wes does well, which are one, catch and shoot and two, jump over people. I've been harsh on him this year, but he impressed this game. He did most of his damage from the corner this game, and he try to do too much. When he moved the ball he did it without dribbling. When he was open for 3, he launched without hesitating and knocked it down. Four blocks from your SF is icing on the cake. And of course that baseline jam was amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Running the offense through Price in the 4th
They had a chance to put the game away early in the 4th and rest the starters for tomorrows back to to back. Unfortunately, with that lineup that they had on the floor, Ronnie really pounded the air out of the rock, didn't let the O run through Swaggy, and generally let the Pistons get back into it. They could have put in Lin in earlier than Kobe and tried to run some stuff with him and Davis instead. Unfortunately they are on autosub mode with Ronnie at 18.5 min and Lin at 29.5 min.
Kobe overhelping
With the bigs zoning up, there's no need for Kobe to go help off the corner 3pt shooter on drives in the paint. He did anyway several times and the Lakers paid for it. Maybe it was only 2-3 possessions but it was at least 6 points we didn't need to give up. The turnovers you can live with because he was playing through fatigue, but overhelping takes effort and is the wrong thing to do.
Just would like to comment on the high quality of your post. It is great to have analysis like that post game. Keep it up!
Good to see the Lakers finally coast to a victory. Winning lets you appreciate things that we've come to take for granted, like Swaggy's ability to create something out of nothing and often getting fouled while doing it, and Hill's magnetic hands on the offensive boards. Even though the Pistons looked lost on both ends of the floor, it goes to show that the Lakers really have the talent to beat down teams when they aren't running dumb schemes on defense. Also, it's always great to read T&R and QFTOS after a win.
WHAT I LIKED
Conservative defense pays off
I mentioned in the previous T&R thread for the Raptors game that the Lakers have started dropping back in the PNR, something that us LGers have been calling for all season. In this game, you could see it really paying off as Josh Smith and Jennings laid brick after brick from midrange. With the bigs zoning up in the paint, the lane was too crowded for them to drive or dive, removing the need to help off shooters.
Offensive spacing
Another trend starting from last game was that they turned Kobe into the primary P&R ballhandler. This gets the better 3pt shooter Lin on the wing, and also, defenses know that they can't give Kobe the mid range shot so it creates a lot of openings. And Kobe is patient in reading how the defense is playing him and where the help is coming from, having turned into a willing passer. It also reduces the frequency of the sets that I don't like, like the isolations and floppys (though Ellington killed it this game). I would like to see them mix it up a bit, so he doesn't have to work so hard on every possession.
The weakside movement is better now. I saw them run an high post split on one side and swing it to the other side with a screener freeing up a shooter. Before, the guys just stood there, and they wouldn't even swing it to the weakside.
Also- did I really see the Lakers running "Motion Strong" in posting up Swaggy?
Maybe they are reading the boards. Can we have Lin running the "Loop" next game please?
Wes playing how Wes should play
There are two things Wes does well, which are one, catch and shoot and two, jump over people. I've been harsh on him this year, but he impressed this game. He did most of his damage from the corner this game, and he try to do too much. When he moved the ball he did it without dribbling. When he was open for 3, he launched without hesitating and knocked it down. Four blocks from your SF is icing on the cake. And of course that baseline jam was amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Running the offense through Price in the 4th
They had a chance to put the game away early in the 4th and rest the starters for tomorrows back to to back. Unfortunately, with that lineup that they had on the floor, Ronnie really pounded the air out of the rock, didn't let the O run through Swaggy, and generally let the Pistons get back into it. They could have put in Lin in earlier than Kobe and tried to run some stuff with him and Davis instead. Unfortunately they are on autosub mode with Ronnie at 18.5 min and Lin at 29.5 min.
Kobe overhelping
With the bigs zoning up, there's no need for Kobe to go help off the corner 3pt shooter on drives in the paint. He did anyway several times and the Lakers paid for it. Maybe it was only 2-3 possessions but it was at least 6 points we didn't need to give up. The turnovers you can live with because he was playing through fatigue, but overhelping takes effort and is the wrong thing to do.
You trying to do a face-off with DB?
Great stuff as usual! _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Good to see the Lakers finally coast to a victory. Winning lets you appreciate things that we've come to take for granted, like Swaggy's ability to create something out of nothing and often getting fouled while doing it, and Hill's magnetic hands on the offensive boards. Even though the Pistons looked lost on both ends of the floor, it goes to show that the Lakers really have the talent to beat down teams when they aren't running dumb schemes on defense. Also, it's always great to read T&R and QFTOS after a win.
WHAT I LIKED
Conservative defense pays off
I mentioned in the previous T&R thread for the Raptors game that the Lakers have started dropping back in the PNR, something that us LGers have been calling for all season. In this game, you could see it really paying off as Josh Smith and Jennings laid brick after brick from midrange. With the bigs zoning up in the paint, the lane was too crowded for them to drive or dive, removing the need to help off shooters.
Offensive spacing
Another trend starting from last game was that they turned Kobe into the primary P&R ballhandler. This gets the better 3pt shooter Lin on the wing, and also, defenses know that they can't give Kobe the mid range shot so it creates a lot of openings. And Kobe is patient in reading how the defense is playing him and where the help is coming from, having turned into a willing passer. It also reduces the frequency of the sets that I don't like, like the isolations and floppys (though Ellington killed it this game). I would like to see them mix it up a bit, so he doesn't have to work so hard on every possession.
The weakside movement is better now. I saw them run an high post split on one side and swing it to the other side with a screener freeing up a shooter. Before, the guys just stood there, and they wouldn't even swing it to the weakside.
Also- did I really see the Lakers running "Motion Strong" in posting up Swaggy?
Maybe they are reading the boards. Can we have Lin running the "Loop" next game please?
Wes playing how Wes should play
There are two things Wes does well, which are one, catch and shoot and two, jump over people. I've been harsh on him this year, but he impressed this game. He did most of his damage from the corner this game, and he try to do too much. When he moved the ball he did it without dribbling. When he was open for 3, he launched without hesitating and knocked it down. Four blocks from your SF is icing on the cake. And of course that baseline jam was amazing.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
Running the offense through Price in the 4th
They had a chance to put the game away early in the 4th and rest the starters for tomorrows back to to back. Unfortunately, with that lineup that they had on the floor, Ronnie really pounded the air out of the rock, didn't let the O run through Swaggy, and generally let the Pistons get back into it. They could have put in Lin in earlier than Kobe and tried to run some stuff with him and Davis instead. Unfortunately they are on autosub mode with Ronnie at 18.5 min and Lin at 29.5 min.
Kobe overhelping
With the bigs zoning up, there's no need for Kobe to go help off the corner 3pt shooter on drives in the paint. He did anyway several times and the Lakers paid for it. Maybe it was only 2-3 possessions but it was at least 6 points we didn't need to give up. The turnovers you can live with because he was playing through fatigue, but overhelping takes effort and is the wrong thing to do.
You trying to do a face-off with DB?
Great stuff as usual!
We all know DB is the man for taking so much time out of his life to tell his tale of nearly every Lakes game, but fiendish adds a nice touch--more, say, than does Robin to Batman.
Absolutely great work from both and much appreciated. _________________ "A metronome keeps time by using a Ringo"
DB, you say twice that our letting the lead get trimmed down to about 10/11 ruined the opportunity for Clarkson to get playing time.
What have you seen in Price that makes you think we need to have a sure win in the bag before Clarkson can start getting some of Price's time? I would make Clarkson the backup PG long ago, how long will it take for everyone to see whats obvious to my eyes? B Scott prefers predictable monotonous mediocrity in style of play to a more high risk but athletic and talented player who will clearly payoff in both the intermediate and long term (and I even believe short term, as seen in Price's absymal stats).
One of the concerns I've had the past few games is it seems like Lin isn't attacking the rim as much. That's the best way to get open looks, easy buckets and fouls on bigs. Part of that may have been because of the role Kobe had in the game. Other than that...awesome win!
Angus - i only brought that up because I think that's the only way we see Clarkson right now. I'd definitely prefer him in the rotation without needing a blowout. One of the few things I'd look forward to every game.
Thanks DB! And thanks fiendishoc for your analysis as well.
I see a difference between our last 2 coaches substitution patterns. Dantoni seemed to have a new starting lineup every night and his substitutions were never consistent (so he could say he tried everything?). Scott seems to want a set lineup for the season and the same substitution pattern (at the expense of players like Clarkson). I was wishing for more stability last year and this year I'm hoping for more flexibility. Never satisfied I guess.
One of the concerns I've had the past few games is it seems like Lin isn't attacking the rim as much. That's the best way to get open looks, easy buckets and fouls on bigs. Part of that may have been because of the role Kobe had in the game. Other than that...awesome win!
Too many times Lin running people over on the attack.
We are looking more inside/out bigs. This may be the way to go with this team. Boozer, Hill, Wes, Swaggy can score.
Kobe as the distributor works - when others step up their game and it saves Kobe's legs.
No knuckleheads on this team makes it a fun team to watch especially when they win...
One of the concerns I've had the past few games is it seems like Lin isn't attacking the rim as much. That's the best way to get open looks, easy buckets and fouls on bigs. Part of that may have been because of the role Kobe had in the game. Other than that...awesome win!
Lin's penetration has been game-planned. The plan by opponents seems to be make Kobe a volume shooter, keep Lin from penetrating and let the other guys beat you but maybe slow down Young if possible. With the ball running through Kobe looking to distribute, it foils that plan and Lin is something of a perimeter threat or passer. But that also doesn't utilize Lin's playmaking capabilities or ability to get to the rim and draw fouls enough. Some good balance of Lin and Kobe's playmaking would make for the best offense. Lin has also compensated for packed paint by coming up with a pretty effective step back semi-fade mid-range shot and I think Lin has to shoot more than 5 times a game and should shoot 12+ times a game. I think Lin is not producing as well as he should and that includes scoring and to some degree assists. Also, so much Kobe involvement will take a toll on his body and in time his productivity.
DB does a fantastic job as usual. Good to see wins and thanks for finally some lighter games in the schedule.
I agree with DB's assessment regarding Lin. Boozer and Hill are not ideal P&R partners so they are not putting too much stock in the P&R right now.
I like the two-man action between Kobe and Hill very much. Hopefully more offensive varieties come along.
Lakers have been shooting 3s muchh better with Young, Ellington and Johnson. So it would help their offense a lot if they can have Lin drive into the lane and kick out.
I see a difference between our last 2 coaches substitution patterns. Dantoni seemed to have a new starting lineup every night and his substitutions were never consistent (so he could say he tried everything?). Scott seems to want a set lineup for the season and the same substitution pattern (at the expense of players like Clarkson). I was wishing for more stability last year and this year I'm hoping for more flexibility. Never satisfied I guess.
I remember with both Riley and Phil always feeling pretty comfortable with their rotations. Could be a talented team makes you feel that way...but you would often think, it's time to sub player X in or out and shortly later that would happen. D'Antoni's constant lineup changes sabotaged chemistry (some of that was injury, but a lot was just stirring things up). It's early December so I'll give Scott more time...but there's been a few head scratchers.
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-- We finally saw Lin go away from a Kobe post-up offensive set down the stretch. We had him working off the high screen for a single set I believe with 3 minutes left (it led to a score). Baby steps, I guess, but getting that little bit more of diversity in the offense down the stretch will pay off. We just need to commit to it more. Aside from leaning on Kobe too much in the stretch another part of our problem with this is we really don’t have a bigman we trust to run that. I think if you had Pau or someone like Aldridge out there, you’d see a lot more of it. But we’re sitting Boozer more to close games, we don’t trust Hill or Davis completely. Kelly has been MIA all season. What’s our bread and butter in crunch time right now? It’s still either getting the ball to Kobe off the sideline split plays or going to Kobe in the post or iso. The Lakers need to diversify. 
-- We looked for him early on and Boozer got us started in our scoring. The Laker D was giving up dunks and layups to start, but tightened that up. My favorite play of his, however, was probably the high-low feed to Hill in the fourth quarter for a layup. The Lakers had been floundering, the starters returned when Scott sat the entire bench and Boozer found Hill for the easy score. That seemed to end any rally ideas and right the ship. Some very good passing sequences from the Lakers tonight. Kobe’s ball movement helps that, but the team getting much more familiar with each other and their sets is paying off. 
-- I’m not sure what had more highlights, Nick’s postgame or his regular game. He popped into Hill’s postgame interview, eventually getting the mic and taking over the questioning. He later gunned for the TWC hosting job. And popped up in a couple more interviews. Got to love him. Not thrilled with Scott’s first half sub out of Nick when he seemed to have it going with 10 points early on. We could have easily kept him in. He only ended up with 21 minutes. Kobe led all Lakers with 33. Nick’s shot was a little hit and miss, either going or airballing it seemed like. He did a great job as always of drawing fouls on jumpers…really one of the best in the league at that. 
-- Some good hustle on the offensive glass. One sequence helped force a Piston timeout in the second half. Got to love that effort when other guys (Boozer) seemingly need points to be effective. He had some early fouls in this one, but none the rest of the way. 
-- “We had better energy coming out of half time,” Price said. They built up a big lead in the third quarter, but the second unit didn’t sustain it. You could see them relax with the big lead. That thwarted minutes for Clarkson by losing half the lead to start the fourth quarter. Scoreless game from Price. He had a couple of moments on D, but not a lot to write about in this one. We may need him to step up big tomorrow. 
-- Ellington and Young have solved a problem we had earlier in the season. Kobe, Wes and Lin could hit some threes, but that wasn’t enough fire power by any stretch from beyond the arc. Throw in Young and Ellington who are now constant threats and have the green light anytime they have room and the offense looks much better. The Lakers went 10-17 from three in this one (59%). If we had a better playmaking PG with the bench, Ellington would get more opportunities from there. Since we don’t it would be wise to explore a bigger variety of plays to work Ellington off screens for open looks. 
-- He struggled with his shot all game. “I learned how to shoot from Nick Young because if you don’t make them you just have to keep shooting them,” Sacre said of his 1-8. Nick: “I learned that from Kobe.” While he wasn’t effective on that end of the floor, Sacre at least played like a big on the defensive end. Some good challenges and shot alterations. Feels like he’s been picking that part of his game up a little more recently. Lakers need that. 
-- Two layups and a dunk for the Pistons to start the game… The Lakers led by 3 when the timeout came midway through the quarter… Young and Davis in for Boozer and Wes… Tie score, Sacre in for Hill with 3 minutes left… Down 1 a minute later and Ellington came in for Kobe and Price in for Lin… The score was tied 19-19 after the first quarter… Up 5, Wes in for Davis who had two fouls… Up by 5, he sat Young for Kobe (Young had 10 points already, should have left him in) with 7 minutes left… He sat Sacre a few seconds later for Hill… Starters all back in now, Lakers up 1. Lakers should have been up more… The Lakers led 46-45 at the half… Kobe distributing early in the second half and the Lakers pulled out to a 9-point lead… A flurry of points by Kobe in a few minutes to get the crowd going and the Lakers a 16-point lead at the 5-minute mark. He sat Boozer for Davis and Wes for Young at this break… Hill and Lin out for Sacre and Price… They extended to a 20-point lead… He sat Kobe with 2 minutes left for Ellington… The Lakers led 81-65, letting a little of their 21-point lead slip away at the end of the third quarter… He started the Sacre, Davis, Young, Ellington, Price lineup. Hope we see Clarkson sometime… The Lakers let the lead get trimmed to 11, blowing a chance for Clarkson time… Scott made wholesale changes, sitting all reserves for the starters, Lakers up just 10 midway through the quarter… They didn’t let anything crazy happen…
