HORNETS -at- LAKERS -- 4/19 -- Thoughts and :-)) ratings
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:27 am    Post subject: HORNETS -at- LAKERS -- 4/19 -- Thoughts and :-)) ratings

The Suns on Sunday... The Lakers blew out the Hornets 115-95 in the final regular season game, setting up the post-season match up with the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers gained separation at the end of the first quarter and put the game out of reach in the second quarter. Solid play by the bench during that first stint to extend the lead. Kobe capped a special season with just another great game, hitting for 35 points in just 29 minutes.

The Lakers finished 11 games better than last season. The main changes were Phil, Kwame for Butler and Smush starting instead of Chucky. Their two stars stayed healthy, which was also a major key. The team might have even pocketed a few more wins had they erased some mental mistakes in the closing of several games. Had Kwame and Lamar played the games they have had of late, who knows how many wins?


Kobe -- -- Kobe finished with the 7th most points for a total season, behind a couple guys named Chamberlain and Jordan. "I've been blessed, been very fortunate. I worked extremely hard, but I'm more proud of what we've done as a team," he said after the game. Kobe scored his 35 points on 13-26 shooting (4-10 from three and 5-5 from the line). He also had 5 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. His perimeter jumper was on tonight and he took it to the Hornets. For the Lakers first score of the game, Kobe grabbed a Lamar miss at the FT line, went straight back up and hit the J. He hit another wing jumper on his second shot. He deflected a backcourt pass, gathered it and fed Kwame for a dunk. He blew past his man and powered in a layup. He ran the pick and pop with Cook and found him with a behind-the-back feed. He got J.R. Smith back pedalling too much and he pulled up for a wide open three. He swished a three on a kickout from Mihm. He swished another wing three from the other side. He missed his next three attempt. He attacked in early offense, sliced through a crowd and made a layup at the front of a rim. He stole a pass, pushed up the break, got slapped and scored an And-1 plus the FT. He inbounded a pass, stepped in bounds, got the return pass and hit the long wing three. He split the double team and hit a jumper over another defender. He got into an open space and hit the 17 footer. Kobe had 27 points at the half. He backdoored his man, got hacked and made both FTs. Mason gave Kobe a shot to the head on a drive, Kobe hit the techs. He then swished a fade on the inbounds. He knocked down a pull-up jumper on the next possession. Kobe sat with a couple minutes left in the third. Kobe finished as the third Laker to win a scoring title, with West and Shaq as the other two. He was also only the fourth player to average more than 35 points in a season.

Odom -- 8) 8) -- A pretty low-key game from Lamar tonight. He played 32 minutes and scored 6 points on 3-9 shooting, had 7 boards and 6 assists. He missed a three on his first attempt. He attacked and missed an easy layup. He missed a reverse layup. Lamar hit Cook on an inside-out sequence for a three. McKie fed Lamar, he took one dribble, went up strong and scored. He hit a pull-up from the wing. He fed Smush in transition for a three. He dunked when Smush found him in the lane on a pretty bounce pass. Nice drive off a pick into the lane and then he fed behind him to Kwame for a dunk.

Kwame -- -- Kwame was the Lakers second scorer on the night, putting in 19 points on an efficient 7-8 shooting and 5-5 from the line in just 25 minutes. He also led the team with 8 boards and 2 blocks. Great game. He dunked off a steal in the backcourt by Kobe. Nice up-and-under move in the paint, then he was tripped for FTs, he made both. Great hustle to grab a miss by Lamar, he then backed his man down and hit a jumphook. He drew a foul on a Lamar feed and he drained both FTs. He tipped in a Kobe missed drive. Good help D to collapse on Mason and block a shot. Kwame had 10 points in the first quarter on 3-3 shooting. He got the ball at the elbow, stepped through, attacked off the dribble and scored an And-1 off the glass, he hit the FT. He dunked off a great set up by Lamar in the lane. Another follow up on a Kobe miss on the break, he grabbed the rebound, took a power dribble and scored. He got the post feed, spun quickly and flipped the ball into the hoop. Nice block on Paul who penetrated, but no one took Kwame's man and he scored. Nicely done, Kwame.

Smush -- -- Reasonable game from Smush and Paul never went off and Smush reached double figures. He played nearly 30 minutes and scored 10 points on 4-8 shooting (2-5 from three). He also dished 4 assists. He bricked a pinch post jumper badly on his first attempt. He stole the ball, blindsiding Paul, took it to the other end and reverse jammed. He missed a three off a set Tri sequence. He swished a three off the dribble at the wing. He swished a three in transition. Great thread-the-needle bouncepass to Lamar in the lane for a dunk on the next play. He lulled Paul to sleep then attacked and reverse jammed. He airballed a catch-and-shoot three out of a timeout. He got stripped from behind by Paul for a dunk the other way, then got called for a tech.

Walton -- -- He took an elbow to the side of the head under the boards and the Lakers sent him to the hospital during the game. Sounds like he will be fine. HE played just 7 minutes and scored 2 points on 1-4 shooting and pulled down 3 boards. He missed a three on his first attempt. He ball faked, took a couple dribbles in hit a baseline jumper for his score. He picked up his second foul with 4:37 left in the first quarter on a block attempt and had to sit.

George -- -- Devean reached double figures, scoring 10 points on 5-7 shooting in 17 minutes off the bench. He also had 3 boards and 2 assists. He had a good stint early in the second quarter, giving the Lakers a little offense. He seemed to score a bunch of shots up against the shotclock in this game. He airballed a baseline jumper on his first attempt. He swished his second attempt next time down on a stepback jumper with the clock low. He pulled up around a pick and hit a wing jumper. He knocked down a three with the shotclock low. He hit a late three as the shotclock buzzer went off.

Cook -- -- I liked Cook's game tonight. First off, it's hard not to when he goes 5-5 for 12 points. But the fact that he can come in off the bench after sitting for a while and instantly drain jumpers fills a much needed role. Hopefully, he carries his hot hand into the playoffs. He hit a baseline jumper on his first attempt right off the bench. Great job beating his man to the spot to draw a charge just outside the restricted circle. He then drained a long wing jumper off the Kobe pick and pop. He fed Odom in the post, Lamar kicked it out, Cook reposted, Lamar kicked out again and Cook hit a very long three. He pulled up at the elbow and drained a jumper with man on him. He knocked down a pick-and-pop three.

Mihm -- -- Chris definitely looked a little less mobile out there on both ends. He was a little slow to close out or react on the defensive end. Offensively, he scored just 2 points on 1-5 shooting in 13:41 of action. He also had just 1 board. He came in for Kwame with 2 minutes left in the first quarter. On his first attempt, he turned and tried to hit a one-hander from about 9 feet away, but he didn't get much lift from his legs. Great dive on the floor near the sideline to recover a loose ball on the D end (I didn't expect that). He got another post opportunity, he looked a little looser and hit a short jumphook in the lane. He missed a baseline turnaround. He missed an 18-footer. I've got to think Kwame is going to be playing the max minutes in the Suns series. Hopefully, Chris can give a little bit of interior scoring and try to anchor the D when he's out there.

Sasha -- -- Sasha pestered Paul and other players with his usual fiesty play. He still shot poorly from the perimeter, hitting just 1-4 for 4 points in 19 minutes of action. He dished a couple of assists. He made a nice cut across the lane, but missed the short jumper. He attacked off a pinch-post and drew FTs, making both. He drew a perimeter push off foul from Paul. Paul had to sit with his third foul. He missed an open three, then hit a long two the next time down the court. The post season will be a valuable experience for our guards.

McKie -- -- Some extended run for McKie in this one. He seemed to hold it together about where he was at the start of the season. Phil will likely lean on his vets a little in the playoffs. McKie played 18 minutes and scored 2 points on 1-1 shooting. He grabbed 3 boards and dished 3 assists and generally did a lot of ball handling and passing. He came in at the tail end of the first quarter to cover J.R. Smith. While he did, Kobe was on the PG defensively. He found Lamar with an interior feed for a score. He measured a baseline jumper and knocked it down. He set a pick instead of running a proper pinch post cut when Turiaf had the ball. Nice reach-around from behind to cause a turnover. McKie was D'ing up Moochie at the end of the game and gave up a couple of jumpers.

Jackson -- -- JJ played 16 minutes and scored 7 points off 3-7 shooting (1-3 from behind the arc). He also pulled down 3 boards. He came in midway through the second quarter. He contested a shot well and forced an airball. He missed a jumper from the side. He swished a wing three. He posted up and missed a turnaround. Nice sequence out of a timeout, Jackson came off a pick, got the ball in an open spot to shoot, but then hit Turiaf cutting for a dunk. Nice Tri cut, then he tried to score a reverse with his right hand awkwardly and missed badly. He scored a layup in the post. He missed another open jumper. Next time down, he got the ball in the post and hit a turnaround.

Turiaf -- -- Thus ends Ronny's first regular season...one that no one knew for sure would happen. I can't wait to see him develop his game in the next couple of years. Hopefully, Phil will get a good taste of the playoffs. Turiaf scored 6 points on 2-3 shooting in 12 minutes of action. He didn't grab a board, but he blocked a couple of shots. He faced up and swished a 14-footer over Jackson. He faced up again and Jackson fouled him on the jumper, he made both FTs. Nice block on help D. He dunked off a Jackson feed out of a timeout. He drew FTs on an attack out of the post, missed both.

Phil -- -- Phil has the team playing their best ball of the season heading into the playoffs. There were a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, but guys like Lamar, Kwame and Luke have elevated their game. Props to Phil for getting the team some momentum at the end of the season. The Lakers have won 10 of their last 11 home games and finished 11 wins ahead of last season... Phil had Mihm, Cook and McKie off the bench at the end of the first to run with Lamar and Kobe... The Lakers went on a 16-4 run to close out the first quarter... Phil then brought in George and Sasha for Kobe and Lamar to start the second quarter... The Lakers second unit had a series of scores out of the Tri in the second quarter to extend the lead... The Lakers had a 27-point lead at halftime, with Kobe scoring 18 of the last 23 points... They cruised in the second half and Phil got plenty of time for the bench... Nice to see Mihm get some run. I'm not sure how much Phil will try to use him in the next series. It looks like he will be giving Kwame some short breaks as the back up C, unless the Suns take advantage of Mihm's mobility. This will most likely be the Lakers active 12 for the next series, with Bynum as the one inactive. But, you never know... Phil reflected back on Kobe's season: "Many, many nights we were struggling and he would just take off and score eight, 10 points in a row," he said in the Daily News, "and carry the team into a competitive level and get us back in the game." He said it will take a complete team effort for playoff success...

The 2005-06 regular season is in the books. (Sorry for the delay on this one as I had some schedule conflicts.)
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magic_bryant
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:31 am    Post subject:

HEY!!! No mention of me reaching 7000 posts as the buzzer sounded!?!?

Sorry, just read the pages 13-15 of the Game Update thread and you'll understand.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:32 am    Post subject:

As always, Thanks and good stuff DB.
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Bergamotichek
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:33 am    Post subject:

Kobe should have flashed ten fingers, in rapid succession for every point on the season... ala RayRay, after each basket.

Wonder what light ESPeoN and/or some of our own select fans would have cast on that.

:roll:
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The_Lakers_Show
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:37 am    Post subject:

Nice Work DB!

Cant wait for Mihm to get his legs back, all his shots that I saw were coming up short. Phil was talking about Chris having a full week between now and game 2 to progress/recover
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:50 am    Post subject:

kwame.. kwame... kwame.........

i've always believed in the guy. and now i can gloat to all the kwame non-believers, most of my friends, and everyone who hated on the guy, i mean, the beast.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:34 am    Post subject:

DB - As always, Great!

Do you think that PJ might use a PG tag-team to tire Nash out with the combination of Smush, Kobe (when McKie is in the game to guard the "2"), Sasha, McKie (when Kobe is out of the game), Jim Jackson and/or DGeorge? If PJ use them in short intervals, with Kobe or DGeorge at the end of games, Nash might not have the necessary legs at the end of games to push the ball? As it has been proven, slow Nash down - a much better chance to win games with the Suns. Considering that there no "back-to-back" games (NOTHING close to this during the first round that takes a couple years to complete), all the Lakers should have the necessary energy to do the job.

If Cook has his shot going, do you think that PJ might use him against Diaw to force him to play serious "d" to tire him out by the 4th quarter?

Who should Kobe start off the game guarding during the Suns series?
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:40 am    Post subject:

Great finish to solidify our 7th seed to play the underman Phoenix Suns ball club. We rather see the Suns without Amare than a Spurs with Duncan. If the Lakers and Clippers male it passed the first round it would be a super series. The battle of Los Angleles.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:21 am    Post subject:

JJ and Mckie

gettin the veterans ready for the playoffs.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:51 am    Post subject:

Great analysis DB!

BTW, how DOES Jackson and McKie look? And is there any chance that Green makes the 13 man roster? Thanks!

Go Lakers!
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:01 am    Post subject:

Texas_Pete wrote:
Great analysis DB!

BTW, how DOES Jackson and McKie look? And is there any chance that Green makes the 13 man roster? Thanks!

Go Lakers!



the question was not adressed to me but why would Green make the 13 man roster, when i haven't seen him in a while? When Phil is giving all the playing time to both mckie and JJ?

Meet Green during the summer league.... sorry man !!!!
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JM
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:43 am    Post subject:

Texas_Pete wrote:
Great analysis DB!

BTW, how DOES Jackson and McKie look? And is there any chance that Green makes the 13 man roster? Thanks!

Go Lakers!


Jackson looked solid in his minutes, and was able to create space and create his own shots. I wish we'd have obtainedhim 2-3 years ago (ten for that matter.) I have a feeling, if his shot is dropping, he may be of value in the playoffs.
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mike_dee23
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:41 am    Post subject:

Smush has played much better defense for the past week... I saw him rotating and jumping on defense, something I hadn't seen all year...
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:59 am    Post subject:

I was surprised to not see Bynum in this game. I thought Phil was going to try to get him a few minutes here and there to keep him competitive. Will he be on the playoff roster?
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:12 am    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:


McKie -- -- Some extended run for McKie in this one. He seemed to hold it together about where he was at the start of the season. Phil will likely lean on his vets a little in the playoffs. McKie played 18 minutes and scored 2 points on 1-1 shooting. He grabbed 3 boards and dished 3 assists and generally did a lot of ball handling and passing. He came in at the tail end of the first quarter to cover J.R. Smith. While he did, Kobe was on the PG defensively. He found Lamar with an interior feed for a score. He measured a baseline jumper and knocked it down. He set a pick instead of running a proper pinch post cut when Turiaf had the ball. Nice reach-around from behind to cause a turnover. McKie was D'ing up Moochie at the end of the game and gave up a couple of jumpers.


I wonder if McKie will see decent minutes versus Phoenix. Two weeks ago I would have thought it highly unlikely, as Phil likes to use guys who have worked together as a unit during the regular season. But with Kobe as PG on offense, McKie wouldn't be relied upon to do more than hit open shots... but on defense he could do a better job covering Nash than Sasha.


Last edited by angrypuppy on Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:24 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:24 am    Post subject:

flashakadrano wrote:
kwame.. kwame... kwame.........

i've always believed in the guy. and now i can gloat to all the kwame non-believers, most of my friends, and everyone who hated on the guy, i mean, the beast.


I've always thought the same thing. And this is only the tip of the ice berg. Wait until next season. Great post DB.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:37 am    Post subject: Re: HORNETS -at- LAKERS -- 4/19 -- Thoughts and :-)) ratings

DancingBarry wrote:


Kwame -- -- Kwame was the Lakers second scorer on the night, putting in 19 points on an efficient 7-8 shooting and 5-5 from the line in just 25 minutes. He also led the team with 8 boards and 2 blocks. Great game. He dunked off a steal in the backcourt by Kobe. Nice up-and-under move in the paint, then he was tripped for FTs, he made both. Great hustle to grab a miss by Lamar, he then backed his man down and hit a jumphook. He drew a foul on a Lamar feed and he drained both FTs. He tipped in a Kobe missed drive. Good help D to collapse on Mason and block a shot. Kwame had 10 points in the first quarter on 3-3 shooting. He got the ball at the elbow, stepped through, attacked off the dribble and scored an And-1 off the glass, he hit the FT. He dunked off a great set up by Lamar in the lane. Another follow up on a Kobe miss on the break, he grabbed the rebound, took a power dribble and scored. He got the post feed, spun quickly and flipped the ball into the hoop. Nice block on Paul who penetrated, but no one took Kwame's man and he scored. Nicely done, Kwame.


This is a preview. I think we're going to see Kobe attacking the basket more than usual during the upcoming series against the Suns, with Kwame quickly coming in to either clean up the miss or take a quick pass as Kobe disrupts the interior defense. Even if neither scores, it beats the long rebound from a missed jumper, which in turn fuels the Phoenix transition game.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:42 am    Post subject:

Mckie has really impressed me considering he has sit out most of the season. Defensively he was solid last night even had a nice play once doing a nice job cutting off baseline on JR Smith or Desmond Mason. People have dissed him a lot but if he can give us 15-20 minutes a game it's going to be huge for us.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:43 am    Post subject:

targetman wrote:
I was surprised to not see Bynum in this game. I thought Phil was going to try to get him a few minutes here and there to keep him competitive. Will he be on the playoff roster?


Bynum had to be deactivated to active Mihm. Only 12 active on regular season roster but you're allowed 13 during the playoffs.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:40 am    Post subject:

It was a great way to end the season, although I think NOK mailed in their last week.

Kobe = MVP no matter how the pundits vote. Too bad Kwame didn't pick up things sooner or he would've been in serious contention for Most Improved. He does get the NKPOG for this game and has run a string of them over the last month or so. If he has 4 more during the Suns series, woo hoo!

Phil has earned most of his incredible salary for the job he did during the regular season, but the playoffs, especially with this squad, is where he's going to extend his legacy. It's going to be fun to see what he's got in store for Phx.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:43 am    Post subject:

Good way to end the season and nice to see the vets JJ and McKie get some action and familiarity with the tri before the playoff begins. If they can contribute like they did in the past with Phx and Philly in the playoffs, we're in good shape.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 10:05 am    Post subject:

Phil seems to have the veterans (i.e. Jim Jackson, Aaron McKie, DGeorge, Luke, etc.) ready - via valuable & productive playing time in the last few games - to do some damage in the playoffs. The rookie guards (i.e. Sasha, Smush) will start the game and pressure Nash and Bell with the veterans coming in with fresh legs to close the games - a good plan indeed.

If Cookie can hit his shots and force Marion to play serious "D" throughout the game, don't think that he will be able to do those outrageously great "matrix" type moves at the end of the games.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:01 am    Post subject:

mike_dee23 wrote:
Smush has played much better defense for the past week... I saw him rotating and jumping on defense, something I hadn't seen all year...

Really? Nice to hear that. Smush's D was so bad.
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:35 pm    Post subject:

angrypuppy wrote:
DancingBarry wrote:


Kwame -- -- Kwame was the Lakers second scorer on the night, putting in 19 points on an efficient 7-8 shooting and 5-5 from the line in just 25 minutes. He also led the team with 8 boards and 2 blocks. Great game. He dunked off a steal in the backcourt by Kobe. Nice up-and-under move in the paint, then he was tripped for FTs, he made both. Great hustle to grab a miss by Lamar, he then backed his man down and hit a jumphook. He drew a foul on a Lamar feed and he drained both FTs. He tipped in a Kobe missed drive. Good help D to collapse on Mason and block a shot. Kwame had 10 points in the first quarter on 3-3 shooting. He got the ball at the elbow, stepped through, attacked off the dribble and scored an And-1 off the glass, he hit the FT. He dunked off a great set up by Lamar in the lane. Another follow up on a Kobe miss on the break, he grabbed the rebound, took a power dribble and scored. He got the post feed, spun quickly and flipped the ball into the hoop. Nice block on Paul who penetrated, but no one took Kwame's man and he scored. Nicely done, Kwame.


This is a preview. I think we're going to see Kobe attacking the basket more than usual during the upcoming series against the Suns, with Kwame quickly coming in to either clean up the miss or take a quick pass as Kobe disrupts the interior defense. Even if neither scores, it beats the long rebound from a missed jumper, which in turn fuels the Phoenix transition game.


Yeah, I do think this will be a big factor. Kobe will be attacking relentlessly because of our game plan and because of the playoffs, he will be well rested instead of taking a break by settling for long J's. If he doesn't score or get to the line, he will be drawing D and Kwame can clean up at the glass.


Last edited by DancingBarry on Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 20, 2006 12:47 pm    Post subject:

A Mad Chinaman wrote:
DB

Do you think that PJ might use a PG tag-team to tire Nash out with the combination of Smush, Kobe (when McKie is in the game to guard the "2"), Sasha, McKie (when Kobe is out of the game), Jim Jackson and/or DGeorge? If PJ use them in short intervals, with Kobe or DGeorge at the end of games, Nash might not have the necessary legs at the end of games to push the ball? As it has been proven, slow Nash down - a much better chance to win games with the Suns. Considering that there no "back-to-back" games (NOTHING close to this during the first round that takes a couple years to complete), all the Lakers should have the necessary energy to do the job.


I think PJ will mix it up. At times, we will see a lot of switching on Nash with these sort of SF-type lineups we can put out there. We'll have to watch for the slip screens that can turn into oops.

Quote:

If Cook has his shot going, do you think that PJ might use him against Diaw to force him to play serious "d" to tire him out by the 4th quarter?

PJ will go with whatever is working. If they are sustaining a lead or building it, he will keep Cook out there. Otherwise, look for them to go small quite a bit, cutting into Cook's PT.

Quote:

Who should Kobe start off the game guarding during the Suns series?

No. Nash is crafty. Last thing we want is early foul trouble on Kobe.
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