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wolfpaclaker
Retired Number
Joined: 29 May 2002
Posts: 58344
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 Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 2:55 pm Post subject: |
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| DancingBarry wrote: | | wolfpaclaker wrote: | DB - How do you compare 04-05 defense and what it has been these last 2 weeks?
Really starting to get worried. Lakers are giving up nearly 108 ppg since Odom went down (last 9 games). The FG% is 47.7 .. nearly 48%. What can we do to change this?
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The last couple of weeks have been rough. But what are we going to do? Are we going to stay that way? Not if we get healthy. In the meantime, we have to survive. Last night was pretty close to the 04-05 season because we couldn't stop the bleeding. Even though we may not be showing it at the moment, we're going to be better than that 04-05 defense.
A. We aren't healthy. Kobe's not moving well defensively at times and losing Lamar has a ripple effect in our match ups, since we sometimes toggle him among SF, PF, and C defensively for favorable matchups at other positions. Turiaf's health is also an issue.
B. Bynum has potential to anchor this D a lot better that Mihm. We saw a couple wins on this roadtrip because of that. Phil sometimes trusts him/sometimes doesn't in the crunch.
C. Kwame takes off a lot of burden from LO vs. the 04-05 season when we didn't have him. LO was constantly in foul trouble and constantly overmatched. Because we can switch Kwame between PF/C, we can use that to our advantage.
D. PG depth. Chucky/Tierre...worst defensive guard duo ever. We still need another guard, IMO, but Smush, Farmar, Sasha are still better defensively than Chucky/Tierre, regardless of people's lack of memory. That was beyond horrible. I can't imagine having that duo with no Lamar right now. Oh wait, yeah, we tanked badly at the end of that season.
If we don't make any trades this season, the key for us is at the PG/C spots. Kwame and Smush are inconsistent...Bynum and Farmar are too green. How well we can overcome that may determine how far this team goes.
It's going to be ugly for a while, but we just have to keep surviving. |
Excellent (bleep) there DB. That is pure gospel. You give me some hope with those points and that's what I was looking for  |
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ForTheWin
Starting Rotation
Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 466
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 3:01 pm Post subject: |
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| cr8zy0 wrote: | | if kwame grabbed maybe 1 rebound in any of the overtimes or near the end of the 4th we probably would have won. how does a center go 20 minutes without a rebound? and kobe, well ur decision making isn't the greatest but the team is equally to blame with not running the offense. theh ball really has to be in luke's hands late game because he knows the offense and he has the balls and intelligence to run it instead of just giving the ball to kobe. |
Luke is turnover prone these last few games.......Like that pass to kwame he bounce it so low kwame had to bend down and couldn't get it  Looked like a fast roll :/. And if his decesion making was so good how come when he got the ball in the paint he tried to go um with 2-3 bobcats behind him and got the ball stolen or block THREE times. Those thress time he could of dribble it out and reset the offense cause the gae was still tired on 2/3. Those not great decision making when you just go stright up and not trying to get contact :/ |
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TheProdigy
Star Player
Joined: 11 Nov 2006
Posts: 1847
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| DB, you forgot 1 guy and that's Kobe. IMO, Kobe's probably playing the worse defense of his career right now. There's no way guys like Gerald Wallace could have schooled him in the past. |
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DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40203
Location: O.C.
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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| TheProdigy wrote: | | DB, you forgot 1 guy and that's Kobe. IMO, Kobe's probably playing the worse defense of his career right now. There's no way guys like Gerald Wallace could have schooled him in the past. |
I mentioned him in the health area because, yes, his D is soft at times. I think his surgery/conditioning is his biggest issue. He has had his share of mental mistakes, for sure... but he's always been a ballwatcher at times in the past, even when he could still man up at his peak defensively. I'm expecting him to step up after the all star break since that's when he hit his his stride after his surgery last time. Hopefully, that's what happens again. |
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A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6148
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| Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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The most important thing about this game (last one on this 6 game road trip) will be the next one - the bounce-back game.
Re: Kobe - with his own comments stating that he'll be in NBA shape in the middle of February 2007 (as you had stated), he's probably picking his spots on when to turn it on - imagine 50+ points and not in shape?!?!?! Since defense requires the most athletic ability because of the need to react, Kobe's slight deficiencies are noticeable at those times. (fyi: How can a 6'8" Gerald Wallace overpower Kobe Bryant")
Re: C & PG - Phil's concerns and focus on the C & PG position were highlighted. When Bynum/Kwame/Turiaff can't provide the necessary efficiency - trouble is on the horizon. When Smush isn't providing good "D" - since he is not a scorer (12 points) or an assist person (3 assists) - LO's injury and the inability of Cook (9 points)/Vlad (2 points) detrimental effect on the Lakers really show.
Inability to Create on Offense
DB - why do you feel that the Lakers go away from the Tri when nobody else can create on offense (Kobe's words)? Do you feel that Luke isn't aggresive enuf (despite his injury)? Is Smush going into his offensive shell again - since he isn't able to create (a PG/SG who can't create on offense?!?!?!)? What are your explanations on how Cook can be outplayed by the Hornets' big men?!?!?! |
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DancingBarry
Editor-in-Chief
Joined: 07 Sep 2001
Posts: 40203
Location: O.C.
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 12:50 am Post subject: |
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| A Mad Chinaman wrote: |
Inability to Create on Offense
DB - why do you feel that the Lakers go away from the Tri when nobody else can create on offense (Kobe's words)? Do you feel that Luke isn't aggresive enuf (despite his injury)? Is Smush going into his offensive shell again - since he isn't able to create (a PG/SG who can't create on offense?!?!?!)? What are your explanations on how Cook can be outplayed by the Hornets' big men?!?!?! |
I think this kind of game is maybe a bad one to look at because of the way the Cats were playing Kobe. You probably want to go through him quite a bit more when he can attack with ease off screens or iso on guys. But games in the past where LO should have the ball more and Luke should playmake a bit more, and they don't...they are part to blame and Kobe is part to blame. He needs to defer a little and they need to say "get me the damn ball", and get it like they want it. But Kobe goes on those 14-straight-point stretches, it becomes a crutch that you start to depend on and look for and things become a little single minded.
The other thing is the trust factor. When other guys are not consistent (Smush, Kwame, Vlad, etc.), how much are we going to look for them when it comes to crunch time? Seems like it is often an afterthought or a bail out. Hopefully, somewhere down the line, in a year or two, Bynum becomes that next consistent guy that you trust to get the ball to again and again.
Regarding Cook in this one, seems he was either too small against Brezec/Okafor/Voskuhl/Ely or too big against the Wallace/Robinson smaller PF type minutes they put out there. When they went smaller, Phil couldn't really match up with that by using Cook. Cook doesn't have a dominating post game to take advantage of smaller players and teams can easily throw a smaller defender on him when he's on the perimeter. Defensively, no way Cook can stay with a smaller slasher type. With LO, it's no problem because of his versatility...he can take advantage of smaller or bigger players and match up with both on D.
It's a gamble running Kwame/Cook together if teams attack our interior and Kwame isn't going to be fly swatting and boarding. Fortunately, he did in that first quarter and we locked down...but that's 8 rebounds, 3 blocks from him in one quarter. How often will we get that? We're better off with LO to dominate on those boards and put teams on their heels on the other end, but we don't have him...so we have to mix and match at the PF...so you saw Phil go with Cook/Turiaf/Vlad and then finally settling on Luke at PF when they went small in crunch time. That's what we've got to do, and it will be tough. |
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A Mad Chinaman
Star Player
Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 6148
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| Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 3:04 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the reply, look forward to your views on the following
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I think this kind of game is maybe a bad one to look at because of the way the Cats were playing Kobe. You probably want to go through him quite a bit more when he can attack with ease off screens or iso on guys. But games in the past where LO should have the ball more and Luke should playmake a bit more, and they don't...they are part to blame and Kobe is part to blame. He needs to defer a little and they need to say "get me the damn ball", and get it like they want it. But Kobe goes on those 14-straight-point stretches, it becomes a crutch that you start to depend on and look for and things become a little single minded.
** When players like Cook, whose only present asset is his offense, don't make themselves and ask for the ball - why are they even in the game?!?!?! Then you have players (Smush) who is neither a PG/SG or moving on the court allowing the opposing teams double off him, the Lakers are playing with only four players being defended by five.
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The other thing is the trust factor. When other guys are not consistent (Smush, Kwame, Vlad, etc.), how much are we going to look for them when it comes to crunch time? Seems like it is often an afterthought or a bail out. Hopefully, somewhere down the line, in a year or two, Bynum becomes that next consistent guy that you trust to get the ball to again and again.
** Should many of the Lakers adhere to a philosophy that Phil has previously stated, focus on the skills that one can produce consistently? With Kwame, (IMO) it would be providing a strong presence on defense and hopefully providing screens/rebounds/putbacks/etc. on offense. Smush - I'm at a lost because he has skills in many areas but no strengths while recognizing that he still has that shoulder injury (would have been better if the injury was to his hands). With Vlad - his injury and knowledge limits usage of his main skill of shooting. With Sasha - he is getting more focused on his strengths in recent games, which is high energy on defense (especially noticeable when compared to Smush) and shooting
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Regarding Cook in this one, seems he was either too small against Brezec/Okafor/Voskuhl/Ely or too big against the Wallace/Robinson smaller PF type minutes they put out there. When they went smaller, Phil couldn't really match up with that by using Cook. Cook doesn't have a dominating post game to take advantage of smaller players and teams can easily throw a smaller defender on him when he's on the perimeter. Defensively, no way Cook can stay with a smaller slasher type. With LO, it's no problem because of his versatility...he can take advantage of smaller or bigger players and match up with both on D.
** Why did the Lakers resign him (a nice guy) cuz he seems to be a Rasheed Wallace with no ability to defend/a Brad Miller with a lessor ability to pass/defend? I was hoping that he would be a "Vinnie Johnston-type" player with ultimate confidence in shooting, along with the ability to know how he can (more often than not) to get points that would compensate for his lack of any kind of defensive prowess.
** LO's versatility compensates for many players such as Smush (since he's not a dependable shooter/passer/inability to bring up the ball against pressure/initiate the offense), Cook (defensive liabilities listed above), Luke (inability to create his own offense), Kwame (inability to take any passes of difficulty), etc. What are your suggestions on how the Lakers can win consistently till LO's return? At different times (like last night), the other players either loses confidence, mental confidence or physically tired and just depend on Kobe to win games - do you feel that Phil is using these games to allow the team to learn how to win through ugly losses to teams like the Hornets?
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It's a gamble running Kwame/Cook together if teams attack our interior and Kwame isn't going to be fly swatting and boarding. Fortunately, he did in that first quarter and we locked down...but that's 8 rebounds, 3 blocks from him in one quarter. How often will we get that? We're better off with LO to dominate on those boards and put teams on their heels on the other end, but we don't have him...so we have to mix and match at the PF...so you saw Phil go with Cook/Turiaf/Vlad and then finally settling on Luke at PF when they went small in crunch time. That's what we've got to do, and it will be tough.
** It seems that Turiaff's injury is limiting Phil's hands cuz it seems like Ronny could/would/should be a better choice many times. He provides instant energy, plays defense, rebounds and good knowledge on how to run the Tri. |
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