LAKERS -at- SUNS - 5/2 - Thoughts and :-(( Ratings

[DancingBarry]

And So It Goes... Lamar put up a hell of a battle -- multiple injuries, foul trouble, the season on the line with no one else stepping up -- props to No. 7 for giving it his all. Unfortunately, it was the wrong game for Kobe to go stone cold. The Lakers end their season, making barely a noise in the playoffs, losing 119-110. As Vonnegut might have said...and so it goes.

Kobe shot a poor 13-33 with 6 turnovers for his 34 points. That will leave a bitter taste in his mouth all offseason. Not as bitter, however, as getting taken out in the first round after winning only one playoff game. Lamar went down with 33 points on 13-21 shooting and 10 boards. Both Farmar and Turiaf chipped in with double figures. The rest aren't worth mentioning.

As for the Suns, you look at their leading scorers and again Nash, Marion, Amare and Barbosa tip the scales in their favor once again when all we have is LO and Kobe on the other side.


Kobe -- -- Ahhhh! This game would have been interesting had we gotten our usual huge performance from No. 24. Any time he struggles...with the lack of healthy and capable firepower we have...the team struggles. Kobe went 5-17 in the second half. Despite that, we were within a basket at one point of tying. Unfortunately, the guy carrying us in this game had to sit with fouls. This is where that third player, who is capable of elevating the team, is especially needed. As mentioned, Kobe scored his 34 points on a poor 13-33 shooting. He had a team-high 6 turnovers with just 1 assist. First Quarter: He got in the lane, spun and shot over Bell for his first score. He hit a pull-up wing 17-footer. He missed a three. Bell hit two threes and drove past him for layup on the other end. He attacked in transition, jumpstepped in the lane and banked. He stripped Nash in the lane. He missed a three. He missed a wing jumper. Attacked, missed and wanted the foul, but his dribble penetration left a dunk for Bynum. He crossed over Bell and drew a foul, he made one FT. Second Quarter: He crossed over and scored a layup. He pulled up and hit a wing jumper from the left side. With the Suns starting to pull away in the second quarter, Kobe and Ronny were the only Lakers digging in at that moment. He attacked to his right, spun to his left and hit the And-1 at the rim, he made the FT. He swished a wing jumper from the left side. He swished another from the right side. Then the cold spell started. He missed a left-hander in a crowd of defenders. He missed a wing jumper. He had 18 points on 8-16 shooting. Third Quarter: He was stripped on a spin move and wanted the foul. He missed a pull-up jumper. He didn't draw iron on a pull-up 18-footer. He missed another jumper. He turned the ball over on the dribble. He missed a three. He finally scratched with just over three minutes left in the third, getting fouled while pushing out the break, he made both FTs. He missed his eighth straight shot in the middle of the lane. Finally, he connected, spinning away from Bell, taking contact on a help defender and banking a tough shot. He found himself open and swished a 20-footer. He attacked a crowd and charged. Fourth Quarter: He missed a point-blank layup, uggh. He attacked next time down, drew all kinds of contact and got to the line, he made both. He missed a jumper. He lost the ball on an attack (should have been a foul, led to a layup on the other end). He missed yet another jumper, didn't get back all the way in transition and gave up another layup as Mo was late, as well. He then picked up a tech. He bricked a 10-footer. He bricked an easy look at a jumper. He hit a three in transition. Next time down, he drained another three to cut the lead to 5 with 3 minutes left. He scrapped the play out of a timeout and missed a long three. Uggh, he ballwatched and gave up an offensive board with 1 minute left (bad time to do that). He hit a jumper from the top of the key. He missed another three.

Lamar -- -- Another excellent effort from Lamar. Not much else he can do. He imposed his will the last two games like you want to see. Didn't matter. He put together another third quarter with 16 big points that lifted the team back into the battle. He scored his 33 points on 13-21 shooting, 6-9 from the line, 1-1 from three. He had 10 boards (5 offensive), 2 assists, 1 block and only 1 turnover in 38 minutes, in which he had to fight off foul trouble. First Half: He attacked baseline, put the ball behind Amare (looked as if he used it to dislodge Amare out of position) and then he scored a layup. Out of a timeout, he posted up Marion and missed a fade. He posted up, missed, got it back and drew a foul, he missed both FTs. He posted up and hit a jumphook. He missed a long jumper. Nice jumpass to Mo for the dunk. He drew a foul on a baseline attack, he made both. He missed a tough bank from the post. He missed a layup on a drive at the end of the quarter. He bricked a point-blank layup not going up strong. He powered in a layup over Amare. He drop-stepped Marion on the right block and scored a layup. Second Half: Superb third quarter. He scored a layup off a lob from Farmar. He attacked Marion and drew a foul, making one. He picked up his fourth foul with more than 7 minutes left in the third but stayed aggressive. On the next possession, he attacked into a crowd of Suns, took some contact and hit an And-1, he made the FT. A minute later, he attacked off the dribble, Bell jumped in front of him to take a charge, Lamar got to the FT line and knocked down both. He missed a runner, got it back in a crowd and scored a layup. He cut the lead to 10 on the next possession, hitting a pull-up 17-footer. He attacked to his left and banked over two defenders to cut the lead to 7. He took a feed from Kobe, attacked Amare, missed, but tipped it back in. He picked up his fifth foul with 2 minutes left in the third on the next trip down when Amare got loose on a slip screen. He had to sit after nearly single-handedly getting us back in the game. Great third quarter by LO, but his sitting with fouls when no one else could carry us cemented our fate. Back in after 3 minutes when we trailed by 9, he attacked off the dribble to his left and scored a layup. He drained an open wing three. He scored a layup off some rare Laker ball movement. He fouled out with 24 seconds left, taking an intentional foul on Nash in the backcourt. Nicely done LO. Get well.

Luke -- -- Speaking of getting well, Luke was struggling with his injury all series and even in tonight's game he came up limping. One of the keys to last season's success against the Suns was Luke's emergence as a third force against them. He played that way all season until his injury. He's had a few too many of those injuries since he's entered the league and that is something the Lakers need to consider when evaluating this team. Luke had just 2 points on 1-3 shooting, 6 fouls and 2 turnovers in 25 minutes. Poor game from the start. He gave up a 4-point play to Jones to start the game. His ankle gave way when he tried to come to a stop and he had to pull the ball back out. He stripped Amare in the post. He was called for an offensive foul after throwing a pass. He had a pass picked off in transition. Very poor first half. Second Half: He picked up his fourth foul on a bogus call on the offensive glass. He posted up Barbosa, drew the double and fed Jordan who was fouled. He posted up Barbosa, reposted, missed, got it back and scored easily for his only hoop. He picked up his fifth foul in the late third not giving up a dunk to Amare. He picked up his sixth foul on Amare trying to get a loose ball in the lane.

Farmar -- -- A good experience for Farmar going up against Nash and getting the start to close the season. He played a strong game, considering he was a late first rounder starting for this team on a must-win road game in the playoffs. He didn't back down from the challenge, and though he had his issues, he gave the team some spark. He finished with 11 points on 4-6 shooting, 5 boards, 3 steals, 2 assists and just 1 turnoverf in 25:35. He posted up Nash and drew a foul, making both FTs. He blew past Nash, sliced to the hoop and scored a layup. He bricked a wing jumper. Nice strip of Barbosa to knock the ball off of him out of bounds. He swiped an inbounds pass and scored. He didn't get back in for the rest of the half despite a descent first stint that made Nash work a little. Second Half: He charged over Nash on the first possession. He lobbed to Lamar for an uncontested score on the next possession. He deflected a Nash pass for a turnover. Nash attacked off the dribble and scored a layup. Nash hit an And-1 over him in transition. He attacked, lost Nash across the lane and scored a layup. Smart recognition (I shouldn't have to say that) of Barbosa on Luke in the post, he fed him, cut and drew a foul on the return pass, he made one FT. He busted out in transition on the next play, hesitated as if he was going to pick up the ball for a shot, then lost Nash putting the gas back on and scoring a layup (sweet move). He hit Luke again in the post against Barbosa and it led to a score. Nice D, deflecting a pass for a Sun turnover.

Kwame -- -- Kwame didn't finish the game. In fact, he played just 20:33. I thought the guys Phil went with down the stretch were the Lakers who played with the biggest heart. Kwame wasn't one of them. He's got skills, but his heart and his mind are his biggest obstacles to real success. He's another player that even though he was injured, the Lakers need consider that he's proven to be injury prone. So, if "health" was a major setback for us, you've got to realize you don't have a Karl Malone-type out there who is going to play every night despite all kinds of injuries. Kwame scored just 4 points on 2-4 shooting, grabbed 7 boards and had 2 turnovers. He fumbled away an interior feed from Kobe to start the game. He fumbled away an interior feed by Farmar. He got swatted by Thomas on a weak post move. He then reached and picked up his second foul with a little over 3 minutes left in the first. He came in for one sequence, drew a flop on Nash and sat back down with his third foul. Poor first half. Second Half: He cleaned up a Kobe brick with a putback. He clanked a jumphook. Some weak D on a couple sequences, leading to a layup and a fifth foul on Luke. Amare then picked up LO's fifth, slipping the screen. He slipped a screen himself, changed directions well to avoid a charge from Diaw and then hit an And-1 layup, he missed the FT.

Smush -- -- This seems most likely Smush's last game as a Laker. For two years, he has been high maintenance mentally for the Lakers. Behind the scenes there was a lot of discussion about his attitude. Publically, we eventually heard about even Jerry Buss meeting with him to talk about. The way he fizzled out with the staff down the stretch seems like a long shot for him to return. He played 7 minutes and didn't score, according to my notes. He missed a three on his first attempt. He charged over Bell in transition. He missed a pull-up jumper. He was not a factor in the second half since Phil didn't play him.

Bynum -- -- He dunked back in a Kobe missed drive. He played just 3 minutes, grabbing a couple of boards. Nothing much to evaluate here. Bynum needs to add strength to his power game this offseason, add consistency to his finesse game, and work on his conditioning. Come back with fire in his belly and a chip on his shoulder.

Evans -- -- Pretty soft overall series from Mo. He's a key roster spot for us -- that athletic 2/3 player. We need to get some elevated play from that position. He scored 4 points on 2-4 shooting, missed both threes he took. He dunked off a jumpass from Lamar. He missed a corner three off a kickout (not a good sign). Sub par team defense, at times. Second Half: He banked a quick one-hander over Amare. He missed a sideline three. Poor transition D with Kobe, not getting back, giving up a killer layup midway through the fourth.

Cook -- -- There were several possession in this game when the Suns got multiple offensive boards while Cook was on the floor. That won't show up as a stat for Cook, but his lack of rebounding presence at the PF kills us sometimes. I won't begin to understand his usage in this series. I think Ronny should have gotten most of Cook's minutes at PF. At least in this game, we cut down some on that and saw more Ronny. Cook scored 6 points on 2-3 shooting, grabbed 1 board in 7 minutes, during which he had 4 fouls. Uggh. He missed a three. He gave up a layup to Diaw who blew past him. He hit an And-1 wing jumper off the pinch post, he made the FT. He fouled Diaw in the post and sat. He sank a three back in for our last offensive possession of the half. Matador D at half court to let Marion just run right past him, (Worthy at halftime: "Which way did he go, George?") Second Half: In to start the fourth and he's late rotating and we give up a big three to Barbosa. Poor job on the glass, giving up several offensive boards on one sequence before he swatted Nash and Phil brought back in LO at PF.

Turiaf -- -- Ronny finally...for whatever reason...got some lengthy runtime. He finished the season strong and was shelved for most of this series. He delivered tonight with a double-double, scoring 12 points on 4-10 shooting and pulling down 10 boards (6 offensive) in 26 minutes. He didn't cut to the hoop off Luke's penetration, settled for the jumper and missed. He posted up Amare and hit a jumphook. Amare scored over him on the other end. Ronny went back at him and hit a jumphook. Amare dunked, going up and under. Ronny missed a long jumphook at the other end. He back-rimmed a one-hander from 5 feet out. He took a Kobe miss, missed a shot, then tore an offensive rebound away from Amare and nearly ripped the rim down on his dunk. He missed under the hoop, out battled Amare again and dunked it back in. He drew a foul, but missed both FTs. Second Half: He drew Amare's fifth foul in the early fourth on a clear-out contesting his shot. He missed a jumphook, got it back and drew a foul, he made both. He missed an And-1 layup that he knew he should have had, he made both FTs, though.

Shammond -- -- Quiet minutes, assigned to Barbosa with Smush on Nash in the first half. Some poor offensive execution in the fourth. I did like his fire during one of the timeouts trying to get guys to pull together. In the end, he was just another back-up, third-string quality guard. We went into this season knowing we had nothing but back up guards (at least they should have known that), we ended the season with our PG situation in big trouble. Shammond scored 2 points on on 1-3 shooting in 16 minutes. He missed a three at the end of the third. He sank a 20-footer from the wing. He bricked a pull-up jumper not running the offense. Next time down, turnover on a horrible non-Tri savvy entry pass to the weakside post from the strongside, uggh.

Vujacic -- -- In for the last offensive set of the half, he made a swing pass to Cook for a three. In late in the game, nothing to report. And so it goes.

Phil -- -- Still don't understand why we have Cook in on Diaw and not Ronny at PF instead of spot C minutes this series. His energy takes advantage of the Suns weak defensive rebounding... Despite that issue, Phil is not going to squeeze much out of this injury-riddled, not-ready-for-prime-time roster in this playoffs. If Kobe gets a pass for not having talent around him, Phil is in the same boat... Typical of the first half in this game, the Lakers allow the Suns to break them down with ease and hit a runner at the buzzer after we hit a three. Very soft D, not aggressive like game three. The Suns killed us anytime we made a mistake... The Lakers were 1-8 from three in the first half and gave up 16 points off of turnovers... With Lamar and Luke picking up their fifth fouls, Phil went to a Kwame, Turiaf, Mo, Kobe, Shammond lineup late in the third. Tough to hang in there with Kobe struggling badly. We trailed by 6 at the end of the third (cutting it to 2, nearly 1 if Kwame hits a FT)... He went to a Turiaf, Cook, Mo, Kobe, Shammond line up to start the fourth... With 8:52, now down by 9, Phil brought Lamar back in the game despite his fifth foul. All on the line here. No one else could step up... The Suns shot 31-39 from the line and 8-23 from three. The Lakers actually shot a better percentage and scored more on the break (20-14), just too soft defensively... Last season Phil said he wanted speed an D in the offseason. We used our MLE on Radmanovic, who provides neither. What will they do this offseason?...

Mrs. DancingBarry -- -- Once again, thanks to Mrs. DB and the two youngin's for putting up with all the Laker games. Without her picking up some of the slack when the games dominate the days or the evenings, it wouldn't be possible to do this. Perhaps, I can reward her with trips to Vegas and Hawaii around July and October.

[SweetP]

Thanks BD for a season of great recaps.

Wish it had been a better season to write about.

Thanks to Mrs. BD and the kids too.
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“There is always light if only we're brave enough to see it, if only we're brave enough to be it.” --Amanda Gorman

[Sister Golden Hair]

Thank you for all your hard work, DB. As I've said before, you are the standard bearer. For me, I can't call it a night until I read your recaps.

As for the team: it ends with a whimper, or maybe a groan. One could say more, but what would be the point. My only hope is that the FO authors of this fiasco are shown the door. I'm not optimistic given than one of said authors is the owner's son, and the other a long-time "highly-esteemed" employee. But if the owner wants his franchise to live up to his legacy, then nepotism and brown-nosing be damned. The FO needs new blood ALL AROUND, including the training/medical staff.

Let's hope there's a better product on the floor next year.

SGH

[Klone_dd]

DB for MVP

Tonight was another example of the Lakers being out of sync. Kobe kept it close in the 1st half, then LO made it a game with his huge 3rd Q. Not much help from anyone else, with the exception of Ronny (where was he all series, Phil?).

Phx again with their irritating flopping. I would guess that a number of Laker turnovers were offensive fouls due to the poor undersized Phx guys sliding underneath. Go Spurs!

[magic_bryant]

[DancingBarry]

Fixed. Thanks.

[- Sean -]

Thanks DB. I appreciate the way you share your tremendous analysis of the game w/ us....from preseason to the very end (and usually during the offseason in your mock drafts). You're the most valuable poster on this site...by far

[waterman40]

Thank you for all the hard work and effort. You can't play point guard, can you DB?
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LAKERS 2019-2020: NBA World Champions!

[prisma8slg]

Thanks DB and thanks to Mrs. and jrs. DB too
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"I define success by championships, by winning..." Kobe Bryant

"I've seen it all. Sasha dunked on somebody," Kobe Bryant said. "I'm ready to retire now."

[Prometheus8]

Thanks DB. Had to be a tough season for you, but your efforts are very very much appreciated.

[ElginBaylor]

DB - Love the Vonnegut reference. Shows you are not only an excellent game analyst but also well read.
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Not a legend

[Luke]

Thank you so much , DB , you deserve major props. 8)

[angrypuppy]

Thank you DB, for both the write-up and the Kurt Vonnegut reference.

I just wish Kwame, Smush and the other assorted misfits put as much heart into their game as you put into these write-ups.

In all my years since I've followed the team (spans decades), I've never felt more pessimistic about the direction of the team. We've had less talent (pre-Jabbar, post-Magic eras), but there was always plenty of reasons to keep the faith. The chaos that I suspect reigns in the executive suite has manifested itself on the roster. We need a professional GM who has an eye for talent, and the ability to soothe the factions. Only someone with top-drawer credentials will get that kind of respect.

I'm not suggesting a return of the Logo. I am hoping (against all odds) that Mitch Kupchak will step down, and that someone with the talent and stature will fill the void.

Thanks again DB... God bless you and your family.

[patmcfar8]

Thank you DB! It was quite a painful season... and you chronicled it beautifully.

Seriously, I read your recaps religiously and you are an amazing asset to this site. And I can only imagine how supportive Mrs. DB is to put up with you all season long. Tell her that she is greatly appreciated... I'm not sure my wife would be as accommodating.

Have a great off-season, you deserve it.

[maddprophet]

you the man DB.

thanks for everything
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Spark the ism, my expertism, is lyracism, my flow will take you over like I was hypnotism...so where's the lighter, to start the cypher....

[LarryCoon]

DB:

Mrs. DB:

[Mr. EiGhTy-OnE]

thanks DB and Mrs DB. i dont even feel like typing about how horrible the refs were and cook leaving barbosa wide open 2x in the 4th. see you guys next year!

KG......do it logo!

i want Caron back
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"When (Kobe) gets you on life support, he won't give you mouth to mouth. HE PULLS THE PLUG." -stu

[LakersInFour]

Thanks DB ... MVP of LG!!
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"It’s like going to the Getty and standing in front of Van Gogh’s Irises while some schmuck next to you critiques individual brush strokes. Just shut up already. The more you talk, the more you embarrass yourself."

[msb212]

Great recap as always DB, and thanks again for all your hard work this season. What an amazing thing you do. Remind me to take you to a game next season!!!

[Gepetto]

Thanks DB for a season of masterful analysis & reporting. cheers!

props to LO for playing his best game of the season .........since the very first game of the season.

Oct 31 vs. PHX W 114-106 44 12-24 3-4 7-7 3 10 13 6 3 0 5 3 34

May 2 @ PHX L 119-110 38 13-21 1-1 6-9 5 5 10 2 1 1 1 6 33

Thats a long time between 30 pt games.

[Rick12322]

[OregonLakerGuy]

Thanks again DB. Your analysis is one of the major reasons that I keep coming back.
Best of luck to the family as they get used to having a father again.

[kfkilla]

Thanks so much for your hard work DB. I know it must get tiring typing this stuff up....even when frustrated by losses.

Just know that we appriciate it. Have a good summer and see you at the summer pro league!

[LakerLanny]

DB, the way you played this season, you deserved at least the 2nd round.

Props to you and the DB family for a great season!
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Love, Laker Lanny

[Jeffs]

Thanks DB. While I haven't been here for all of the game threads due to a variety of reasons, I have always made sure to read your notes/analysis after every game. Thanks so much for your time and effort!
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Jeffs

I feel like I just watched someone TRULY give 100%. Not the BS I'm-gonna-give-a-110%-just-like-everyone-else-says platitudes, but someone that went until he just....broke. - GT