LAKERS -at- SUNS -- 4/23 -- Thoughts and :-(( ratings
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- Sean -
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 12:17 pm    Post subject:

jminges wrote:
sean2023 wrote:
Kobe going 3 for 10 in the 4th, including 4 straight misses during a portion of the game where LA went from being up 1 to down 6...it was key.

If you read what you just posted, the Suns only offense in that stretch were (uncharacteristic) free throws.


First of all, there was a Thomas jump shot that was made as well. Secondly, I didn't get into the Suns offense in my post...what's your point?
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:06 pm    Post subject:

wolfpaclaker wrote:

Why was Lamar Odom knocked so much this season? It is NOT easy to play in the Triangle when you aren't the first option. If Phil told Kobe to be the team's 1st option and dominate the game - Kobe would do it with ease.

The part where ALL (STAR) players struggle with in the Triangle is when it's an equal oppurtunity offense. They have to be involved but just not by scoring. Yesterday - Odom and Kwame were just as much an option as Bryant was during the game. Kobe opened up the game for his teammates and raised their confidence. How? By just allowing them to be aggressive and getting the ball in the post. He was the reason the offense ran well, because like in most games he's instructing them where to set up the O. The difference was that he didn't dominate it himself like he's been doing most of the season.



I think bringing Lamar's earlier season play into this makes sense...because Kobe was playing just a bit too passive, similar to what Lamar was doing earlier in the season. He wasn't using his skills to their full advantage (even in letting others get going). Very similar to Lamar's early season issues. Now, fast forward to Lamar's play once he understood how to integrate his dynamic game with the others. He and the team were much better. It doesn't mean Lamar has to score more. It doesn't mean Kobe has to score more (but he will). It means using your dynamic game to make it easier for everyone else as well...collapse the D, pull rebounders away from Kwame to help on you, set up guys like Kwame for dunks, etc.

Kobe doesn't need to go off, but he does need to throttle it up just a bit more than he did. A few more attacks in the game by him and it keeps him in flow and it makes things easier on the teammates...PLUS, it also sticks with the game plan of scoring in the paint. I'm pretty sure that's what you will see in the next game.
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wolfpaclaker
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:23 pm    Post subject:

^
The difference is that Kobe (unlike Lamar) has experience in being a facilitator. Bryant was just being patient but to an extent where he kind of became too patient. Similar to how Lamar struggled early on.

I think the mistake on the Lakers' part is that they haven't employed this strategy much this season. Maybe 3-4 games all season. Kobe has very little experience with this team in that role.

Bryant will have to go back and find the game he had when Shaq was here. That is get the ball inside early, and then as the game wears on surely but truly applying himself more and more.

I believe in Kobe more than I do any other Laker. He will find his niche and still have the Lakers playing a team game. He's done it countless times in the past with Shaq. He can do it now with Odom/Kwame.
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 2:56 pm    Post subject:

Yeah, would have been nice to get those kinks out of the system and working that traditional post game with Lamar and Kwame a bit more. Still, they did a decent job. I'm sure Kobe will fine tune it in the next one. They weren't too far off... had the lead in the fourth, despite the poor start...and seeing as how everyone can pick out one or two of their favorite pet peeves or possessions in this game as the reason they lost.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:02 pm    Post subject:

I agree with Kobe’s take on the game. I was very happy about the team performance overall. Consider the setting.

On the road, against a team with 9 more wins. 7th vs. 2nd.
A Laker team that outside of Kobe that has so little playoff experience it’s hardly worth talking about.
A young team that all year had the trouble all young teams have, closing the game off with a defensive stand in the 4th and cold clutch shooting.

- The defense fouled the Suns into far too many easy points from the line.
- The defense allowed far too many drives in the lane, the ongoing problem.
- The offense missed far too many easy inside shots.

- and last… cold shooting from the outside. Combine Kobe’s 3-11 4th with the overall off/on 3 point shooting that we have suffered all year and we have to happy we still had a chance in the end. As good as Lamar has been, no other player on this team has it in him yet to offset a Kobe cold streak. I’ve seen Duncan struggle and Gino or Parker completely take over and save the day. All anyone remembers is TD’s team won so he must be perfect. Until some of the others grow into that role , we get other player, or the defense turns world class which relieves the scoring burden then this will happen.

Guys like Smush, Walton, Cook, LO don't defend all that well. George lately has sucked. Smush has not clue how to push his man into the help defense letting him pick his lane. Nash can be thrown off by some physical play and they aren't up for it. But that means some really hard picks and some serious blocking. A strong 1 on Nash and good help from the bigs and we could have survived a bad shooting game or we get our shooting rhythm and we still win.
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 4:19 pm    Post subject:

Agree with DB/Wolf's comments

With a team that is so young, where no one can replace Kobe's offensive output and in a game where Kobe wasn't hot - the Lakers still had a legimate chance to win - definitely a good omen

Hopefully they will eliminate the unnecessary fouls so that the Suns don't score from the charity stripe again and again and again and . . . . .
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ctjcad
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:30 am    Post subject: Re: LAKERS -at- SUNS -- 4/23 -- Thoughts and :-(( ratings

very detailed and excellent observations and analysis by DancingBarry snipped for brevity...all true, but here's hoping for a competitive and extended series.. 8)
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:28 pm    Post subject:

"I had to take a lot of bail-out shots tonight," Kobe said. "I wasn't looking to attack or to assert myself really. I think we had a lot of things we can take advantage of and tonight we did that. It kept us in the ballgame. We had them right where we wanted them. Just a couple bounces didn't go our way."

The above quote, from the L.A. Times has me worried, and kind of angry... Even Phil had to criticize Kobe. I thought it might be Phil that had changed Kobe's strategy... I thought Kobe would have understood what worked, in that last regular season win, against Phoenix... Is Kobe so confident, that he wants to experiment, on his own, instead of doing what has worked??
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:31 pm    Post subject:

^ Kobe said on the radio today that he has to balance his game better with the rest of the team.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:49 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
^ Kobe said on the radio today that he has to balance his game better with the rest of the team.


I tend to disagree, to some extent... To be honest, I don't think the "balancing act" takes place, when Kobe is consciously trying to bring it about... I mean, we've seen it all season long. Kobe is a great player, with many skills, but I don't think he can consciously bring about the type of consistent team play, to get us through the playoffs.

I believe that what does work, is when Kobe becomes aggressive, and takes it to the hole, but balances this, with a swing out, to the open man, if the paint is too crowded. I think the rest of the team will naturally develop their rhythm, within the triangle, and perform their roles. Kobe's instincts, are to be aggressive, to physically perform, and dominate, not to be a passive instigator.

After the team has established their rhythm, then Kobe will be more open, for his outside shot.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 11:05 pm    Post subject:

LakersSpirit wrote:
I believe that what does work, is when Kobe becomes aggressive, and takes it to the hole, but balances this, with a swing out, to the open man, if the paint is too crowded. I think the rest of the team will naturally develop their rhythm, within the triangle, and perform their roles. Kobe's instincts, are to be aggressive, to physically perform, and dominate, not to be a passive instigator.


I'm guessing this is what Kobe meant.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 6:13 am    Post subject:

Kobe cannot go away from his strengths, and what has worked... I mean, I'm sorry, but I don't believe we can win, if he just trys to be the one that passes the ball around, trying to find the open man. Once the team gets in a rhythm, however, then Kobe can be more of a facilitator, because, theoretically, everyone will have gotten involved, and everyone is doing their thing...

Kobe instigates the offense, with his aggressive penetration. We've all been witness... The long range shots should come later, as we work people open, in the rhythm of the game, and within the triangle.

The problem is that Kobe no longer has that big "sidekick" beside him, to keep him from getting more lumps on his head...
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