Game 1: Lakers @ Memphis: Sunday, 2pm CST/12pm PST

[TylersLakers]

Good morning y’all,

Today sounds like a great day to get a W. I think it’s so critical we come out and make a statement. This cannot be a blowout loss where Memphis’ crowd gets hyped and Ja and Dillion Brooks are mean mugging and acting ridiculous. Weather the storm and play our game.

What is your keys to this game? Here’s mine.

- 1) Transition D: We know Memphis is going to run and come at us. We cannot be watching the ball and let the Grizz beat us in transition. If Reaves is the primary assignment against Ja, only Vando and AD can go for offensive rebounds. Once Memphis boards, AD has to sprint back in transition. There’s 2 days between games for the first 3 games of the series. There’s no reason for AD to be slow to get back. Sprint your ass off, set up the half court D.

- 2) Who Steps Up?: I’m confident that down the stretch of games LeBron/AD/Reaves will be on the court and able to thrive in a playoff game. Who joins them? The playoffs are a different animal and not every regular season player can play. I’m fairly confident because of his versatility that Rui will be out there as well. Schroder is capable of the moment and wasn’t afraid against the T-Wolves. If I had to bet on a closing 5, it’ll probably be that. But 2 more guys at minimum have to join them. Troy Brown? Malik Beasley? Leads me to my next key.

- 3) D’Angelo Russell: Need D-Lo to be productive. They’re going to attack him and he needs to be a professional defender (which he has been this year). Don’t need him to be a lockdown defender, but he has to use his hoops IQ to be in the right spots, take the right angles, and not be a bystander. Offensively, he has to make shots. Against Minnesota, his form was all over the place. Not one shoot looked in rhythm and no shots looked the same. It was bizarre. Take and make open shots, get to your pull-up game in screen/roll actions if the D goes with the roll man (AD).

- 4) Dominate the boards. We cannot be out rebounded. With no Clarke and Adams, we have to punish this team. We should win the rebounding battle every game by a significant margin. If it’s close or we lose it outright, we’ll have no chance.

Prediction: Lakers in 6 games.

[stan francisco]

Good post. I agree.

Control the tempo. If this is a run and gun series, they will win.

Slowing it down doesn’t have to mean Bron-Bouncy-Ball. Swing it around but intelligently. As mentioned above, elimination games spell, don’t F&#%^ turn it over!

More than anything, defense! I hope Harrison comes in and surprises us all with better defense than expected. We need a Ty Lue / Iverson fight at PG. It’s a tall order for Harrison to defend Ja but I’m hopeful. He’s very quick, reads the game well, and he’s very physical. He’s a handful to get around one on one. I think he might beat up Ja as much as Brooks will beat up LBJ. Of course he won’t start but D Lo will have to sit after about two minutes against MEM. We’ll be down by ten in a jiffy. Their coach is smart.

Again, we’re a big man short until Thompson is up to speed…

I say it’ll be seven games, several OTs.

[Beethoven]

WE GOT DIS

[fteru6uhre54ew]

Defense do let them run. Don't do stupid things. Run smartly. The leaders do his job attack the advantages of the double teams and shoot well. With this we got this

[MAMBAEMD]

Let’s go Lakers!!!

Game one is our huge opportunity to steal one in the road .

We cannot come out flat.

[JVL]

Loving our early defensive intensity.

[Danny Darko]

DLo freezing cold to open again.

[MAMBAEMD]

Our defense is great.

We’re getting great shots . We‘re just missing them .

Our defense though is really good so far

[stan francisco]

Good defense so far.

[JVL]

I love you Bron but please stop shooting these horrible 3s.

[Fedor]

The days off did us well

[MAMBAEMD]

AD is playing like AD!

Love his intensity both on offense and defense

[stan francisco]

It’s looking good so far.

[Crooked-I]

ADs defense

[JVL]

This unit is offensively anemic. AD needs to stop playing point guard.

[stan francisco]

Vanderbilt is such a great piece to go with AD and LBJ. He can guard 1-4. So far, he and Schroeder has denied Ja the ball very effectively.

[fteru6uhre54ew]

They have to start to make those good looks man those are easy shots

[MAMBAEMD]

We need a big in there right now

[MAMBAEMD]

I love the idea of Vandy guarding Ja

[Slava]

Back to back turnovers and a missed rotation on a 45% 3 point shooter. Wtf with these meltdowns with Lebron in the game?