ROUND 1, GAME 1: Mavericks @ Clippers Saturday 1:30PM PDT

[og15]

Beverly is ATM an overrated defensive player. We have to let Mann loose on Luka. Also we need to start Ibaka. If Beverly is not useful as a defender then he's plain useless. I want Rondo to see more minutes so he might as well start. We cannot have Luka give the ball and get it back posting a smaller guard. Kawhi needs to get more involved and play with more emotion. Let's what adjustments Lue has in store for game 2.

I don't know how I feel about smaller defenders on Luka in general. One advantage is that they can pressure him on the ball, but if he just plays smart, gives it up and gets in the post, he can really beat in the smaller guys. Kawhi + George + Morris on Luka are the options that should be used, but of course he'll screen away from them, so the team is going to have to decide if they want to fight over on the screens.

Going small-ish against Dallas is also an option because Porzongis doesn't always play big, that can mean that switching won't have Zubac on an island against Luka again.

Of course it's hard to gauge how much of Luka's shooting vs Zubac was variance vs it just being an extremely favorable switch.

I'd say that even if Luka goes off, if they can contain the complimentary guys better, that will change the game. It's going to be interesting to see what the coaching staff decides.

[NickP]

Beverly is ATM an overrated defensive player. We have to let Mann loose on Luka. Also we need to start Ibaka. If Beverly is not useful as a defender then he's plain useless. I want Rondo to see more minutes so he might as well start. We cannot have Luka give the ball and get it back posting a smaller guard. Kawhi needs to get more involved and play with more emotion. Let's what adjustments Lue has in store for game 2.

I don't know how I feel about smaller defenders on Luka in general. One advantage is that they can pressure him on the ball, but if he just plays smart, gives it up and gets in the post, he can really beat in the smaller guys. Kawhi + George + Morris on Luka are the options that should be used, but of course he'll screen away from them, so the team is going to have to decide if they want to fight over on the screens.

Going small-ish against Dallas is also an option because Porzongis doesn't always play big, that can mean that switching won't have Zubac on an island against Luka again.

Of course it's hard to gauge how much of Luka's shooting vs Zubac was variance vs it just being an extremely favorable switch.

I'd say that even if Luka goes off, if they can contain the complimentary guys better, that will change the game. It's going to be interesting to see what the coaching staff decides.

I just read that Kawhi is going to defend Luka more in game 2. We need to be more physical with Luka. In Rondo we'll have a ball handler that'll make Luka work.
Yeah it's a puzzle but that's why these coaches get millions. Also if the long ball is not falling then this team needs to find ways to score inside. Taking 3s all game long and not making them is a day off for the other team's defense.

[Quake Griffin]

At times the emotionalism and hyperbole on this board gets to a point where some of us are discouraged from entering in at the risk of being attacked just because we do not see things the same way as someone else. Thank you for this last post and for the recent change of direction in this thread. Remember this is all fun right? We're supposed to be fans and hoping for the best right?

There's nothing about this that has been fun as a fan.

No amount of "it's better than the Sterling years" is gonna rinse the stench off of choking and playoff failure. Getting texts and made fun of by your Laker fan friends IS NOT fun. I get it. Ha ha ha, it's just sports. It's not that serious. Yeah yeah yeah. Still not fun.

We need a poised and mentally strong team that can withstand playing with expectations and one that isn't going to cower just because Luka didn't kneel and kiss the lack of rings.

Nah. This aint fun at all and hasn't been in a while imo.

Okay--I'm gonna disagree. For me, it's fun. It was fun during the Sterling years too. I mean, it was fun for Red Sox and Cubs fans for a century when they weren't getting to the World Series.

Am I sorry when we lose? Yeah. Am I more upset about losing as the team improves and stakes get higher? Yes and yes. But I also am able to live enough in the moment to appreciate what we have. That's the best gift for a sports fan. Joy in the moment. Hope springs eternal.

A bad series hurts. It affects me. For a few weeks. Maybe a month or two. But I move on because the team moves on because time moves on. Carrying all the anger from the past sends you down the rabbit hole. I like to think about it the way Dave DeBusschere did, as Bill Bradley described it. Bradley missed a game winning shot in a critical game during a playoff run.

After the game I was dejected. Back at the hotel. Dave, who had joined the team from Detroit two months earlier, saw how I felt and put me straight. ``You can't go through a season like this,'' he said. There are too many games, Sure, you blew it tonight, but when it's over, it's over. Let it go. Otherwise you won't be ready to play tomorrow night.'' It was NBA lesson #1; Don't make today's loss the enemy of tomorrow's victory.

Don't make today's loss the enemy of tomorrow's victory. Great quote. If there are mistakes, acknowledge them and try to fix them. Be honest, but don't wallow in pity or anger; those are the real enemies of progress.

Clipper fan for over three decades. Still fun for me.

You think a Red Sox fan enjoyed that ball getting past Bill Buckner?

Gotta say, my guess is not. MAYBE after the 4 WS wins (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018), they can laugh about those awful times but I truly doubt the sting of that loss left any time soon.


I can try to have a more positive outlook on all of this but...no promises.
I don't feel I'll be able to relax until the team makes its first conference final (particularly since we know what it's like to be one game away TWICE).

[madmaxmedia]

There's nothing about this that has been fun as a fan.

No amount of "it's better than the Sterling years" is gonna rinse the stench off of choking and playoff failure. Getting texts and made fun of by your Laker fan friends IS NOT fun. I get it. Ha ha ha, it's just sports. It's not that serious. Yeah yeah yeah. Still not fun.

We need a poised and mentally strong team that can withstand playing with expectations and one that isn't going to cower just because Luka didn't kneel and kiss the lack of rings.

Nah. This aint fun at all and hasn't been in a while imo.

Okay--I'm gonna disagree. For me, it's fun. It was fun during the Sterling years too. I mean, it was fun for Red Sox and Cubs fans for a century when they weren't getting to the World Series.

Am I sorry when we lose? Yeah. Am I more upset about losing as the team improves and stakes get higher? Yes and yes. But I also am able to live enough in the moment to appreciate what we have. That's the best gift for a sports fan. Joy in the moment. Hope springs eternal.

A bad series hurts. It affects me. For a few weeks. Maybe a month or two. But I move on because the team moves on because time moves on. Carrying all the anger from the past sends you down the rabbit hole. I like to think about it the way Dave DeBusschere did, as Bill Bradley described it. Bradley missed a game winning shot in a critical game during a playoff run.

After the game I was dejected. Back at the hotel. Dave, who had joined the team from Detroit two months earlier, saw how I felt and put me straight. ``You can't go through a season like this,'' he said. There are too many games, Sure, you blew it tonight, but when it's over, it's over. Let it go. Otherwise you won't be ready to play tomorrow night.'' It was NBA lesson #1; Don't make today's loss the enemy of tomorrow's victory.

Don't make today's loss the enemy of tomorrow's victory. Great quote. If there are mistakes, acknowledge them and try to fix them. Be honest, but don't wallow in pity or anger; those are the real enemies of progress.

Clipper fan for over three decades. Still fun for me.

You think a Red Sox fan enjoyed that ball getting past Bill Buckner?

Gotta say, my guess is not. MAYBE after the 4 WS wins (2004, 2007, 2013, 2018), they can laugh about those awful times but I truly doubt the sting of that loss left any time soon.

I can try to have a more positive outlook on all of this but...no promises.
I don't feel I'll be able to relax until the team makes its first conference final (particularly since we know what it's like to be one game away TWICE).

I guess another way of saying it is that it's all for fun, if not always actually fun LOL.