ARIZA!, ARIZA!, ARIZA!

[DubaLakers]

First take: It took KB24's second best game of the playoffs (Spurs game 5, #1), a career playoff high for Sasha, and some nice defense and boarding from the rest of the crew to win another close one last night. With last nights win my fear meter moved up one tick from 10 to 9, with "1" being no fear. Again Kobe was just incredible on his amazing shots last night, anything around that FT line is a near guaranteed bucket, just such a privledge to watch.

A few things I took from last nights game different from game 1 & 2:

1. Kobe was running with the bench, loved seeing that. That's exactly what Doc was doing in Beantown, leaving PP in to do damage. I have a feeling Kobe's not going to get much rest at all the rest of this series, the C's are just too much of a threat anytime he sits.

2. Vlad Rad is a huge liability other than his expert outside shooting that extends the D. The ratio is like 1:3 points:mistakes. IMO you let him start and run him with the starters until the first timeout. He seems to get all his points right after pregame warmups anyway up until the first timeout, when the RedBull finally wears off. Ariza has gotta take Vlad Rad's minutes...PLEASE! I just love the Ariza. He will lockdown the PP, all he needs is PT. Then Sasha at the 2, and Kobe at the 3 to finish it.

3. The rest of the guys really gotta step up. Where's our main man DFish? I miss his straight butter j's. Lamar needs to stop sulking, and stop taking hesitant mid range jumpers, he needs to gear down on his basket drives to prevent charges, the C's are the #1 charge takers in the league BTW. Pau has gotta go up stronger, all offseason excessive core training for Pau.

NOTES:
1. I'm really done with the Luke. Great guy, other than passing and "ONE" occasional nice drive/post move a game, is a liabilty vs. a strong team like the C's.

2. We have to win the next two at home to have a shot at the LOB IMO.

3. Kobe is on the all interview team wouldn't you think? He just gets it. Last night Sasha was nails in the media room as well. A real telling interview, loves being in the game in crunch time, loves shooting, and most importantly has NO FEAR!

4. FYI I switch over to ESPN News for the post game interviews in the press room, immediatly following the final whistle. They show all the post game interviews in the press room. Now that it's not on TNT, I really don't value any one of these experts opinions with the exception of Greg Anthony in the studio and Coach Van Gundie, Coach provides great insight and is surprisingly funny. Last night he was talking about at a break about how he shouldn't have to pay full price at the barber, because he's sporting limited folicles, after MJax was going over NBA Finals opinions he was discussing at his barbershop. Funny moment. As far as the rest of the ESPN crew...Jon Barry, Stuart Scott, Michael Wilbon, uggh, no thanks. I really would rather hear from the players and coaches in the press room.

Go Lakers!

[Tommy Trojan]

LOL why Ariza as a title? just wondering

[hermes]

i don't think the lakers can afford to rest kobe a lot, not like he needs rest, he's in great shape

i think fisher will come around, but as for lamar and pau- an intervention needs to be done, they need to play well eventually

[garcia3]

Vlad just doesn't know how to play the game of basketball, i can't stand watching him on the court

[Rox_Nix_Nox]

It's the finals and Lamar is yet to figure out his game. He forgets what works for him. When he's playing bad he tries to be more aggressive which makes him even more crappier.

Luke should be gone after this season. It bothers me when he makes a dumb play, the look on this face, and how reporters find the need to interview this bum who had no positive effect on the game. Yes more Ariza. I'd even give Coby Karl more time over walton.

Vlad off the bench next year.

Sasha a well-deserved contract from the Lakers.

[Chubby Chaser]

I'd rather put Sasha in and move Kobe to the 3.

[daddyfivestar]

Kareem and Worthy need to get Pau and LO in a room and drop a beatdown on them..... Do they really want to be winners? Are they just posers? Will they want their legacy to be punked by old and older KG and PJB on the biggest stage?

Kareem might have to go Bruce Lee on them and Worthy might have to call a few hookers to get their minds right!

This is the LA Lakers.... we don't hang finals participant banners errr conf champ banners I mean!

Kareem might have to go Bruce Lee on them and Worthy might have to call a few hookers to get their minds right! Yeah I said it twice, once for each of them.

[DubaLakers]

I'd rather put Sasha in and move Kobe to the 3.

Last sentence, point 2. In BOLD .

[Verbal]

FiveStar,

[Slava]

Rad is actually the best skilled SF on our team but his concentration problems make him what he is, "a space cadet".

[Verbal]

^I disagree.

That title belongs to Odom.

[Lakers8]

I wanted to make basically the same post. Ariza is needed! I think you guys are being a little harsh on Vlad, his possibly been after Kobe our most consistent scorer through the playoffs, he is doing his job unlike butter gasol and lamar. His only problem is that he is trying to defend paul pierce and it appears the PP is given the refs a bit of a touch up between games, so last couple games has had the foul trouble.
Phil probably one of the worst subsituting coaches i have ever seen has to wake the F up and realise that all walton has the ability to do on a basketball court is make a good pass. Against a team like boston who are even managing to shut down some of kobes pick and roll passes etc, walton is useless. If you take away his passing game he has absolute 0, walton shouldn get a minute, hell drop him off the roster and insert brother Ira for all i care!
Ariza desperately needs minutes, he does look a little uncofident at the minute in the offense, but that can only come with play time, we need him more on defence anyway to cover PP, we are basically runnin the briangle on offense as it is, at least Ariza will slash and attack the offensive glass.