what's missing?

[chefy]

we have the best player in the game; kobe

the best coach; phil jackson

top 2-3 pf in gasol

2nd best center in the league/best center in the west? bynum

maybe the best 1 on 1 defender in artest

one of the best 6th man in odom

the pg position is OK..I think we'll be fine

I know our bench is below average. but what the heck we can get 6 posters here, to be bench players for the lakers. and we still probably be contenders.

why are we still losing? or why can't we take care of games, the way we still supposed to take care of them? like for example the bucks game and just now we just played OKC in our own HC. this are very winnable games, kobe shouldn't have to get 40-8-6, or hit a game winner just for us to win.

[Slava]

but what the heck we can get 6 posters here, to be bench players for the lakers. and we still probably be contenders.

I got dibs on back up PG.

[slifersd]

OKC is a very talented team. Beating them by 3 points is nothing to be ashamed of. Our PG position has no defense, which allows opposing PGs to run wild and put up points and assists however they feel like it.

Odom is not one of the best 6th man in the NBA. He might be one of the most talented 6th man in the game, but he isn't that effective or consistent as a player to be one of the best of anything.

[tkb]

the pg position is OK..I think we'll be fine

I don't think it is. We have the best team in the league overall, but we're severely lacking at PG.

[Optms]

What's missing? I'ma tell you whats missing. The PG situation is pathetic here. Derek Fisher is dependable --- when he is in final 2 minutes of the game. His ability to hit the big shots doesn't make up for the fact that he is a weak link at the 1. His production is horrid to boot and sadly I cannot say it is even average. However, It IS tolerable because he knows hot to run the offense.

Another thing? The bench sucks ass.

Besides Lamar Odom? Good Lord, it's a joke. Knowing that, I really believe this may come back and bite the team in the ass come playoff time. Bring in the lil shrimp aka Nate Robinson. I cannot emphasis how much I stress when I have to see our starters (most noticeably Gasol/Mamba) come in the 4th to secure wins. ALL those minutes WILL add up.

Besides that, though. We're good. Also, I do not mean to blow these individual issues up as if the team is in dire need of changes, these issues are minor and all but the bench really doesn't need to be looked into. We have arguable the best team in the league but, no team is perfect.

[fareweatherfan]

our bench didn't get any worse than it was, our starters just keep getting so much better (add gasol, artest) and the gap b/w the starters and the bench (skillwise) is widening. our bench is not nearly as bad as it appears.

[DubaLakers]

4 game roadtrip, timezones, tired team, nothings missing. The only thing stopping this train is health, nothing else.

Pau a top 2-3 pf in the league? Ouch! 1st team all NBA .

Don't forget Luck Walton will be back soon with his bottle of glue to patch up the 2nd team.

[Optms]

our bench didn't get any worse than it was, our starters just keep getting so much better (add gasol, artest) and the gap b/w the starters and the bench (skillwise) is widening. our bench is not nearly as bad as it appears.

Are you f'n with me? Look at our rosters highest paid players coming off the bench and point to me WHERE you see the similarity of production from a season ago:

Odom last year:

11.3 PPG
8.2 RPG
2.6 APG
1.3 BPG
1.0 STL
FG% .492
TS% .542

Improvement this season: (Improvements in green/drop off in RED

8.6 PPG
8.3 RPG
3.6 APG
0.7 BPG
0.8 STL
FG% .423
TS% .492

Sasha last season:

5.8 PPG
1.7 RPG
1.4 APG
FG% .387
TS% .531
16.2 MPG

Improvements this season:

1.8 PPG
1.0 RPG
0.3 APG
FG% .375
TS% .487
6.6 MPG

Farmar a year ago:

6.4 PPG
1.8 RPG
2.4 APG
FG% .391
3PT% .336
TS% .466

Improvements this season:

6.6 PPG
2.0 RPG
2.0 APG
FG% .412
3PT% .324
TS% .503

Luke Walton a year ago:

5.0 PPG
2.7 RPG
0.5 APG
FG% .436
TS% .491
17.9 MPG

Luke Walton's improvements this season:

3.7 PPG
1.7 RPG
1.9 APG
FG% .424
TS% .500
10.6 MPG

AMMO last season:

1.1 PPG

Improvements this season:

2.1 PPG (contract year, guys)

Shannon Brown a year ago:

3.2 PPG
0.6 RPG
0.2 APG
FG% .524
TS% .631
7.6 MPG

Improvements this season:

6.3 PPG
1.1 RPG
0.6 APG
FG% .435
TS% .529
17.4 MPG

Shannon is the only guy on our bench who has noticeably improved his production from a year ago yet that is not enough to make up for the lack of production we are losing from our other guys. A season ago, at best, I had believed our bench to be average --- at best. Yet here we are sitting on the eve of Christmas eve 2009, and I cannot gather enough holiday spirit from whatever heart I have left to sympathize for these dorks. No, instead I shake my head in disgust and view the step backs and the inability to step up our highest paid guys on our bench have taken this year. Lord. I hope Santa is watching. You think I sigh in relief when we're blowing out teams after 3? Nah. I cringe son. Farmar? Odom? Luke? Pfft SASHA? Coal for you and you and you and YOU.

[Tee212]

spoiled spoiled spoiled, stop nit picking. Thunder's are legit, if you think we're goona beat teams by 20 night in and out then you're dreaming.

[Optms]

spoiled spoiled spoiled, stop nit picking. Thunder's are legit, if you think we're goona beat teams by 20 night in and out then you're dreaming.

+ 1.

I lost my sanity there for a minute, thank you for retrieving it back to me. How silly was it of me to state our starters were incapable of giving us a 20 point lead night in night out.

[Tee212]

spoiled spoiled spoiled, stop nit picking. Thunder's are legit, if you think we're goona beat teams by 20 night in and out then you're dreaming.

+ 1.

I lost my sanity there for a minute, thank you for retrieving it back to me. How silly was it of me to state our starters were incapable of giving us a 20 point lead night in night out.

I feel your pain tho, granted our bench practically had their play time reduced = lower statistical output. But it just seems as tho soon as they come in our lead automatically shrinks by 7-15 points. Maybe its the rotation? phil mix TOO many bench players playing with starters??? sasha's numbers are down bigtime due to brown taking over his minutes....anyways 23-4 is dam sexy!

[The Skyhook]

Nate Robinson

[96 Til Infiniti]

I think the bench will get a surprising boost when Luke Walton returns.

Stop laughing, I'm serious.

[Magicontinues]

why are we still losing? .

[daddyfivestar]

I think LA can survive the PG sitch - Kenny Smith said it best when asked about the LA PG deficiency... he said Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Deron, Billups, all the good and quick guards torch everyone not just the Lakers. Imo, wing backup is the weakness. Kobe has to slide up to 3 when Ron goes out (LO is playing almost no 3 this year) and Brown (too small) or Sasha (too sucky) has to play SG with Farmar or Fish. That makes for a weak backcourt.

I think when CHI melts down and gives up, and decides to play for 2010 max cap, a Salmons for Ammo+ Farmar+ '11 2nd is the move. Saves some cash now and gives LA solid wing for the rest of this yr and next.

Rotation:
Bigs- 96 mpg
Gasol/Bynum/Odom
Wings- 96 mpg
Kobe/Artest/Salmons
PG- 48 mpg
Fisher/Brown

blowouts/dire foul trouble only
Mbenga, Powell - bigs
Vujacic, Walton- wings
Need to pick up a PG for the prorated min (300k right now) like Livingston, Lue, Wilks, Taylor etc

I think 24 mpg of Brown and Fisher works.

[Edrees]

the thunder beat the suns in phoenix last night, coming off a back to back playing against us. So i hope you feel better that they took us down the stretch.

[Komodo]

You can have Calderon for Morrison and Vujacic. Works in the checker. Obviously a salary dump, but you'd reap the rewards.

[Dr Aki]

why are we still losing? .

this.

[The Laker Kid]

We need Walton back