Game 53: Los Angeles Lakers (40-12) @ Denver Nuggets (38-16) - 10:00 PM ET

[Kilroy]

Caruso is quickly becoming our Derek Fisher

[Sedale Threatt]

B shaw20 sighting

First post in 8 months, lol. And I did fudge a little bit -- I mentally hung up.

I just don't want to hear about f'ing touches, especially with past-prime bench players. Good players can do other things and don't need touches to make an impact. But I guess that's why he's making $2.5 million per on his sixth team.

Also, my man is a former PG himself, so he's got a natural affinity for players who overdribble and monopolize the offense.

y'all crazy

First time I met him was at a sports bar in like 96 or 97; dude was wearing a Cedric Ceballos jersey, so that should tell you about his basketball sensibilities.

[kblo247]

Caruso is quickly becoming our Derek Fisher

You must have forgot 75% from three for a series vs SA. You must have forgot 21ppg in the closeout games of the 01 playoffs. You must have forgot dunking on a poster with Iverson. Caruso got to show me more and he got to reel off win after win. Now if Caruso can take over the starting role after ther break like Fish did and handle his business like Fish did, come talk to me. To then their names don't get spoken in the same breath

[Kilroy]

Caruso is quickly becoming our Derek Fisher

You must have forgot 75% from three for a series vs SA. You must have forgot 21ppg in the closeout games of the 01 playoffs. You must have forgot dunking on a poster with Iverson. Caruso got to show me more and he got to reel off win after win. Now if Caruso can take over the starting role after ther break like Fish did and handle his business like Fish did, come talk to me. To then their names don't get spoken in the same breath

Yeah, Fisher came up big in a lot of big games, but he was also a guy a lot of people couldn't wait to get rid of. He wasn't a great PG, or a great SG... But he did all the little things that a winning team needs, and then he shot lights out in a few playoff series... And the legend was cemented.

I love Fisher, but I think it's important to keep perspective.

[Beethoven]

Id love me some prime fish on this team right now going into playoffs.

[kblo247]

Caruso is quickly becoming our Derek Fisher

You must have forgot 75% from three for a series vs SA. You must have forgot 21ppg in the closeout games of the 01 playoffs. You must have forgot dunking on a poster with Iverson. Caruso got to show me more and he got to reel off win after win. Now if Caruso can take over the starting role after ther break like Fish did and handle his business like Fish did, come talk to me. To then their names don't get spoken in the same breath

Yeah, Fisher came up big in a lot of big games, but he was also a guy a lot of people couldn't wait to get rid of. He wasn't a great PG, or a great SG... But he did all the little things that a winning team needs, and then he shot lights out in a few playoff series... And the legend was cemented.

I love Fisher, but I think it's important to keep perspective.

The perspective for me is that Fisher did all that when it mattered in 01 and played two series on a fractured foot and still handled his. The next year in 02 he was the third option for a full season and playoffs ona title team, the only other double digit score guy to Kobe and Shaq. In 03 he was a double digit guy again and people bring up Hudson a lot, but ignore that Fish in that Wolves series averaged 16 a night, shot 60% from three, and 52 from the field himself; he shot 56 from three and 54 from the field versus the Spurs too when we got beat so he did his job. We can keep going and you see Fish averaging double digits in GS, starting at SG on a winning team in utah, and coming back to LA to be a solid guy two knee surgeries and many miles later.

The perspective is like there are classes to talent such as superstars and all stars, there are classes to role players too and Fisher was a class A, whereas if caruso came up when he did, Alex would not get on the floor at all. And if put Fish in this era he is much higher paid, has better career averages, and is looked at as a much more talented guy. Right now Caruso has a lot to prove when it comes to deserving to be a rotation guy because he does stretches where he is turnover prone or does not hit a shot for a week; Fish had to get old and grey before he had that inconsistency

[tamaraw08]

You must have forgot 75% from three for a series vs SA. You must have forgot 21ppg in the closeout games of the 01 playoffs. You must have forgot dunking on a poster with Iverson. Caruso got to show me more and he got to reel off win after win. Now if Caruso can take over the starting role after ther break like Fish did and handle his business like Fish did, come talk to me. To then their names don't get spoken in the same breath

Yeah, Fisher came up big in a lot of big games, but he was also a guy a lot of people couldn't wait to get rid of. He wasn't a great PG, or a great SG... But he did all the little things that a winning team needs, and then he shot lights out in a few playoff series... And the legend was cemented.

I love Fisher, but I think it's important to keep perspective.

The perspective for me is that Fisher did all that when it mattered in 01 and played two series on a fractured foot and still handled his. The next year in 02 he was the third option for a full season and playoffs ona title team, the only other double digit score guy to Kobe and Shaq. In 03 he was a double digit guy again and people bring up Hudson a lot, but ignore that Fish in that Wolves series averaged 16 a night, shot 60% from three, and 52 from the field himself; he shot 56 from three and 54 from the field versus the Spurs too when we got beat so he did his job. We can keep going and you see Fish averaging double digits in GS, starting at SG on a winning team in utah, and coming back to LA to be a solid guy two knee surgeries and many miles later.

The perspective is like there are classes to talent such as superstars and all stars, there are classes to role players too and Fisher was a class A, whereas if caruso came up when he did, Alex would not get on the floor at all. And if put Fish in this era he is much higher paid, has better career averages, and is looked at as a much more talented guy. Right now Caruso has a lot to prove when it comes to deserving to be a rotation guy because he does stretches where he is turnover prone or does not hit a shot for a week; Fish had to get old and grey before he had that inconsistency

Dude, I don't know if you are aware, Fisher in 2002, he was 27 years old, 6 years in the league and finally fully grasping his role in the system of Phil for 3 years. Caruso is 25 under a new coach and new system who treats back court players like people he face on a speed dating session. As Heidi Klum would love so say, one night you're in, one night you're out.
While they both were not tasked to carry a huge role for the team, both IMO, have fulfilled what was asked from them. Fisher is a much better shooter while Alex can do more on defense, deflecting/intercepting passes, covering 6-5 and taller shooters etc.
Alex would occasionally commit turnovers when he is asked to play PG esp when his teammates fail to cut or receive the ball forcing him to be the play maker. But again both would not make dumb mistakes, Fisher would position on the corner and hit a big 3, or Alex would read and dive and cut for a lay up. Both would not commit a stupid foul, just like when Alex was forced to rotate to Jokic on the low block, he didn't panic and foul like most role players would do, resulting to AD blocking that shot.

[Dmagic]

So after watching us play lately. I ask myself seriously. What does this team need. Well it appears nothing. People are stepping up when we need them to pretty much
I would like higher percentage shots at the end of games and even quarters when lebron just runs the clock out and throws up a careless shot.
We need ad to be tough
We need guys to knock down open shots. We need guys to play d and rebound. Cough kuzma.
Basically. We are going to see if lebron can still do his thing or not. Honestly I dont think lebron could ask for a better team. If we dont win this year. Look for us to go after lilliard or such like

[Kilroy]

Well, for me, the only 2 teams I'm really worried about in a 7gm series are LAC and the Bucks... So if that's the bar we're trying to get over...
We lack one more reliable scorer and defender. A guy who can get his when needed, against most anyone.

If LeBron goes into selfish mode in the playoffs and can get 30 a night if needed, that will do it... As long as it doesn't take AD out of the game.
We need a reliable floor general when LeBron sits. I actually kind of like KCP in that role... But it won't happen with Rondo on the team.

We really needed Kuzma to blossom this season... Reliable expectation, or not... That alone would probably have gotten us past the Clips. If he had become a solid option on both ends of the floor for 20m, it would have taken the pressure off everyone and we'd be a much different team. We'd be coasting to easy wins, instead of coasting to nail-biters.

If we had that AND a Legit PG when LeBron sits, we'd be a virtual lock for a Championship IMO...

We also need McGee to be more effective and Howard to be more consistent. McGee is having about 1 stellar game in 5 right now... That's not going to get it done. Howard is about the same.

We also need Vogel to figure out how to coach this team and tighten up the rotations. Aside from LeBron and Davis, I'm not sure anyone is being maximized right now... Maybe Bradley and Green... But those rotations are sometimes baffling too.

[Landsberger]

Well, for me, the only 2 teams I'm really worried about in a 7gm series are LAC and the Bucks... So if that's the bar we're trying to get over...
We lack one more reliable scorer and defender. A guy who can get his when needed, against most anyone.

We've been saying this all season and blaming Kuzma for not being this guy but as the season has worn on I'm not sure what we do well as a team can support anyone being a "reliable" scorer. We have no room in our rotations with either Bron or Davis on the floor to have a guy "get his". Just not possible the way we play.

The few games with either Bron or Davis were out we saw last year's Kuzma doing that but when they came back he went back to 6-8 shots a game and barely touches the ball except late in in the clock.

Does Kuzma need to be more aggressive? I've seen him try only to have Bron wave him off or point to the corner where he wants him to be when he runs a pick and roll. Swap Kuzma out for another guy and I'm pretty sure we'd see something very similar.

I don't see Kuzma's or any other player we have beside's Bron and Davis consistency issues anything other than our system and how we play.

That said, we're in a fantastic position to win another championship and I'm not as worried as some about the Clippers or the Bucks in a 7 game series. We don't have that 3rd scorer but I think it will take a loss of a championship to get this team to change.