Lakers @ Phoenix, Playoffs GM5, 6/1

[ROballer]

If LeBron isn't able to elevate his game enough to at least make this team competitive with this Suns team, we have a lot more issues than a 3rd star... Like LeBron may need to be our 'third star' and we might be looking for a legit first option... AD's not the first option type even though he can put up first option numbers...
I feel also like there's some weird politics from the Klutch side of the aisle and we need to find a way to diminish that and ensure we're putting the best talent on the court at all times and not just satisfying those guys...

This was a game we needed LeBron to show up in a big way and he barely tried on Defense, and left with 5 min left... Although, I get that we want him safe and healthy... It still doesn't feel right...

Here's hoping he snaps back next game... Otherwise even with AD back, I don't think it'll matter...

When you read different things on the internet or listen to radio shows I always heard that his injury really takes 6 months to recover. There's just nothing you can do about it's it is what it is. I do wonder how much having no training camp affects Drummond and Dennis and Wesley. It's time to ship kuz, and kcp out of here.

I don't know what you are talking about. Mister Caldwell 7% from 3 Pope is an irreplaceble member of the team. Don't you see his impact on Booker? He's in his **** head. Booker is having nightmares about him, that's the reason in the game the trash can didn't play at all he had the worst game of the series(17 pts, 5-14/1-5 shooting splits, 5 turnovers, 40 minutes played).
But the mere thought of Pope possibly shadowing him in game 5 and resurrecting from the death made Booker played so poorly when not guarded by him.

[iamworthy]

If LeBron isn't able to elevate his game enough to at least make this team competitive with this Suns team, we have a lot more issues than a 3rd star... Like LeBron may need to be our 'third star' and we might be looking for a legit first option... AD's not the first option type even though he can put up first option numbers...
I feel also like there's some weird politics from the Klutch side of the aisle and we need to find a way to diminish that and ensure we're putting the best talent on the court at all times and not just satisfying those guys...

This was a game we needed LeBron to show up in a big way and he barely tried on Defense, and left with 5 min left... Although, I get that we want him safe and healthy... It still doesn't feel right...

Here's hoping he snaps back next game... Otherwise even with AD back, I don't think it'll matter...

When you read different things on the internet or listen to radio shows I always heard that his injury really takes 6 months to recover. There's just nothing you can do about it's it is what it is. I do wonder how much having no training camp affects Drummond and Dennis and Wesley. It's time to ship kuz, and kcp out of here.

I don't know what you are talking about. Mister Caldwell 7% from 3 Pope is an irreplaceble member of the team. Don't you see his impact on Booker? He's in his **** head. Booker is having nightmares about him, that's the reason in the game the trash can didn't play at all he had the worst game of the series(17 pts, 5-14/1-5 shooting splits, 5 turnovers, 40 minutes played).
But the mere thought of Pope possibly shadowing him in game 5 and resurrecting from the death made Booker played so poorly when not guarded by him.

[tamaraw08]

Vogel is obsessed with players that are deemed "plus defenders". He thinks he can win any game by playing defensive players only.

If that's true, he shouldn't be a head coach in this league.

Every single succesful coach ever played terrible defenders but who were sparkplugs offensively at a certain point, if not for big portions of all games. If you're such a defensive savant, your job is to hide those players accordingly with the rest of your lineup so your overall defense doesn't suffer too much.

If you insist on playing only "known" defenders, then what the **** are you getting paid for again? Really, what's your job as a coach? To only make substitutions during games?

I think it's a combination of issues... But Vogel clearly focuses primarily on Defense when working up lineups... I also think Klutch exerts a ton of pressure on the coaching staff and FO about who starts, etc... That's just my impression as there are decisions that make no sense, so until someone can provide another logical explanation, that's what I'm going with...

I think the pressure that Klutch creates is for their clients to get good contracts and not exactly pressure Vogel to play them minutes.
When they retooled, Rob went ahead and immediately signed players who had high career 3pt% like Troy Daniels, Cook, Danny Green and even Dudley, I believe ALL of them had above 39% from 3pt area at that time. Vogel virtually benched these guys for the whole season except for Green who played pretty good defense. The biggest mystery for me is even when KCP AND Caruso were super hot from 3 from like Dec and January, Vogel didn't exactly maximize them in fact, Caruso whose main weakness was shooting actually played less minutes.,
To Roballer's point, I remember the bad boys Pistons, that team was stacked defensive minded players but Chuck Daly AND STAFF, draw some really good plays for them to GENERATE THE OFFENSE, heck even Vinnie Johnson who came from the bench who run single/double and get nice screens to free him up. Vogel and staff didn't do that IMO. Most of it is just ball screens to hunt for mismatches.

[Kilroy]

Theres another way to put pressure on a team other than Defence... With this team, having the number one Defense in the league can't be the only objective... We need to make sure we have at least a top 8 offense too...

We need to get out and run and score on them next game... Put pressure on their offense by making them work on Defense... Lots of ball movement, and activity. Trying to lock down any of the teams left in the playoffs just isn't going to work if we can't also score 110 while doing it.

[Freighttrain]

At this point, it's just sad really.

Read on Twitter

[thebigbird]

At this point, it's just sad really.

Read on Twitter

He went 0-9 and yet the shots he didn’t take were just as bad as the ones he took and missed. You can’t pass up a wide open corner three like this. Like, there were four Phoenix players in the paint when he caught this pass.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

[fteru6uhre54ew]

Some people have entirely unrealistic expectations for 36 LeBron playing on a bum ankle without his running mate. There wasn’t a single player on the court the Suns were worried about outside of Lebron. When he drove he was surrounded by five defenders, but yeah quit or something.

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?s=21

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Last year was the same and they bullied everyone inside. Just destroyed every team with phisicality and size advantage inside on both sides of the floor.

[Kilroy]

At this point, it's just sad really.

Read on Twitter

He went 0-9 and yet the shots he didn’t take were just as bad as the ones he took and missed. You can’t pass up a wide open corner three like this. Like, there were four Phoenix players in the paint when he caught this pass.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

To me, it seems like Dennis' shot release is taking longer and longer as the season has worn on... he used to have a relatively quick catch and release shot, now he seems to take his time getting set and then takes the shot... Like the only time it works is when literally no one is around...
Marc and McLemore have extremely quick shots by comparison... KCP is best in motion shooting... Caruso and Kuz have decent mechanics but can't hit...
Dennis is either having confidence issues or I just never noticed how slow his shot was before.

[thebigbird]

Some people have entirely unrealistic expectations for 36 LeBron playing on a bum ankle without his running mate. There wasn’t a single player on the court the Suns were worried about outside of Lebron. When he drove he was surrounded by five defenders, but yeah quit or something.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Read on Twitter

?s=21

Last year was the same and they bullied everyone inside. Just destroyed every team with phisicality and size advantage inside on both sides of the floor.

Last year they had a healthy Anthony Davis, healthy LeBron, and Dwight Howard. They also had Markieff Morris shooting 41% from 3, Danny Green, and playoff Rondo. As much as I hated Rondo last season he came to play in the bubble and was a huge help. Green didn’t shoot well in the bubble but players respected his ability and didn’t sag off him. This year they have no AD, and injured LeBron, and Andre Drummond. They replaced Green with Matthews and Rondo with Schroder. Last year’s Lakers team would murder this current version.

[Spanish_Laker]

It ends tonite.

[Beethoven]

[tamaraw08]

At this point, it's just sad really.

Read on Twitter

He went 0-9 and yet the shots he didn’t take were just as bad as the ones he took and missed. You can’t pass up a wide open corner three like this. Like, there were four Phoenix players in the paint when he caught this pass.

Read on Twitter

?s=21

To me, it seems like Dennis' shot release is taking longer and longer as the season has worn on... he used to have a relatively quick catch and release shot, now he seems to take his time getting set and then takes the shot... Like the only time it works is when literally no one is around...
Marc and McLemore have extremely quick shots by comparison... KCP is best in motion shooting... Caruso and Kuz have decent mechanics but can't hit...
Dennis is either having confidence issues or I just never noticed how slow his shot was before.

I felt his release has been always slow and it's not really his main strength ever since. I did rolled my eyes when this so-called analysts kept mentioning how he'll help this team bec of his "abnormal" 40+% from 3 with OKC.
Would it really matter though if he didn't passed up a couple more shots last game where they lost by 30? Ariza didn't passed up his shots, went 0-12, still lost. John Starks didn't passed up shots, still lost, and it's not like he's the ONLY one who passed up shots too. btw, when the Lakers got massacred in Boston by 38 pts, Derek Fisher took FOUR SHOTS IN 28 minutes.
Fans love to dwell on the 0-9=0 points, for me, it's not really going to his strengths as in use his speed to attack and get lay-ups and/or FT attempts. If he misses, Drummond cleans it up. He has played 2 straight bad games and inspite of those, he still average 13 pts in 11 shots. If he craps the bed tonight, then I am for Rob pulling that original offer from the table.

[LAKESHOW]

I'm gonna guarantee we go game 7. Then we buckle our seat belts from there. And we take Phoenix in 7

[JVL]

4.30AM game, my alarm clock is ready.

[Beethoven]

4.30AM game, my alarm clock is ready.

WE GOT THIS ONE

[tamaraw08]

4.30AM game, my alarm clock is ready.

WE GOT THIS ONE

Biggest game of the year for these free agents.
If Schroder fails to deliver, then it's on him, goodbye then, good luck getting that nice pay day.
If Drummond fails to defend, rebound and score, then goodbye, good luck to him.
If Morris fails to nail his shots, reb and defend, ohh, it hurts bec he's cheap and delivered last playoffs...
They have to play that hard-nosed defense, attack them, bring that energy.

[Beethoven]

^not sure if Drummond or Schroder can be relied upon to step up for something that counts so much when already theyve failed in numerous other games previously that are just as important.
They are who they are.

We just got to hit our 3s so that LeBron can have breathing room to do his mack truck impression one last time.