About Lakers keeping leads

[ChocolateThundr]

All throughout this roadtrip, maybe except for 2 games, teams have been comming back and cutting our leads. And these past few games show it and we haven't really had a stretch of games like we did earlier in the season where Kobe and other starters sit out for the entire 4th quarter. I miss those 15 points games from Kobe and we won by 20. Is it because this weary road trip and all of our guys are tired?

Gasol is a huge bonus, but he isnt Bynum defensively, or I think. I think Gasol is not a bad defender he just doesnt play consistent defense like how Bynum plays. I think this decrease in interior defense is one of the causes.

[hermes]

maybe they want to play some close games to get in playoff mode

or bynum is a big presence on the court and was a big reason for the big leads

[88' Draft Pick]

Well you have to remember that in the NBA in most cases, no matter what game, the home team is going to make a run towards the end of the game. And we have also been playing nonstop for the whole road trip. I do think fatigue is a factor also.

[KB20]

It's probably a combination of not having Bynum and being on this long road trip. After the break we should be back at top speed.

[milesfides]

I think you just answered your own question. Defense.

Consistent defense prevents opponents from making runs. Inconsistent defense allows opponents to get back into games, and that's why we can't maintain leads throughout the game. Without Bynum, we don't really have a basket protector, so as we've seen in the past few games, teams that try to run against us have some success at getting easy baskets.

Weakness in the offense contributes to the problem as well. We are a good offensive team, but it's mostly from the perimeter. Good shooting can make us streaky, which we are. Derek Fisher was 1-8 tonight. Kobe and Gasol were very good, but there shots were mostly perimeter. Even Turiaf's game is a face-up midrange offense.

We're a jump-shooting team, a very good jump-shooting team. But that kind of offense can allow other teams to get back into games. Phoenix is the same way. No lead is safe for a jump-shooting team.

[CDB]

I think it have to do with the teams confidence and the fact that they get to comfortable at times. They have strecthes were they play amazing ball but then they get to comfty and it evaporates. Also as Hermes said Bynum s a big present in that which I think it is true too, he is a great defensive force in the paint which when he was in, he made it hard for guys to get layups. But as long as we win and dont completly continue this trend then I dont really have a problem with it.

Also the 9 game road trip might have something to do with it.

[Slava]

Two good words....defenisve rebounding and clamping down on the opposition big men.

[Tesla]

Two good words....defenisve rebounding and clamping down on the opposition big men.

Or... One perfect word.... BYNUM.

[ChocolateThundr]

I disagree on that we are a jump shooting team. Right after Bynum went out and b4 we got Gasol I would call us a jump shooting team. Gasol did shoot jumpers, but thats as a result of mostly penetration and kick out. Gasol had space. This game doesnt change the fact that Gasol can still score down around the basket. IMO a jumpshooting team is like chicago, who has players dribbling up and shooting a contested jumper.

[tayzer]

I think it had a lot to do with Bynum getting easy put backs and layups, it was demoralizing to other teams how easy it was for Bynum to score and how dificult it was for their team to score in return.

[blix]

6-2

[CITYOFANGELSX3]

It is getting a little frustrating. Thats pretty much how they lost the only 2 games on the road trip too. They have to tighten up at the end of the games. Thats crunch time.

[milesfides]

I disagree on that we are a jump shooting team. Right after Bynum went out and b4 we got Gasol I would call us a jump shooting team. Gasol did shoot jumpers, but thats as a result of mostly penetration and kick out. Gasol had space. This game doesnt change the fact that Gasol can still score down around the basket. IMO a jumpshooting team is like chicago, who has players dribbling up and shooting a contested jumper.

He CAN score around the basket, but it's usually during broken plays, defensive miscues that allow him to cut to the basket for an open dunk.

He's far more comfortable facing the basket. The big difference between Gasol and Bynum is Bynum's ability to dominant the paint, which changes the way defenses play us. Bynum is a guy you can throw the ball into in the post to actually get a score. Gasol usually faces up for a jumper or moves the ball.

If you were watching the games so far, Gasol gets pushed out of the post. That's why he's usually at the high post.

There, Gasol either faces up for the shot or we run cutters past him, or he kicks it out for the jump shot.

That's what our offense has been since we got Gasol.

The difference between our jump-shooting team and the Bulls jump shooting team is the quality of the shots. Kobe creates many wide open shots for his teammates. Nobody on the Bulls can consistently create open shots like that. They're usually contested.

We use our personnel and execution of our offense to get quality shots. They happen to be mostly perimeter shots because that's the strength of our personnel (no Bynum and lots of 3-point shooters) and because we're not an uptempo team (no fastbreak layups).

[BCLakerFan]

I believe in all previous posts solid reasons were given to answer the question, and I believe that you can also factor in that when we were blowing teams out we were at a point in the season when our rotations were set and the players were very familiar with one another.

They all new where eachother were suppose to be and rotated as a unit. I think with the injuries and new addition of Gasol, and him still learning the triangle and our defensive philosophy there is still some confusion and breakdowns. But we will be fine come playoff time.


We will probably see more of this when we play the playoff quality teams after the AllStar break. And Bynum will also help stop this from being a pattern when he returns. But we need some time to build solid team chemistry.

[snaquille oatmeal]

Two good words....defenisve rebounding and clamping down on the opposition big men.

which two, defensive, rebounding, and, clamping, down, on, the, opposition, big, or men?

[ChocolateThundr]

-= original quote snipped =-

which two, defensive, rebounding, and, clamping, down, on, the, opposition, big, or men?

Probably "Men" and "big"

[Erik Eleven]

6-2

8-0

[slifersd]

I don't think this is the right time for our starters to sit out fourth quarters. Gasol needs as much time as he can to get comfortable within the triangle and sitting out fourth quarters isn't exactly the best way to do that.

[zen_4_10]

A.) Still a very young team
B.) One long mf'n road trip
C.) No Bynum

We used to crush teams with Bynum and this roadie is pretty unique. Home teams make runs. I'd be a lot more worried if we lost more of those - ATL was really the only one.

We'll be better closing once this trip is over and Drew gets back

[Rox_Nix_Nox]

Maybe their just learning about how the switch works.