Commentary from Lakers vs. Nets
Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 7:57 am
Just wanted to share what I saw the other night. I went to the Lakers vs. Nets game in Jersey. It was my first ever Laker game, so it was pretty awesome. I felt like I was at Staples Center considering everybody was a Lakers fan chanting MVP for Kobe. Hell, one guy started an MVP chant for Pau. haha I sat there with my Laker jersey on laughing while my friend, one of five Nets fans at the Izod Center, cheered for Harris and Lopez.
Anyway, just wanted to comment on the action.
1. Derek Fisher is a very bad defender now. But I don't want to hear about getting a new pg or not having Fisher start. Fisher is a big time communicator on the floor, telling guys to get back in transition or where to go on offense. It also seems like the other players play hard for him. They cover for D-Fish a lot (and have to on defense). That indicates to me that he has an intangible value. The players play FOR him. He should continue to start and finish games.
2. Bynum needs to chill with the fouling. I know some of the calls looked questionable, but he really put himself into a position where a foul could get called. Even if he wasn't being called for the foul, the defensive play he was attempting to make was disruptive enough to put himself into a position to get into foul trouble. He problem isn't confidence; it's decision making.
3. Gasol's rebounding and intangible qualities- I know Pau's rebounding numbers seems to be go way high. I think the numbers will go down to near normal levels, but it seems his defensive rebounding has gotten better. I see 2 reason for this. He's gotten stronger, and he's seeing the ball off the rim better. That last quality is meaningful, because those are likely how you'll get that playoff-game saving rebound at the end of the season.
Also, When Bynum went out with I believe his 3rd foul, Gasol subbed in at C. Bynum was walking back to the bench, and Pau went way out of his way to pat Bynum, trying to say "keep your head up, man," obviously in response to Bynum's walking to the bench with his head down. That's a team building thing that is valuable. Imo, with this team, they could have lost yesterday and it wouldn't matter to me. I think at this point, your just trying to do the little things that'll help the team come playoff time.
4. Defense. Defensively, our frontcourt is the key. And when they do their job, Kobe can do his job and disrupt. It starts with the frontcourt rotating both on the inside and to the corners. Kobe's job is to disrupt that mid-range area. That's actually where Kobe's gotten a lot of his steals this season. Not at the 3-point line or on post players, but in the mid-range. In the second quarter, Harris and the Nets were effective in the mid-range when Kobe went out and the bigs weren't doing their job. In the 3rd, they did, and we retook the lead because of it.
So think of the Lakers's defense in layers. Bynum/Gasol/Odom cover the immediate interior, baseline, etc., Artest and the other perimeter players sans Kobe cover the perimeter guys, close out on shooters, and funnel, and the Lakers leave the defense of the mid-range 2 point shot to Kobe. The Lakers defense can be beaten if you make crisp passes for about 14 seconds. Passing is the way to get by the Laker defense, so we should be aware of that when we play good overall passing teams like Boston and Denver.
5. Kobe Bryant is an exciting player in person. Pau is a hard worker. FIsher's J just looks wet. Sasha is a punk who imo mooches off the other players. Morrison and DJ are awesome. Lamar Odom is a fun player to watch. Farmar isn't as bad a Laker fans claim, either.
6. You should donate money to the Nets franchise. They need help this season.....
Anyway, just wanted to comment on the action.
1. Derek Fisher is a very bad defender now. But I don't want to hear about getting a new pg or not having Fisher start. Fisher is a big time communicator on the floor, telling guys to get back in transition or where to go on offense. It also seems like the other players play hard for him. They cover for D-Fish a lot (and have to on defense). That indicates to me that he has an intangible value. The players play FOR him. He should continue to start and finish games.
2. Bynum needs to chill with the fouling. I know some of the calls looked questionable, but he really put himself into a position where a foul could get called. Even if he wasn't being called for the foul, the defensive play he was attempting to make was disruptive enough to put himself into a position to get into foul trouble. He problem isn't confidence; it's decision making.
3. Gasol's rebounding and intangible qualities- I know Pau's rebounding numbers seems to be go way high. I think the numbers will go down to near normal levels, but it seems his defensive rebounding has gotten better. I see 2 reason for this. He's gotten stronger, and he's seeing the ball off the rim better. That last quality is meaningful, because those are likely how you'll get that playoff-game saving rebound at the end of the season.
Also, When Bynum went out with I believe his 3rd foul, Gasol subbed in at C. Bynum was walking back to the bench, and Pau went way out of his way to pat Bynum, trying to say "keep your head up, man," obviously in response to Bynum's walking to the bench with his head down. That's a team building thing that is valuable. Imo, with this team, they could have lost yesterday and it wouldn't matter to me. I think at this point, your just trying to do the little things that'll help the team come playoff time.
4. Defense. Defensively, our frontcourt is the key. And when they do their job, Kobe can do his job and disrupt. It starts with the frontcourt rotating both on the inside and to the corners. Kobe's job is to disrupt that mid-range area. That's actually where Kobe's gotten a lot of his steals this season. Not at the 3-point line or on post players, but in the mid-range. In the second quarter, Harris and the Nets were effective in the mid-range when Kobe went out and the bigs weren't doing their job. In the 3rd, they did, and we retook the lead because of it.
So think of the Lakers's defense in layers. Bynum/Gasol/Odom cover the immediate interior, baseline, etc., Artest and the other perimeter players sans Kobe cover the perimeter guys, close out on shooters, and funnel, and the Lakers leave the defense of the mid-range 2 point shot to Kobe. The Lakers defense can be beaten if you make crisp passes for about 14 seconds. Passing is the way to get by the Laker defense, so we should be aware of that when we play good overall passing teams like Boston and Denver.
5. Kobe Bryant is an exciting player in person. Pau is a hard worker. FIsher's J just looks wet. Sasha is a punk who imo mooches off the other players. Morrison and DJ are awesome. Lamar Odom is a fun player to watch. Farmar isn't as bad a Laker fans claim, either.
6. You should donate money to the Nets franchise. They need help this season.....
