Lakers back in mix with the best coaching and smartest players (Lakers officiating thread)

AbeVigodaLive · Post #1 » by **AbeVigodaLive** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:29 pm

The Lakers have made up quite a bit of ground in the playoff chase — without LeBron James. Just how are they doing it?!?!?!?

They have an uncanny ability to shoot the most free throws... while fouling less than every other team, too. For the season, they take 5+ more free throws than their opponent. They lead the NBA in FTA... but are #3 in limiting FTA for the opponent. And apparently, they've become even better at it!

In the Lakers past 25 games...*

- Opponents are shooting only 18 attempts per game. The Lakers are taking 29 attempts per game. So the Lakers have more than DOUBLED their already league-leading disparity. Nice!
- Opponents have shot more FTA exactly 1 time in those 25 games (NY).

Amazing coaching by rookie coach, Darvin Ham, and kudos for the players for getting to the line and avoiding fouling. Truly amazing.

[Note: Last night, undrafted austin reaves shot 18 free throws... and has 40 attempts in his last 3 games... in less than 30 mpg. ]

* updated since original post

cam24thomas · Post #2 » by **cam24thomas** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:37 pm

Do you think they'll make the playoffs, or just he play-in?

Memories · Post #3 » by **Memories** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:39 pm

Best Coaching? The Lakers? Darvin Ham? :lol:

Spoken like someone that hasn’t watched a single Laker game.

Post #4 » by **Mavrelous** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:42 pm

Good job Darvin Bacon and Hillbilly Kobe! It takes devious coaching and flawless execution to reach such FT disparity.

Post #5 » by **Mavrelous** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:42 pm

Memories wrote:Best Coaching? The Lakers? Darvin Ham?

Spoken like someone that hasn’t watched a single Laker game.

Read between the lines...

Memories · Post #6 » by **Memories** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:43 pm

Mavrelous wrote:
Memories wrote:Best Coaching? The Lakers? Darvin Ham?

Spoken like someone that hasn’t watched a single Laker game.

Read between the lines...

Im tired. Detecting sarcasm through text is too much effort right now.

hyper316 · Post #7 » by **hyper316** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 12:44 pm

Isn't FTA largely affected by refs

hauntedcomputer · Post #8 » by **hauntedcomputer** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:02 pm

"THE LAKERS WANT IT MOAR!!!"-- Skip Bayless, somewhere

Post #9 » by **cupcakesnake** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:06 pm

So... this is a conspiracy thread?

I've been a vocal hater of the Lakers roster construction ever since they traded Danny Green + a FRP for Dennis Schroeder and in general decided to get rid of all their shooting and defense in favour of B tier shot creators. They played in a hellscape of their own front offices creation. But when this tradeline came, I looked at the acquisitions and thought: damn the Lakers have a real team again. They remembered shooting and defense!

But then I read this topic and went over to the-high-low.com to watch every single Austin Reaves FT drawn. It...I actually don't know what to say. Reaves was driving and creating contact but I don't think I've ever seen a non-star player get the benefit of the doubt every time. I kept watching the games before and he had wildly questionable calls against the Mavs and especially Houston. I just watched a several minutes of Austin Reaves getting and 1's and flexing after very minimal contact.

I think if I saw the numbers I'd think this was simply a good player making the most of his opportunity. I really like Austin Reaves and think he's low key been one of the best players in a Laker uniform since he entered the NBA. But I just watched the tape and it's very silly. Reaves is a good at a lot of things but he's not getting a step on anyone and that's typically how you get big FT numbers. He's crafty. He had one play where he trapped Franz Wagner on his back and drew the CP3 style foul... but that exact kind of call was supposed to have been eliminated 2 years ago. Anyways I just watched 20+ possessions of Reaves drawing fouls and I have decided that Reaves is not in fact the new Embiid or Giannis.

AbeVigodaLive · Post #10 » by **AbeVigodaLive** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:12 pm

cupcakesnake wrote:

Anyways I just watched 20+ possessions of Reaves drawing fouls and I have decided that Reaves is not in fact the new Embiid or Giannis.

Yeah. Of course not. Don't be silly now.

In March, Reaves is only averaging 7.7 fta per game. That would put him only at #10 in the league for the season:

Giannis
Embiid
Doncic
SGA
Lillard
Butler
Morant
Tatum
Trae Young
Austin Reaves

cam24thomas · Post #11 » by **cam24thomas** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:13 pm

cupcakesnake wrote:So... this is a conspiracy thread?

I've been a vocal hater of the Lakers roster construction ever since they traded Danny Green + a FRP for Dennis Schroeder and in general decided to get rid of all their shooting and defense in favour of B tier shot creators. They played in a hellscape of their own front offices creation. But when this tradeline came, I looked at the acquisitions and thought: damn the Lakers have a real team again. They remembered shooting and defense!

But then I read this topic and went over to the-high-low.com to watch every single Austin Reaves FT drawn. It...I actually don't know what to say. Reaves was driving and creating contact but I don't think I've ever seen a non-star player get the benefit of the doubt every time. I kept watching the games before and he had wildly questionable calls against the Mavs and especially Houston. I just watched a several minutes of Austin Reaves getting and 1's and flexing after very minimal contact.

I think if I saw the numbers I'd think this was simply a good player making the most of his opportunity. I really like Austin Reaves and think he's low key been one of the best players in a Laker uniform since he entered the NBA. But I just watched the tape and it's very silly. Reaves is a good at a lot of things but he's not getting a step on anyone and that's typically how you get big FT numbers. He's crafty. He had one play where he trapped Franz Wagner on his back and drew the CP3 style foul... but that exact kind of call was supposed to have been eliminated 2 years ago. Anyways I just watched 20+ possessions of Reaves drawing fouls and I have decided that Reaves is not in fact the new Embiid or Giannis.

Interesting thoughts

Sedale Threatt · Post #12 » by **Sedale Threatt** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:15 pm

cupcakesnake wrote:I just watched 20+ possessions of Reaves drawing fouls and I have decided that Reaves is not in fact the new Embiid or Giannis.

Bold take.

jehosafats · Post #13 » by **jehosafats** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 1:28 pm

DLo's Lakers know their fundamentals

Memories · Post #14 » by **Memories** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:15 pm

Sedale Threatt wrote:
cupcakesnake wrote:I just watched 20+ possessions of Reaves drawing fouls and I have decided that Reaves is not in fact the new Embiid or Giannis.

Bold take.

Big if true

KyRo23 · Post #15 » by **KyRo23** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:24 pm

Did you even watch the game? The only questionable Reaves FT was the one in the 4th where he stopped in front of Fultz and flopped an and 1.

He got NINE free throws in the final 1:33 of the 4th. Guess what they were... intentional fouls and an obvious foul on a 3. I'd be surprised if you made a thread saying "Reaves got a whole 9 FTs last night, this is rigged".

As for FTA, the team everyone has been calling the worst 3pt shooting team in the league is doing work in the paint? Holy hell it's a miracle. It's almost like one causes the other

AbeVigodaLive · Post #16 » by **AbeVigodaLive** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:42 pm

KyRo23 wrote:Did you even watch the game? The only questionable Reaves FT was the one in the 4th where he stopped in front of Fultz and flopped an and 1.

He got NINE free throws in the final 1:33 of the 4th. Guess what they were... intentional fouls and an obvious foul on a 3. I'd be surprised if you made a thread saying "Reaves got a whole 9 FTs last night, this is rigged".

As for FTA, the team everyone has been calling the worst 3pt shooting team in the league is doing work in the paint? Holy hell it's a miracle. It's almost like one causes the other

Hey man. I'm just giving credit to the entire Lakers team for getting fouled more than every other team... while fouling less than every other team...

As for those three pointers... incidentally... the Lakers are shooting more 3pa per game during this remarkable 20-game stretch than they did prior. So, they're shooting more from distance AND getting more free throws. That's the best kind of efficiency for 2023 NBA basketball.

So again kudos or "holy hell" or whatever accolade we want to subscribe to them. Good job, Lakers.

KyRo23 · Post #17 » by **KyRo23** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:49 pm

AbeVigodaLive wrote:
KyRo23 wrote:Did you even watch the game? The only questionable Reaves FT was the one in the 4th where he stopped in front of Fultz and flopped an and 1.

He got NINE free throws in the final 1:33 of the 4th. Guess what they were... intentional fouls and an obvious foul on a 3. I'd be surprised if you made a thread saying "Reaves got a whole 9 FTs last night, this is rigged".

As for FTA, the team everyone has been calling the worst 3pt shooting team in the league is doing work in the paint? Holy hell it's a miracle. It's almost like one causes the other

Hey man. I'm just giving credit to the entire Lakers team for getting fouled more than every other team... while fouling less than every other team...

As for those three pointers... incidentally... the Lakers are shooting more 3pa per game during this remarkable 20-game stretch than they did prior. They're shooting more from distance AND getting more free throws.

So again kudos or "holy hell" or whatever accolade we want to subscribe to them. Good job, Lakers.

I assume your unanswering about watching the game last night is a "no".

Box score watchers when a box score reinforces their conspiracy theory

Lakers shot more FTs than the Mavs too! A Mavs team that shot almost double the amount of 3s

Lakers shot less FTs than NY. I wish the refs decided to rig this game as well. I think they forgot on this one

I wish the refs would help more man, cmon let's get LA into the playoffs. They could be doing more, this is bull

Memories · Post #18 » by **Memories** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:53 pm

Lol at another conspiracy Lakers thread. As if people conveniently forget this happened:

Watch on YouTube

Liam_Gallagher · Post #19 » by **Liam_Gallagher** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:53 pm

Where have you been? They lost crucial games to the Knicks, Rockets, and Mavericks in the last week or so. All three were very winnable.

They've lost 10-15 gimme's this year. They are absolutely atrocious at closing out games.

Lock the thread.

AbeVigodaLive · Post #20 » by **AbeVigodaLive** » Mon Mar 20, 2023 2:53 pm

KyRo23 wrote:
AbeVigodaLive wrote:
KyRo23 wrote:Did you even watch the game? The only questionable Reaves FT was the one in the 4th where he stopped in front of Fultz and flopped an and 1.

He got NINE free throws in the final 1:33 of the 4th. Guess what they were... intentional fouls and an obvious foul on a 3. I'd be surprised if you made a thread saying "Reaves got a whole 9 FTs last night, this is rigged".

As for FTA, the team everyone has been calling the worst 3pt shooting team in the league is doing work in the paint? Holy hell it's a miracle. It's almost like one causes the other

Hey man. I'm just giving credit to the entire Lakers team for getting fouled more than every other team... while fouling less than every other team...

As for those three pointers... incidentally... the Lakers are shooting more 3pa per game during this remarkable 20-game stretch than they did prior. They're shooting more from distance AND getting more free throws.

So again kudos or "holy hell" or whatever accolade we want to subscribe to them. Good job, Lakers.

Lakers shot less FTs than NY. I wish the refs decided to rig this game as well. I think they forgot on this one

Hey man, I don't know what your agenda is here... but I specifically pointed out that NY was the only team in the past 20 games to shoot more free throws than the Lakers. Did you want me to mention it in every post or something?