LAKERS vs NUGGETS GAME 5 5/8 @ 10:30 TNT

[LApwnd]

We're already looking ahead to OKC when there's no guarantee we beat Denver. Watch Denver play OKC and not us.

It's laughable just thinking about la/okc at this point. I predict if la do face okc they avg about 50 transition ppg. My only hope of la beating okc is my deluded fanboyism

I'd be ok with losing to Den, dont want to be a debbie downer but it might save us further embarrasement at the hands of OKC and big bonus, mgmt. might fire Brown sooner. As for gm5 effort, just plain out embarrasing.

[wesisprez]

Wow ok so all I have to say is where is that the dude with the Dragonite avatar who called me out last time when I said what IF we would lose in the first round...doesn't look too far fetched now anymore is it? I hope we finish this series in the next game

[dockingsched]

i just noticed that stephano's GT was merged into penberthy's one post fail of a GT

[KB24TBOTB]

Can someone please tell me why does everyone clear out to one side of the floor when they dump the ball into Drew? This causes Andrew to have no one to throw it back out to. Maybe I'm wrong but isn't that just screwing up the spacing to the extreme?

[milesfides]

Because the Lakers are trying to prevent the soft zone or hard double trap on the baseline. It's just a clear out, isolation for the post.

The problem is that Bynum isn't a quick and/or willing passer out of the double team. If we had better three-point shooters, we'd be able to give Bynum the space to do his post moves.

It's always compounding problems or compounding solutions. If we had better three-point shooters, we'd make defenses pay when they sag. So if they play honest, then Drew gets space to do his thing. But we don't have great three-point shooters, so there's not clear passing lanes to Drew. And when he does get the ball, he doesn't want to kick it back out because he doesn't get enough passes.

Murphy's Law.

[KB24TBOTB]

Because the Lakers are trying to prevent the soft zone or hard double trap on the baseline. It's just a clear out, isolation for the post.

The problem is that Bynum isn't a quick and/or willing passer out of the double team. If we had better three-point shooters, we'd be able to give Bynum the space to do his post moves.

It's always compounding problems or compounding solutions. If we had better three-point shooters, we'd make defenses pay when they sag. So if they play honest, then Drew gets space to do his thing. But we don't have great three-point shooters, so there's not clear passing lanes to Drew. And when he does get the ball, he doesn't want to kick it back out because he doesn't get enough passes.

Murphy's Law.

Not going to lie but I honestly think this team would be a lot better with Tyson Chandler caliber center then Drew. He can hedge on PNR and also defends every possession. To me it seems that Chandler would make this team much better

[semi-sentient]

Not going to lie but I honestly think this team would be a lot better with Tyson Chandler caliber center then Drew. He can hedge on PNR and also defends every possession. To me it seems that Chandler would make this team much better

There's no question that we'd be much better with Chandler. He doesn't require touches and plays tough ass defense, which is exactly what we need from our center. Offensively I think we have enough to win it all, but we aren't winning jack because our interior defense is trash more times than not.

Bogut is another guy that I'd take over Bynum, assuming that the prognosis on his ankle is still the same (he's expected to be fully recovered/rehabbed by training camp).

These guys don't take possessions off, much less entire games because they aren't considered the center of the universe.

[Gek]

Didn't watch the game bc I wake up at 6 am now, but how did JaVale McGee go off and Bynum only have two fouls? I'm glad I didn't watch, I bet I'd have been raging.

[semi-sentient]

Didn't watch the game bc I wake up at 6 am now, but how did JaVale McGee go off and Bynum only have two fouls?

Bynum wasn't trying very hard and had his mind on other things, like driving his Porsche perhaps or playing Starcraft (which is admittedly addicting as hell).

[Kilroy]

Didn't watch the game bc I wake up at 6 am now, but how did JaVale McGee go off and Bynum only have two fouls?

Bynum wasn't trying very hard and had his mind on other things, like driving his Porsche perhaps or playing Starcraft (which is admittedly addicting as hell).

I wonder if this fool is staying up all night playing StarCraft before games... He's been playing about like I work when I get no sleep.

[Sedale Threatt]

He's playing like he's getting paid $15 million no matter what, so F it.

[milesfides]

I just don't get how little pride Andrew had yesterday. I know we're picking on him, bunch of other guys didn't play hard.

But when McGee comes out and embarrasses him on both ends of the floor, AT HOME, I just think there would be a switch that turns on. Like forget winning or losing or whatever. This is my man, and he is taking away my manhood. Dunking on my head, over and over. Just basic pride. I know he's a proud guy. I can understand if that happened with Kwame. I just don't know why and how that could have happened with Bynum. Utterly inexplicable.

I want Bynum to succeed, I don't want to pick on him. But man, I don't get it.

[Sedale Threatt]

I think the majority of us feel that way. We've been waiting a long time for this ridiculously talented young man to permanently turn the corner to stardom and consistency.

But for whatever reason -- injuries, attitude -- it just never seems to happen. He was having such a wonderful season, and then he starts to rebel like a teenage girl toward the end of the year, getting ejected and taking ill-advised 3-pointers.

Just look at this series. He goes from tying a playoff record for blocked shots to getting outplayed by one of the dumbest (albeit extremely gifted) players in the league. And now we're back to square one, wondering if we can depend on him.

Terribly frustrating.

[Kilroy]

To me it felt like more of the same from the Dallas series last season... Communication sucked. Especially on defense... And I think both Bynum and Pau were blowing assignments. I think Bynum was pouting about it basically...
Not excusable... In fact, to me it's worse. But I don't think McGee embarrassing Drew personally every really crossed his mind... I think Farried got to him a little... But I think Drew saw the McGee thing as a team failure...
Not that I understand that... Shaq would have laid both of them out... Which I would have dearly loved.

[Sedale Threatt]

I think a lot of things are effecting Andrew, much of it mental. There isn't a doubt in my mind he's frustrated by the lack of shots/touches, which is impacting the rest of his game.

What he needs to realize is that Denver is doubling him pretty much every time he touches the ball, and that he's going to have to make his presence felt elsewhere, as in Game 1. He can still dominate as a rebounder/shot blocker, but he has never permanently accepted that responsibility.

And I don't like the "lay him out" mentality at all. Resorting to extreme violence at the risk of a flagrant foul or worse isn't the answer. Just do your job better.

[Kilroy]

I think a lot of things are effecting Andrew, much of it mental. There isn't a doubt in my mind he's frustrated by the lack of shots/touches, which is impacting the rest of his game.

What he needs to realize is that Denver is doubling him pretty much every time he touches the ball, and that he's going to have to make his presence felt elsewhere, as in Game 1. He can still dominate as a rebounder/shot blocker, but he has never permanently accepted that responsibility.

And I don't like the "lay him out" mentality at all. Resorting to extreme violence at the risk of a flagrant foul or worse isn't the answer. Just do your job better.

You can lay a player out legally...
Sure the game has changed a little but if you go up for a strong block and make a play on the ball that causes a guy to end up on his backside, you may pick up a foul, but you won't get a flagrant.

But that requires desire, quickness, and quick authoritative reactions... Which Bynum hasn't seemed capable of since game 1.

[Gek]

Bynum looks like he's smoking too much weed. Not motivated, just wants to go back to the hotel and toke up.