Im happy with our record but but

[lalalaker]

First off let me say i am no way dissatisfied with our current record but I do not like the way lakers are winning against weaker teams which so far is the majority of our opponents at the moment. We are way way reliant on james and davis to carry us all the way and need other players to step up and i dont know whether its lebrons way of playing PG or that vogel dont want to mess up what he thinks is working. I dont mind if vogel load manage lebron and davis for 1 or 2 games so we can get other players more involved. If we were blowing teams away and resting both of them the whole 4th qtr then by all means im ok. kuzma need to be more assertive and step up saying ima be the 3rd man and will this team myself.

how do other ppl feel about our current style?

[ROballer]

I'd rather be in close games and learn to close properly than blow out every team and come playoff time, where every game is close by default..we don't know what the **** are we doing.

Lineups that work, sets and different plays, etc...we need to gain experience and do everything right before the games really count.
We can't experiment during the playoffs. We need the finished product there.

So I have no problem with how we win as long as we continue doing it.

[Beethoven]

I rather be in close games and learn to close properly than blow out every team and come playoff time, where every game is close by default..we don't know what the **** are we doing.

Lineups that work, sets and different plays, etc...we need to gain experience and do everything right before the games really count.
We can't experiment during the playoffs. We need the finished product there.

So I have no problem with how we win as long as we continue doing it.

Hmm. I agree w this
But then again it is disconcerting we haven't even played any real contenders yet (except the two we lost to).

[bellabiyel]

so far what i see from this laker team is heatles and warriors like game where they have another gear to change when it needed.. ill be honestwhen weaker teams having double digits on us i didnt panic i just said to myself nah come 4th quarter they will turn it up. and they will do i started feeling it againstthe mavs ,, i hope its just coasting 3 quarters and turn it on in the 4th..

[Landsberger]

Oh nos.....

We've yet to have the team completely healthy and in shape yet this year for at least one game. The rotations are still being figured out as well. We're 16-2 and have had win streaks of 7 and 9. We're in the top 3 defensively and still getting settled in as a team.

I think everything is ahead of schedule actually. Meshing two top stars can be difficult. Add to that the injuries and searching for the right rotations. Everyone seems fixated on the defensive end and us needing another defender. I think when we get Kuzma going offensively and start moving the ball more effectively offensively is when we will start to dominate. Our defense is just fine. I really see no glaring issues other than game to game matchup minor issues.

I quite frankly expected a much slower start.

[SlimShady83]

you guys will never be happy lol

[snaquille oatmeal]

[LBC SoCal]

Agree with being too reliant on James....we need to lower his minutes per game. It may cause us to lose more games but I’d rather lose in the regular season and learn from that.....then lose in the playoffs with a false sense of security.

[danfantastk32]

First off let me say i am no way dissatisfied with our current record but I do not like the way lakers are winning against weaker teams which so far is the majority of our opponents at the moment. We are way way reliant on james and davis to carry us all the way and need other players to step up and i dont know whether its lebrons way of playing PG or that vogel dont want to mess up what he thinks is working. I dont mind if vogel load manage lebron and davis for 1 or 2 games so we can get other players more involved. If we were blowing teams away and resting both of them the whole 4th qtr then by all means im ok. kuzma need to be more assertive and step up saying ima be the 3rd man and will this team myself.

how do other ppl feel about our current style?

I'd say firstly, that this new NBA with the 'super-max' means your gonna have to depend on your star-pair. You just are nowadays. 2 guys are gonna take 75% of a teams salary....so they better be able to be leaned on, and leaned on heavily.

2ndly...I wonder if Kuz is that guy who can be the consistent 3rd man. Luckily, we're getting decent production outa KCP of late, and the two of them seem to be shouldering that '3rd option' fairly well.

3rdly...I'm not to worried about the 'style' with which we win, until we start losing. The next couple weeks will be a good test against some good competition. If we continue to barely eek out ugly wins...then so be it. At some point 16-2 has to count for something. Much like 2-16 teams can only throw that "we've been in it till the end" line so many times. At some point your winning them, or losing them. We seem to always be winning them.

Personally, I think our PG position...and our bench after maybe 1 or two guys is pretty suspect. KCP and Kuz seem to be a bit streaky. On the plus side to those critiques....we have 2 guys who can shoulder that 3rd option load...so double the chances we can get 20-ish points from a "guy" not named Lebron or AD. Caruso seems to be filling the defensive role fairly well....and is at least "plugging the hole" we have at PG, so it's not been a major weakness. I think Rondo has been alright as well. The two of them are at least holding their own out there. Good luck against elite PG's, but that's always been the case with us.

Boston, Denver, Clippers, Bucks....those deeper teams, are the ones I worry about. We'll be getting some looks against a couple of these teams coming up here....and we'll see how we do.

[lalalaker]

its easy to figure out that we are really reliant heavily on both james and davis because one of those 2 are always in the game unless its a blow out win\loss. davis play whole or most of 1st and 4th while james play most of 2nd and 3 and 4th qtrs. I think we need to adjust the game so that if in fact james or davis sits down bc of injury or foul trouble we still know how to run the offense without our top 2 players. ppl are forgetting james is turning 36 and have huge mileage on his body. got to figure out someway to keep him rested longer in games and preferable keep his mins below 34 35 mins. I liked kuzmas last game vs pelicans where he was demanding the ball. having that mentality is important

[Beethoven]

We'll have a good sense as to how we are right about after the clippers game on xmas day.

[stan francisco]

It’s great that we’re good enough to rack up almost nothing but wins while players and coaches are getting to know each other. But if we’re knit picking about avoiding bad habits to seep in...

To improve, I’d like to see the team defense a bit more focused sometime soon. Especially from the start of games. With or without Bradley.

But James is 36 and needs fresh legs in April.

I’d love to see Kuzma’s minutes go up soon, and James’ down to 32 mpg. Kuz is getting his legs under him, and getting his bearings with all the new on the court. His timing and confidence looked regained against NOP.

[BEazy]

This game is all about match ups. Some teams match up very well against us and they compete with us and some teams match up very bad with us and we blow them out. Like what some others are saying, we are learning to close early on and that very valuable.

[myersia]

Remember....we are a new team with new players and a new coach....and we are 16-2. Stop it!

[boomershadow]

But James is 36 and needs fresh legs in April.

ppl are forgetting james is turning 36

I feel an overwhelming need to point out that LBJ is 34.

[Kilroy]

But James is 36 and needs fresh legs in April.

ppl are forgetting james is turning 36

I feel an overwhelming need to point out that LBJ is 34.

Lakers fans like:
When we win- "But LeBron only 30 tho..."
When we lose- "But LeBron already 48..."

[Dr Aki]

But James is 36 and needs fresh legs in April.

ppl are forgetting james is turning 36

I feel an overwhelming need to point out that LBJ is 34.

Split the difference.

Lebron turns 35 on the 30th December.

[Landsberger]

Our defense has been very good with the exception of a few stretches and yesterdays game (2.5 quarters). There is a lot of stress over that end of the court it seems. That seems to be the least of our issues if you look at why we've struggled at times in the last few weeks.

The offense and especially the diversity of the offense is our weak spot. Unlike a lot here I don't think we need more 3 point shooting, rather I think we need more ball movement early in the possession. Teams are sitting back and waiting for Lebron to either drive off a screen or toss it to Davis on the wing. We don't even do either of those until 15 seconds are off the clock. That approach significantly limits our offensive diversity.

That said.... what I've described that we could do to help us offensively is not what Lebron has done much at all in his career. We need some way to create movement of the ball. Right now we do not stress defenses much at all. We just score with superior talent which is great but it's also a way of winning that is extremely dependent on 1 or 2 guys.

[Kilroy]

I find myself struggling with how much faith I should have with LeBron, given he's an all time great and still playing at or near best in NBA levels right now...
But a little part of me dies watching him slow dribble the ball up the court and sit at the 3pt line yoyoing the ball until the clock's down to 7 or 8 and then trying to go 1 on 4... Even if most of the time, he's dishing to a shooter, those guys usually have like a second to get the shot off and most of the time, they have someone just waiting for the pass.
And this isn't just happening with a few min left in a game we're leading by 10+, but in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of tight games, sometimes with us trailing.

I also die a bit when I see off ball guys trot to their 'spots' at the 3 pt line in the first couple seconds of the possession and just stand their like they're glued to the spot.

We need more off ball screens and movement. KCP is decent at it, but Green doesn't seem to attack screens, and Kuz really doesn't seem to move that much. Caruso and Rondo aren't legit threats from 3 yet.

And like I've seen others point out... AD really needs to limit his 3pt looks. He's really good at it for his size, but still, he's a dominant force from the Elbow in. Why not have some off ball movement with him and McGee/Howard, to get him some nice open looks inside.

Basically, our offense looks like it was designed by a 12yo playing NBA Live...

I think that might have a lot to do with LeBron, because on every team he's led, he seems to take dynamic offensive players and diminish them into 1 dimensional accessories to his game. Kyrie, Love, Bosh... Only Wade avoided it to an extent. He took dominant guys and made them predictable and stoppable. And they all got relatively disgruntled in the process.
I think Davis may be the best ever, but to me, he already looks like he's getting a little fed up with his role.

[thebigbird]

I find myself struggling with how much faith I should have with LeBron, given he's an all time great and still playing at or near best in NBA levels right now...
But a little part of me dies watching him slow dribble the ball up the court and sit at the 3pt line yoyoing the ball until the clock's down to 7 or 8 and then trying to go 1 on 4... Even if most of the time, he's dishing to a shooter, those guys usually have like a second to get the shot off and most of the time, they have someone just waiting for the pass.
And this isn't just happening with a few min left in a game we're leading by 10+, but in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of tight games, sometimes with us trailing.

I also die a bit when I see off ball guys trot to their 'spots' at the 3 pt line in the first couple seconds of the possession and just stand their like they're glued to the spot.

We need more off ball screens and movement. KCP is decent at it, but Green doesn't seem to attack screens, and Kuz really doesn't seem to move that much. Caruso and Rondo aren't legit threats from 3 yet.

And like I've seen others point out... AD really needs to limit his 3pt looks. He's really good at it for his size, but still, he's a dominant force from the Elbow in. Why not have some off ball movement with him and McGee/Howard, to get him some nice open looks inside.

Basically, our offense looks like it was designed by a 12yo playing NBA Live...

I think that might have a lot to do with LeBron, because on every team he's led, he seems to take dynamic offensive players and diminish them into 1 dimensional accessories to his game. Kyrie, Love, Bosh... Only Wade avoided it to an extent. He took dominant guys and made them predictable and stoppable. And they all got relatively disgruntled in the process.
I think Davis may be the best ever, but to me, he already looks like he's getting a little fed up with his role.

Chris Bosh and Kevin Love weren't diminished by LeBron. They both went from #1 options on lottery teams to 3rd options on championship teams. Kevin Love is the same player now without LeBron as he was with LeBron. And I don't see how Kyrie was at all diminished playing with LeBron, the two were an elite offensive duo with Kyrie iso-ing as much as he wanted.

Anthony Davis is taking 19 shots a game and averaging 26 ppg on the #1 team in the West. If he's getting fed up with his role then he needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. LeBron + shooters led to all-time great offenses in Cleveland. The Lakers tried fighting it last season and it was a massive flop. The offense is fine. They're the #6 offense in the NBA despite dealing with injuries and a bunch of new pieces.