Enough is Enough vogel has got to go.

[NippySudz]

I'm not saying lakers can't win with vogel, but there's a reason why Larry bird let this guy go and it was because he was offensively challenged.

[evilpimp972]

It's championship or bust for Vogel but if he loses in the 2nd round while playing Rondo major minutes he HAS to be fired

[Beethoven]

Ok let's get rid of him..


hold on, on second thought , let's give him another game to go at it ..

[evilpimp972]

Ok let's get rid of him..


hold on, on second thought , let's give him another game to go at it ..

It's not a one game take, I said if he loses this round it's time to get rid of him, so he'll have plenty of time to recover

[wco81]

It's championship or bust for Vogel but if he loses in the 2nd round while playing Rondo major minutes he HAS to be fired

You guys signed "playoff Rondo" to a 2-year deal at more than the minimum.

Also went heavy with big men instead of guards and wings.

That formula worked most of the season, as Howard had a big impact after Cousins went down with injury. Lot of dunks and a lot of blocked shots, good defense in the paint.

In game 1, Houston's no-center lineup got almost parity on the boards.

I suspect that while Houston won't fold like the Blazers big men, Lakers will be able to push them around and dominate the boards, AD will get a lot of FTs and Tucker will get in foul trouble for the same defense he played in game 1.

IOW, NBA doesn't want the Lakers and the huge fanbase out of the playoffs.

Lebron will attack more, go downhill, get his calls too.

So relax.

[evilpimp972]

It's championship or bust for Vogel but if he loses in the 2nd round while playing Rondo major minutes he HAS to be fired

You guys signed "playoff Rondo" to a 2-year deal at more than the minimum.

Also went heavy with big men instead of guards and wings.

That formula worked most of the season, as Howard had a big impact after Cousins went down with injury. Lot of dunks and a lot of blocked shots, good defense in the paint.

In game 1, Houston's no-center lineup got almost parity on the boards.

I suspect that while Houston won't fold like the Blazers big men, Lakers will be able to push them around and dominate the boards, AD will get a lot of FTs and Tucker will get in foul trouble for the same defense he played in game 1.

IOW, NBA doesn't want the Lakers and the huge fanbase out of the playoffs.

Lebron will attack more, go downhill, get his calls too.

So relax.

The coach has the right to put Rondo on the bench, in fact he had every excuses last night to play him less than 5 min.
Houston no center lineup has parity because the lakers folded and went small too, that's not how we should play, we are playing right into their strength.

[thebigbird]

I agree completely. Playing Rondo in the fourth quarter of a playoff game after he hadn’t played in 6 months is malpractice. It’s a fireable offense. All season long I heard “wait for playoff Rondo” from some Laker fans. Well guess what, playoff Rondo is no better than regular season Rondo. He’s absolutely cooked and should only play in garbage time with Dudley. Vogel is clueless.

[TylersLakers]

My problem about last night:

I had no idea what our offensive game plan was. I know what our defensive game plan was and for the most part, it worked pretty good but guys missed proper rotations and didn't seem sharp and attentive to their keys. Guys were lazy and fouling. Danny Green looks like he's playing with cement blocks on his feet. If we're sharper on Sunday defensively, we'll give ourselves a chance. When it comes to Harden, I'm not sure why we forced him to drive so much, ESPECIALLY WHEN PLAYING SMALL. When there's no Howard or McGee in the game and you're forcing him to drive, you're just asking for rotations to be messed up because you're asking a smaller player to come over and help and then you're relying on everyone to be perfect in the rotations. If Harden wants to take 10-15 step back threes a game over a good contest, I'll live with that.

Offensively, I had no f**ing clue and that was baffling. We just did our normal thing that we've been doing the past couple weeks.

- No LeBron/AD pick and roll
- With Rondo in the game, no pick and roll with AD
- No slipping screens when Houston is in the middle of their switches.

We literally relied on isos, LeBron and Rondo to get us any points. And against Houston, where they're solid across the board, you're playing into their hands.

- Get AD on the move
- When Rondo is in the game (he should only play 10-14 MPG, mostly when LeBron's off the court), put shooting around him. That's the time you go small. A line-up of Davis/Morris/Kuzma/KCP (or Green)/Rondo would be a good one. Pick and roll with AD, backdoor cuts with Kuzma, dribble hand off's with Kuzma, Morris and KCP spreading the floor.

When the game was in the balance in the early fourth quarter last night and we were on the ropes, I actually saw a Markeiff Morris post-up. Like.. what? Why? The only thing Morris should be doing offensively is spacing the floor. That's it.

And Kuzma. Good lord. He was an absolute train wreck defensively last night. Hopping around, giving up straight line drives, committing unnecessary fouls, etc. Move your feet, stop hopping around, and use your size and length to contest shots. If Harden or Westbrook make shots over that, I'll live with it.

If I was coaching the Lakers, I'd basically take one big guy out of the rotation. Whether that's McGee or Howard. I think Howard brings us more of a physicality presence. They really attacked him last night but that was more of a function of our lazy lack of focus putting him in bad situations. Howard gives us a lob threat and can battle with Tucker while AD and LeBron get on the boards.

Vogel's rotations were just awful. I found it absolutely hilarious in the fourth quarter when the Lakers had Rondo and Dwight on the floor with LeBron. There was zero spacing. And the cameras literally caught LeBron like widening his hands going "spacing, spacing!" Well LeBron, Howard and Rondo could space to the parking lot and the D isn't going anywhere. And that is a Vogel/coaching staff problem. My rotations would be this:

START GAME:

- Howard, Davis, LeBron, KCP, Green.

5-6 MINUTE MARK (1ST Q)

- RONDO subs for LEBRON
- KUZMA subs for HOWARD
- CARUSO subs for KCP

Lineup: Rondo/Caruso/Green/Kuzma/Davis

2-3 MINUTE MARK (1ST Q)

- LEBRON subs for GREEN

Lineup: Rondo/Caruso/Kuzma/LeBron/Davis: This is some of the only overlap of Rondo/LeBron. The key? Shooters or defenders all around them

2ND QUARTER:

- HOWARD subs for DAVIS
- MORRIS subs for RONDO

Lineup: LeBron/Caruso/Kuzma/Morris/Howard. Pick and roll LeBron/Howard. Dribble hand offs with LeBron/Kuzma/Caruso. Use physicality with Morris, Dwight & LeBron to pound the f*** out of whatever Houston line-up is in there. LeBron in the post with Howard in the dunker spot, Kuzma/Caruso cuts, and Morris/Kuzma spacing the floor while moving. If AC screens Kuzma's guy, Kuzma can cut to the rim and he'll either have either a) layup b) draw help where LeBron can fire that cross court pass to the corner to Morris that he loves, or Kuzma cuts through and fills to the corner while Morris re-locates to the top of the arc.

6-7 MINUTE MARK (2ND Q):

- DAVIS subs for HOWARD
- KCP subs for CARUSO
- RONDO subs for LEBRON

Lineup: Rondo/KCP/Kuzma/Morris/AD

3-4 MINUTE MARK (2ND Q):

- GREEN subs for MORRIS
- LEBRON subs for KUZMA
- CARUSO subs for RONDO

Lineup: Caruso/KCP/Green/LeBron/Davis

3RD QUARTER:

Lineup: LeBron/KCP/Green/AD/Howard

3-4 MINUTE MARK (3RD Q):

- RONDO subs for LEBRON
- KUZMA subs for GREEN (you can do this specific sub a few minutes earlier)
- CARUSO subs for HOWARD

Lineup: Rondo/Caruso/KCP/Kuzma/Davis

4TH QUARTER:

- LEBRON subs for RONDO
- HOWARD subs for DAVIS
- GREEN subs for KCP

Lineup: Caruso/Green/Kuzma/LeBron/Howard

7-8 MINUTE MARK (4TH Q):

- DAVIS subs for HOWARD
- KCP subs for GREEN

Lineup: Caruso/KCP/Kuzma/LeBron/Davis

5-6 MINUTE MARK (4TH Q):

Lineup: Closing group. Whoever's playing best. It could be any of these combinations:

KCP/Green/Kuzma/LeBron/AD
Caruso/KCP (or Green)/Kuzma/LeBron/AD
Caruso/KCP/Green/LeBron/AD

So the rotation is basically KCP/Green/LeBron/AD/Howard with Kuzma/Caruso/Rondo/Morris. Rondo plays 12-18 MPG, Morris playing 8-10 MPG, Kuzma playing 30-34 MPG (if he finishes or not), Caruso playing 25-32 MPG (if he finishes or not), LeBron and AD playing 38-42 MPG and Green/KCP playing 30-32 MPG.

Have good spacing, run good s**t, focus and lock in, and BE TOUGHER.

[whitelight]

I agree completely. Playing Rondo in the fourth quarter of a playoff game after he hadn’t played in 6 months is malpractice. It’s a fireable offense. All season long I heard “wait for playoff Rondo” from some Laker fans. Well guess what, playoff Rondo is no better than regular season Rondo. He’s absolutely cooked and should only play in garbage time with Dudley. Vogel is clueless.

The problem is that we have no options because he doesn't trust anyone.

[NippySudz]

Goldsberry wrote about this a few days before the hou matchup.

This offense shouldn't be scaring anyone right now. Even though L.A. has posted a respectable 113.2 offensive rating in the playoffs, it's doing so against a Blazers squad whose seven most-used three-man lineup combos in the seeding games all gave up at least 120 points per 100 possessions. This is one of the worst defenses in the league, making it difficult to claim these Lakers have really figured out how to regularly score in the postseason.

Let me give you three quick reasons why the Lakers' offensive performance could cost them a title, even if they easily get by a Blazers squad that's now without Damian Lillard.

Since the restart, the Lakers' offense ranks 19th out of 22 bubble teams in scoring efficiency, with a below-average 108 points per 100. That's worse than the Grizzlies and Pelicans, who have already left the bubble in defeat.

The Lakers' have ranked 20th out of 22 bubble teams in pick-and-roll efficiency since the restart. Only the Pacers and Wizards have been worse in that category.

They not only rank last in 3-point percentage (31.7%) since the restart, but they also have been one of the worst jump-shooting teams all season long -- ranking 27th in the league in effective field goal percentage (eFG) on jumpers during the regular season and last in that category since the restart.

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29739675/this-lakers-offense-scare-anyone

[Beethoven]

I guess it ain't our year fellas

[Spanish_Laker]

LMAO this post aged so well!

[wco81]

The answer is more Rondo, not less?

[Beethoven]

Maybe there's a glimmer of hope for us fellas

[NippySudz]

Read on Twitter

maybe vogel was right for believing in playoff rondo

[lautreamont]

It's championship or bust for Vogel but if he loses in the 2nd round while playing Rondo major minutes he HAS to be fired

Looks like playing Rondo was not such a bad idea last night. Rondo was fantastic. I think it's a motivation issue. If Rondo is motivated he is an asset. If he's not he is a liability.

[wco81]

Rondo pushed the pace, esp. in the first quarter, which led to some wide open looks for Morris in transition.

[stan francisco]

Rondo +28.

[Dr Aki]

Lock this thread

[LBC SoCal]

What’s going on with Dwight Howard tho. This seems like a matchup where he’d thrive.