In Winning and in Losing, Lakers Excel
by C.A. Clark on Dec 31, 2009 9:14 AM PST
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At 25-6, the Los Angeles Lakers have the best record in the league. And with Boston entering an injury induced free fall, there's a fair chance they will keep the best record for a while, at least until they lose two more games and the Cleveland Cavaliers pass them en route to a 30 game win streak. So, it goes without saying that the Lakers are one of the best, if not the best, teams in the league at winning basketball games.
But they sure know how to lose games, too.
On the rare occasion that the Lakers actually lose a game, they really commit to the loss. The Lakers have only lost six games this season, but each loss has been by more than double digits except for one, the loss in Utah to the Jazz 102-94, and even that game was a blowout which was not as close as the final score would indicate. The 5 other losses (@Denver, @Phoenix, Houston, Cleveland, Dallas) all could have just as easily been called at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Which is why, if you think about it, it should come as absolutely no surprise that the Lakers have the 4th worst loss margin in the league. A Laker loss hardly ever happens, but when it does, the Lakers lose by an average of over 14 points per loss. The only teams getting blown out worse per loss are Toronto, Chicago, and Minnesota. When the Lakers lose, they do so in worse fashion than the New Jersey Nets. That's a fine group of teams to be lumped into when you have visions of a championship, isn't it?
So why are all Lakers losses blow outs? I'm not even sure that question can be properly analyzed, because it can be taken many different ways.
Glass half full approach - The Lakers are always winning close games
A by-product of all the Lakers losses being blowouts is that, by definition, the Lakers are winning all of their close games. And there have certainly been a few games this year that the Lakers have won which could very easily have been losses. Kobe's two game winners come to mind, but there was also that back-to-back OT set early in the season with the OKC Thunder and Houston Rockets, both very close games.
This option is undoubtedly true, because the Lakers are always winning close games. And it is a good thing to have a team know with full confidence that they can close out a close game. But the truth is, the Lakers simply haven't been involved in that many close games, 5 of them to be exact. Only Atlanta has played in less games (4) decided by 5 points or less, with Cleveland, Denver and a couple of really bad teams also at 5 total games. But the Lakers are the only undefeated team under those circumstances, and no one else is really all that close.
Glass half empty approach - The Lakers have gotten really lucky in close games this year, and are likely to fall off once it catches up to them.
The main proponent of this argument is, of course, the shot Kobe hit against Miami. Kobe himself called it the luckiest shot he's ever hit. But there have been plenty of other games that the Lakers looked dead in, only to make a surprising comeback. The buzzer beater against Milwaukee followed a game that saw the Lakers down 6 with just over a minute left. Same thing for the most recent 2 OT win against the Kings, the Lakers were down 7 with just over a minute to play. It's great that the Lakers keep finding ways to win, but statistically, it has been shown that close games are basically a coin flip, so the Lakers are going to suffer once their close game performance goes back to the mean.
While I don't necessarily buy into the coin flip aspect, it should be noted that the Lakers have more double digit losses than all of the other elite contenders. In fact, Boston, Orlando and Cleveland combined have only lost one more game by double digits than the Lakers have. So, if the coin flip stat has any truth to it, it should be extremely concerning to Lakers fans.
So what do you think? The fact is that the Lakers have only lost 6 games, so regardless of how they lose, as long as it occurs rarely, we don't have a whole lot to complain about. But do you think this is a concerning statistic, or just a unique circumstance?
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I will always look at the Lakers with
a glass half empty mentality. Just to make sure I don’t get to high on them. It is my way of not getting to excited.
It is not the losess that I worry but the reasons as to why they get beaten. In other words, I don’t worry about the margin that they are beaten by but everything that happens up until that point that you know it is going to be a blow out.
For example, against the Cavs, Bynum got in foul trouble early so with Side-Show Bob, shaq and Zeke it was a tough matchup LO and Gasol. But the only thing that worries me is when they look like they are playing with no passion. Nothing else. A perfect example is the Suns game. They looked like they lacked the energy. In the playoffs that won’t be a factor.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 9:25 AM PST reply actions
I also try to see it half empty,
that way if they lose it doesnt bring me too far down. The only problem is that there is really no excuse for the lakers to really have a BAD off night, i mean we have too many weapons at our disposal for that to happen. i realize it does happen, but our loses should not be that bad, EVER.
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on Dec 31, 2009 9:50 AM PST up reply actions
Lakes never play well on X mas, they will beat the dancing man and cactus boy 2nd time around with or without Ron.
.SAM GILBERT IS COMING TO TAKE BACK THE BOOK OF CHEATING!
by so.cal.native1952 on Dec 31, 2009 4:06 PM PST up reply actions
Lets go lakers!
the cavs look good now but wait till deltonte west gets arrested,mo williams becomes old mo williams,shaq blames lebron and stops returning text messeges. coach mike brown fires himself in the wierdest moment in sports history. the state of ohio falls into the earth below.
it dont matter we got this!
kb 24 all day
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
Nice post
I’ve been commenting for a while that at least the Lakers aren’t losing to bad teams. Can one forgive some blow out games against elite teams in the league? I think so. Especially when in those games we’ve seen some of the following:
Against Cleveland we shot 36% vs. Cleveland shooting 54%. Bad shooting night? Great Cleveland defense (no)? Cleveland played well with a lineup that gave our bigs some issues. Let’s not forget the frustration of our players and some funky calls.
Against Phoenix we didn’t have Artest, were playing against an extremely tough home team (we did BLOW them out of the water twice before), and were on the first game of our 2nd back to back in 5 days.
Against Utah we shot okay, but were outplayed, had a sick Mamba with a broken finger, and were due for a loss against another tough home team.
Against the Rockets we shot 38% and didn’t have Pau in the lineup. We were outplayed, and out-hustled. This was a disturbing loss because Houston didn’t really play that much better than us. They just worked harder and deserved the win.
Against the Nuggets (ugh) we shot 35%, we didn’t have Pau in the lineup, and we were trounced in their house. They’re pretty good at that.
Against Dallas we shot 39%, we didn’t have Pau, and we got our butts kicked by a motivated team.
I’m not concerned at all given our losses, and the circumstances. Aside from Houston (they always play us tough) every one of those teams has already won 20+ games. Houston has won 19. I know we can take them in a series. We’re also missing Luke, who will help gel the second team a bit.
Let’s see how the season rolls, as January is going to be the true test of our teams mettle.
oh damn
After the win, Cavs teammate Shaquille O’Neal said during the post-game show that he bought LeBron a White Rolls Royce Phantom for his birthday. I know next to nothing about luxury cars, but a new Phantom has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price near $400,000, according to Yahoo! Autos.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
OK, the thing I have liked about the close wins is the number of times I have seen the Lakers dial up the defense and battle back to get the win. Sure there was some luck involved (Kobe’s shots, opponent’s missed free throws, etc.) but they were able to execute down the stretch.
In past seasons the Lakers haven’t always been able to turn a close game around when the are not playing well or very focused.
The Lakers "Too big, too strong, too long, too good."
Tangent
So wait a minute… If this fox dispute isn’t figured out, we’re gonna lose fsw and thusly tomorrow’s game, right? That’s what it sounds like in the la times.
by _logan_ on Dec 31, 2009 12:28 PM PST via mobile reply actions
that would not be good
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Dec 31, 2009 3:17 PM PST up reply actions
I chalk winning close games up to experience
none bigger than from Game 4.
However, for the blowouts. There really is no excuse for losing by that much. What’s worse, the losses have been against “elite” teams or “contending” teams. I’m not liking how the Lakers’ energy against good teams. They whine to the refs, are lazy on defense, lose their temper, don’t hustle, etc. For once, I’d just like to see them hunker down, play the game like they used to, facing the good opponents seriously. I think the mentality of the team is, “we’re good, so against good teams, it’s okay if we lose, because come playoff time, we’ll beat them”
but if you can’t beat any of them during the regular season, what makes you think you’ll beat them during the playoffs?
Lakers 2009 Road to Redemption: TREVOR, DEREK, LAMAR, PAU & KOBE.
Play the game of which Lakers reminds you of: TA - TI, Shannon Brown - Chris Brown, Pau Gasol - Jesus, Machine - Luis Scola/Russell Brand, PJ with mustache and beard - Colonel Sanders.
by PeanutButterSpread on Dec 31, 2009 12:52 PM PST reply actions
Glass half-full for me. The Lakers are fine. I would like for them to start the game with good energy.
Some parts of the schedule contributed to at least one of the losses. For most part, the Lakers start the game poorly then have a monster couple of quarters to pull out the win. That type of effort won’t beat the better or elite teams in the league. Against the Cavs, the Lakers looked slow to everything. Basically, a loss was written on them within in the first 5 minutes.
refs are making some fundamental mistakes though
like in a jumpball situation letting a jumper not jump and go after and catch a ball leading to a Sasha foul at the other end.If this is being whiny then I am.
damn links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQ4ERxBxi0Y
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
what's up Shaqfor3
Like the new pic.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 4:55 PM PST up reply actions
not much man
its been a boring day
rose parades been the big news today
but im not so crazy about it cause i live in pasadena and ive seen it a billion times. gets tiresome after a while.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
sucks! I have my eye on NBAtv because i'm looking
for any Lakers specials so I can record them.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 5:25 PM PST up reply actions
lucky
i dont have cable or anything…ugggggggh
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
dam sucks!
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 5:35 PM PST up reply actions
oh thanks
got the pic from espn LA
its from the 2001 finals
was around to see that series
i remember going ballistic when they lost game 1 :)
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
i go ballistic every time they play. That's why i don't have people over
because I go too nuts. My victim is usually Bynum. He replaced LO as the player that caused me the most headaches.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 5:37 PM PST up reply actions
i dont blame you
some times i yell out stuff like “get the fucking rebound!!” out loud and my family and others can hear it and they think im a psycho. its kinda funny. but yeah like you i dont like watching games with other people because of that.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Shaqfor3
I have some DVD’s that I’m sending Pslakerfan. If you want me to send them to you and you feel cool with giving me your address just click on my screen name and you will see my email address, send me an email with your address. I record a lot of stuff so I know you’ll like it. its about 99% lakers stuff. let me know. btw…the DVD’s are of past shows and Lakers tributes and I even have the recent gold medal game in which Kobe took over and got Lebron and Wade their gold medal.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 5:51 PM PST up reply actions
damn.....
I forgot about that. Did you send them yet? Thanks again by the way.
I have a dilemma about this whole Fox/Time Warner thing. I currently have Time Warner cable and I am probably going to lose Fox or more importantly Fox Sports West. I am also moving next week and I think maybe I should switch to Dish Network and dump Time Warner. If I do I will get Fox back plus NFL Network (yay) but I can’t get KCAL for Laker road games. I think I will get a lot of road games with road announcers because I will also get Fox Southwest, Midwest, Rocky MTN, Northwest, etc. Also I will also get Network games as well. I don’t know what to do. I could also keep basic cable and get Satellite as well, but that is pricey. Plus what happens if Time Warner and Fox come to an agreement and I have already got satellite?
Damn, I don’t know what to do.
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
They will be sent on Monday. Sorry! I had to re-record them from my DVR to DVD.
I heard about that Fox thing. Supposedly there is a number you can call to complain. That is a huge dilema. That blows. I have TW to. If I was a betting man I would think that TW doesn’t get rid of Fox. Just a hunch. But what the hell do I know.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 6:56 PM PST up reply actions
sure
you’re welcome.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 6:56 PM PST up reply actions
cool.
you’re welcome. I ’ll send out on Monday.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Dec 31, 2009 7:51 PM PST up reply actions
This info may have already been mentioned but on SI's website, SS&R is being referenced,
specifically this article. That’s pretty cool.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/teams/los-angeles-lakers/
by E-ROC on Dec 31, 2009 2:24 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
That's sweet.
Lamar = Laker for Life...Go Pads...Go Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Dec 31, 2009 4:25 PM PST up reply actions
LOL....
two of our 9 statistical categories are led by…………Sasha Vujacic. Too funny. Yeah stats tell the whole story.
Billy Mac: "Lamar, can you see yourself actually getting in the (boxing) ring"?
Lamar Odom: "No. My face is too pretty."
I agree for the most part
cept I would put Kobe at #2 and Timmy at #1. No way KG should be ahead of Kobe. And fuck that stupid ass PER stat that he always uses
by desecrator09 on Dec 31, 2009 6:22 PM PST up reply actions
not much of a surprise
i dont get how he ranks shaq below garnett
hes a big time stat geek haha
if stats said santa exist he would believe it.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Shaq below Garnett is easy
Garnett has been far more consistent across the decade than Shaq, who basically took a year off in Miami and has been a shell of his former self recently.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
still though, 3 Finals MVPs is pretty damn great
You cant forget how dominant Shaq was in the early decade. There was absolutely NOBODY who coulda stopped him back then. Look at the numbers he put up in those seasons and playoffs too, they’re pretty ridiculous.
by desecrator09 on Dec 31, 2009 6:43 PM PST up reply actions
Except all his numbers past '05-'06
Decrease tremendously while Garnett’s numbers stayed pretty consistent until last season. Yes, Shaq was completely dominant early in the decade, hence why he’s still fourth on that list, but that’s not enough to account for his decreased output the last few years, especially the ‘07-’08 season.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
On a more serious note, Jason Kidd is being seriously under appreciated. Wow!
I wonder if Hollinger puts any stock into defense.
I'm going with . . .
Smart Coaching.
Resting Kobe instead of letting Kobe bring the score down to -4 or 5 is going to pay off at the end of the season. Every game is a battle, but it ain’t the war.
Watchin last year's game against the Celdicks @ Boston
That was one hell of a game. I thought one of the best moments of that game was at the end of the 3rd quarter when Eddie House hit 2 straight 3s and Boston went up 79-71 and the crowd started to sense that the game was goin their way and I’ll admit, I felt the same way. THe year before, we would’ve folded in that situation. But soon after House hit the second 3, Jordan hit one and then after a stop, Sasha hit another one and we went into the 4th only down by 3. Great physical game by both teams and a true classic.
i remember
the crowd would randomly stand up a cheer when the celtics went on a mini run
then kobe or someone else would drain a shot and shut em up
great game especially at the end
who woulda thought odom of all people would save us
but still true revenge comes in the finals…
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
sorry man :)
Im used to calling them that on TLN all the time so it kinda slipped out.
by desecrator09 on Jan 1, 2010 11:12 AM PST up reply actions
Not here, either
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Jan 1, 2010 11:34 AM PST up reply actions
Happy New year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess."
-Kobe
Lakers all the way. Through thick and thin..
I dont know why im saying this here but I just hate bandwagon fans! haha. Sorry I just had to get that out of my chest. Haha
LA Lakers
SF Giants
SF 49ers
Cali pride from the Bay
"Wax on, wax off..."
Oh yeah.. HAPYY NEW YEAR GUYS!!
LA Lakers
SF Giants
SF 49ers
Cali pride from the Bay
"Wax on, wax off..."
May the Lakers be blessed in 2010! and god bless us all
LA Lakers
SF Giants
SF 49ers
Cali pride from the Bay
"Wax on, wax off..."
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Jan 1, 2010 12:03 AM PST reply actions
May the Lakers continue their dominance and Kobe gets his 5th.
Wow! He can actually match and is young enough to pass Magic with more than 5 titles.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Jan 1, 2010 12:21 AM PST up reply actions
HAPPY New Years SSR
Lakers better just start the new years off with and win, the glass is half full for me, got a long season before we know exactly what the Lakers will be and can be in the playoffs.
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be commited against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the LimeLight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
Happy New Year
Great to see this site grow and grow
Health, Peace, and Gratitude
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
Same to You
Pslakerfan, showed me a link to what Keloids means. Gross! lol I always wanted to know what your name meant. That’s really creative though…
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Jan 1, 2010 2:22 AM PST up reply actions
DUDE!!! i thought you were in your mid 30's...
Happy New Year Laker Lovers…
Lakers, Hurricanes, Dolphins
Imagine my sports world in the 80's. They're almost back, 'ceptin the Dolphins
by LAKESHOWrydamee on Jan 1, 2010 11:08 AM PST up reply actions
Here's the original story from Gilbert's now defunct blog
Gilbert Arenas’ candidness and sense of fun made him my favorite NBA personality, and this story of his still cracks me up:
“When I was new in the NBA the team veterans convinced me to shave, you know, down there, because they said the hair stinks. I used my girlfriend’s razor, which was rusty and gave me keloids. The doctor prescribed medicine to dab on, but I just poured it all over. Three days later I woke up screaming. The skin was burnt off my scrotum, down to my crack, everything — just raw flesh. I still had to run and play, so I used a numbing spray for a month until it healed. Now I use clippers.”
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
by Gils_Keloids on Jan 1, 2010 11:38 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
fuck!
that is hilarious and sick at the same time. Gilbert is a nut. You never know what he is going to say.
"Michael Jordan once said the quality Bryant possessed that reminded him most of himself was the desire to distance himself from contemporaries."
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Jan 1, 2010 5:02 PM PST up reply actions
Happy New Year, errbawdy!
On a basketball note, if I’m the Washington Wizards GM, I’m looking to void Gilbert Arenas’s contract with the quickness. Bringing firearms to an arena is no-no. Get the crackin’ Wizards.
Any news or Artest or Evans?
I’m going to the game tonight so I’m kinda hoping both are playing. Artest seemed way out of it during his presser so hopefully he’s gotten some good rest over the last few days.
Lakers should roll easy tonight.
Lamar = Laker for Life...Go Pads...Go Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Jan 1, 2010 11:19 AM PST reply actions
artest not gonna suit tonight
and Phil is going for a smaller line-up for a change.
Happy new year community!
got a link by chance?
last I heard he was “highly doubtful” via Phil but that’s the last I heard.
Lamar = Laker for Life...Go Pads...Go Bolts
by mrbarneydangles on Jan 1, 2010 11:39 AM PST up reply actions
Its all PJ
PJ has this thing about running his guys into the ground and as much as I hate to see my team lose, I have to agree with him.
For starter this is only Jan and they have only played 30 games so if the Lakers still have the best record in the league I see no point in using your starters to try and make a come back in a game that you are down 17+ points in and its the start of the 4th quarter. Thats what your bench is for let them fight it out with the opponent which will also help in the long run for them. we get to keep an aging Fisher off the floor saving his legs for the long haul and even though hes in amazing shape Kobe is playing a lot of mins so this can allow him to rest in a game he doesnt need to finish nor does Pau or any of the other starters.
If the bench manages to make a run of it and get back with in striking distance(6-10pts) with at least 3-5mins left to play, then allow the starters to make a run at the win otherwise allow the bench some much need pt.
In the end it comes down to one fact, its a 82 game season and if the Lakers still have the best record overall in the NBA then shutting it down at the end of the 3rd start of the 4th Quarter to preserve your starters over the long haul just makes senses anyway you look at it.
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