When Sasha's Your Best Guard, You're Probably Going to Lose
by DexterFishmore on Feb 19, 2010 12:01 AM PST
in Game Recaps
96 comments
I'm trying to sit here and explain to the world why this game doesn't matter. There's a decent argument to be made to that effect, and I'd love to convince myself of it. It's only one game out of 82. The probability is slim that it'll matter in any kind of race for home-court advantage. The outcome, a one-point loss suffered without Kobe Bryant at the hands of a desperate, elite opponent, probably says better things about the Lakers than it does the Celtics. All those statements are more or less correct and hold up to some analytical pounding.
But... come on. I'm not made of stone. No one's that coldly analytical. I wanted this one. It's the Celtics, man. Staples was rocking tonight, and I got sucked in, especially with the great Laker comeback in the fourth quarter. And with Cleveland stumbling earlier in the night, allowing an opportunity to make up crucial ground? I wanted this one badly.
You could say the game was lost before any of us really started watching. The Cavs-Nuggets undercard went to overtime, so TNT didn't cut over until seven minutes or so were left in the first, with the Celtics up 13-8. From that point until the end of the game the Lakers outscored them by four points. So if you think about it, the Lakers really were the better team for most of the night....
I'm not making you feel any better, am I? Yeah, I'm not buying it either.
This was a savage contest that, for all its off-the-charts stress content and unfortunate conclusion, was a delight to watch. Even though the Lakers lost, there's no other way I'd prefer to have spent the evening. When two excellent teams are crushing each other like they were tonight, we NBA fans are rewarded for all the crapfests we sit through during the regular season. Strictly in terms of entertainment value, there's not much more we could've asked from this one.
Digging into the analytics, let's start with the free throws. Both teams missed a bunch of them. The Celtics shot 8 of 13 (62%) and the Lakers 16 of 25 (64%). Had both sides shot their season averages, Boston would've earned an extra three points and the Lakers an extra two. So yeah, it's legitimate to look at those honked freebies and see a pretty crucial failing.
The Lakers' most systemic breakdown, however, came from their backcourt. With Kobe Bryant missing his fifth straight game, someone from the group of Derek Fisher, Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic had to plug the hole. Sasha, weirdly enough, had a brilliant stretch in the fourth that sparked the Lakers' comeback and put them ahead briefly, but they needed a 30-minute, starter-caliber performance from one of those guys, and they didn't get it.
The trio of Fisher, Farmar and Brown was just dreadful. They combined for only 16 points on an unbelievably bad 27% True Shooting. Fisher, meanwhile, got vaporized on defense over and over, letting Ray Allen run wild for 24. On the whole it was a strong team performance on D, as the Lakers allowed the Celtics only 0.97 points per possession, the fifth straight game they've held their opponents below the 1.00 PPP waterline. That's truly stellar. But seeing Fish get worked over and over and over.... I can't say it wasn't painful.
A few endgame moments will be remembered unfondly. On the next-to-last Laker possession with the Celtics up one, Pau Gasol made a terrible pass to Shannon Brown that led to a turnover. After Paul Pierce missed a layup on the other end and Lamar Odom snagged the rebound, the refs failed at first to see Gasol signaling for a timeout, costing the Lakers a few valuable seconds. And when they ran a final play, it was an inbounds set for Fish (um, what?) that predictably failed.
As a general matter I think we tend to place too much emphasis on events, good and bad, that happen at the very end of games, forgetting all the crucial moments in the first and second quarters that count for just as many points on the scoreboard. But if you want to hash over those last 50 seconds in detail, I won't try to talk you out of it. Like I said, I'm not made of stone.
The Lakers are now 42-14, 1½ games plus a tiebreaker behind Cleveland and five games ahead of Denver. They don't play again until next Tuesday, in Memphis. It's going to be a long five days.
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Poss. |
TO% |
FTA/ |
FT% |
3FGA/FGA |
2PT% |
3PT% |
EFG |
TS% |
OReb Rate |
DReb Rate |
PPP |
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Bos. |
90 |
12 |
0.15 |
62 |
0.18 |
46 |
33 |
47 |
48 |
17 |
76 |
0.97 |
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L.A. |
92 |
13 |
0.30 |
64 |
0.20 |
44 |
25 |
43 |
46 |
24 |
83 |
0.93 |
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I'm happy that they proved they didn't need Kobe to stay in the game
I’m just freaking mad about the damn decision made by Fisher on that last shot…
I mean really!?!?!
I would have been a bit more satisfied knowing they jacked up a good shot and missed it… the loss would have been one that could have gone either way…
Shannon missed two opportunities to take the lead but failed..
and fisher’s last shot proves to me that he’s done..
in reality this Lakers squad is the better team, but just failed to come up with key plays to win it…
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
AHHHHHHHHH
this game pissed me off. Fish is garbage. cant shoot, cant drive, cant play defense. gasol complains about not getting touche, then when he does, he makes a stupid pass to brown. artest was not used much after playing great the first half. pj kept odom out for way too long to start the game. ugggggg…next game is too far away. hopefully can “heal” by then
Fisher is garbage....
i completely agree
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
Is he getting worse?
I mean is it just me being frustated seeing the same shit again and again or has fisher slumped further as the season has gone on?
I hope PJ puts brown in as started when Kobe gets back and make fisher come off the bench. Its just very painfull to see fisher get burnt on every defensive play. I mean, forget rondo, he is even slower than aging ray allen.
Crap! Just way too frustating watching him play.
soo... you blame fisher
but excuse shannon for his play down the stretch?
people need to check their emotions at the door, shannon is just as much to blame.
Yes, I blame Fisher...
..did you see that last play?!
that wasn’t good defense, it was horrible shot selection by Fisher…
that’s not what a leader does, or a “clutch” shooter for that matter…
I blame him for not being able to lead the team anymore..
his failed attempts to driving to the rim, which quite frankly, looked like a fish out of water – no pun intended – he would drive, hope for a foul and just toss the ball…
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
I am not
excusing shannon for his play but I do see some potential in the future. With fisher there is no future.
Also, neither fisher nor brown would’ve taken those shots at the end of the game if bryant was there. I am not talking about offense at the end of the games but defense through out the game. Either the defense get compromised because of fisher or his man scores without any trouble. Its like playing 4 on 5 on defense.
I do know fisher runs the triangle very well. But when Bryant is on the floor, he is the one running the offense most of the time. Plus if fisher comes out with the bench he can make them run triangle very well.
But its more about the defense than offense. Fisher can’t gaurd a PG and he can’t gaurd a SG who is a scorer. So against any team with a decent PG and SG we get screwed by either one of them.
Erek Fisher
On the World Champion Lakers Basketball Network...
by sumo390 on Feb 19, 2010 12:29 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Wait. Erek is a damn good name, especially when its spelled E-r-i-c.
Don’t hate. Appreciate.
E-Roc Fisher
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 19, 2010 7:35 AM PST up reply actions
My first live Lakers game for ages
thanks to you, High School. Well, at least I watched it from the very beginning of the tip off. But that was a heck of a game even though Lakers lost.
Anyway, my first post FTW.
Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers are in town!
Welcome!
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Feb 19, 2010 12:51 AM PST up reply actions
Welcome.
To the pits of hell. :P
"That's a giant sig " - Ben R.
by Saurav A. Das on Feb 19, 2010 6:10 AM PST up reply actions
on the celtics blog
they are saying that not having House, Giddens, or Walker is the same as not having kobe…HAHAHAHAHHAA
Lol.
Bill Simmons has way too much impact on those kids.
"I was just letting the shots fly. You know, I don't leave any bullets in the chamber."
"Everything negative- pressure, challenges- is all an opportunity for me to rise."
-Kobe Bryant
A mantra for all athletes.
by TrojanRam on Feb 19, 2010 1:35 AM PST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
I'm also going to blame Farmar for poor shot selection
Shannon was trying, Odom wasn’t on the floor long enough, Gasol had some bad turnovers, Fisher….. was being Fisher….. and for the life of me, why did Powell have possession of the ball for more than 2 seconds????
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
I think Derek got fouled, they didn't call it... oh well
This game had a lot of good in it, aside from the ugly that Dexter focused on in his post.
1) Lamar Odom can be a basketball GOD when he wants to play tough. He commanded the game when he was in; dunks, drives, rebounds, threes, wow. His posterizing dunks on everybody was awesome.
2) Fire. I saw some. It was good. Drew played hard, Pau played hard, Lamar was great. Lots of missed shots unfortunately.
3) I liked what Artest was trying to do. He is still getting packed in the paint, but he had lots of drives and finishes around the basket. His dunk on Wallace was phenomenal.
Really, I feel just “meh” about this game. I am surprisingly not worried or bothered. Not sure why. Minus a few bad plays, or maybe some made free throws, we would have taken this game too. It just wasn’t to be.
All good points
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Feb 19, 2010 1:14 AM PST up reply actions
Kobe
knowing he didnt play, it is a less painful of a loss
still, if only Kobe could suit up for the last possession and nail the game winner. hahaha, yeah we need him don’t we
I said the same thing lastnight, lol
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on Feb 19, 2010 9:24 AM PST up reply actions
Nice poster
I wish he had gone straight up instead of side ways. he would have give ray some nuts to lick!
Sweet Picture
It seems kind of strange to me that LO is in more commercials lately than Kobe (except for the puppet, which I think is getting a little old now), I’m sure that will change come playoff time.
No more raining on Bruins Nation's rainy parade, they took their ball and went home.
by S Jay Bruin on Feb 19, 2010 12:12 PM PST up reply actions
Don't blame the turnover on a bad pass by Pau
It’s a set play out of the triangle and Pau did as he was supposed to, but Shannon didn’t complete the cut or properly use his body to shield the defender. Shannon is unbelievably athletic was has a god-awful feel for the game and no basketball IQ whatsoever.
For everything UCLA baseball, visit my UCLA baseball twitter.
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Feb 19, 2010 1:59 AM PST reply actions
Excellent point about ShanWOW
Some of what he doesn’t know can be taught by game film and repetition. Hopefully, he will continue to get time and will grow as a basketball player. He has alot of upside and I think he will only get better as time passes. Players we had like Radmanovic and Slava never got it. Hopefully WOW will.
FREE JAVARIS CRITTENTON!!!
NO, the blame is on Pau first
Pau is the leader, and he passed for a Shannon Brown jumpshot the first time, then the second time passed to Brown on a cut that was ill advised. The cutting lane was Not there, and had he gotten position it would’ve been useless, because he would have had to foul to get it. The defender was there first.
dude shannon couldn't make the cut
the defender was already in front of him. This one is totally on Pau. For all is IQ, he should have seen it coming. I understand him wanting to run the offense but great players ask for the ball in the final minutes and carry the team.
Pua wants more shots, well take the damn shots!!
What was he thinking giving the ball to shannon when he was already almost out of bounds? There was no way shannon could have gotten a good look at the basket even if he had gotten the ball. This is why we need kobe, he doesn’t shy away from the big moments.
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on Feb 19, 2010 9:28 AM PST up reply actions
about the pic
that is one sweet poster for any LO fans
IT IS
i am sooo hyped on this one!
" Get out of my way Saturn! "
by Captain $hugg on Feb 19, 2010 3:36 AM PST up reply actions
anger
i am a hater i realize this. i was too harsh on the team. but they still did all the things i knew they would turn it over take bad 3s. we could have won this game. #!$$#%$# kobe you couldnt have come out on some poetic revenge. put kobe in the wheelchair at the end of the 3rd and have him come out and see what happens lol
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD YES!
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
Meh
When I think about it, this is pretty much the first game this season where the Lakers have actually failed pretty hard down the stretch. This kind of game really shows why we need Kobe. Good defenses can shut us down in crunch time without him.
That being said, I think things bode well for this team. They really dug deep in the fourth quarter and actually beat the Celtics by 6 points in the final frame. There’s little doubt in my mind that if Kobe laced up, if only for 1 or 2 Laker possessions, that they’d be sleeping tonight with another W over Boston.
Would have been nice to climb back up on Cleveland’s record, but really it’s not that big of a deal. I truly believe that out of all teams in the NBA, the Lakers are least in need of the HCA.
P.S. How ugly was that last possession? I hope phil learned a lesson tonight: NEVER draw up the final shot for Derek Fisher. Fisher is good as an option in that kind of situation, but he should never be the number one option. He’s not fast enough or big enough to demand / get the space he needs on the inbounds.
P.P.S Still loving Ron Ron. By the way, I love Ariza for what he did for us but does it infuriate anyone else when analysts look at Ariza and say he’s having a “stellar offensive season” especially when comparing him to Ron? The dude is shooting below 40% from the field and like 30% from 3-point range…
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Is he really????
I always get the impression that he’s doing ok from analysis. I never watch houston play, so I don’t really know.
The only reason fish gets enough time for last shots is because KOBE is on the floor,
Having kobe on the floor opens up the game alot more for other players. Since he wasn’t there the defense was able to stick to fish…. Man that was ugly
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on Feb 19, 2010 9:31 AM PST up reply actions
Not so down on the game
I thought they played well enough to win, just missed some plays on offense toward the end. They hung tough, defense looked pretty good, too.
I’m just bummed the Lakers didn’t make a trade, and Cleveland and Boston did! Oh well. At least we can stop worrying about that and accept who we have going forward. Maybe the new acquisitions won’t work out so well for Cleveland and Boston. We’ll see, eh?
At least Sasha has shown he can play finally. Odom is showing he’s a leader of the team. Gasol and Drew still need to get closer to the basket. Drew needs to play with the fire lit throughout the entire game. Brown’s got some work to do.
Magic made me a Laker fan.
Yea im kinda relieved the deadline is over,
but i still don’t like browns shot selection.
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on Feb 19, 2010 9:32 AM PST up reply actions
The reasons we lost in my opinion….
1. Missed Free Throws
2. Fisher couldn’t play D
3. NO ANSWER FOR RAY ALLEN…BUT WHEN KOBE COMES BACK WE FINALLY HAVE SOMEONE WHO COULD PLAY D AGAINST HIM.
"Champions aren't made in the gym. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision."
- Muhammad Ali
"Words of wisdom is nothing but foolishness to the unwise"
by AmarDude on Feb 19, 2010 3:52 AM PST reply actions 1 recs
Fish always defends Allen..
With Kobe on Rondo..
Celtics missed free throws, too.
Fish’s D wasn’t THAT bad this game, we’re just used to blaming him. The D from both teams was freaking stellar after the first, it was our offense that let us down. But that doesn’t bother me, as I’m pretty sure we have a guy we’re meant to go to when no-one else can get a clean shot off; but for the life of me, I can’t remember his name…
"That's a giant sig " - Ben R.
by Saurav A. Das on Feb 19, 2010 6:13 AM PST up reply actions
thats not true at all
kobe usually doesn’t defend allen.
Only really relevant one is Cleveland
With Dallas being somewhat relevant.
Damn Washington.
Anyways, there’ll be a post up on this topic Saturday morning L.A. time.
"That's a giant sig " - Ben R.
by Saurav A. Das on Feb 19, 2010 6:30 AM PST up reply actions
Why didn't Shannon feed Gasol back in the post!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you’re big man kicks back out to you [unless you’re Kobe Bryant] why take the shot, he wants to reset and get it back. Shannon, Shannon, Shannon.
by GRICE on Feb 19, 2010 5:33 AM PST reply actions
Destiny was delivered, somewhat
After the Lakers one point win in Boston, w/ Kobe having to make a miracle shot that misses 90% of the time, my C’s get a one point win on your court w/o Kobe. Somewhat of a draw. However,
1) Our bench sucked in scoring last night w/o House. Going forward, our bench scoring will be much better with Nate
2) Our bigs were heads and shoulders better than your bigs even w/ Wallace playing like crap
3) KG is slowly recovering from his injured knee and is getting better by the game
4) W/o Kobe, your team can’t make it any more than the C’s w/o KG. Don’t kid yourself otherwise
We’ll see you in June for another Finals beatdown, health permitting on both sides.
Kobe is much more important than KG
Did you notice how many shots KG missed down the stretch? Did you notice him getting rebounds snagged over him, getting taken off the dribble? Oh wait, no, you’re probably just a bandwagon fan or someone who appreciates hollering and ‘hustling’ by players. But, you know, there are actual stats. And this year, KG did not deserve to be in the all star game, he’s simply not playing well.
Examples?
Did you see the Kings getting high percentage shots against him the other night?
Did you see R. Lewis get the game winner over him the other week?
Did you see Artest drive by him in Boston at the end of the game?
KG looked tired last night, and when Kobe looks like that, I’ll gladly admit it, but Kobe is an offensive dagger… KG simply is not.
I think you're arguing the same point.
Except yours is a little more emphatic on Kobe being important. Kobe anchors our offense, but KG still anchors their defense. Its because he’s not 100%, probably never will be again, that he’s getting ran past and rebounded over. So they’re in effect playing without KG as much as KG’s lesser evil twin. lol.
Really?
Jdn, you’re just embarassing yourself. Please go away. Kobe is a more vital piece than KG. Pierce and Rondo have become the better players on that team. Lakers would win in a 7 game series.
Well let me welcome everybody to the wild wild west. A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness.
KG is worth the same on the C's as Kobe is to the Lakers
I stated nothing to embarass myself over.
Without KG, or in a reduced capacity as he has been in the 12 games since returning from his knee injury, the C’s have neither a high enough defensive focus nor their best defensive anchor in the paint. Without Kobe, your offense doesn’t have anyone reliable enough to take over games late, as is often needed against the better teams.
Last night, KG was much more nimble and quick as compared to the games mentioned by Jevon O. When we played in the Gargen on 1/31, KG moved like a brick. He’s maybe at 75% efficiency today, health willing, he’ll be at 90% plus come playoff time. We’ll take that.
KG has shown considerable improvement in his knee the past few games and is starting to regain his form. He won’t ever be as good as 2008 but, the B-ball gods wiling, he will be a hell of a lot better come April.
If either key player is missing or hobbling come playoffs, that team is not going to the Finals. We wouldn’t get past Cleveland and yours wouldn’t get past Denver.
I hope we meet in June with everyone healthy. Maybe your guys would take it to 7 games.
i see your point
they are both as valuable at game end. You need KG to be that defensive anchor in the final minutes while we need Kobe to create. The only difference though is that with Kobe we miss both. yes he is a godlike scorer but he’s also a very good defender. So Kobe brings more to our team in a game than KG brings to yours.
The C's defense > their offense
The C’s lose mainly when their defense starts to coast or slacks. Scoring is not the biggest issue (though it’s been there at times), defensive lapses are the prime concern. KG eliminates most of those defensive lapses.
Offense wins games, defense wins championships. KG’s defensive prowess, not his scoring, is the key to raising our banner #18 in the Garden. KG and Kobe are each their respective teams MVP and critical, irreplacable component.
so... you are saying you're team will make it past Orlando?
even, Atlanta?
Man, I have a feeling Orlando is going to surprise and break a lot of heart this postseason.
Just because announcers don’t gush over a team like lonely cheerleaders, doesn’t mean they aren’t championship quality.
Are you kidding me?!
Without Kobe, the Lakers beat San Antonio, () Portland, () Utah……..
The Celtics were struggling when KG was out…
The Laker bigs made a fool out of the Celtic defense..
what game were you watching?
The only thing working for the Celdicks was Ray Allen’s shot…— can’t believe I have to point that out
-The greatest Joke in NBA History Paul “Dial 911 QUICK” Pierce was non existent being guarded by Artest
-Odom took a dump on Perkins and Allen
-Artest pissed on KG and Perkins
-The Celtics can’t come out of Halftime and extend the lead…
-Kobe was out <
You make it seem like this game would have gone to Boston if they had Eddie House..
If Kobe played this game, this game would have been a blow out win for LA…
GTFO with your BS…
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
Yeah, Hensi, you all won 4 w/o Kobe, but
couldn’t beat the C’s last night, right? We did watch the same game. You actually confirmed the points I made about KG, so thank you.
And this was after it took a last second complete miracle shot by Kobe to win last month in the Garden. With the Pierce and KG hurt and limping, causing our defense to suck in the 2nd half.
Better hope we don’t face the Lakers in June. It’ll mean we’re healthy and ready to toast and butter your team, just like we did in 2008.
We'll see...
…all that matters to me about this game is that we know that the Lakers are the better team, considering Kobe wasn’t on the squad that game…
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
hahah big difference your team is 2 years older, and largely considered old and battered….
I don’t recall there ever being a playoffs where a team gets healthier and more rested during the playoffs…
It would be impressive if the celtics can even get to the ECF with their current roster
In Kobe we trust!
hi5
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
I'm just picking on you for your
analogies…
they’re just so… sophomoric! I wouldn’t expect to see them on SS&R.
It’s like when Skip Bayless calls Lebron “Lebrick”… not classy at all.
That's great of you
…but I dont see how that matters…
It’s my opinion…
good day
Kobe: "If you’re afraid to fail, then you’re probably going to fail," he says, laughing. "You know what I mean? Fuck it."
So many parts of this are wrong
1) Our bench sucked in scoring last night w/o House. Going forward, our bench scoring will be much better with Nate
Your bench sucks in general, Robinson or no Robinson. I will say that Robinson was a decent addition, but no, your bench really, really sucks. Daniels has been awful, Allen is inconsistent, ’Sheed has fallen off a cliff, and Davis is mediocre.
2) Our bigs were heads and shoulders better than your bigs even w/ Wallace playing like crap
Reading this is simply laughable. Uh, no. KG on one leg, Perkins, Wallace, and Davis are not in any conceivable way better than Bynum, Gasol, and Odom. If you didn’t notice it last tonight through your green-tinted glasses, our frontcourt routinely dominated yours. You have no answer for Bynum’s skill-set and size in the low post, Gasol continuously shot over or went around your bigs, and Odom either drove past them, left them hanging on screens, or simply dunked on them. It’s one thing to be fan — it’s another thing to have foolish hubris as a result of dumb bias. Garnett is clearly hobbled, shot horribly down the stretch, and continuously was either beaten in the post by Gasol or blown by on the perimeter by Odom. Wallace was a walking horror show on the offensive end and Gasol was continuously getting the better of him. Perkins was probably the only big to play a decent game, and even then, he wasn’t slowing down Bynum that much.
3) KG is slowly recovering from his injured knee and is getting better by the game
(Yawn)
Please understand that he’s not returning to his ‘07-’08 form. This is the consequence of compounding minutes and size. Careers tend to slow down.
4) W/o Kobe, your team can’t make it any more than the C’s w/o KG. Don’t kid yourself otherwise
Uh, last I checked we just blew apart three potential playoff teams (Portland, Utah, San Antonio) without Kobe. Regular season fluke? Sure, possible. Our frontcourt is still miles better than any other frontcourt in the West, and that’s more enough to make it to the WCF, where the opposite team will likely be Denver or Dallas, who I grant we’ll probably not beat without Kobe, but it’s hell of a lot farther Boston will go without Garnett.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
by Ben R on Feb 19, 2010 1:21 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs
last night through your*
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
I started reading this thinking
“whos layin down the law like this”
oh of course, Ben R :D
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
One more time, then adios
I’ll repeat from my earlier post and then we’ll see you in June.
“Offense wins games, defense wins championships. KG’s defensive prowess, not his scoring, is the key to raising our banner #18 in the Garden. KG and Kobe are each their respective teams MVP and critical, irreplacable component.”
Defense will determine who gets to and wins the Finals. If KG continues on his recovery from his knee injury to close to 08 form, we’re there and likely raising #18, hopefully at your expense.
P.S. We over at the Celtics blog think maybe you guys want some revenge for how we absolutely and totally humiliated you in 2008. So root for the green to win the East, if you think you can handle it.
you can pick and choose spots to retaliate
but from an overall perspective (kinda like your defense offense argument), Ben R. pretty much hung you out to dry.
I’d love it if the Celtics made the finals against the Lakers, but it’s probably not going to happen. Cleveland is going to run train on the East.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Careful what you wish for...
hahaha I would actually be more than happy to play Boston in the finals actually.
Revenge has nothing to do with it. Boston just isn’t as good as the Cavs. The fact that you guys can do nothing but bring up 2008 is pretty sad. We’ve gotten over it, in case you’ve been living under a rock, we are the defending champions. But interestingly, We here at the SS&R aren’t bringing up past success to make arguments about this year.
You’re right defense wins championships, but fortunately you’re guys offense is often so bad that it makes even the worst defenses look great.
In Kobe we trust!
...spouting silly polemical statements doesn't help you
(Besides the fact that it’s a non-sequitor and you’ve tacitly admitted that you really have no counter-argument)
In any case you didn’t notice, Boston and L.A. are first and second in defensive efficiency respectively (with a very negligible differential between the two), so trying to imply that Boston’s “superior” defense will get you farther doesn’t help you. Boston’s immediate problem is that their offense is mediocre (fourteenth in the league in offensive efficiency) and that you face the prospect of either 1) getting the fourth seed and facing Cleveland in the second round 2) getting the third seed and facing Orlando and Cleveland in successive rounds. Combined with an aging core and an increasingly inept offense, I sincerely doubt you’re getting through to the Finals, let alone the ECF.
Enjoy the early ride home.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Laugh out loud at all the bad analysis in the comments section.
They put the ball in Gasol’s hands for the last two minutes and he did not deliver. He, time after time, passed the ball instead of taking the big shot himself, and he wasn’t even double teamed. The last two passes were all you needed to know; and it was very similar to Cleveland, Gasol did not want to take the big shot, or execute on the big play. I like Gasol, but you have to see it; he does not have a good clutch rating. It is what it is.
actually execute is the wrong word
i believe that gasol was trying execute the plays recommended by Phil. The problem is that he should know when to go away from those. When someone as talented as he is can get a good look, one should take it. you’d think he’d learn after playing with Kobe.
watch the post game
Phil was mad at Gasol for passing, not once, but both times.
interesting fact
according to HoopData.com Fish is shooting only 39.2 percent at the rim this season
That one hurt...
almost as bad as the Cavs losses…im not surprised fish took the last shot, he usually shows up in moments like that for us, but i think the way the game went LO should’ve been Mr.4th quarter and if that last timeout wasn’t called he would have been fouled by perkins and atleast we’d tie the game for OT but the way we were shooting FTs who knows…
by purplebloodgoldheart on Feb 19, 2010 7:18 AM PST reply actions
Of course we're upset, but we shalln't worry
It’s always a sweet victory and an extremely bitter loss when the Great Lakes play the leprechauns. But the last 5 games have been nice to watch. I think we all knew that a Kobe-less team was going to lose eventually. But just like our dear Dex pointed out, the defense has been nothing less than impressive (sans Allen going off). It will continue when Kobe gets back healthier. I’m upset, but actually upbeat about the remaining season at hand. You should be too.
Well let me welcome everybody to the wild wild west. A state that's untouchable like Elliot Ness.
I never thought I would see the day that
LO was one of our “tough” players.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Feb 19, 2010 7:36 AM PST reply actions
Good game but it's still a loss
Count this one as a moral victory. But our guards sucked bigtime tonight (Minus Sasha) Lamar, Pau, Drew and Ronron all stepped up to the plate, tho I thought Pau could’ve taken atleast 2 to 3 more shots at clutch.
Sasha's 1st half?
Sasha had 2 good awesome minutes in the fourth. Other than that he was a liability in the first half.
he sure was
his good plays seemed to happen purely out of luck
if the game was in Boston, he would have been called for a few more fouls.
Gasol, homie, you don't need to pass to a cutting Brown.
Without Kobe being on the floor, the endgame is all yours for the taking. Take the damn shot! If not, Odom, you’re welcome to step right up and do work.
That is all.
Losing to the Celtics always
pisses me off, no matter the circumstances.
No more raining on Bruins Nation's rainy parade, they took their ball and went home.
good point about the beginning of the game being overlooked. it is also critical to get off to a good start. that’s what doug collins underscored before the game. this was a good effort by the lakers in spite of the loss. i liked that they were physical. i liked the defense they played. they annoyed some of the celtics’ players. sasha played good defense a few times.
HAAHHA I LOVE THE TITLE DEX!
i’m not too shaken by this loss. It’s not like we got shot outta the water. I’m actually very proud of the fight our guys put up.
Sure our backcourt was dreadful…..but lucky for us, we wont have to have that rotation come playoff time. Props to sasha tho! It’s good to see there is some fight in him despite falling of the proverbial edge. I’d love to see him be the Machine again rather than continue hearing the groans when he goes into the game….
last little tidbit, Gasol was very dissapointing near the end. As our 2nd best player, he really has to step up and be the man. It’s sad to see that he seems to be constantly giving fuel to his detractors. I truly believe he is one of the best big men in the game, I just really wish he would act like it during big games!
In Kobe we trust!
A few thoughts on the game
1. Derek, STOP DRIVING INTO THE PAINT!!!!! Get it in your head!!!!
2. The backcourt played horribly (Fisher, Farmar, Sasha, Shannon) a combined 8 of 31 shooting for 22 points.
3. Pau wants complains about not getting the ball in clutch. Then with the game on the line and the lakers in desperate need of a shot, he throws a horrible pass to shannon who turns it over. Please grow a pair.
4. WTF happened on that final play?? When Odom got the rebound off the pierce miss, he should have immediately called for time so they can advance the ball up the court. oh and the ref should have put a good 2 or 3 seconds back onto clock. Pau called for time with around 5 seconds the left but the refs blow the whistle a lot later…
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
MAMBA
Guess now all the clowns who were suggesting the team is better without kobe can go back in their hole…no kobe, no championship…fisher needs to play when he’s hot, or sit his ass down when he’s not, and sit when the opposing pg is too quick…sasha should get more minutes…better defender than brown, and i like his energy, farmar needs to look to penetrate, and dish the big fellas after he draws the defense…lakers will be fine…chill people, now you know why i say they have to draft a quick pg with the first pick(reynolds….not lightening quick but excellent knowledge, dyson …not vocal enuf…i would love to see them get battle from penn st. if he comes out
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