Shannon Brown, an Important Part of the Future

Part III of the five part series, Busy Off-Season. Lakers need to find a replacement for Derek Fisher…could Shannon Brown be the answer?

What a busy week the NBA just had.

Sure the draft was pretty uneventful, but how exciting is it when three of the top teams in the league all make major moves and upgrades beginning with the Cavaliers stealing Shaquille O’Neal away from the we-need-to-drop-salary-and-quick Suns. Give credit to the Spurs too for breaking out of their safe shell and actually being ultra aggressive. They made a big move turning a few nobodies into one Richard Jefferson, who I think embodies the Spurs system — both in his calm demeanor and his ability to play defense. They will welcome his fresh legs and versatility. Then you have the Magic, who just lost to the Lakers in the Championship game and seemingly lost their glue guy, Hedo Turkoglu, who balked at their qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. However, they bounced back in a hurry by trading away useless Rafer Alston and promising youngster Courtney Lee and getting back Vince “I’m-32-and-still-have-a-ton-to-prove” Carter.

With the rest of our immediate competition upping the ante, could you imagine a situation in which the Lakers do not resign Trevor Ariza or Lamar Odom?

Better yet, what about this young kid Shannon Brown?

Now, was he the reason the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Championship? No. Was he a vital cog in the engine that is the new Lakers dynasty? No. So, you may be wondering why I am devoting an entire article to a guy who barely played in 39 games for us?

The answer is, I saw all I need to know that he will one day play a very important role in the Lakers future.

A big question that keeps coming up this off-season was who is the Lakers point guard of the future? Ironically, Brown and Jordan Farmar both came into the league in 2006 and were selected 25th and 26th, respectively. Jordan was drafted to eventually take over the reigns, but in his first year he barely managed 15 minutes per game behind Smush Parker. The following year was a better situation. Fisher was back in town, which gave Farmar a one or two year window to learn, grow and mature behind a consummate pro. It also helped that the Lakers drafted yet another point guard, Javaris Crittenton with the 19th pick, which really motivated Jordan to push himself, as he eventually doubled his scoring output from his rookie year.

Blessed with an explosive first step and a 42-inch vertical that allows him to finish at the rim, he seemed well on his way. However, he has yet to sustain the few flashes of brilliance here and there, and his third year progress took a hit after a December injury sidelined him for a month. Even when he came back, his shot was as shaky as his defense and his confidence seemed at an all-time low — he has yet to get it back, shooting just 31% from three in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Brown struggled to find minutes after being drafted by the Cavaliers. An injury in his first year stunted his growth and he made a number of appearances in the D-League. From there, he got traded to the Bulls and eventually signed a one year deal with the Bobcats. After a solid game vs the Lakers, he was traded again, but this time to the City of Angels. He rode the pine for most of February, March, and April, but in the final five games of the season, Phil Jackson must have saw something in practice that made him decide to let the newcomer be the first guy off the bench. Brown rewarded Phil with a number of highlight reels as well as a solid stat line: 7 pts, 2 reb, and 2 ast in only 16 minutes of play.

Then came the playoffs. Could he have been playing for a new contract? Or, was he just happy to find himself contributing positively to a championship caliber team in the playoffs? (My guess is the latter).

Either way, I feel this is almost as important a sign for general manager Mitch Kupchak, as the signings of Ariza and Odom. I see the selling of two of their three draft picks as a clear sign they want to keep Brown. By not adding a young player, Brown (only 23 years old), becomes that much more important. Every team needs young players to sustain success. Besides, he simply showed me too much during the final two months of the season to let him slip away.

We also know PJ loves big point guards and at 6′4, 211 pounds, Brown is just that. He is also extremely athletic, can defend, and oh, did I mention he hit 48% of his threes in the playoffs? I can envision a future lineup of Brown and Ariza giving us unparalleled athleticism, the likes the league has not seen.

Granted, there might be another team who feels he could be had for cheap and offer a bit more, but I don’t see there being too much competition for him. I believe, regardless of the incredibly small sample size we have to go by, that he is at least worth the risk. I could see a three year contract worth $5.5 million. It won’t break the bank or stop us from re-signing any of the other major players, but it will guarantee he has at least a fair shot at becoming Derek Fisher’s replacement.

Maybe he won’t become an all-star, but I expect big things from the kid.

Not bad for a guy who was just a ‘throw-in’ on the Vladimir Radmanovic and Adam Morrison deal that was really only made to save Jerry Buss a few measly millions.

The Lakers – Your 2009 NBA Champions

It was this time last year; I can still remember the absolute disappointment. Lakers seemed to have everything in place:  The best coach, the best player, the final piece to the puzzle in the form of a seven foot Spaniard.

But, everything came crashing down June 17th, 2008. The night the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics 131-92. The worst loss in a close out game in the Finals, ever.

Phil Jackson talked about the journey being what is truly important; and this was one hell of a journey that began when things ended last June.

It all seemed surreal; that game last night. It didn’t even seem possible. Not with two games left in LA and a Laker team lacking that killer instinct.

But, it happened Laker fans. It really happened. Now take it all in. Soak it all up.

Even with the Lakers being the favorites at the start of the season, I still can’t believe it. It’s one thing to have a goal, to talk about making it back, getting a second chance. But, to actually make it back to the Finals, and win. It seems like something put together down the street in Hollywood, not in STAPLES Center.

I can still remember that trade for Pau Gasol last year. It took maybe a week before I already had visions of a dynasty in the making.

We soared into the playoffs. We fought hard and played tough, even defeated the mighty San Antonio Spurs in five games. That brought on a clash of the titans match up between two storied franchises –the Los Angeles Lakers vs the Boston Celtics. It was the perfect backdrop for the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, it did not end well.

However, I think the painful loss — for the players, coaches, and fans — is what made this season so special. It’s also what gave us that drive, that passion, the will to win at all costs.

Not many teams are able to come back after defeat in the Finals and win; in fact, the Lakers are the first team to do so since the ‘89 Detroit Pistons.

I have enjoyed this season more than any other, and this title is as sweet as ever. We were supposed to blow through the Western Conference in the playoffs; instead, we found ourselves battling three tough, rugged teams:  The Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets.

However, I think each series brought about a new challenge and with it an opportunity to prove ourselves. I know I, like many others, doubted whether this team had the fortitude, the stones, to close a team out. Time and time again, we were all frustrated by the large leads the Lakers gave up during the regular season, and then continued in to the playoffs. But, with each challenge, a lesson was learned. We grew stronger, we grew closer, and more importantly, we began to believe. We took on Kobe Bryant’s demeanor. No matter the situation, we knew how to come back. We knew how to overcome.

We were pushed to the limit. Then again, if it wasn’t for the struggles we had — the games we narrowly escaped with a victory — who knows where we would be. If it wasn’t for the Yao-less Rockets pushing us to a Game 7, if it wasn’t for the Nuggets playing well enough to easily be up 3-0, and it if wasn’t for the Orlando Magic playing superb basketball in Games 2-4 of the Finals, we may not be where we are today — World Champions.

Phil Jackson’s words ring true. “There is something about sticktuitiveness, team camaraderie, guys that are willing to stay with it, be disciplined, and be coachable and here we are.” Where is that you ask? Try Kobe’s fourth, Phil’s 10th, and the Lakers 15th.

I want to say thank you to the Orlando Magic for playing as well as they did. That was not your typical five game series. We did not dominate them; we simply outlasted them. Two overtimes, two missed lay ups, two missed free throws. It was a series of missed opportunities for the Magic, but I give the Lakers all the credit in the world for taking advantage of every Magic mistake.

It was simple:  I believe, if it wasn’t for Dwight Howard and companies’ solid play in Games 2, 3, and 4, I do not think we would have won Game 5. We overcame an early deficit, thanks to our focus, and let’s face it, our hunger. We had learned to fear and respect the Orlando Magic. The last thing we wanted was to let the Magic get hot and shoot themselves into a Game 7, where anything can happen. As a result, we seized the day. Our guys really proved themselves and showed they are champions.

Who would have thought we would win a championship with our defense? Let me tell you, we did just that:

• Rafer Alston hit 38% of his threes vs the Cavs on his way to 12.5 ppg; we held him to 3-19 from downtown (16%) and 10.6 ppg.
• Hedo Turkoglu averaged 6.7 apg vs the Cavs and other than the Game 3 loss when he had seven assists, we held him to four assists or less in each game.
• Outside of Game 2, we held Rashard Lewis in check. In Games 1, 4, & 5 we held him to 2-10, 2-10, & 6-19 from the field, 40% shooting overall. The biggest factor was holding him to only 13 free throw attempts after shooting over 30 in each of the first three series.
• Best of all, we surrounded Dwight with double teams and intense pressure throughout the series that confounded the big man and forced him into four turnovers per game (only 2.6 tpg coming in). We held him to only 8.6 shots per game and 49% from the field (he shot 68%, 55%, and 65% in the first three rounds respectively). He also had as many turnovers as blocks (20).
• Pau did most of the defending on Dwight and did a wonderful job keeping him away from the basket and utilized his long arms to disrupt him all series long. Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom were active and used their length to their advantage as well, creating deflections and getting steals.
• Lakers defense got better as the playoffs went on. Their on the ball pressure, contesting of shots, and finishing off possessions with rebounds won them a championship.
• 91.2 ppg — that is what we held the juggernaut that was the Orlando Magic offense to in the Finals (they averaged 101 ppg during the regular season).

I think I enjoyed this season more than any other. I know I can appreciate this ring more than any other.

Maybe it is because you tend to appreciate things more as you get older (I did just turn 27 earlier in the month). Or maybe it is because it has been seven years since the last championship. Since then, we got embarrassed in the Finals by an underdog, traded away a franchise player, missed the playoffs entirely, got knocked out of the first round twice by the same team, and lost in the Finals again, this time to our bitter rival, all while having to endure two and some change seasons of Kwame Brown.

It all seems worth it now, now that we sit at the top. The fact that we got to do what many never get an opportunity to do — get a second chance, a chance for redemption.

Enjoy it Laker fans. Get your t-shirts and hats. Go have a drink with your friends. Skip work to pile in with the thousands of other Laker fans outside of STAPLES Center for the parade.

Take it all in. Soak it all up.

We earned every bit of this one.

Master of Zen vs Master of Panic

Phil Jackson is known for his calm, under control during pressure style, while Stan Van Gundy has been highly criticized for his crazy outbursts and overreactions to just about everything the team does, big or small.

The match ups will be huge in this series. You knew I was going to comment on them at some point in time.

• Andrew Bynum has the size to stay with Dwight Howard and keep him as far away from the rim as possible. If he stays out of foul trouble, he also has the talent to keep Superman preoccupied and maybe use up some of his energy trying to defend our young big. More important, keeping him occupied should stop him from roaming and creating havoc. Fouls will certainly be a problem for both big men.

• Pau Gasol will find it tough defending Rashard Lewis’ potent inside/outside game. Lamar Odom is a much better match up — he has the quickness to stay with him on the outside and the size to keep him off the block. Odom can also post Lewis up, take him off the dribble, and should be a beast on the offensive boards since Rashard isn’t a strong rebounder (6.1 rpg in the playoffs). The same can be said of Gasol on the offensive end.

• Hedo Turkoglu will probably be responsible to help off of Trevor Ariza on defense, which means the same open looks he’s been getting will still be there for him and he better continue to take advantage — he has hit 30 of his 60 three point attempts, so far. The key to Orlando’s offense, especially in the fourth quarter, is Hedo. They have made it this far without him shooting very well (he’s only hit 41% of his shots from the field in the playoffs). He is much more than just a stand still shooter; he is vital to their cause as he sets the table for everyone and is their only creator, ever since Jameer Nelson got injured. However, he is no Carmelo Anthony and I see Ariza’s size, athleticism, and length causing him lots of problems. He will continue to get steals (Hedo is turning it over 2.6 times a game, while Ariza is averaging 1.5 spg) and should be long enough to challenge  the 6′10 Hedo’s every shot.

• Kobe Bryant will be the roamer on D again. He will force the rookie, Courtney Lee, to make shots, hoping the bright lights and playing versus Kobe will be too much for the young guy to handle, although he has performed very well so far (8.8 ppg on 45% shooting). I have seen a lot of Lee this year and I really like his game. He can do a multitude of things well like stroke the three, work his mid-range game, get inside the paint, and plays solid defense. Still, he is a rookie and it is Kobe. Now, helping off of Mickael Pietrus might be a bad idea, especially the corners (he is shooting 39% from three, including 17-36 threes vs Cleveland). He has scored in double figures off the bench in eight straight games, 12 of the 19 games so far, and Orlando has an 8-4 record when he does. He single handedly outscored the entire Cleveland bench last series, so watch out. He did well against LeBron (don’t let the 40 a night he was dropping on him fool you, it could have just as easily been 50 a night), but I think Kobe is a much touger guard and Pietrus has always been foul prone (3.67 fpg vs LeBron). That means Kobe needs to be very aggressive challenging both the rookie and Pietrus.

• Thank goodness Jameer Nelson is out! He killed us during the regular season — 27.5 ppg, 6.5 apg, 5 rpg on 59% from the field and hit 7-12 from three — and is the type of small, quick, penetrate and dish kind of point guard who kills us year in and year out. While Rafer Alston was a great pick up when Nelson went down and has played solid during the postseason so far, he is far too eratic to be relied upon (38% shooting overall in the playoffs; 39% from three vs Phili, 28% vs Boston, and 38% vs Cleveland). Speaking of unreliable, I know I’m not the only one who is still waiting for Derek Fisher to turn things around. He has been to the Finals and is a career 41% three point shooter during the playoffs. Before everyone calls for Shannon Brown to start over him, ask yourself:  Would you rather start a guy who has played 24,684 minutes or 919 career minutes? While Fish might not be the opening day starter next year, he will start and should continue to get most of the point guard minutes. At least he knows the offense as well as anyone, puts himself in the right spots, and is a threat and does space the floor, even if he is shooting only 36% from the field and 24% from the 3-pt line. Brown is effective, but only because he plays in spurts. I trust the Zen Master to be doing everything he can to pull as much as he can out of his three-headed PG monster. They all bring something different and it’s got us this far. I figure the Magic will be helping off of Fish all series long and he needs to punish them for it. Pau Gasol and Kobe will get him tons of open jumpers every game and he can’t keep shooting as poor as he has (when he hits a game winner, you will all be marvelling at my genius).

• The benches will be important. Orlando uses an eight-man rotation with Anthony Johnson, Pietrus, and Marcin Gortat coming off the bench. Gortat brings size, energy, and toughness and does a great job in only 11.4 mpg. After last series, everyone knows about their best kept secret, Pietrus. Johnson is a solid vet who ocassionally hits threes, does nothing fancy, but is still effective. Our bench is all flash…and hopefully some substance. I always say I care less about them hitting shots (although it does help when Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic can actually hit a shot and stretch the court like they are supposed to, which will in turn increase their intensity on defense), but better to just play aggressive and up tempo because there is no way old man Johnson can stay with Jordan. Also, when the second unit gets the ball in to Gasol, who usually plays heavy minutes with the second unit, their life becomes so much easier. Not to mention, Lamar, the X-factor, who paces the bench with his all around play.

I feel the guys will come out focused tonight and set the ton for the series. Both teams provide match up problems, it will be the coach who makes the best adjustments that will come out on top. I like our chances with PJ at the helm.

Time to Step Up, Lamar Odom

I know this term gets thrown around a lot, but I figured what the heck.

Lamar Odom is the X-Factor.

Role players are so vital to the cause. As such, I wanted to rank the importance of our role players, the guys that will have the largest impact on the outcome of the Finals.

1. Lamar Odom – Mr. Versatile.
2. Trevor Ariza – Creates havoc on D.
3. Andrew Bynum – Can’t teach size, something we will need versus Dwight Howard.
4. Derek Fisher/Jordan Farmar/Shannon Brown – The 3-headed monster, with each guy bringing something different:  Heart, speed, and hunger.
5. Sasha Vujacic/Luke Walton – One solid game from each could be the difference in any one game.

Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain had Happy Hairston; Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had Michael Cooper; Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal had Robert Horry; Kobe and Pau Gasol…well, I think most of us are hoping that 10 years from now, we can look back on this season and say those two were able to win it all because of Lamar Odom.

His performance in Games 5 and 6 versus Denver last series was insipring. The numbers might suggest that we do not need him to win (averaged only 8/9 vs the Rockets), but I would argue his good play goes beyond simply making things easier for us; he is what will push us over the top versus the Magic.

Everyone will focus on the points he scored (19 and 20), but it was his high activity level that resulted in those points and led him to be a force on defense (four blocks in Game 5). I think he also took it personal, the rebounding pounding we took in Game 4. He grabbed 14 and eight rebounds in Games 5 and 6 off the bench, helping us cut the rebounding difference from -18 in Game 4 to -1 in Game 5 and +11 in Game 6.

I thought Phil Jackson said it best in an interview during Game 5 when he said that Lamar is so versatile and can affect the game in so many ways that he needs to be active and stay out of foul trouble, so that he can have a positive effect on games, like he did to end the series. We all know, if he plays like he can, we are unstoppable. He is a nightmare match up for anyone, but can be especially tough for Rashard Lewis. LO can defend him out to the 3-point line and will not get beat by him in the post. Plus, Odom has a huge rebounding advantage and if he stays aggressive on offense, maybe he can tire Rashard out a little, so those threes in the fourth quarter will be tougher to knock down.

I know he struggled in the two games versus the Magic during the regular season (the game in Orlando he was awful as he went 1-7 from the field with four points and six fouls; the game in LA was better as he put up 17/9/3 and only had two fouls), but, to me, if there ever was a series for him to take over, this was it. The nice thing about him coming off the bench, is that you do not need him to dominate every single game. If he can pull out two or three top performances, which we all know he can easily do – say 15/10 with great defense — we won’t lose.

Lamar Odom

1st Rd 17.8 ppg 11.0 rpg

2nd Rd 8.3 ppg 8.9 rpg

3rd Rd 11.5 ppg 9.0 rpg

• In the first four games vs the Nuggets, he only averaged 7.5 ppg and 8.0 rpg; in the last two wins, he averaged 19.5 ppg and 11 rpg.
• We are 4-1 in the playoffs when he has a double-double.
• We are 8-2 when he scores in double figures.
• This league is about making shots:  In wins, he is shooting 55% from the field, 57% from three, and 65% from the foul line; in losses, he is only shooting 45% from the field, 33% from three, and 44% from the foul line.
• The biggest factor for Lamar:  He is averaging only 2.3 fouls in wins; 4.3 fouls in losses. He needs to be on the floor to be effective.
• As a side note, he played very well versus the Celtics in the Finals last year, averaging 13.5 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg, 1 bpg, on 52% from the field.

I expect big things from The Candy Man (and I don’t mean Michael Olowokandi).

Kobe is Hungry, is Anyone Else?

Clearly, Kobe has been as focused as ever, especially versus Denver. The problem is, does anyone else on the Lakers want to win as bad?

What was most disappointing about Game 4 was our effort. You don’t get out-rebounded by 18, give up 20 offensive rebounds, only force six turnovers, and send a team to the line 49 times without coming out of it with some major concerns.

The rebounding alone goes to show that they wanted it more. They were the aggressors (free throws back me up), and they went out and took that game from us.

Should we — the fans — be concerned?

Or, was it just a case of one team desperate not to go down three games to one in a series? We saw what happens when Denver’s backs are to the wall, now my biggest concern is not Game 5, rather Game 6 and Game 7 (if there is one). We want to put their backs to the wall again, and winning tomorrow night will do just that. The next time we have a chance to put them away for good, will anyone, other than Kobe, step up to the challenge?

I am not yet ready to say that our guys are not hungry (we didn’t lose last year for nothing, I would hope). If we do not come out hyped in each of the next two games, we will without question see another Game 7.

So what have our guys done in the playoffs so far?

The Good

• Kobe Bryant is averaging 29.8 ppg on 46% shooting.
• Pau Gasol is averaging 18.3 ppg, 11.3 rpg, and nearly 2 bpg, on 57% from the field.
• Lamar Odom is averaging 11.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg on 57% shooting.
• Trevor Ariza is averaging 11 ppg, 2.6 apg, and has 27 made 3s and 25 steals in 16 games, while shooting 54% from the field and 50% from 3.
• Our 3-pt shooting has actually been very good: we have four guys shooting above 40% — Odom (11 makes, 45.8%), Ariza (27 makes, 50%), Brown (12 makes, 50%), Farmar (11 makes, 40.7%).

The Bad

• Andrew Bynum is averaging only 6.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg in 17 mpg and has more fouls (49) than field goals (41).
• Derek Fisher is averaging 6.9 ppg on a petrid 34% from the field and 23% from the 3-pt line, even though he is averaging 27 mpg.
• Sasha Vujacic is averaging only 14 mpg and scoring only 3.7 ppg on 27% shooting and 32% from the 3-pt line and has as many turnovers as assists (9).
• Our free throw shooting, outside of Kobe, is simply not good. Farmar (71%), Gasol (68%), Bynum (68%), Walton (67%), Odom (57%), Ariza (56%), Vujacic (1-2 in 218 minutes).

The Point Guards

I know my friends make fun of me for using ESPN’s PER rating because they think it’s a bunch of nerdy stats that says nothing about players. I beg to differ. A perfect example are the three Laker point guards who are mixed in the shuffle this postseason:  Fisher, Farmar, and Brown.

The quick run down on PER: Player Efficiency Rating is a measure of per-minute production standardized such that the league average is 15. In layman’s terms, all you have to know is that it factors a bunch of stats and spits out a number, and that 15.0 is the league average. So, if Ariza were to have a PER of 15.1 in the playoffs (which he actually is) then what it is saying is that he is playing like an average player. More examples: Kobe has a PER of 26.9, Gasol has a 21.3 PER, and LeBron’s PER is a blistering 40.9 (I’m sure ESPN’s John Hollinger, creator of PER, would probably tell us that is the best ever).

Fisher is truly struggling and only has a PER of 6.7; Farmar, who isn’t getting much playing time thanks to match ups and lack of confidence (honestly, can anyone else think of a better reason why Phil Jackson wouldn’t play him more?) has a PER of 14.8, and Brown has a solid PER of 13.1.

Also, the player’s assist percentage (estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while he was on the floor) is interesting. Farmar is tops with 24.4% (even higher then Kobe’s 22.1%), Fisher is at 12.6% (even Ariza is at 13.6%), while Brown is only at 8%.

It bothers me that Sasha, who was great for us last year and even closed out games because of his defense and shooting, and Fisher are getting so much playing time when their PER are the two lowest on the team. I understand that Farmar has his problems on defense, but at least he is knocking down shots and creating others for his teammates. I love Fish, and he will continue to get the minutes vs Chauncey Billups, but I would like to see more PT for Farmar come Finals; whether it is against Mo Williams or Rafer Alston.

Kobe Bryant

Finally, no article is complete without a complete breakdown of the games greatest closer.

vs Utah

27.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.2 3pg, 2.4 spg, 0.4 bpg, 3.8 tpg, 47% fg, 35% 3-pt, 90% ft, 21 fga, 3.4 3pa, 7.8 fta

vs Houston

24.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.6 3pg, 2.2 spg, 1.8 bpg, 1.4 tpg, 42% fg, 36% 3-pt, 87% ft, 21 fga, 4.4 3pa, 6.0 fta

vs Denver

36.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.3 apg, 2.0 3pg, 1.0 spg, 0.5 bpg, 1.3 tpg, 46% fg, 36% 3-pt, 92% ft, 25 fga, 5.5 3pa, 13.3 fta

Wins

31.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.7 3pg, 1.9 spg, 0.9 bpg, 2.6 tpg, 50% fg, 46% 3-pt, 89% ft, 22 fga, 3.7 3pa, 8.8 fta

Losses

27.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.3 3pg, 1.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, 1.5 tpg, 39% fg, 24% 3-pt, 89% ft, 24 fga, 5.7 3pa, 7.7 fta

Home

29.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.4 3pg, 1.8 spg, 0.8 bpg, 2.9 tpg, 49% fg, 37% 3-pt, 88% ft, 21 fga, 3.9 3pa, 8.1 fta

Away

30.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.7 3pg, 2.0 spg, 0.9 bpg, 1.3 tpg, 42% fg, 33% 3-pt, 87% ft, 24 fga, 5.1 3pa, 8.7 fta

Game 1 a Good Sign of Things to Come

We got ourselves in trouble early on because of some horrific shooting and defensive lapses that allowed a number of uncontested layups. We missed our first six shots and only hit five of our first 14 shots and we saw ourselves fall behind 20-10.

It did not help that Carmelo Anthony was on fire. I thought Trevor Ariza played pretty good defense; Melo just brought his ‘A’ game.

We did a great job of erasing a 13 point deficit to pull ahead by one at halftime thanks to Derek Fisher’s three — his first made basket of the half.

• The first quarter for the Nuggets consisted of Melo going for 16 points on a scorching 7-8 from the field. Overall, Denver shot 64%, had 11 assists, and scored 18 points in the paint.
• Nene had 14 points and Kenyon Martin had 11.
• The Nuggets shot 53%.
• They shot 21 free throws.

What the Lakers did well in the first half:

• We grabbed nine offensive rebounds.
• Our guys hit only three fewer free throws even though the Nuggs attempted ten more.
• Kobe Bryant had 18 points on 7-17 from the field.
• Fisher and Shannon Brown held Chauncey Billups to only five first half points on 1-5 shooting.
• Our bench outscored the Nuggets bench 20-3.

In the second half, we went on an 11-2 run to go up 72-68, thanks, in part, to our 14-4 offensive rebounding edge leading to a 14-3 lead in second chance points.

Carmelo continued his onslaught, scoring 10 more points in the third quarter.

I was concerned when we then allowed the Nuggets to go on a 13-4 run of their own that gave them an 81-76 lead early in the fourth.

Their biggest lead in the fourth quarter was seven, but we pulled it out in the end thanks to Kobe’s 18 fourth quarter points, Fisher’s timely three, a big block and a charge taken by Pau Gasol and Ariza’s game winning steal — although give credit to Phil Jackson for putting the taller Lamar Odom on in-bounder Anthony Carter. There is a reason why the Zen Master is as successful as he is.

What to watch for the rest of the way

• I am concerned at the number of free throws the Nuggets got (35-24). I hate to harp on the reffing, but you may as well do it after a win, rather than after a loss. It really felt like the refs were reffing the game differently, depending on who had the ball. On one end, touch fouls were constantly called, while on the other end, the whistles were put away. A classic case of touch fouls versus no calls, and the Lakers were on the short end of the stick. I am not saying we did not foul, because the Nuggets were aggressive and driving on us, but we drove as well and the Nuggets did as much reaching, but they were allowed a little more leeway.
• It was encouraging to see we hit 11 threes by eight different players, outscoring them by nine points at the three point line.
• While Kobe got to the line 13 times and can hopefully keep putting pressure on their defense, the Nuggets were able to get our bigs in foul trouble – Lamar had three early, Pau had four, and Andrew Bynum had five fouls.
• We continued with our rebounding dominance versus this team, out-rebounding them 46-37, and 17-7 on the offensive boards. With our size and continued success, I see no reason to believe this won’t continue.
• Our bench had 27 points (20 in the first half), while they Nuggets got 16, but only two players scored off the bench, and we held J.R. Smith to eight points on 2-7 from the field.
• Kobe (40 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 threes, 1 block) and Melo (39 points on 14-20 from the field, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 threes, and 1 block) will continue to dominate on the offensive end because neither team has an answer for the other. However, I expect Kobe to continue to defend Melo in the fourth quarters of close games.
• Our three bigs (Pau, LO, Drew) outplayed Denver’s three bigs (KMart, Nene, and Chris Andersen) and I expect more from our guys the rest of the series, as long as they stay out of foul trouble. Our guys had 26 points and 28 rebounds to go with six blocks and three steals, while their guys scored 37 points, but grabbed only 18 rebounds to go with five blocks and four steals.
• I expect us to shoot better than 41% the rest of the way. We won despite allowing Denver to shoot 49%.
• The key to our success this postseason:  Offense. We are 8-0 when scoring 100+ and only 1-4 when we score under. Everything starts and ends with our offense. When we struggle to shoot, we struggle to execute, we force up bad shots, and we do not play as hard on defense and have lapses.

Lakers Comments after the last practice before Game 7

Kobe

• “As players, you have to respond. If you’re to be the NBA champion, you’ve got to be able to respond to situations like this.”
• “This is the ultimate challenge. It’s single-elimination time. We’re ready to go.”
• “I don’t watch [TV], but I know who’s criticizing.”
• “We didn’t play as hard as we should have, obviously. That’s something we need to address.”
• “We’re continuing to evolve, (but) I think in the second half of (Game 6) we picked up our defensive intensity and saw kind of what we’re capable of in playing as hard as we did.”
• “First quarter is pretty important.”
• “We didn’t take care of business. But that’s water under the bridge right now, there is nothing we can do about it. Nothing, just come out and play.”

Phil

• “We count on him[Fisher]. We believe in him.”
• “The guys have to look for him[Bynum]…He’s a great target, he’s got a big body. If he asks for the ball and guys rotate off him, we’ve got to get him the basketball. He’s open in certain situations.”
• “Your psyche gets involved in this as a coach. That’s why I meditate.”
• “Wooden said it best, Be quick but don’t hurry.”
• “He[Kobe] has to work too hard to get shots off, that’s not an option that I’m going to consider.  If he can stand back and watch Pau do some work, some scoring, not have to carry the load, yeah, he can play more minutes.”
• “The guys on our team believe that we know what we have to do to get this accomplished. We came out in the third quarter (of Game 6) and got the game back in hand, but we lost it by a series of misplays that weren’t related to anything that Houston did but what we didn’t do. We were able to match the energy level in that third quarter, but we couldn’t sustain our mind set, how we’re going to play against them and what we’re going to do, so that’s what we have to do (on Sunday)”

Odom

• “I have confidence in our team. We have confidence in each other. Our effort will be better Sunday. It has to be.”
• “Home court of course is big…And right now in this series, playing well in the first quarter is even bigger. You can’t give up (17-1) leads. Not on the road. It just can’t happen.”

Farmar

• “We have to go inside to Pau and Andrew and let them play, no matter if they miss three or four. We have to get [Houston] in foul trouble.”

Gasol

• “We’ve just got to come out [today], do what we need to do.”
• “I don’t watch TV. It’s a waste of time. People need to talk about what they need to talk about..”
• “We need to make sure we control Brooks.”
• “[We need] to control both sides of the floor.”
• “Game 7, playing at home, it’s something you deserve and earned in case of getting to this position.”

Do the Lakers Have the Will to Win it All?

I wrote an article back in April that says it all: The Lakers Need an Edge.

Game 4 was as tough a game to watch, and only because we had no effort for the first three quarters.

Now, the Rockets are tough. They proved that with their physicality in the first three games.

I know this, you know this, the whole league knows this. In case the Lakers still did not know, the Rockets went out in Game 4 to make sure everyone on the team was aware.

Mission accomplished.

And the Lakers; we did not respond well at all.

I talked about Game 3 being a statement game. Well, whatever momentum I thought we had after the so-called “statement” that I thought we made with the Game 3 victory, no longer exists thanks to that poor performance in Game 4.

Lack of intensity. Lack of energy. Lack of effort.

We simply did not care.

Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady, and Dikembe Mutombo were out, not to mention starter at the beginning of the year, Rafer Alston, who was traded and a second year player thrust into his spot who happens to be as close to six feet tall as I am to playing in the NBA (not close for those keeping track).

Rockets are done, right?

Maybe that thought is okay to enter into a fans head, but certainly not a players. Nothing is more dangerous to a team who goes into a big game overconfident. Especially on the road.

The Orlando Magic ended the Sixers season in Philadelphia without starters Dwight Howard (suspension) and rookie Courtney Lee (injury) only a week or so earlier.

Heck, we just won a game on the road without our starting point guard, Derek Fisher (suspension) only a couple of days earlier.

The good news is, we did a great job all year making sure we stayed focus, even versus the lesser opponents.

The only.500 or sub-.500 teams we lost to at home during the regular season were to Philadelphia and the Charlotte Bobcats.

Did we play down to our competition last night?

Without question.

Now, I am not panicking and trying to say we blew the series. Far from it. But, if we still think we can win it all with that kind of attitude — the kind attitude where we think we can take games off or that wins will simply be handed to us — we have another thing coming to us, and can expect a long off-season for players and fans alike.

Maybe the loss of Lamar might actually benefit us. My uncle brought up an interesting concept of actually starting either Sasha Vujacic or Shannon Brown, moving Kobe to the 3 and Trevor Ariza to the 4. You figure we would still have Jordan Faramar and one of the other two guards to bring off the bench, as well as Andrew Bynum. Since the Rockets obviously play faster with their new lineup, why not match them and beat them at their own game.

I also think starting Josh Powell might help counter the rebounding edge they had (43-37 in Game 4). You also might remember Powell got the start for a suspended Odom earlier in the year in Houston where he pitched in 17 points on 8-14 from the field and nine rebounds and hit some big jumpers in the fourth to help get the win.

In that Lakers Need an Edge article, I pointed out four deficiencies of our team that still hold true: 1) Weak interior defense, 2) poor pick and roll D, 3) struggle to generate offense with Kobe on the bench, and 4) inability to sustain early leads.

So far, the Rocket’s point guards Brooks and Kyle Lowry have shown a great ability at getting in the paint and either scoring or dishing to open players, we obviously don’t defend the pick and rolls well, the bench has yet to do much damage in the series, and we showed we can blow big leads all throughout the series vs the Jazz.

I also talked about the “statement” Lamar made in the Portland game when he stood up for his teammate, which was similar to Fisher’s statement.

Maybe this team can shed our “soft” label, not with a “statement” play (Fisher’s elbow), rather by a statement win.

Win games and everything else falls into place.

The most important thing is to come out with effort right from the start in Game 5.

Whoever Phil Jackson decides to start, I think it should be the one most likely to bring high energy from the opening tip. If you ask me, I think that should be Sasha, who along with Ariza, can help put a lot of pressure on the ball handler Aaron Brooks from the get go.

Whatever happens, the keys to victory will be effort, finding a way to stay in front of Brooks (career high 34 points in Game 4), and finding someone willing to attach himself to Shane Battier’s hip (15 points in the first three games of the series; 23 points in Game 4 on 5-10 from the three point line).

We do that, and we have a good chance of regaining our lead on the Rockets and hopefully fulfilling my prediction of the Lakers winning in six games.

A professor once told me that you will get knocked down at some point, and it is not about how bad it hurts, but how quickly you pick yourself back up, dust yourself off, and get back out there.

The Lakers had all day today to deal with that loss, and I hope it hurt.

Now it is time to forget about it and re-focus.

Most of all, show some pride fellas.

Laker Pride!

Lakers v Rockets: Top Three Reasons Game Three is Important

Will:  The collective desire of a group.

Attrition:  The act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack.

The Seven-Game Series is certainly a battle of both will and attrition.

As the saying goes, only the strong survive.

As such, the Lakers and Rockets head into Game 3 on a collision course that began with a brutal shoulder laid out by one of the good guys in the league, Derek Fisher, that got him ejected with 13 seconds left in the third quarter on Tuesday.

The message was clear:  We’re not going to take it any more.

When the Lakers left the court after a disappointing loss in the Garden last June, the talk was all about how “soft” the Lakers were. The Celtics were the more physical team who bullied us and pushed us around.

Our boys have been trying to shake that label ever since.

Only, Fisher wanted to make sure everyone heard him, loud and clear.

While I do not condone what he did — and think there are more subtle ways of going about it — I cannot say that I did not enjoy replay after replay of Luis Scola getting decked and sent hard to the floor.

They always say, a series does not begin until the road team wins. Well, Houston did just that right out of the gates.

However, it would appear that this series did not truly begin, until someone got thrown out!

With that, here are my top three reasons Game 3 is so important:

The Winner Takes the Lead

I know what you are thinking. This is obvious.

It sounds simple, but taking the lead in a series can go a long way for every one’s psyche.

As my buddy Karim put it, you get the chance to go up 2-1, while gaining some momentum and confidence.

If Houston wins, they keep home court. They also know if they have a great shot at winning Game 4 and taking a 3-1 lead going back to LA.

If LA wins, they regain home court, something they battled hard for 82 games to attain. Besides, the last thing the Lakers need is a confident Rockets team who believes they can win the series. I am not sure they are there yet, although they do believe they can compete with us.

The Winner Establishes Momentum

After splitting the first two games in Los Angeles, it is hard to say which team has momentum.

Both coaches have the sole responsibility of making adjustments necessary to gain an edge.

Two games give the coaches plenty to look over as they strive for the slightest of edges.

Where do we want to force Aaron Brooks on pick and rolls? When Yao gets it in the post, when do we want to send the double, or do we double at all? Who do we rotate out to shooters? How can we take advantage of so and so when he is on the floor?

By now, it is not a matter of trying to trick the opponent, rather it comes down to execution. Little tweaks will be made, however, it is the team that goes in focused and executes the game plan to a “T” who will come out on top.

It was a wild finish to Game 2 — two players ejected and a number of “chippy” moments — so you know both teams will be fired up tomorrow night.

The winner, will get the opportunity to take control of the series.

The Winner Gets to Make a Statement

The Lakers have to go into Game 3 with a do-or-die, winner-take-all attitude. This is no time for fun and games.

Having said that, the Lakers need to play loose, and come out with that same intensity, that fire that they played with in the first quarter, Tuesday night.

I thought we came out extremely flat in Game 1. Add to it our horrendous shooting to start the game, and it was just too much to overcome.

That cannot happen on the road or the Rockets and their fans will have a field day with us.

If the statement that was made in the first quarter of Game 2 was ‘we are an offensive juggernaut’, then the statement Fisher’s shoulder made was that no one will push us around any more.

The statement in Game 3 should go out, not only to the Rockets’ players, but to the entire league:  We are hungry, we are ready, and we mean business.

Now, how important is Game 3 in the history of the Conference Quarterfinals of the NBA playoffs?

The higher seed, after going up two games to one, has won Game 4 47% of the time (or 44-50), and won the series 92% of the time. Only eight lower seeded teams have ever come back from a 2-1 deficit; that bodes well for the Lakers.

The lower seed, after going up two games to one, has won Game 4 62% of the time. They have gone on to win the series 62% of the time (21-13).

Overall, in the quarterfinals, the team that goes up two games to one, has has a record of 107-21.

If I am wrong, and the Rockets win Game 3, they get to make the statement that they are not afraid of us, and that they believe they should be the ones facing either the Nuggets or the Mavs for the chance to play in the Finals.

This game has the makings of an ugly, grind it out, beat ‘em up slug-fest.

I know most experts would say that favors the Rockets, especially now that D-Fish is suspended for the game. However, while this is the kind of game we lost last year, I believe we are ready to win this type of game now.

We won twice in Houston already, had the leagues best road record for a reason, and tomorrow night is our chance to prove how tough we are.

Game 5, Lakers Survive a Late Scare & Prepare for Round 2: Quarter by Quarter Breakdown

In a close out game, you never know what to expect.

Utah was 10-14 in elimination games going into Game 5.

The Lakers were 64-44 in close out games all-time.

Over the first four games, Kobe Bryant in the three wins:  29.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg on 56% shooting.

Kobe in the only loss:  18 points, 6 rebounds, on 5-24 from the field.

The Lakers had 12 more points in the paint going into Game 5.

First Quarter

Mehmet Okur, who did nothing in his first game back, you could tell looked a lot better. He had a couple of drives inside and was able to knock down a three.

The Lakers began the game actually running the offense, moving the ball and got a number of good looks.

With Luke Walton being out indefinitely after spraining his ankle in Game 4, I was interested in seeing how Trevor Ariza’s ankle looked. He showed he was just fine after chasing down Deron Williams and rejecting his layup attempt. About a minute later, he followed up a missed shot with a ferocious tip-dunk.

I think he is fine.

Neither team looked nervous and showed good energy and even shot the ball well (Utah 55% in the quarter).

Ariza ended the first with 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Lakers 26, Jazz 26 — The only thing that stuck out, other than Ariza, was the Lakers turnovers (6) that resulted in seven easy points for the Jazz.

Second Quarter

The Lakers started big with back to back threes by Lamar Odom and Kobe. The run was 14-3 and gave the Lakers a 40-29 lead. During that stretch Kobe scoring eight in a row for the Lakers.

Sasha Vujacic has been inconsistent at best during the series, but what I do like is that he never gets dismayed by a miss. He hit two threes in the first seven minutes he was in.

I was impressed most with our defense. Utah had only four points in the first five minutes of the quarter, shooting only 1-7 from the field.

Lakers 40, Jazz 30.

We were impressive on the boards, which kept Carlos Boozer out of the game. He was 1-5 shooting to start the game, with four points and only three rebounds.

The Lakers had a 6-0 offensive rebounding edge; Utah did not grab their first one until the five minute mark of the second quarter.

Lamar was the main culprit, scoring 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in the first half, but most important, he held Boozer in check.

Trevor had 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in the first half, proving his ankle is just fine.

Kobe ended the quarter with an amazingly athletic play. After nearly turning the ball over, grabbing the loose ball, looked up at the shot clock on the other side, before turning 180 degrees in the air for a ridiculous fade away as he fell to the ground.

Lakers 56, Jazz 43 — The Lakers outscored the Jazz 30 to 17 and went in feeling good about themselves.

Third Quarter

The Lakers shot 6-12 from three in the first half, held Utah to only 40% shooting, a rebound edge of 28-15, and outscored them in the paint 22-14.

The oh-so-important first five minutes went in our favor, outscoring the Jazz 11-5.

Odom was aggressive and it paid off with four points and two assists. The first was a strong offensive rebound and quick pass to Gasol for a dunk, then a kick out to Ariza for three — who I am glad took the shot after missing one to start the quarter.

Lakers defense held the Jazz to no field goals and 0-8 from the field in a four minute stretch going back to the end of the first half. Utah shot 55% in the first 12 minutes, but only 25% in the next 17.5 minutes.

The Jazz did what they always do, which is fight back. After Boozer laid it in to cut the lead to 15, the Lakers responded with a 7-0 run of their own after two steals by Sasha, leading to some easy buckets and the largest lead (22)

Gasol had a very quite 15 points on 6-12 from the field.

Lakers 82, Jazz 63 — The Lakers were rolling on defense and offense, outscoring the Jazz 56 to 37 since the first quarter. 

Fourth Quarter

The only goal for the quarter:  Hustle, and don’t blow a 19 point lead.

I love Phil Jackson’s assessment of his guys waiting for Kobe to go off in the beginning of the game:  ”Sometimes they (Kobe’s teammates) like to suck that thumb a little too long.” Classic.

Kobe hit a three only 30 seconds into the fourth, now having hit an astonishing 25 of his last 38 shots going back to Game 4.

The Lakers still had a 20 point lead after Andrew Bynum knocked down a pair of free throws, three and a half minutes into the quarter.

Then it all fell apart.

Paul Millsap had 14 points in the fourth quarter, 11 in a row that sparked a 13-0 run. The lead was cut to seven with 4:50 remaining in the game.

It was difficult to tell if this was another example of the LakeShow giving up yet another lead, or if this was more of an example of why it is so difficult to close a team out.

When a team gets backed into a corner, they fight and scrap for their dear lives.

Kobe was able to nail a fade away to slow the bleeding — the first field goal in four and a half minutes for the Lakers.

Korver completed a 16-2 run by hitting a wide open three – 11 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast, 3 threes on 4-7 from the field in the quarter — and got the Jazz to as close as they would get, six points.

Nine minutes into the final period, the Jazz were shooting a blistering 61% while the Lakers struggled shooting only 31%, and were outscored 26-13.

The Jazz simply could not complete the comeback, missing opportunity after opportunity inside. The calls were certainly not going in their favor either, and it eventually got to Jerry Sloan who earned himself an early shower with about a minute to go.

Not that I am complaining, but Okur should not have been in to finish the game. He just couldn’t go.

At one point, he passed up a three, put the ball on the floor and forced an off balanced shot. The Lakers grabbed the rebound, pushed it, and found Lamar open for a dunk after outrunning Okur.

Lakers up nine with 1:30 left — 98-89.

I counted four missed layups (at least) by the Jazz down the stretch.

The best play of the quarter began with beautiful ball movement after Utah trapped Kobe, he got it to Lamar, who sent a bullet to Ariza underneath, who gave a nice bounce pass to Gasol who got fouled. This is what Phil was complaining about earlier in the quarter — the ball was getting stuck on one side and we were making it easy for the Jazz to defend us and get back in the game.

And of course, the player of the game, Lamar Odom, sealed the deal with a monster jam over Okur.

Game. Set. Match.

Lakers 107, Jazz 96 — Jazz made one heck of a late run, sparked by Ronnie Price, Millsap, and Korver. Lakers show their grit with a grind it out win. Bring on Round 2.

Purple and Gold Nuggets

Everyone knows I have been warning about this Lakers team. Not to nitpick this team that beat a talented Jazz team in five games, but it even happened in Game 5.

The Lakers gave up big leads in each game:  

• Game 1, 22 point lead cut to 9
• Game 2, 20 point lead cut to 3
• Game 3, 13 point lead (in the fourth) turned into 2 point victory for the Jazz
• Game 4, 24 point lead cut to 14
• Game 5, 22 point lead cut to 6

I cannot give enough credit to Lamar Odom — 26 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk, 2 threes on 10-15 from the field and a +17 while on the court. AND, he held Boozer to 10 pts, 9 reb, only 1 offensive rebound and 3-8 shooting.

Kobe had 31 points on 10-21 shooting (finshed the game hitting only one for his last five), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 threes, 4 steals, 1 block and how about a +18 while on the court.

The Lakers big three combined for 74 points, 28 rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks, on 26-49 field goals and 5-8 threes.

Trevor shot 4-6 from the field, 2-4 from three with 12 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, and 2 blk.

The bench got outscored 40-12.

Best thing we did all night:  Somehow held Deron to 5 points and zero assists in the second half. He shot 4-12 overall, had 4 turnovers, and a team low -16 while on the court.

We won the rebounding battle 50-43; offensive rebounds were 15 to 12 in our favor; we took 8 more free throws (35-27); scored nine more points from the three point line. The only thing we seemingly lost (other than the fourth quarter, 33-25) was the turnover battle, 16-10 in favor of the Jazz, and they scored 15 points off turnovers to our 9. And our defense held them to 40% shooting for the game.

Shannon Brown scored only 2 points on 1-5 from the field in Game 5 (he did add three rebounds and two assists). However, he scored 8.5 ppg over the first four games and shot 58% from the field and hit 6-7 threes.

For the record, I was right. Craig Sager reported early in the second half that Mitch Kupchak scouted Brown in college at Michigan State and nearly drafted him ahead of Jordan Farmar because he thought he would have a future in the league some day. After being an afterthought in the mid-season trade with Charlotte, he has proved to be a valuable commodity, who may even help get us to the promised land.

The Lakers are 4-0 vs the Rockets this season. While they do match up very well with us — a big man in Yao Ming, who causes problems for everyone, and two top notch perimeter defenders in Ron Artest and Shane Battier to harass Kobe — we did hold them to 89.8 ppg on only 28% from the three point line.

I think we match up very well vs either Houston or Portland, because neither will be able to expose our weak point guards (no offense to Derek Fisher, but he has been playing okay at best). Steve Blake for the Blazers and Aaron Brooks for the Rockets do not exactly strike fear into the heart of their opponents.

The Lakers get a much needed break, and how long depends on whether the Rockets finish their series in five or if the Blazers can fight their way back in to the series with a win at home. A couple ankles need to heal and I still feel like Bynum could use some rest. Maybe he can look at tape and re-evaluate where he stands on the team.

We will need him when it is all said and done. I will keep saying it until proved right…or wrong…