I didn’t pay close attention to this Lakers series, 1. Denver is not good enough for me to spend more time on top of hockey and good basketball and the Knicks. 2. Lakers is not exciting enough right now to watch, and I always envy and dislike LakersJ
I watched last night’s game on and off, but watched the whole 4th quarter closely.
Lakers have talent at another level, and yes, they should/could have easily swept the Nuggets or at least closed out last game. It was a crappy game from Lakers’ POV, but they almost got away with it. As a Lakers fan, maybe you should be happy that they didn’t get away – last 2 attempts of 3 pointer didn’t go in. Lessons will only be learned the hard way (although lots of people can’t even do that).
Let’s be fair here, you can criticize them for arrogance or non-professionalism all you want. But when you are at another talent level, it’s hard for you to work as hard as Shane Battier in every single minute you get.
Now, to some of the points Lakers3peat has hit dead on, here are my thoughts.
I didn’t put Lakers over Spurs and Thunders this year, simply because the other 2 teams are playing better basketball or more exciting basketball. They might still overcome Thunders, given the combination of Kobe and Bynum, and the youth/inexperience of Thunders.
JVG once said (he actually repeated that dozens of times) that Gasol is the best offensive big man in today’s NBA. I kind of agree with him, because Gasol’s size, mobility, foot work, touch, and skills are exceptional. But his killer instinct or lacking thereof, and his mental toughness, were always what slowed him down. Just like Yao Ming, although not an Alpha Dog type, he could be your best Robin to your Batman. Maybe his personal life, the emergence of Bynum, or all the talk of moving him, or everything combined, finally took a toll on him. He’s slower and not as sharp, and more importantly, he doesn’t seem to care enough. Lakers can’t go far without him. I agree that with Bynum’s presence clogged the middle, but Gasol could operate outside of the box, and he doesn’t have to share the floor with Bynum, all the time, especially when Lakers doesn’t have enough size and fire power in the 2nd unit. Moreover, I think Gasol could be involved in more PnR situations, and it’s a pure waste not to utilize his midrange game.
Bynum’s physical gift is not something can be easily overlooked, with that huge frame. He has been limited by injuries and inexperience in the past few years until last year. Now he’s emerging as a legit all-star center. I am never too high on him, nor am I now, simply because his offense is not smooth enough, and he too often lose concentration or discipline at defense, despite the fact he could easily be a better defender than Tyson, given his talent and build.
Mike Brown, you mean the former assistant coach of LeBron James, and current assistant coach of Kobe Bryant? I don’t know why we are even talking about him. Sure, as NBA coach, he of course has his playbook and set plays, but I just don’t think he has control over the offense and defense of this Lakers team.
Sessions is a good pickup, for his youth, speed, and size. Every single PG in this league has made career nights facing Lakers’ Fisher and Blake duo. Blake is just backup material, and his hands are tied as well, when you have Kobe on your side, who decides when and where he has to receive the ball.
Kobe, with his incredible talent and top competitiveness, his eyes are on that 6th ring, which would put him closer to MJ, he’s saving his energy in regular season. He is much slower and a lot less explosive, comparing to a few years back. But his shots are smoother, although his ability to finish around the rim is digressing, and his clutchness is maybe even better. Too bad, he doesn’t even pretend to hide his arrogance now. Last night, with those timely 3s, they inched back into the game. His facial expression said it all – yeah, it’s my time to close it now, your fun time is over, biatches. He almost made it. But this is Denver Nuggets, who doesn’t have a closer. All they had was an aging Miller, who battled with injuries all over the years, and a young and raw McGee. Nobody can switch on and off at will in late playoffs, not even the 72-win Bulls.
Lastly, I would like to pay homage to McGee. He’s a player. Oh boy, long, strong, athletic, tough, incredible flexibility, and more importantly, he’s hungry. I like him, a lot. When I think of last night’s game, all I can remember is ONE Play – in the 4th quarter, after a missed Denver shot, McGee raised first and highest between Bynum and Gasol, he looked like mis-timed or mis-spotted the rebound, but his long arm and unbelievable flexibility helped him reached back without looking, and snatched the rebound. Wow! He’s going to have a great future.
