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Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

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Old 04-20-2013, 10:43 PM   #1
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Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance



The Los Angeles Lakers have been hated and loved for their spoiled fan base, ridiculous payroll and their ability to beat the odds and come back better than ever. There are only two ways out: Dominant winning or shameful vulnerability. It's time to turn the vulnerability that had engulfed the last couple seasons and had peaked this season into the start of the next era of Laker dominance.

Step 1: 2013 Playoffs-San Antonio Spurs



To be continued...
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Old 04-20-2013, 11:15 PM   #2
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

I open up the floor to you all before the "official release". What do the Lakers need to do beat the Spurs and send a message throughout the league.
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Old 04-20-2013, 11:20 PM   #3
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

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Originally Posted by kobez2417
I open up the floor to you all before the "official release". What do the Lakers need to do beat the Spurs and send a message throughout the league.
get dwight 40+ touches in the post, not shots, but touches
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Old 04-21-2013, 09:10 AM   #4
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

Definitely following this!
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Old 04-21-2013, 03:12 PM   #5
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

Yes, we beat them a week ago without Kobe. Yes they are injury ridden. Yes they seem puzzled with their recent waiving and signings of Jackson and Tmac. Yes they've exited the playoffs the last few years in an almost choking fashion. None of that matters. The Lakers have to come in with a force that's going to send ripples throughout the league.
This L.A squad is far from done even without Kobe and all has the opportunity to claim greatness with a victory of the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers have had previous success and more or less know what San Antonio is all about: no hero-ball, disciplined defense and extraordinary ball movements. This series isn’t about X’s and O’s as much as it is about the Lakers digging deeper to tap into the potential that seemed sky high at the start of the season. Here’s how



A. The Dwight-Pau Connection

Coming into the playoffs, the Lakers have won 10 of 11 games and 3 straight without Kobe. Dwight and Pau, once deemed incapable of playing with each other, are playing together better than ever. Pau has used his high I.Q. to confuse and deceive defenders to make passes and break down defenses in a way that can’t be prepared against. Dwight has been the main beneficiary of such passes and coming off of a back injury, is finishing better than ever. According to Synergy Sports, Howard is converting 77.1% of his field-goal attempts off cuts. On the flip side of things, Dwight has absolutely locked things up defensively the last couple games holding the Spurs to 37% shooting and the highest offensive scoring Rockets to 90 points .

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVqM1De3T2A)

Bottom line Pau and Dwight will be much more talented than any 1-2 frontline punch in any given scenario and have to use their connection to absolutely dominate. The Spurs are no exception: To counter Mr. Fundamental, the front line of L.A. has to match his discipline and focus on the defensive end and absolutely dominate on the offensive end.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD1CbToPhCk)

B. Steve Nash

Steve Nash has missed the third of the season with a hamstring injury, but is planning to play Game 1. Yes, he’s not going to shut down Tony Parker nor do we need him too. Yes, he’s not going to be able to play heavy minutes. Yes he’s not going to be able to run at full speed. But let’s remember why he was brought here in the first place: Steve Nash simply needs to do what he does best and that’s more of this:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpXLUm2wakI)

Pau Gasol has scored on 76.7% as the roll man in the pick-and-roll and Howard is converting on 79.2%.

Bottom Line: Steve Nash doesn’t need to run fast, jump high, or play shut down defense to control the game. With the ball in his hands in the minutes he plays, he just needs to do what he’s done best over the years

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ukefAz-wro)

C. The X-Factor

After a couple days to look at extensive tape in the lab, one thing is obvious: The bench has been inconsistent. What has been even more inconsistent is the expectations of the bench. Earl Clark, Antawn Jamison, and as of late, Steve Blake have shown flashes of what the Lakers desperately need and all deserve to make the playoff rotation. But of those, who is going to get the bulk of the minutes:

The Positioner
With a heavily talented roster even sans Kobe, the dirty work has to be done by someone. Someone who realizes there is going to be opportunity when playing when playing with guys with terrific passing abilities and is going to use that to his advantage. Someone who is going to read the weaknesses on the team and fill in, put his head down, and get the work done. Someone who isn’t distracted by comparisons to a glorious past and is ultimately focused on the now:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=5qeslFJRo_Q)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=fOkXbVxwXoM)
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Old 04-22-2013, 01:57 AM   #6
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

Quote:
Originally Posted by kobez2417
Yes, we beat them a week ago without Kobe. Yes they are injury ridden. Yes they seem puzzled with their recent waiving and signings of Jackson and Tmac. Yes they've exited the playoffs the last few years in an almost choking fashion. None of that matters. The Lakers have to come in with a force that's going to send ripples throughout the league.
This L.A squad is far from done even without Kobe and all has the opportunity to claim greatness with a victory of the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers have had previous success and more or less know what San Antonio is all about: no hero-ball, disciplined defense and extraordinary ball movements. This series isn’t about X’s and O’s as much as it is about the Lakers digging deeper to tap into the potential that seemed sky high at the start of the season. Here’s how



A. The Dwight-Pau Connection

Coming into the playoffs, the Lakers have won 10 of 11 games and 3 straight without Kobe. Dwight and Pau, once deemed incapable of playing with each other, are playing together better than ever. Pau has used his high I.Q. to confuse and deceive defenders to make passes and break down defenses in a way that can’t be prepared against. Dwight has been the main beneficiary of such passes and coming off of a back injury, is finishing better than ever. According to Synergy Sports, Howard is converting 77.1% of his field-goal attempts off cuts. On the flip side of things, Dwight has absolutely locked things up defensively the last couple games holding the Spurs to 37% shooting and the highest offensive scoring Rockets to 90 points .

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVqM1De3T2A)

Bottom line Pau and Dwight will be much more talented than any 1-2 frontline punch in any given scenario and have to use their connection to absolutely dominate. The Spurs are no exception: To counter Mr. Fundamental, the front line of L.A. has to match his discipline and focus on the defensive end and absolutely dominate on the offensive end.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD1CbToPhCk)

B. Steve Nash

Steve Nash has missed the third of the season with a hamstring injury, but is planning to play Game 1. Yes, he’s not going to shut down Tony Parker nor do we need him too. Yes, he’s not going to be able to play heavy minutes. Yes he’s not going to be able to run at full speed. But let’s remember why he was brought here in the first place: Steve Nash simply needs to do what he does best and that’s more of this:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpXLUm2wakI)

Pau Gasol has scored on 76.7% as the roll man in the pick-and-roll and Howard is converting on 79.2%.

Bottom Line: Steve Nash doesn’t need to run fast, jump high, or play shut down defense to control the game. With the ball in his hands in the minutes he plays, he just needs to do what he’s done best over the years

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ukefAz-wro)

C. The X-Factor

After a couple days to look at extensive tape in the lab, one thing is obvious: The bench has been inconsistent. What has been even more inconsistent is the expectations of the bench. Earl Clark, Antawn Jamison, and as of late, Steve Blake have shown flashes of what the Lakers desperately need and all deserve to make the playoff rotation. But of those, who is going to get the bulk of the minutes:

The Positioner
With a heavily talented roster even sans Kobe, the dirty work has to be done by someone. Someone who realizes there is going to be opportunity when playing when playing with guys with terrific passing abilities and is going to use that to his advantage. Someone who is going to read the weaknesses on the team and fill in, put his head down, and get the work done. Someone who isn’t distracted by comparisons to a glorious past and is ultimately focused on the now:

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=5qeslFJRo_Q)

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=fOkXbVxwXoM)

As a varsity basketball coach going on for 19 years starting next year, and the second biggest Lakers fan/supporter in Los Angeles (behind Jack Nicholson), I'm very impressed with your breakdown on the Lakers in the series overall. Everyone knew that Gasol and Howard could play along each other side by side, but it was the Head Coach's offensive philosophy and his stubbornness to and willingness to change his style to fit the team that was assembled that made it look as if Gasol and Howard could not play together or be on the court at the same time. The sad thing is it took D'Antoni nearly 4 months and constant little conversations for him with Gasol before the light finally went off over his head. My biggest criticism of Mike D'Antoni has been that when they hired him, they did so for him to coach this group of players that they assembled together, not for him to come in and clean house and hold a fire sale. In my opinion if you have a an all-star studded and probably one of the most talented starting lineups to ever step foot on an NBA court, you don't disrespect them by trying to change their style of game to your philosophy, but rather use their talents to the best of their abilities and take your philosophy and use it on the second young, the bench, because the bench is where your shooters (Blake, Meeks, Jamison and to an extent Clark) are, and if you factored in Jordan Hill when he was healthy then that was your unit that on the court that could get up and down in transition while your star studded starting five, you leave them alone, trusting them to do what they know they need to do because the point guard that you coached and that won two mvp awards with you is running the offense, and you have the most dangerous, and the most cold blooded assassin on the basketball court in Kobe, and Kobe will make sure that group takes EVERYTHING seriously, this season could've gone a much different route then it did, but the one thing that as a coach you can't prepare for and you're never able to avoid is injuries and just so happens that each starter missed at some point in the season a significant number of games, so to say that this team underachieved, or did not live up to expectations is not fair to say about them because you take those injuries out of the equation then you are looking at a much different team and the results would be complete opposite of what they were.


But great breakdown, I was not very happy with their effort to star the game today. I felt they didn't take advantage of a great opportunity to not only come out and steal a game on the road, but to steal a game on the road in a series and it be the first game would've been great and it would've increased their confidence level as a team and given them the mindset of "ok, we got what we wanted, we got one of them first two on the road, but wait, we got what we wanted, now what's stopping us from going out and getting both of these games and head home and put all the pressure on the Spurs". I think that should have been their mindset from the opening tip and it's been a problem all year long, but they have to understand the "value of the basketball and the value of possessions". The more you value the ball the better chance you have at making sure you get a shot at scoring every possession rather then making or being forced into a turnover and giving your opponent added possessions that they would never have. That's another thing I didn't quite understand when it came to D'Antoni's thinking when he was hired. He said we could have 110-120 possessions a game and we'll give ourselves a chance to win every night. Well no, actually that means that your opponents more then likely will also have 110-120 possessions not including the ones that they will get when they force you to turn the ball over you turn the ball over on your own, now it comes down to you having to match those number of possessions that are created by those turnovers and second chance opportunities and if you aren't able to match the number of your opponents then 110-120 possessions a game is not going to give you a chance to win every night. I found myself staring at the tv screen looking at him and asking myself "is this dude all there, or is he really special and not comprehend what he just said".
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Old 04-23-2013, 12:24 AM   #7
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

Rapid Reaction: Lakers 79 @ Spurs 81

Spurs lead series 1-0

Steve Nash didn’t shoot well. Pau didn’t shoot well. The bench didn’t shoot well. But L.A. (41%) shot better than the Spurs (38%). What’s the problem then? Mike D’Antoni has it right on this one: turnovers, turnovers, and turnovers. The most talented 1-2 big man punch in the league combined for 36 points on 15-28 from the field and 31 rebounds but also had 10 of the team 18 turnovers. San Antonio had half that. you’re going to dominate and become the feared 1-2 post punch in the league, then you have to have lead by example. Lazy, careless turnovers aren’t going to establish that dominance and vengeance. Knocking off a team like the Spurs and claiming greatness requires consistency and discipline. Upsets have their great, nostalgic moments, but ultimately they happen because of continued discipline and persistence.





Bottom line: The Spurs were on their B game and the Lakers were on their C game. L.A. was able to slow arguably the NBA’s most efficient team . They don’t have to play miraculous hero ball to make up for the inconsistent season. They just have to bring a sense of consistency. It’s all mental. They have to stop thinking about their record in the past, or what might or might not happen in the future. It’s really as simple as Kobe put it, “Post, Post, Post”

Game 3: Wednesday, April 24, 6:30 P.T.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb5XMmJppa0
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Old 04-23-2013, 12:49 AM   #8
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Re: Los Angeles Lakers-Back to the Top With a Vengance

Quote:
Originally Posted by Eaglerock562
As a varsity basketball coach going on for 19 years starting next year, and the second biggest Lakers fan/supporter in Los Angeles (behind Jack Nicholson), I'm very impressed with your breakdown on the Lakers in the series overall. Everyone knew that Gasol and Howard could play along each other side by side, but it was the Head Coach's offensive philosophy and his stubbornness to and willingness to change his style to fit the team that was assembled that made it look as if Gasol and Howard could not play together or be on the court at the same time. The sad thing is it took D'Antoni nearly 4 months and constant little conversations for him with Gasol before the light finally went off over his head. My biggest criticism of Mike D'Antoni has been that when they hired him, they did so for him to coach this group of players that they assembled together, not for him to come in and clean house and hold a fire sale. In my opinion if you have a an all-star studded and probably one of the most talented starting lineups to ever step foot on an NBA court, you don't disrespect them by trying to change their style of game to your philosophy, but rather use their talents to the best of their abilities and take your philosophy and use it on the second young, the bench, because the bench is where your shooters (Blake, Meeks, Jamison and to an extent Clark) are, and if you factored in Jordan Hill when he was healthy then that was your unit that on the court that could get up and down in transition while your star studded starting five, you leave them alone, trusting them to do what they know they need to do
Yes, trust has been an issue and always will be an issue between an unproven (in the sense that he has no rings) coach and a team stacked with future hall of famers. But let's give the credit where it's due. D'Antoni has been a lot more flexible for the last third of the season or so-he's let Pau and Dwight play, he's let Kobe play huge minutes (some say it's bad, but I say he made the right decision when it comes to a player with such a drive an instinct), and he's gotten many times respectable performances from guys like Blake, Clark and Jamison.


Yes, injuries were definitively a huge factor, but even if there weren't injuries I doubt this group would come even close to fulfilling their potential. Fact is, this team has played better with one of its starting players out then all of them together (except the Kobe injury). When all 5 greats take the floor, something prevents this team from connecting, hustling, and competing like it should. Whether it's comparisons to their glorious past or dramatic role changes, they just have to come and do their best. They're thinking way too much and as a result (besides Kobe and MWP) are driven by external motives: ex: after the firing of Coach Brown, after hitting a low-point in the Memphis game, after All-Star weekend, after the passing of Dr. Buss, after they had given up the 8th seed by loses to the Kings and Suns. The motivation has to come from within to truly achieve greatness.


[quote=Eaglerock562;2044943153] I felt they didn't take advantage of a great opportunity to not only come out and steal a game on the road, but to steal a game on the road in a series and it be the first game would've been great and it would've increased their confidence level as a team and given them the mindset of "ok, we got what we wanted, we got one of them first two on the road, but wait, we got what we wanted, now what's stopping us from going out and getting both of these games and head home and put all the pressure on the Spurs". I think that should have been their mindset from the opening tip and it's been a problem all year long, but they have to understand the "value of the basketball and the value of possessions". The more you value the ball the better chance you have at making sure you get a shot at scoring every possession rather then making or being forced into a turnover and giving your opponent added possessions that they would never have.[quote]

Yeah, it doesn't take hero ball to upset the series. L.A. just needs to play on both sides of the court with discipline and passion.
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