**LA LAKERS THREAD** Sitting on 17! 2023-2024 offseason begins

[MVP]

He's jumped ahead of Pop and Kerr and Lue and Malone and all the other flavors of the month?

My point is, you all are giddy and excited about these magical adjustments, but if/when Boston knocks them out next week, did he stop adjusting? No more magical potions from him? Or we just move on to the next narrative about how he's missing a key player, or Boston had homecourt etc etc?

I'm pretty sure Spo has been regarded as the best coach in the league by the majority of people for a while. Somehow you're still conflating winning the chip with being the best. Does that automatically make the Finals MVP the best player in the league, no? That's a very simple and basic way of looking at things.

Spo has done more with less talent than anyone in the league in the last 5 seasons, like c'mon man.

 

[CP1708]

Very interesting you bring up that point because what got us the lead last night. Pretty much spamming high and side pick n rolls with AD and Bron. Yet middle of the 3rd just basically stop running it until the game was basically tied in the 4th. Why was that?

Also integrated simultaneously on the other sideline an adjustment defensively was made to put AG on AD cause Joker was getting eviscerated by that play. That's all coincidence and randomness by the players I guess as well huh?

I will ask this again........AD don't know how to act with AG on him? He's faced him 3 diff series since 2020, right?

What exactly do you think happens when Gordon goes on AD? Davis doesn't know how to play anymore or somethin? Bron can't get it going vs KCP or Murray?

You guys act like this is some mythical never been thought of before move to ya know, have a big guard a big. People thought it was genius last year to have Rui on Jokic to "give him a different look".......how's that workin out for us now?

If Bron hits a WIDE OPEN 3, or, ya know, drives to the hoop since it was 5 on 4 at that point, we'd be celebrating all up & thru this place, would y'all be giving Ham credit for his "adjustments" to steal game 2? I know for a fact none of y'all would, you'd be crediting Bron, and AD, and maybe even some for DLo.

 

[geno90221]

I will ask this again........AD don't know how to act with AG on him? He's faced him 3 diff series since 2020, right?

What exactly do you think happens when Gordon goes on AD? Davis doesn't know how to play anymore or somethin? Bron can't get it going vs KCP or Murray?

You guys act like this is some mythical never been thought of before move to ya know, have a big guard a big. People thought it was genius last year to have Rui on Jokic to "give him a different look".......how's that workin out for us now?

If Bron hits a WIDE OPEN 3, or, ya know, drives to the hoop since it was 5 on 4 at that point, we'd be celebrating all up & thru this place, would y'all be giving Ham credit for his "adjustments" to steal game 2? I know for a fact none of y'all would, you'd be crediting Bron, and AD, and maybe even some for DLo.

Gordon didn’t get to Denver till 2021 fyi

 

[kingjaffejo]

No you’re right. But not the GM. To me this is Jeanie’s fault. And her inability to recognize the proper leadership’s for a successful team.

She’s good at the business of basketball, not the sport of it. That may be the one decision Dr. Buss failed in. She doesn’t have his eye of knowing who to choose to lead her basketball decisions.

If she could then she world have never let her brother keep running the team, wouldn’t have hired Magic and wouldn’t have kept Pelinka.

Realistically our coach should be the man coaching the other LA team.

 

[MVP]

I will ask this again........AD don't know how to act with AG on him? He's faced him 3 diff series since 2020, right?

What exactly do you think happens when Gordon goes on AD? Davis doesn't know how to play anymore or somethin? Bron can't get it going vs KCP or Murray?

You guys act like this is some mythical never been thought of before move to ya know, have a big guard a big. People thought it was genius last year to have Rui on Jokic to "give him a different look".......how's that workin out for us now?

If Bron hits a WIDE OPEN 3, or, ya know, drives to the hoop since it was 5 on 4 at that point, we'd be celebrating all up & thru this place, would y'all be giving Ham credit for his "adjustments" to steal game 2? I know for a fact none of y'all would, you'd be crediting Bron, and AD, and maybe even some for DLo.

I'm asking you a specific question, why did we suddenly stop running something that was working or not try and counter anything that Malone did tactically?

 

[CP1708]

I'm pretty sure Spo has been regarded as the best coach in the league by the majority of people for a while. Somehow you're still conflating winning the chip with being the best. Does that automatically make the Finals MVP the best player in the league, no? That's a very simple and basic way of looking at things.

Spo has done more with less talent than anyone in the league in the last 5 seasons, like c'mon man.

I'm actually very high on Spo.

Remember when the best player in the NBA wanted him fired?

I'm not conflating anything. I'm taking all y'all's own logic and bouncing it back at you to look at.

Coach Spo is whatever and whatever in game 2's after a 20 point loss in game 1........well.........why did he lose some many game 1's by 20+ points? He doesn't know how to prepare his team?

It's result based analysis y'all doin. If Miami misses all their 3's tonight, he still made the same adjustments, but their shots don't go down and they take an L. Their shots fell, so he's some genius of the adjustment.

Steve Kerr has been such a great coach watching Steph reign down from 40 feet with a higher percentage than we make our layups, so I guess Ham sucks. Do you see how that sounds? Because it's the type of **** you guys say. I'm just the guy tryin to point it out to you all.

 

[CP1708]

No you’re right. But not the GM. To me this is Jeanie’s fault. And her inability to recognize the proper leadership’s for a successful team.

She’s good at the business of basketball, not the sport of it. That may be the one decision Dr. Buss failed in. She doesn’t have his eye of knowing who to choose to lead her basketball decisions.

If she could then she world have never let her brother keep running the team, wouldn’t have hired Magic and wouldn’t have kept Pelinka.

Realistically our coach should be the man coaching the other LA team.

Now we're gettin somewhere.

 

[kingjaffejo]

The entire NBA is currently based on those pick and rolls. It's not a magical offense that no one has ever seen before or anything. But when Jokic is in the middle of it, or Luka, or Lebron......it's kinda of difficult to defend, especially when they hitting some ridiculous shots/passes out of it, right?

You believe NBA players need help learning what to do against pick and rolls? Just based on some quick napkin math......they face roughly 10,000 pick and rolls a season.......I feel like pretty much every NBA player at least 2 years in knows what they need to do on such plays.

And I don't know how you can blame a coach for NBA guys missing layups. Sometimes the ball just doesn't go in. It's a make or miss league. Always has been.

I’m not blaming any coach for a player missing lay ups or open shots or free throws. Never.

But I can blame a coach for having players on his team that can’t properly read pick n roll options. Being professionals that see the same simple pick n rolls that every team runs as you say.

His team looks unprepared and undisciplined. And it shows the most when the heat gets turned up or if they are ahead.
Simply not boxing out properly, not giving enough space on picks, losing your man on d, not knowing where to rotate or how to rotate.
That’s all coaching man.

Just because you don’t have the talent doesn’t mean you can’t have the focus or execution.
Honestly that’s what makes Spoeltra a great coach.

 

[CP1708]

I'm asking you a specific question, why did we suddenly stop running something that was working or not try and counter anything that Malone did tactically?

I honestly don't know that answer. I wasn't in the huddle.

One thing I considered after watching the game again last night, AD hit a couple early jumpers.....and then started drifting out even further. Remember when he missed that 3 in the corner? This entire thread GROANED. Like, bad sign type of groan.

Bron walked off the floor a couple minutes later, maybe he was gassed and they started running thru DLo then Vincent, Reaves etc.

But I mean, realistically, you wanted them to just spam the same pick and roll the whole 48 minutes? Cuz I feel like that would get a smidge predictable. Even the Nuggets don't do that and they of course run a ton of P&R with Murray/Joker. Bron/AD never actually spam it over and over for full games. Never have. Just crucial times or specific matchups would be my guess.

 

[MVP]

I'm actually very high on Spo.

Remember when the best player in the NBA wanted him fired?

I'm not conflating anything. I'm taking all y'all's own logic and bouncing it back at you to look at.

Coach Spo is whatever and whatever in game 2's after a 20 point loss in game 1........well.........why did he lose some many game 1's by 20+ points? He doesn't know how to prepare his team?

It's result based analysis y'all doin. If Miami misses all their 3's tonight, he still made the same adjustments, but their shots don't go down and they take an L. Their shots fell, so he's some genius of the adjustment.

Steve Kerr has been such a great coach watching Steph reign down from 40 feet with a higher percentage than we make our layups, so I guess Ham sucks. Do you see how that sounds? Because it's the type of **** you guys say. I'm just the guy tryin to point it out to you all.

Results based analysis would be the laziness of just saying whoever wins is the best which isn't the case. Pop wasn't just great because he won with great players, he adapted and changed his entire philosophy multiple times with different groups to succeed at the highest level from having Duncan and Robinson to playing through Duncan to having Tony be more the focal point to then Kawhi. Putting players in positions to succeed.

 

[MVP]

 

[CP1708]

I’m not blaming any coach for a player missing lay ups or open shots or free throws. Never.

But I can blame a coach for having players on his team that can’t properly read pick n roll options. Being professionals that see the same simple pick n rolls that every team runs as you say.

His team looks unprepared and undisciplined. And it shows the most when the heat gets turned up or if they are ahead.
Simply not boxing out properly, not giving enough space on picks, losing your man on d, not knowing where to rotate or how to rotate.
That’s all coaching man.

Just because you don’t have the talent doesn’t mean you can’t have the focus or execution.
Honestly that’s what makes Spoeltra a great coach.

Some of those missing box outs are LeBron James bro.

I asked during the game, are we allowed to offensive rebound and you know what I was told? No, because it would ruin our defensive system.

At this level, the highest of the high levels of basketball, everyone knows the same ****. Comes down to who can absolutely will their way thru, and who can hit shots and who can't. We didn't, and they did.

They led the game for FORTY FOUR seconds, out of 48 minutes. Ham must have coached them pretty well to control a game on the road like that. But Bron missed, and Murray didn't.

 

[CP1708]

Results based analysis would be the laziness of just saying whoever wins is the best which isn't the case. Pop wasn't just great because he won with great players, he adapted and changed his entire philosophy multiple times with different groups to succeed at the highest level from having Duncan and Robinson to playing through Duncan to having Tony be more the focal point to then Kawhi. Putting players in positions to succeed.

How Pop been doin the last 10ish years?

And how he gon be doin in about 2 years?

 

[kingjaffejo]

Now we're gettin somewhere.

But the fact still remains we should all be the best in the position we are given. And Ham is nowhere close. Is it completely his fault? Of course not.

But as far as on court success, he is one of the main reasons for failure. Not the only. But one of the main for sure.

The Nuggets are not beating the Lakers in this current series. The Lakers are beating the Lakers.

 

[CP1708]

Gordon didn’t get to Denver till 2021 fyi

I take it back then. Back to back years only, erase 2020 off the list. Thank you for correcting that.

 

[CP1708]

The Nuggets are not beating the Lakers in this current series. The Lakers are beating the Lakers.

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Iono man.

2 seed, defending champs, homecourt, beat us 10 straight games now across two seasons, we have one single player off the bench that has scored, they have the two best in their prime players, the league MVP and we are a play-in team like 3 of the last 4 years.

 

[Dhizzle]

To me those missed layups are more due to the fact that jokic is just hounding the paint and making you second guess and hesitate a simple layup. Perhaps adding an extra spin on the ball causing it to rim out. And right beside him is AG, hustlin and giving 100% effort as a second big. Or maybe rui is just an average player at best and has a few good outings here and there and just not built for this stage

 

[grittyman]

Not exactly spamming pick and rolls here, there’s a mix of attacking Joker in space with a few post ups.

Now I don’t remember exactly when Den made the switch from having Joker guard AD to putting Gordon on him BUT we do know that AD got like 6 attempts in 3, so it wasn’t like the offense completely went away from him.

I posted a clip before showing the plays of the 4th quarter… AD was barely making any contact on his screens, (which is kinda a sign of fatigue btw) and they couldn’t either get him the ball or when he got a post up he couldn’t score.

Anyhow, if the Lakers decided that Joker was the weak link defensively that they wanted to attack that’s a reasonable approach. If the Nuggets decided to guard Bron with KCP on a few possessions and they attacked that matchup, once again that’s totally reasonable.

Lebron hits the 3, and the Lakers win no one is complaining about any of this. But because they lost, now it’s all bad man make it make sense.

 

[kingjaffejo]

Some of those missing box outs are LeBron James bro.

I asked during the game, are we allowed to offensive rebound and you know what I was told? No, because it would ruin our defensive system.

At this level, the highest of the high levels of basketball, everyone knows the same ****. Comes down to who can absolutely will their way thru, and who can hit shots and who can't. We didn't, and they did.

They led the game for FORTY FOUR seconds, out of 48 minutes. Ham must have coached them pretty well to control a game on the road like that. But Bron missed, and Murray didn't.

Bron is the biggest culprit. He can get lazy, cheats on defense, gambles when he shouldn’t, will take over and dribble the air out of the ball when he shouldn’t.

The game doesn’t come down to will. It comes down to execution. Will isn’t some mythical force that rises from within when your back is against the wall.
It’s who collectively has the mental endurance to make the correct and proper decisions. And that goes for the players as well as the coach.

Only 2 things changed in that game. Gordon got switched on AD. And Lebron started running point instead of DLo and continued after the pnr spam stopped working.

Was it AD’s fault that he couldn’t change his attack and cook AG? Absolutely. Inexcusable.
And is it’s Bron’s fault for slowing down the offense and stopped moving off ball stagnating things. Yup!

But as a coach how long is it going to take you to see that the players can’t do it for themselves and they are getting lost out there and sinking into a hole. They don’t have the mental endurance to keep up with Denver, let alone the talent.
If we give Ham credit for the first half, just like the players he has to get blame for the 2nd. It’s not like they just got less talented in 2 quarters.

 

[CP1708]

just like the players he has to get blame for the 2nd. It’s not like they just got less talented in 2 quarters.

He led the entire second half until the final shot......

 

[kingjaffejo]

Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, Iono man.

2 seed, defending champs, homecourt, beat us 10 straight games now across two seasons, we have one single player off the bench that has scored, they have the two best in their prime players, the league MVP and we are a play-in team like 3 of the last 4 years.

True. We aren’t supposed to win this series. Never was.
But it just feels like last game we gave that away. Like that was our chance not to get swept. And at least lose with some kind of respect in a fighting series.

 

[ill 949]

The whip
The engine
The steering wheel
The driver

All of them have to be in unison for the driving experience to reach optimal level.

The engine obviously is the most important functionally in getting the car to drive w/ high performance; however, the steering wheel needs to be able to align and steer it in the right direction.

A steering wheel isn't asked to do a lot, just be a normal ****ing steering wheel. A steering wheel alone does not get the car to operate at high speed, on a day to day basis, it just needs to do what it is designed to do. However, a good steering wheel is the difference between making it home safely on those raining stormy nights and the check engine light is on or ending up the a ditch on the side of the road.

Now, if a driver consistently chooses the wrong steering wheel, yes it is more on the driver than the faulty steering wheel -that in itself is a problem. HOWEVER, replacing a steering wheel is more realistic & feasible than telling the driver to sell the whip. I happen to believe the driver in THIS case takes care of the whip pretty well overall, he got good market value on the engine and parts. But this ****ing steering wheel is so bad it's driving this **** into the wall. So 1. the steering wheel needs to be replaced and 2. the driver needs to finally purchase a good steering wheel

 

[kingjaffejo]

He led the entire second half until the final shot......

Excuse me. Well a little more than half way through the 3rd. After that he was losing the rest of the way. And subsequently lost.
Denver made a run. A leader needs to recognize, stop the leaks and steer the ship back on course.

Whether that was Bron, AD or Ham it didn’t get done. The rest of the team/bench failed them and they failed the team/bench by not being able to “will” them.

 

[essential1]

Could it be a 33/33/33 thing

33% Rob & Jeanie, 33% Ham, 33% players?

Let’s shake on it?

 

[grittyman]

What are we arguing about here again?