Lakers dumb their way to a big loss vs the Bobcats

[WayOutWest]

Seems like they took this game lightly.  The Bobcats attacked the paint all game long, every time the Lakers made a run the Cats would get into the paint for a score or foul.  Lakers really got away from a balanced attacking offense and their defense was weak.  Recipe for disaster, they are losing ground to NO and most of the WC.  I really believe that this young Laker team needs HC in the playoffs to succeed.

[Reality]

[westkoast]

The Bobcats really have the Lakers number.  They are 4-1 over the last 5 against them with 2 victories coming in OT.  Not sure why but they seem to give them trouble.  I only saw the first half but no excuse for the poor defense.

[WayOutWest]

The Bobcats really have the Lakers number.  They are 4-1 over the last 5 against them with 2 victories coming in OT.  Not sure why but they seem to give them trouble.  I only saw the first half but no excuse for the poor defense.

The Cats just played harder and smarter.  The Lakers continued their dumb non-pressure turn overs.  When the Lakers did get the offense going the Cats hunkered down in the paint and let the Lakers bomb themselves out of the game with contested 3's.  The refs where letting alot of stuff go but the the Cats, JRich in particular, keep their heads in the game and adjusted to the on again off again ticky tac foul calls.  I think the Lakers foul 3pt shooters about 4 times and twice the shooter had a shot at a 4 point play.  That was a little frustrating to the players, on some hits they got the calls and on others they would not for the exact same thing.  I saw JRich get fouled shooting a 3 within two minutes the exact same way and didn't get the call on one of them.

Kobe got tossed with two techs and I think he is getting close to a mandatory suspension.  With Pau out of the lineup until next week Kobe needs to be smarter than that, the Lakers cannot afford to have him out of an entire game.  Kobe can pretty much make any shot he takes but he is starting to settle for very high degree of difficulty shots that the defenses are giving him when he could very easily make a move to get an open look.  Lakers need to take care of buisness over the next 5 games, they are all very winnable, only real challenges are the Blazers and Kings.

[Laker Fan]

One more T and he is suspended, it carries over to the playoffs, so if I were him, when they get Gasol and Bynum back, he gets his T and sits a regular season game.

Personally, I wish he would settle down, 14 T's in a season os ridiculous.

[westkoast]

One more T and he is suspended, it carries over to the playoffs, so if I were him, when they get Gasol and Bynum back, he gets his T and sits a regular season game.

Personally, I wish he would settle down, 14 T's in a season os ridiculous.

The thing is I believe the rules say after you hit 15 you get suspended for a game then you get like 3 or 4 after that before another suspension. 

I wish he would settle down as well but when you are a fierce competitor I think it's easier said then done.  Not an excuse.  I personally think he complains too much.  Yes, there are a number of times where he clearly gets fouled with a no call but never once has he complained and they changed the call.  Never once in the history of the NBA has a player complained about a no call while the ball is still in play and a ref stopped the game to say 'Ya you know what, that was a foul 10 seconds ago, go to the line buddy you deserved it.

Last night he should not have been kicked out of the game.  This is part of the problem I have with the 'don't show up the refs' bs rule from the front office.  These guys have egos as well and just like the players they let it get the best of them.  He really didn't say much before he was thrown out.  Usually players get a lot more leeway when they already have one T.  Maybe that constant complaining the whole year has worn on some of the refs but then again that falls back onto their ego and if they do hold grudges then the game is being tampered with.

[WayOutWest]

Last night he should not have been kicked out of the game.  This is part of the problem I have with the 'don't show up the refs' bs rule from the front office.  These guys have egos as well and just like the players they let it get the best of them.  He really didn't say much before he was thrown out.  Usually players get a lot more leeway when they already have one T.  Maybe that constant complaining the whole year has worn on some of the refs but then again that falls back onto their ego and if they do hold grudges then the game is being tampered with.

The first T was from yelling at the ref.  It had been going on for a while so I can't argue against that first T.  The second T came from Kobe kicking the ball after he fouled a guy shooting a 3 giving the guy a shot for a 4 point play.  You can't just kick the ball away and NOT expect to get a T.  Both were warranted and Kobe is really screwing the team with his T's.  I agree that he should take his next T durring the regular season.  That gives him a 3/4 T buffer in the playoffs, I don't want to see him go into the playoffs with a 1 T buffer.

[Lurker]

I thought the T's got reset for the playoffs.  I remember reading about that in the past couple years with Sheed.  15 Ts get you a suspension then 1 game for each additional 2.  But it gets reset for the playoffs but with a lower total before suspensions again.

[Randy]

It does reset in the playoffs but I think the number in the playoffs is pretty low -- I mean really low, it seems?  Like 3?  Is that right?  Where is the beagle when you need him?  I guess he is getting quite a bit for stud service these days so I really shouldn't ask.