Lakers become Sacramento road kill!

[WayOutWest]

What drove me nuts was their absolute refusal to run the offense.

That was by design.  Even the commentators BEFORE the game started said the Kings were going to run every time and get a quick shot so the Lakers could not set up the defense.  The Kings hoped to get the Lakers into a run and gun game because that was the ONLY way they could beat the Lakers. 

It worked, props to Kings. A+

Lakers coaching staff and players get an F-.

[westkoast]

Um you are all wrong, the reason they lost is I was unable to watch the game in Arizona!

This is my reality-adding-nothing-to-the-thread post for the day.

[Lurker]

Um you are all wrong, the reason they lost is I was unable to watch the game in Arizona!

This is my reality-adding-nothing-to-the-thread post for the day.

Just need to add a picture of some gay dude wearing a Lakers jersey sitting in the desert watching a broken tv...

[jemagee]

Just need to add a picture of some gay dude wearing a Lakers jersey sitting in the desert watching a broken tv...

That actually sounds kind of interesting - if only i had some photoshop time

[JoMal]

Um you are all wrong, the reason they lost is I was unable to watch the game in Arizona!

This is my reality-adding-nothing-to-the-thread post for the day.

Just need to add a picture of some gay dude wearing a Lakers jersey sitting in the desert watching a broken tv...

Lakermania does that every game from his trailer park out in Hemet, with his JB, (no ice).

The Kings are not, shall we say, stalwarts of defense, which is really where the Lakers fell apart, by not taking advantage. But I think putting Hawes into the game as a starter is giving the Kings the beginning of something they have lacked for, oh, twenty years or so - a front line that thwarts shots in the lane. At least that is the plan. Execution up to now has not been all that noticable until this game. Strange that Hawes is something of a shot blocker - he did not have that rep in college, nor as a rebounder, for that matter. The Kings' trainer got him working out in the off-season and he looks and acts like he can play for over ten minute stretches now, where last season he was puffing as soon as he pulled off his sweats.

The Kings also shot the ball particularly well last night. This really helps if you, you know, want to win a game or two during the season. The Kings are spotty at best shooting the ball and if one starts missing, his teammates usually try to keep him company.

Also, I thought for a coach on the hot seat, Theus coached very well in this game by removing players who failed to play and work the ball in the offense and keeping the better guys out on the court.

[westkoast]

Obviously I didn't see the game but I don't understand what happened to the Lakers focus on defense.  The entire road trip they've played poorly on that end.  I thought they left their defense in LA but it wasn't there when they got home.

Oh and as far as Bynum crying....it's not just to the refs, it's everywhere.  If he doesn't get enough touches, if he's not in during the final minutes (he took a shot at the team and PJ for getting benched against Indiana because he had 0 offensive rebounds), and of course when he gets tapped.  I am actually a bit worried about this to be honest.

[msc]

What drove me nuts was their absolute refusal to run the offense.

That was by design.  Even the commentators BEFORE the game started said the Kings were going to run every time and get a quick shot so the Lakers could not set up the defense.  The Kings hoped to get the Lakers into a run and gun game because that was the ONLY way they could beat the Lakers. 

It worked, props to Kings. A+

Lakers coaching staff and players get an F-.

Yeah, I get that, and the Kings did a good job of dictating the tempo.  Still, even if a team is forcing a run and gun, when the Lakers are on the offensive end of the court, they can run their offense.  They weren't passing the ball around and trying to get opportunities out of the triangle.  Whether it was Kobe, or Fish, or Scrotum, they just dribbled and took bad shots off the dribble. 

[JoMal]

Details, details...

The Lakers are a top three NBA team this year and a little road bump in SacTown really just gives the locals up here a feelgood moment during a drag of a rebuilding year, while the Lakers are more worried about how old the Spurs are getting, if the Suns are serious, if the Nuggets can maintain anything close to their current level of play and on a side note, whether LeBron has surpassed the Kobster in overall talent yet. 

Just to get the ball rolling out on the court on that last one, yeah, he has 

[jemagee]

The lakers defense has been questionable for a while now - even questioned by PhilJackson - and BYnum was mouthing off about being pulled last week - the lakers are good - but these are cracks in the foundation that if not fixed will collapse the house in on itself

[WayOutWest]

The lakers defense has been questionable for a while now - even questioned by PhilJackson - and BYnum was mouthing off about being pulled last week - the lakers are good - but these are cracks in the foundation that if not fixed will collapse the house in on itself

LOL!  Bill Walton just called them the Fakers!!!  He's says what I mentioned a few days ago, the Lakers are playing fake hustle D.  There is no toughness on the Lakers right now, as the great Bill Walton said, there is no physical or mental toughness on the Lakers D right now and I agree.

[jemagee]

I don't like Bill Walton

[westkoast]

The lakers defense has been questionable for a while now - even questioned by PhilJackson - and BYnum was mouthing off about being pulled last week - the lakers are good - but these are cracks in the foundation that if not fixed will collapse the house in on itself

LOL!  Bill Walton just called them the Fakers!!!  He's says what I mentioned a few days ago, the Lakers are playing fake hustle D.  There is no toughness on the Lakers right now, as the great Bill Walton said, there is no physical or mental toughness on the Lakers D right now and I agree.

Honestly I blame Bynum for that.   Reason being is was the guy saying all off season he sat on the bench during the finals upset because of the lack of an intimidating shot blocker.  I haven't seen him focus in on shot blocking in 4-5-6 games.  Looks like he is falling into Shaq mode where he only cares about defense when he scores.  Annoying.

The Lakers def need more tough players (Rick Fox comes to mind) but I don't want to see Phil Jackson try to turn Ariza into one of his goons like he did Rick Fox and Dennis Rodman.

[WayOutWest]

Looks like he is falling into Shaq mode where he only cares about defense when he scores.  Annoying.

My concern is that the ENTIRE Lakers team lets their offense key their defense, it's supposed to be the other way around.  It looks kind of scary.

[westkoast]

Looks like he is falling into Shaq mode where he only cares about defense when he scores.  Annoying.

My concern is that the ENTIRE Lakers team lets their offense key their defense, it's supposed to be the other way around.  It looks kind of scary.

When your anchor looks to be going that route and your PG is starting to look his age there is not going to be much defense.  For those who don't watch the Lakers each game one of the better defenders in the last 2 weeks has been Vlad Radman, seriously.  Just think about that for a second and get where the Laker faithful are coming from.

[jemagee]

Not exactly a convincing win, at home, against a short handed suns team (only 9 available players but they run a short rotation usually don't they?)...are laker fans becoming concerned that this defensive softness is not temporary but systemic to the lakers?