So what is wrong with the Lakers exactly?

[westkoast]

Everything. 

No really.  I wanted to make a thread talking about exactly what went wrong and what their problem(s) is/are.  Then when I sat down to type up the post I realized it's everything.

- No heart

- No poise

- No quality adjustments

- No pride

- No defense

And that's not even just being pissed about the loss.  I honestly believe that is the truth.  As a basketball fan and trying my best to be objective I would be very surprised to see the Lakers win a championship based on how they have played in this series.  While a lot of credit needs to be given to the Rockets for not quiting.  A lot of blame needs to be placed on the Laker shoulders for not being professionals.  They don't need to run the Rockets off the court but when they are missing 3 key players they go down 29.....come on.

Thoughts?  Comments?

[WayOutWest]

As a basketball fan and trying my best to be objective I would be very surprised to see the Lakers win a championship based on how they have played in this series.

That's why I didn't agree with the "hungry" comments.  The Cavs are hungry, the Celtics are pridefull, but the Lakers play like they're "owed" a trip to the Finals and it's going to kill them.  I've seen enough Lakers games this year to see that they play up and down to their competition and at some point that mentality will get them in trouble and ultimately derail their shot at a title.  I don't see the Lakers losing to the Rockets but I also have mixed feelings about how they will do against the Nuggets and it's clear to me the Lakers are going to get punk'd by the Cavs.  Unless their is a serious shift in the Lakers mental game I don't see them winning it all this year and next year will be close to impossible for them to get back to the elite.

[rickortreat]

I think it was hard for them to adjust to the Yao-less Rockets.  This new Rocket team doesn't play like it did with Yao in the middle.  Instead they run the floor and try and steal the ball. By doing so, they put pressure on the Lakers to respond and they don't seem to have enough ball handlers besides Kobe.

LA's offense seems very out of synch,  Gasol was the only one scoring consistently.  Odom and Bynum have dissapeared in this series.  Everyone knows that if you can make Kobe work for his shots that the others have to step up and get open. With Artest leading the way, the Rockets are always focused on slowing Kobe down, and the other Lakers aren't doing enough to help them win. I think the real problem is that the running Rockets are harder for the Lakers to defend. They can't stay in front of them or keep them from driving the lane.

It's possible Phil will find a way to make some adjustments, so there's no need to panic yet. It's just that this series has presented the Lakers with some different challenges and they're having to stretch a little to win. They may not be good enough, they look a little thin on talent even with their starting five, and their bench is weaker than the Rockets.

[westkoast]

I think it was hard for them to adjust to the Yao-less Rockets.  This new Rocket team doesn't play like it did with Yao in the middle.  Instead they run the floor and try and steal the ball. By doing so, they put pressure on the Lakers to respond and they don't seem to have enough ball handlers besides Kobe.

LA's offense seems very out of synch,  Gasol was the only one scoring consistently.  Odom and Bynum have dissapeared in this series.  Everyone knows that if you can make Kobe work for his shots that the others have to step up and get open. With Artest leading the way, the Rockets are always focused on slowing Kobe down, and the other Lakers aren't doing enough to help them win. I think the real problem is that the running Rockets are harder for the Lakers to defend. They can't stay in front of them or keep them from driving the lane.

It's possible Phil will find a way to make some adjustments, so there's no need to panic yet. It's just that this series has presented the Lakers with some different challenges and they're having to stretch a little to win. They may not be good enough, they look a little thin on talent even with their starting five, and their bench is weaker than the Rockets.

Good post.  I don't think its panic mode about this series but I do think it's panic mode for the squad in general.  There is still a lot of basketball to be played and they are totally out of sync.  They thought the Rockets were going to roll over because Yao was gone and they got embarrassed.  It was pretty pathetic.

Odom we've come to expect him being ghost for games in a series.  Sadly that is just how he is.  He had a big game in game 3 and did nothing in game 4.

Bynum is making W.O.W look like a genius as the days go on.  He is actually one of the players I am most disappointed in.  Out of all the players he has been a huge let down in the playoffs because he is suppose to be shot blocker and rabid rebounder.  Every part of his game has been poor in the playoffs.  The thing that drives me NUTS about Bynum is he sets WEAK WEAK WEAK screens.  Some of the most pansy screens Ive ever seen someone set.  There are 5'2 115 pound asian guys at the basketball courts at the park who set tougher screens.  If he set better screens he and the Lakers would get much easier baskets.  If Bynum doesn't get easy baskets he suffers from Shaq-itis (which is described as not playing defense unless you score).

Another thing I would like to bring up is I am tired of hearing about what Lebron is doing and what Kobe isn't doing in terms of their teams winning.  Lebron is not being guarded by two premier defenders and his team is much better than their opponent.  Same can't be said of the Lakers.  As great as Lebron is I know he wouldn't be running over Ron Artest and Shane Battier with ease.  That's a pretty tough 1-2 punch on the perimeter.

[westkoast]

I am not singing a different tune after the blow out.....

Firm believer in not handing out props for things that people are SUPPOSE to do.  In this case the Lakers are suppose to beat a Houston team missing 2 of their 3 all-star players. 

[WayOutWest]

I am not singing a different tune after the blow out.....

Firm believer in not handing out props for things that people are SUPPOSE to do.  In this case the Lakers are suppose to beat a Houston team missing 2 of their 3 all-star players. 

I start singing "props" if the Lakers take care of buisness in game 6.  The next test will be how they take care of buisness in games 1 and 2 in the next round.  Surprisingly the Nuggets are looking like the true #2 seed in the WC.  The Nuggets are playing the best basketball in the WC, arguably in league right now, but how much of it is them and how much of it is their opponents.  The Cavs are killing the teams they are supposed to but half of that is their opponent rolling over.  The WC is turning out to be a lot more interesting than expected, a lot of that is injuries to the Rockets, we'll see how the WC Finals shape up.

[msc]

Agreed, westkoast.  A win is a win and a loss is a loss.  Weather it's by 30 or 1 doesn't really matter at the end of the day.  You can argue there is a psychological effect that goes along with a blowout, but every time I try to predict what's going to happen in a game based on the dynamic of a previous game I'm almost always wrong.  

The good news is (at least for us  ) is that the Lakers won.  Houston is a good team.  They play great defense and always give solid effort.  They don't have as many weapons as the Lakers offensively esp. with two of their best guys out, but that hasn't phased the players out on the floor.  They believe they can win and you have to respect that because they've proven they can.  Rick Adelman deserves a ton of credit for the job he is doing there.  He's not getting nearly enough.  

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Houston win game 6 at home and force the game 7.  

[WayOutWest]

I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see Houston win game 6 at home and force the game 7.  

I WOULD be very angry! 

[jn]

msc I think you just described Adelman's career.   I have always considered him woefully underappreciated.   

[Skandery]

msc I think you just described Adelman's career.   I have always considered him woefully underappreciated. 

Me, too.

And one time, I even started a thread about it . . .

http://forums.phillyarena.com/index.php?topic=3695.0

[WayOutWest]

msc I think you just described Adelman's career.   I have always considered him woefully underappreciated. 

Me, too.

And one time, I even started a thread about it . . .

http://forums.phillyarena.com/index.php?topic=3695.0

For the most part yes but he had a legit shot with the Blazers vs the Lakers in 2000.  He wins that series he gets a ring.  They took home court away from the Lakers, had a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter of game 7 and he could not close the deal.

[westkoast]

msc I think you just described Adelman's career.   I have always considered him woefully underappreciated. 

Me, too.

And one time, I even started a thread about it . . .

http://forums.phillyarena.com/index.php?topic=3695.0

For the most part yes but he had a legit shot with the Blazers vs the Lakers in 2000.  He wins that series he gets a ring.  They took home court away from the Lakers, had a 15 point lead in the 4th quarter of game 7 and he could not close the deal.

Do you think Rick Adleman is....JoMal???  Its possible. 

I don't see why JoMal hates the Lakers as much as he does....until I realize if it wasn't for the Lakers Rick Adleman would have at least 1 (maybe 2 but I doubt he leaves Portland if they win the title that year) ring.  Either with Portland or with the Kings.  They are also both old.  If you needed any more evidence.

All jokes aside, his offensive adjustments are eating up the Lakers coaching staffs attempts at defensive adjustments.  The Lakers' defense looked better last night than it did with help from the Rockets who were forcing wayyyy too much.

[Skandery]

Uhh . . . guys.  Adelman wasn't the coach of the Blazers in 2000.  It was Mike Dunleavy.

Croiky!

[ziggy]

I am not singing a different tune after the blow out.....

Firm believer in not handing out props for things that people are SUPPOSE to do.  In this case the Lakers are suppose to beat a Houston team missing 2 of their 3 all-star players. 

I actually read a story that looked at teams results when the stars were out.  It is surprising how often a team wins the first game after a star gets hurt.  That Houston won game 4 was not all that surprising.  The Lakers have focused on Yao, and developed a game plan to defend Yao, and a game plan based upon Yao being on the floor, creating various defensive and offensive outcomes.  He is suddenly gone, and now the Lakers have absolutely no idea how Houston will respond.  All their preparation is completely thrown out the window.  Who do they need to focus on, who is hot etc.

Another game like game 5 is more likely than another game 4.

[WayOutWest]

Uhh . . . guys.  Adelman wasn't the coach of the Blazers in 2000.  It was Mike Dunleavy.

Croiky!

Fugging aye!  I was thinking I could NOT criticize Adelman for losing to the "Bad Boys" nor could I even think of calling him out on losing the MJ and Da Bulls, I guess I overlooked the obvious of why I couldn't critique him for the 2000 Blazers!