This is exactly what Rob Pelinka had in mind when he added Dennis and Trezz in the offseason. It’s the Lakers version of load management. Take the pressure off LeBron and AD to have to score big every game. Make the Lakers a much more dangerous and difficult team for opponents to defend. Make the game easier for the other role players by giving them multiple options to look for when we need a basket. Like the opener against the Clippers, it’s just one game but it clearly showcases Rob Pelinka’s offseason genius.
5 Things: Energetic Nuggets take game 3 despite Laker rally
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September 23, 2020 2 Comments
Am sticking with Lakers in 7.
Well written post and well opined, Jamie. There is not much to add here except to say the Lakers were completely caught off guard and I would even add that they didn’t show up. I tipped my hat off to the Nuggets for presenting such a challenge to them. How the Lakers were outrebounded by such a wide margin is beyond me. Add to that the fact that Grant and Morris were having a field day, then you are going to have a lot to deal with, if even possible, to overcome.
Yes, overcome did they try in the fourth quarter, only to come up short. They mounted a furious comeback in the fourth that showed just how dangerous the Lakers can be when focused until the 4 minute mark where they faltered. At that point the Nuggets were rattled, shellshocked and ready to give up. But a rash of inexplicable turnovers coupled with missed wide open 3 pointers allowed Denver to get their bearings and hang on to win. A 3 point dagger by Murray during that time frame simply iced the game and the Lakers weren’t able to recover.
Another problem the Lakers encountered was playing AD against Jokic for an extended stretch, which eventually wore him out. Jokic is a behemoth and heavier than AD. To have AD bang with him for such an extended period of time with his slightly smaller frame is not wise. AD was completely tired at the end of the game. Compared to game 2, he was the one carrying the scoring load down the stretch. That’s why they need to share the load between McGee and Howard guarding Jokic. Easier said than done, but there has to be a solution. The only thing that bothers me is why Howard can’t play a good 20 minutes without fouling out. For a guy who has been in the league for such a long time and won several awards, why is it that he can’t stay on the court without being in foul trouble? Is it the referees tilting the game in the opponent’s favor? This is happening too often and is baffling to me. Also, dribbling the ball until the clock is about to run out before making a move and then settling for a low percentage shot (3s) when no one is shooting the ball well is not smart at all. They should simply find a way to keep attacking the rim and not settle for jumpers. That’s one of the things that doomed us last night.
But anyway, game 3 was a wakeup call for the Lakers and they must take this Nuggets team seriously the rest of the series.