The Lakers, like the Bucks, may find that they are running short on time. The juggernauts that were rolling pre-COVID are now sputtering on fumes in the Bubble. They roll hard in fits and spurts but just do not seem to resemble the well-oiled and fine-tuned machines that we saw back in early March. Talked about adapting today, now we see where the rubber meets the road.
- Patterns in the Bubble. As much as inconsistency has defined the Lakers Bubble reboot there have been some things they seem to do consistently. One of those things is start poorly. That held true tonight, again. Sloppy, uninspired play from the starting 5. This won’t do in the playoffs. You can’t cede entire quarters to the other team on a regular basis. Whatever changes need be made should not be off of any table, board or iPad at this point. It’s the playoffs, adapt or die.
- No motion from either KCP or Danny Green on offense is one of the biggest issues. Green is doing his thing, KCP is doing his thing…but both their things overlap, it’s too much of the same thing. That’s on the staff for not recognizing that through 8 seeding games. The mistake has been trying to replace Avery Bradley rather than redefine the starting five’s roles. With Bradley, well, it doesn’t matter ’cause he ain’t here and for good reason. I made that mistake in my mind, too, but I’m not on the staff. I have now long been of the opinion that we should start Waiters to get a more aggressive, decent ball handler, with a solid chip on his shoulder, alongside LeBron and AD to start games. Whether it’s Green or KCP that goes to the bench doesn’t matter to me, you have the same role with different syntax with either player.
- Lakers Largers showed up big. Both McGee and Howard came to play. Both were victims of terrible play by their teammates or not being on the floor when it mattered. Both will be needed as we move on through the playoffs. AD doesn’t want to bang with centers. Ever. He’ll do it here and there but I distinctly remember a possession where he and Morris were on the floor and Hassan Whiteside floated into the lane for an uncontested dunk because both guys were defending perimeter players and forgot one of them was the center. In a playoff game. The Lakers are going to start one of McGee and Howard every game during the playoffs. Likely McGee. They will not be starting Kyle Kuzma save for injuries sake. It’s what has gotten them the number one seed in the western conference. They won’t be going away from that except, maybe, against Houston and I don’t think they’ll do it for the first game, maybe not even the second. But they may be forced too against the Houston Lilliputians, er Rockets…
- Crunch time execution. We just didn’t have it. Under two minutes we didn’t look like we had a clue where we wanted points to come from. That’s on us, Portland is not a top flight defensive team, they outscore teams. We let Portland get what they wanted, where they wanted, from whom they wanted when the game was on the line with guys you would expect to be better. Too much KCP for me in the 4th, would have put our best line up (Caruso, Green, LeBron, Kuzma, Davis) in around 3-4 minute mark, just another reason we need AD and Dwight for the first 43ish minutes of the game.
- Making free throws but also the referees. I haven’t really brought it up but it has to be said. We’re getting whistle jobbed in the Bubble. LeBron isn’t getting any respect at all, there’s a different set of rules for pushing off for us, had to take a coaches challenge, early, to reverse an obvious charging call. Having said that, AD was 12-17, those free throws change the complexity of the game. LeBron missed two in the final 5, that changed the complexity of the game. Your superstars need to make them.
We got time. We showed some solid stretches in the 2nd and early 4th quarter. Let the odd whistles mess with our mojo. Couple things go our way in the 4th, different ball game. Move on, keep improving. The same lack of energy on our supposed home court won’t be there for theirs. One of the reasons I said 7 game series was just as much a matter of adjusting to the reality of these playoffs as anything else. No crowd has to be super odd, for all parties, refs included. It was never supposed to be easy.
Go Lakers!!!
Good points, Jamie, especially about how the bubble has changed everything including how players play and how refs ref.
We do have time and the Lakers are so much better than the Blazers that we might win even if Frand refuses to make changes but trust me, it will bite us in the ass sometime in the gauntlet. Vogel’s lack of expertise on the offensive side may eventually cost him his job as Lakers’ head coach.
Sorry, but I totally disagree about our big being let down. The reality is playing two bigs not only takes away a desperately needed shooter but also plays right into the Blazers’ hands by making it easy for them to clog the middle against LeBron and double AD. McGee has been a liability since the All-Star break. Just look at his stats and Dwight’s mental farts and inability to finish are not helping. Jurkic alone outplayed JaDwight McHoward.
Agree with you on the free throws and stretch execution. Those four missed free throws in a row were like an albatross landing on the bow of our ship … or should I say our championship.
Thanks, Jaime. You really got me emotional as you are on point in everything you said.
In a game where the Lakers dominated just about every statistical category, it hurts to see them let this one slip through their fingers. The Blazers did not win this game, it was the Lakers who lost it. They gave the game away and there is blame to be thrown around. For the better part of the fourth quarter, the Blazers looked exhausted and seemed out of options, and the Lakers looked poised to deliver a knockout punch. But 4 consecutive missed free throws by LeBron and Davis gave the Blazers some hope, and from there it was only a matter of time before they came up with their own deathblow. It took them a string of huge 3 pointers from Lillard, Carmelo, Trent Jr. and McCullum to suck the air out of the game. And that was it.
Consistently starting games slowly and ceding quarters to teams continually is not a good way to expect good results. The Lakers should not expect to win in the playoffs if they can only muster 37 second half points, as was the case in this game.
Since the restart I have wanted to have KCP come off the bench where he really has been better and replace Avery Bradley with someone who can create his own shot like Waiters. Danny Green, who hasn’t been himself, should be kept on a short leash. If he is struggling offensively he should be replaced. While his defense is what helps him, his offense is what is hurting the team.
I also agree with you that our traditional center position should be kept as is. In this game they were not properly utilized. Your point about referees couldn’t have been said any better. They are very annoying and momentum shifting when they get it blown.
I did not like Vogel’s strategy in this game at all. How could he bench Kuzma for Green all of a sudden when Kuzma was the one bringing the energy the team needs so badly? And why did Waiters play only 1 minute?