Aloha,
So what do the Lakers actually do at half time? Apparently not much. While it’s up to players to execute, it’s doesn’t appear by the way we come out that any adjustments are ever made. We are -89 in the 3rd. Worst in the league. Yes we have injuries, yes we are learning each other but there is no excuse for this.
Now sometimes guys just get hot. Derozen was unconscious. Not much you can do when a player is in that kind of zone. Lonzo also had a game well above what he usually brings. Levine got off to a hot start but we finally got a handle on him. There were a lot of contested shots that went in for the Bulls. It happens. The Bulls are last in 3 point makes so perhaps that was part of the strategy. But when the strategy isn’t working, you make adjustments. Unless your the Lakers. But a hot shooting night had nothing to do with our poor transition defense. That was just a lack of hustle.
The Bulls had a good strategy for AD and it messed with the entire rhythm of the offense. But again there was no counter in the first half at all. We kept trying the same thing over and over again. That is a recipe for disaster. They finally pulled out AD outside and he started doing some damage but we couldn’t stop the Bulls.
AD’s emotions got the better of him but on the flip side, the ref’s generally allow a player to put their shoe on before resuming play.
Silver linings? Few. Westbrook had a decent game but I still don’t like him shooting threes. THT had a strong night. He was 4 for 7 from 3 until a couple of forced what the hell 3’s in garbage time. Still 4 for 9 is good. If he keeps that up, he will be fine on the offensive side of the ball.
Again with all the injuries I can live with a loss if we play as hard as we can. That wasn’t the case again tonight. I’m hoping we get LeBron back soon. Perhaps he can figure it out, because it’s clear that our coaches can’t.
Aloha, Michael. I have to agree with you that we have been outcoached last night just like we were against the Blazers. It’s ironic that Frank now wants to go small when we don’t have anybody with size to support AD other than Melo. If there ever was a time to play Dwight or DeAndre alongside AD, it’s right now with Ariza out. It’s like Frank wants AD at the five to fail.
This team needs LeBron James to play on this road trip. We’ve gone from small ball on steroids to AD and four guards. It’s a different kind of small ball where we depend on guards and not on LeBron and AD dominating their small ball defenders. We do not have the guards to play super small. We need LeBron back. We need him back tomorrow night.
I’m sure an elite defensive team like the Bucks have seen what the Blazers and Bulls did doubling and tripling AD. Now it’s time for Frank and hiz staff to show they can make the counters needed so that AD doesn’t spend the entire game surrounded and frustrated with the lack of spacing and the team’s ability to make their threes. We need to shoot the three well to beat teams. If we miss, we will lose like last night.