Aloha
Well at least I didn’t have to say loss. This years version of the Lakers are by far the most frustrating group that I can recall. It’s not that they lack the talent to be a top team, it’s just that they seem to only muster the energy to be great in spurts.
Last night the first half was disappointing. But it’s not unusual in the NBA for a bad team to hang around in the first half. It’s the 2nd half we’re separation usually occurs. And last night was no exception. We blew the doors off Staples in the 3rd quarter, with our best quarter of the season. We did exactly what we should have to a bad team. Then came the 4th. To say we took our foot off the gas would be an understatement. We shut the freaking car off. From LeBron down we decided we no longer had to put up any defensive resistance nor have to look for quality shots. We did finally crank the engine over but not until a 25 point lead had shrank to 10. This has become a pattern that will have to be abolished if we truly want another championship. Still there were some positives.
LeBron continues to prove that his problems were due to injuries, not age. He dominated the game until he shut down in the 4th.
For the most part Russ had another strong game. He maybe the most frustrating player on this frustrating team as he had several turnovers where he would attack into triple teams and turn the ball over. Still that was balanced by solid play.
THT has been climbing again on that young guy rollercoaster. He had a great offensive game with 19 points and 3 for 6 from 3. But it was defense that he shined with 6 steals. While his offense is inconsistent, defensively is where he seems to be improving every game. If he continues to be a plus on offense combined with the growth on defense, it will make for an interesting decision for Frank once Trevor is ready to go.
Aloha, Michael,
I’ll take any win as good news right now. We needed to have a second win in a row and LeBron was great. Super to see THT bounce back. Nothing more important than LeBron looking fresh and bouncy.
We need to beat the Mavs, Wolves, and Bulls to go into the game against the Suns with an 18-13 record and 5-game winning streak. That’s a game where we need to make a statement.
“Another disappointing win” is the perfect way to describe this game. Had I watched only the third quarter and not the fourth quarter, I will be pissed off if someone told me the blowout score was cut to 10 in the fourth quarter. As it has been in many games this season, the Lakers seem to play to the score and not the game. They tend go through mental lapses which can be very costly. Remember the 26 point lead against the Tunder that ended up in the loss column?
However, what I am really liking now is the ball movement and not ISO ball. THT having that kind of night defensively with 6 steals is surely a welcome sight. Shooting 3 of 6 from 3 point land made me feel good while hoping for consistency in that regard.
Now, I am finding it uneasy with the short lease Vogel is giving to Ellington. I understand his defensive limitations, as many fans have been alluding to, but he’s one of our best 3 point shooters and finding a way to get him going especially when he’s hot would be a boon to the team.
But at the end of the day and as disappointing as the win was I will take it as Tom pointed out.
This team desperately needs a winning streak to cure them mentally. So, I will take any win any time even though not all wins are equal.