Aloha,
I almost didn’t watch tonight. It’s whale season here in the islands and they have been putting on a much better show than the Lakers in the early evening and I was tempted to go down to the ocean to watch. I am glad I didn’t.
What can you say about LeBron, obviously his best offensive game in a long time. But he’s going get all the well deserved headlines and stories so, I’m going to give a few shout outs to some of the other guys.
First Russ had one of his better games for a long time. Yes he had a couple of cringe worthy turnovers but he only had one missed lay up That I can recall. 20 points and he shot over 50%. He really picked his spots and used a lot of head fakes to get points in the paint. He needs to play this way every game. Not only for us to win but to recover some of his value.
Our +|- champs both had excellent games. Monk was a +19 and Austin was a +18. Malik shot the 3 well but he also had a team high 5 assists. He improves on defense by the game. He had a block and 3 steals. That steal he had on that on the out of bounds play was spectacular. He just skied. His athleticism has been the biggest surprise for me this year.
Austin is the hardest working guy on the floor. He just doesn’t back down from anyone, regardless of who it is. 2 blocks, 3 steals, 10 points 3 for 5 from 3. He just gives 100% all the time.
Stanley also is another guy that plays hard every minute. 6 boards, 4 assists, a block and 2 steals and the ability to stay in front of 1 through 5.
Those 3 guys bring the energy every night and I just hope they continue to get the minutes. There was one play down the stretch. Missed shot, Malik mange’s to tap the ball and Austin flys in to grab the board, finds LeBron who drives and kicks to Melo for the dagger 3. Melo gets credit for dagger but it was Malik and Austin’s hustle that made it possible. It’s the kids that will really decides how the season will end if they are given the chance.
Finally Melo is just steady. But he is in there to score but I’ve been surprised by his defense. He’s had some good defensive moments and
He rebounds as well. 8 tonight.
So believe it or not, I’m worried about the next 2 against the Rockets and Spurs. It’s almost better if we were playing good teams. Hopefully they will play with the same desperations that they did tonight.
Man, I love the whale stuff you mentioned. Never seen that before. Not sure if it is the same as the orca’s shows which I have seen in certain cities across the country. But anyway, a great recap of the game.
I can’t tell you how satisfied I am with Reaves, Monk, and Stanley. You have been preaching for these youngsters to get more playing time for a long time now, and so far the results have been right there in front of our eyes. That’s our best route, just wish that was the case earlier in the season. The energy that they bring to the table can’t be ignored.
Just out of curiosity, don’t you think Vogel should find a way to give Wenyan Gabriel some playing time? How about we go after Moses Brown on our two-way? We need size and length and both would be a good choice while AD is out.
I am happy we have Melo to help with the scoring load. You are also right about him being pesky on defense. Now that was vintage LeBron. Enough said.
If we are assured of a play-in position then it would be wise to rest him before the playoffs start and with AD back. A seven-game series can go any way with a rested LeBron. Thanks for the recap.
thanks Buba, these are wild humpback whales that migrate to Hawaii from Alaska every year in the winter. Seems like everyone winters in Hawaii. They come into this cove and you can watch them from the shore. Last night I saw five or 6 pretty spectacular breaches. Think Malik’s is athletic? Those guys pulling all those tons completely out of the water is pretty amazing.
“Think Malik’s is athletic? Those guys pulling all those tons completely out of the water is pretty amazing.”
Hahaha, man, that’s really funny. I will take a good hearty laugh at that one. As usual, Michael, you are always a reasonable voice on this blog, and thanks for all you do.
Great points about Monk and Reaves. While Malik is the offensive wiz, he’s showing he can also make plays on defense with his hops and athleticism. While Austin is the defensive wiz, he’s showing that, like Monk, he’s really a well-balanced player who can impact the game on both ends. Going to be hard to move these two Arkansas kids from the Lakers’ starting lineup.