Aloha,
Before the game if you had told me that the Warriors would have 20 offensive rebounds, take 28 more shot and we would miss 11 free throws to boot, I would have said it sounds like a blow out. And it was. We simply blew out the Warriors.
As it has been in these playoffs it was all about defense. And as usual it starts and ends with AD. There just isn’t another center in the league that can show on the perimeter and still drop back to protect the rim. This allows our perimeter defenders to get into Steph, Klay everyone really. We just made it uncomfortable for their shooters and they never found a rhythm. And if they ventured into the paint there was AD. Yes he blocks shots, yes he alters shots. But if there was a stat for a player that is so intimidating that the opponent doesn’t even attempt the shot, AD would be an all time leader.
I don’t know if anyone was disappointed that AD only scored 17, but I wasn’t because he was responsible for a lot more than that. The Warriors entire game plan was to prevent AD from scoring by consistently crowding him. But guess what that does? It allows LeBron to play one on one and boy did he.
Everyone had been wondering if we ever would see vintage playoff LeBron again. He had been good but not great. But this game was huge. We probably lose the series if it had gone back to SF. So LeBron put his head down and drove to the basket. And drove and drove and drove. He proved that you still can’t play him one on one. It also has been a while since we have seen him run like this. We have not needed this version of LeBron much in the playoffs. Good LeBron had been enough. We still might have won with good LeBron. But beast mode LeBron turned the game into a rout.
As for our role players they all stepped up again. The talk is always about finding the Lakers a third star. But we may have one in Austin. I can’t recall seeing a player develop this quickly over the course of a season. But Austin with his two way play and his seamless fit with LeBron and AD might be on the way to 3rd star status. And if he doesn’t quite get there. The combination of him and DLO in the back court is much better than any one player we could land.
I also like Dennis and defense until he got stupid. I know know it must be tempting to rub it in with a big mouth like Dray but you just have to be smarter than that.
We also got good minutes from Rui and Vando. I expect both to have bigger roles against the Nuggets because of their size.
Now comes the big test. The Grizzlies had some injuries and had not been good down the stretch. Even though they were the 2nd seed they had not looked like it for a while. The Warriors season was similar to ours with a lot of injuries and missing players. While they were the defending champions they had not looked the part all year. The Nuggets have been good all year.
They will present a lot of challenges but we present challenges for them as well. If we can get past the Nuggets. With the Bucks gone, no one in the East scares me.
Wow. Who would have thought…
There actually were many Lakers fans including me who thought if Rob Pelinka would make the right trades to smartly rebuild this roster and Darvin Ham could make the right moves to start and play the right players, the Lakers could pull off the impossible.
Now did I think Rob would do what he did or that Darvin would grow and develop like he did? Not even in my most optimistic dream. I mean this entire season has been like a personal pipe dream. Rob’s trades for Hachimura, Russell, Vando, Beasley, and Bamba were dreams come true and Ham’s new starting lineup and subsequent adjustments have been pipe dreams come true. It’s been from Lakers’ fans hearts to Darvin Ham’s head.
Now, despite how far we have come, we still have two big challenges facing us in the Denver Nuggets and either the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers. So, for me, it’s not just that the season has been unbelievable and unexpected, it’s that the pieces that allowed us to get here were all foundational moves that will help us win in the future as well as right now.
And most importantly, the front office, coaching staff, and fan base all seem to be on the same page. Now when can you remember that ever happening? Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers. Whomever we face in the Finals if we beat the Nuggets, will be a big challenge. Frankly, I think the team that wins the West will end up as the NBA champion.
Frankly Tom, I believe the Nuggets series if for the Championship. The Celtics do not scare me. We lost 2 over time games to them in which we beat ourselves with missed free throws and stupid fouls. And I won’t even mention the missed calls. We lost to the 76ers in overtime once and by one point, the 2nd time. All these games were before the trades. The Nuggets will be the challenge but I think we match up well. We can play bigger against them than we could against the Warriors. And the Nuggets are not a deep team. It won’t be easy but I like our chances.
“Wow. Who would have thought…”
That will do it for me. Excellent post!
Thanks Buba.