5 Things: Birthday Spoiled

Well this is a disturbing trend. Lakers just can’t seem to generate any momentum post IST. We’re one step forwards two steps backing our way through the regular season right now.
1) Lakers won the first quarter and the new starting lineup actually kicked a lotta butt. Shoulda closed with that lineup since the bench managed to do nothing at all for most of the game.
2) Reaves needs to make better reads in general. He’s letting the defense completely dictate his offense. He’s stuck in attack mode and he’s not engaging the team enough. For as much as he has the ball in his hands and time is on the clock you need to create for your squad. Especially when your shot isn’t falling.
3) AD would be a multi-award candidate if our record was better. No .500 team is going to have players in the MVP convo unless you’re averaging a triple-double. He could be a DPOY candidate but, with the record being what it is, will likely have to settle for All Defense 1st team.
4) Good defense has to be a lot more than the gaudy, flashy stats. Too many people over-value stats like steals and blocks. While they are a measure of the defense to a small degree they rarely paint a complete picture. We let the T’Wolves score with ease when we didn’t turn them over. That’s not good defense, it’s average and it needs to improve, especially when the bench comes in.
5) How long can he keep this up? Turning 39 and he looks like a 32 year old out there. The King continues to amaze. Not clear to me whether it was a 2 or a 3 but the fact that he seems to never get the benefit of the doubt from the officials must be annoying. The rules state that if there isn’t sufficient evidence to overturn a call it stands as called. So, had they first called it a 3 it likely would have stood. Just one of those things that will break right for us, at least one hopes, but the game was lost well before that shot. It was lost with some clutch missed free throws and bad defense allowing Minnesota to score with ease.