Lakerholics

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Mini-Movie: Lakers Take Down Clippers

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Thanks Michael, you know I love the big man in the NBA. I think it’s a mistake to think they can’t do this or that. If people want to point to the Houston aeries my counter is “Dwight didn’t even get a chance to show if he could hang or not, McGee, either.” But I’m also not too big on myself to say that going “small” was a huge factor in how quickly. D effectively we won that series.

The truth is that there a lot of ways to win a basketball game. there isnt one sure-fire way and it’s the coaches job to suss out what advantages they can. Frank has done that brilliiantly in the playoffs. obviously helps having AD and LBJ.

I expect to see about the same amount of Dwight, maybe more if McGee has another rough first quarter. McGee doesn’t have the footspeed to keep in front of Nicola who has a whole bucket full of moves and counter-moves.

All in all its shaping up to be a really fun series.

Why NBA Players, Coaches Are Confident the Bubble Is Working

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Thanks, Jamie. The Lakers started the game in the first half a little bit relaxed as if to feel the best punch the Nuggets could throw at them in the early going before dismantling them in the second half. The Nuggets look like they may be running out of magic this time around, and fatigue might not be their best friend. The Lakers are simply too much to handle. Not that they can’t be challenged, but they never felt threatened. That’s why I completely agree with Michael about the versatility of the Lakers, their size, and the nightmare matchup they would present to the Nuggets, especially on how Dwight’s role might impact the series. He showed up big, was disruptive, and was the unsung hero. He certainly knows how to get in an opponent’s head just like he did when he stood with the whole Nuggets team hurdled up at half court.

Everybody played well and that was a great win to start the series. LeBron and AD did their thing, KCP and Caruso did their damage, Danny Green hustled and Markieff Morris was his usual efficient and consistent player. Rondo was always locked in. Man, I love that shot he made from behind the backboard. That was insane. It kind of reminds me of the same kind of shot Kobe made several years ago, which remains one of my favorite Kobe shots. Good to see two Lakers make that kind of shot.

The one player that keeps impressing me, however, is Kyle Kuzma. He had another solid game and was doing everything right. Sometimes I wouldn’t even notice he is in the game until he comes out of nowhere and does little things so well that it leaves me in awe. He is definitely playing very stable and under control within the system with a team-first approach. He has improved immensely since the Bubble started.

Thanks for all the comments here. Looking forward to game 2.

Why the Lakers Are Still the Favorites Even After Losing Bradley and Rondo!

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With Rajon Rondo suffering a ‘significant hand injury,’ the Los Angeles Lakers have now lost both their starting and backup point guards as their quest for a 17th championship starts as the season resumes in Orlando.

While many NBA pundits view the loss of starting point guard Avery Bradley and backup Rajon Rondo as devastating the Lakers’ championship hopes, the losses could end up making the Lakers an even more dangerous team. While the Lakers might woe losing Bradley and Rondo, more playing time for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Alex Caruso, and wildcard guards Dion Waiters and JR Smith could end up changing and benefiting the Lakers.

To start with, the Lakers are a team built around superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While Bradley and Rondo have been key contributor to the team’s success, neither was or is irreplaceable in Frank Vogel’s lineups. The Lakers’ actual point guard and primary playmaker has always been LeBron James, who averages a league leading 10.6 assists per game and can be expected as usual to play at least 40 minutes per game in the playoffs.

Even though Avery Bradley was listed as the starting point guard, LeBron James was the Lakers’ de facto point guard whenever he was on the floor with Rajon Rondo acting as his backup whenever he was on the bench. With LeBron playing 40 minutes per game in the playoffs, the Lakers’ just need to find someone to cover the 8 minutes per game he’s on the bench and someone to fill the 24 minutes per game Avery Bradley played.

So let’s take a look at how head coach Frank Vogel assigned playing time between the 7 guards in the Lakers’ regular season roster. Here’s a chart of the minutes and other key statistics for the 7 guards on the Lakers’ roster:

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Two things immediately jump out when you study this chart. The first is none of the five remaining players on the Lakers’ roster has the playmaking skills to replace Rondo as the backup point when LeBron’s not on the floor. The second is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is likely to be the guard who takes over Avery Bradley’s starting role and minutes. In fact, when Bradley was injured earlier in the season, the Lakers went 17–3 with KCP starting.

Fortunately for the Lakers, they made a couple of prescient moves while play was suspended to upgrade their roster. First, they waived Troy Daniels and signed free agent shooting guard Dion Waiters as his replacement. Waiters was added to the roster due to his ability to create shots for himself and for teammates. While he only played 14 minutes this season, Waiters’ averaged 12.0 points and 2.8 assists last season for the Miami Heat.

Waiters’ threat as both a shot creator and playmaker make him the obvious top prospect to take over Rondo’s backup point guard role. Expect the Lakers to give him a shot in the 8 seeding games to show he can do the job. Should he not be up to the challenge, the Lakers will likely spread Rondo’s backup point guard minutes between Alex Caruso and Quinn Cook. While neither is a playmaker, Caruso adds elite defense and Cook elite shooting.

Finally, lurking in the background are 19-year old rookie Talen Horton-Tucker and veteran sharp shooter JR Smith. Much like the veteran Waiters, Horton-Tucker has shotmaking and playmaking skills but is totally untested. Much like Quinn Cook, JR Smith brings elite 3-point shooting to the table as well as championship experience playing with LeBron James. He’s not a playmaker or defender but his clutch shooting could be a valuable weapon.

While the loss of Bradley and Rondo will hurt the Lakers’ depth at guard, starting KCP and replacing Rondo with Waiters could change the team’s dynamic by improving its offensive firepower and three-point shooting. LeBron’s championship formula has always been to be surrounded by elite shooting. KCP led the team shooting 39.4% from deep vs. Bradley’s 36.4% and Waiters shot 37.7% last season compared to Rondo’s 32.8%.

They say you can never have enough shooting. Replacing Bradley and Rondo with KCP and Waiters plus JR Smith could make the Lakers a more dangerous team and ultimately help them win their 17th championship.