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D.Ham already knows

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These games have pretty much all come down to late game execution. Focus & attention to detail. Every time it’s close down the stretch, the Nuggs have had the answer. None of all this other analysis will matter if we can’t correct the crunchtime issues.

“It’s a combination of a couple different things. That’s why I mentioned consistent discipline with our execution, make sure we get the right shots that we know makes us that much more hard to guard,” Ham said of the late-game problems. “And give them credit. They had different guys step up and make big shots for them. We’ve had unfortunate turnovers, unfortunate missed blockouts. And they’re a championship team. So, you have to do the little things.

“The intangibles have to be on point.”

Old John McKay line when asked about his team’s execution after a bad game…

“I’m in favor of it”

What I’m Watching

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Aloha,

Both Tom and Jamie had great posts breaking down the series. Here are a few things I will be watching.

1.AD’s back. He was visibly laboring against the Pels. For the Lakers to have a chance AD has to be as close to 100% as possible this time of year. He needs to score and rebound to negate what the Joker will do.

2. DLO. Like everyone else I think DLO is key. Now he doesn’t have to be great, just decent. If he were decent last year we may have won.

3. The bench. This is a possible advantage that isn’t getting a lot of attention. Last year Bruce Brown and Jeff Green were huge for the Nuggets. While a couple of young guys have stepped up, they still are not as impactful. Gabe, Prince and Spencer are all experienced vets that should give us the advantage. Gabe in particular could be huge. I’ve been impressed with his defense since he’s returned. The last game he found his shot, if that continues he could play important role, especially defending Murray.

4. The starters defense. Both DLO and Austin have slow feet. They will never become lock down defenders but they are becoming better in a team scheme. DLO in particular has been better on that side of the ball with steals, deflections and the occasional sneaky blind side block. I think AD has to guard the Joker much of the time straight up. The Joker shines when you send doubles. The last time we played the Nuggets we did a good job on Murray but we left Porter Jr open and he went 10 for 10 five of which were 3’s. Ball game. Let the Joker score 35, just don’t let other guys beat us.

5. Rui. Rui has grown a lot over the last few months on both sides of the ball. Defensively he has become one of the best defenders on the team. He’s also been good on the boards which I thought was the weakest part of his game. And can we please the guy a few more shots? He’s our best shooter. Rarely have I seen a guy that shoots as well as Rui get under 10 shots a game. And from 3 he’s shooting 42%.

6. The first 2 games. It’s simple. Win one and I think we can win the series. Lose both and we lose the series.

D’Angelo Russell details his own personal goals entering postseason

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As the West’s juggernauts collide again in the NBA playoffs, D’Angelo Russell emerges as the Los Angeles Lakers’ beacon of redemption. The prior season’s dismissal from the Western Conference Finals was marred by Russell’s struggles, igniting speculation about his future in purple and gold. Yet, the point guard has silenced naysayers with a defiant return, bolstering his team’s ranks with a resolve hardened by criticism.

Derision and doubt became unlikely fuel for D’Angelo Russell’s resurgence. Rather than fleeing from faultfinding, he confronted it, “[embracing] it” wholeheartedly. His tenacity translated into on-court success, dispelling doubts about his fit with a storied franchise like the Lakers. As the playoffs unfurl, Russell confronts a familiar adversary in the Denver Nuggets—a chance to overwrite the narrative with a pen of performance.

Russell’s turnaround this season wasn’t rooted in technical overhaul but in mental liberation, telling The Los Angeles Times, “Obviously, I do more on the offensive end, but trying to stay valuable on the floor in the guts and crunch of the game. Trying to be on the floor because I can hold my own, for sure.”

He continued, “I try to think less, try to treat it like it’s the first game of the season, how it was a bunch of hype when we played Denver again. My approach was just care less, be free, be a butterfly out there, just float and I’ll find myself in a comfort zone that’s been working for me lately.”

The impending battles will test whether Russell’s post-defeat evolution has truly equipped him to thrive under the most unforgiving spotlight. His team’s faith and his future paycheck hang in the balance.

Can Russell shatter the remnants of past shortcomings to rise, phoenix-like, and lead the Lakers in their quest for supremacy? Only the relentless grind of playoff basketball will reveal the answer.