Game Debrief: What Went Right And What Went Wrong?

Let's hope so

 

About 25% of the way into the season now, so the excitement of a new season is waring off. On the broadcast they were talking about how JJ said after the last game that he was disappointed the team seemed bored with that game. A few of these kind of losses can be helpful to jolt you back into the right mindset, we’ll see how they respond in Toronto and Boston.

 

Too much Luka dominating shots and the ball? LeBron's not getting enough usage, or is it he's still working into game conditioning. Rui invisible.

Spoiler: Lakers stats for the game link ... hopefully

nba scores

Well bleep the link in NBA scores for their individual stats not working with the spoiler and even copying it at the top of the page it's weird .... just says nba scores.

 

Having a decent TEAM defense as well as individual ones playing would help.
We are a pretender, not contender until we get into the group of top ten defensive squads.
Offense comes and goes, but when you have a good defensive squad, you put yourself in a position of winning, nearly every night.

 

Not having a FU high motor guy i'm going to war on defense like Smarts was probably the biggest problem last night but Luka's playmaking does have weaknessses.

Against ATL, OKC, and now Phoenix teams which has physical atheltic defenders baited him to get into spots where he went with the miracle shot or miracle pass instead of resetting or trusting his teammates. I get it neither AR or Luka were good but it's self fulfilling prophecy as if doesn't trust his teammates they are going to get passive (which they did particularly Lebron). Be more like Magic and get the team going when the defense has your first action figured out

 

I think part of it is trust. All of these players are new to him and it takes time to develop chemistry. That being said, after we traded for Luka, my Dad texted me after the first few games and said,”That guy’s a ball hog!”
He’s not wrong, but Luka is in the top 2 of most talent offensive machines in the game, so he should be taking a lot of shots. He’s also one of the best passers in the game. Luka will have bad games, but I think these will lessen the more he plays with this group of guys.

 

Yeah - it feels instead of hunting the mismatches in these losses it would better for Luka to try to do Luka things but if the defense is locked in just swing the ball. The 3 playmakers need to trust each other to move the ball to find the guy who has the better matchup or position. If they can rotate rather than just head hunt that would make it far more difficult to gameplan.

It was a weird game as all 3 guys seemed to be off at the same game and were getting the ball swiped

 

if we play like we have been, both of those teams will mop the floor with us. and that would be the real wake up call.

 

I don’t understand why people are so negative on the team. We’re 2nd in the west and pretty close to the second overall seed. Yes we have been playing to our opponents level, but we’re pretty good offensively and good defensively in the clutch. We also haven’t been super healthy and have had a tough schedule.

I’m optimistic we’re in the second set of contenders alongside Denver, Houston and the best of the east which seems to be Detroit at the moment (not sure how much I trust that yet).

 

I meant the last two games, mostly. We’ve had some good ones, too—just not recently.

 

Lakers, looking stale the last couple of games, travel to TOR on the coldest day of the year (so far) there. Snow was blowin' sideways. TOR was 15-7; Lakers at 15-5.

In a thrilling game all-around, the Lakers win on a buzzer beater by Rui. With TOR up 120-118, AR came down and got into the paint to make a short shot with two guys on him; Lebron thought the Lakers had taken a TO and was sitting down already. They had not taken a TO.

Tied at 120, Ingram drove to the rack but Ayton played him really well and I can't tell if he got a piece of the shot, but the Lakers had it with about 14 left in the game. AR calmly dribbled while the clock ran down, this guy Reaves is effing badass; AR started to drive from the arc on the strong side, TOR doubled him, he got it to Lebron who drove into the paint but was met with a wall; Lebron dished to an open Rui in the corner and it swished as time expired.

Hillbilly Mamba with one of his greatest games as a Laker. 44/5/10 in a game in which Luka didn't play due to the birth of his 2nd child. AR was asked to be the scorer and my gawd. 13 of 21, 5 3s, 13 of 15 from the FT, and at one point he was using his footwork to draw a foul, got it and chucked the ball at the basket and it banked in for the 3 point play.

Slghtly earlier than all that: Scottie Barnes blocked a Bron fadeaway late, huge clutch block. If Bron had made that shot it would've given him 10 points for the game to keep his streak alive. He ended with 8 points in 36 mins on a disturbing 4 for 17 game. So that streak is finally over. But James did have 11 dimes.

What. A. Game.

Hope the next game - tomorrow, against someone, haven't looked - is as good as this one was.

j/k: we play the Bags, who, though w/o Jayson this year, have the NBA's 2nd best defense. All I ask for xmas is a win in that hell hole in BAHshtun. The Bags will be on a BTB as well, having beaten the Wiz by 45 tonight.

 

Ruiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!

 

Rui is sooo damned cool.

 

LaRavia with that chase down block was a game saver!
Austin HIM freakin Reaves!!!!! What a baller!
Ayton breathing down BI’s neck to alter the layup was huge!
Thiero looked great during his short burn- he has all the athleticism and speed this team is missing. Get the kid more minutes!!!

LeBron looked his age tonight- no lift, especially in traffic and the shot way wayward, but he had 11 dimes and the game winning assist.
When both Luka and Smart are back, I would give all of cardi-Gabe’s minutes to Richard’s. He’s not that much worse of a defender and way better offensively.
What an exciting win!!!

 

YES!!!!

 

Ayton will have won me over after a couple more defensive showings like this one.